Two views on Tolkien

[Teresa Edgerton]

An interesting article here:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...100395,00.html

(But don't newspapers employ proofreaders anymore?)

[Raynor]

Sheesh, the first comment reminds me of the healer from the Houses of Healing chapter - a man of a lot of lore, but of little wisdom, Gandalf and Aragorn sure had a great time making fun of him.

I wonder if had this critic knew that Sam was the true hero of Lotr (as Tolkien states in his letters), would he have used the refference "breathtakingly condescending portrayal of the “servant classes” in the figure of Sam Gamgee". I have hardly heard of an author who despises his main (positive) character. Oh well... There is unwarranted venom all over the place, sometime I feel that this is a pre-requisite for such a job.

[polymath]

Yeah, I read this in the paper...talk about completely missing the point.

Furthermore, anyone who still uses the word 'breathtaking', as in 'breathtaking lack of blah-blah' or 'breathtaking impertinence' etc. etc., should never be allowed to participate in formal debate...it is a cliche used for lazy emotive point-scoring and demonstrates that the author is less bothered with the issue being discussed and more bothered with getting in the put-down.

[Beowulf]

Originally Posted by polymath

Yeah, I read this in the paper...talk about completely missing the point.

Furthermore, anyone who still uses the word 'breathtaking', as in 'breathtaking lack of blah-blah' or 'breathtaking impertinence' etc. etc., should never be allowed to participate in formal debate...it is a cliche used for lazy emotive point-scoring and demonstrates that the author is less bothered with the issue being discussed and more bothered with getting in the put-down.

I disagree. 'Breathtaking', 'Notwithstanding' et cetera....are fine English words.