Does Fëanor himself appear in one of the movies, or something?

[Curufin]

Of course. As would anyone who has tried the stuff.

[The last sane person]

*joins the happy group of Heretics* yeh...I skimmed, saw just how self important and centered on a character's breeding it was that I decided not to go back. I may have liked one or two pages that I may go back and look at, if I had the books.

I dunno, the greats of the Sil struck me as such outrageous nitwits that I wouldn't put in comand of a scooter, never mind some might nation. It was just tooo unreal for me, but hey, its fun to watch you guys that enjoy it work yourselves up into a tizzy.

[The Dread Pirate Roberts]

If you like Tolkien's world but don't enjoy reading the Silmarillion, I highly recommend listening to the audio book. I don't find the book something I enjoy reading cover to cover like a novel; I tend to pick and choose chapters and stories. But the audio book is wonderful. Ok, Martin Shaw's pronunciations aren't always correct or consistent but hey, he's human and some of those Elvish names are complicated. His voice, however, is great for the story and he gives it a tone that moves the listener.

For a guy who commutes an hour each way to work, the Silm on my iPod is priceless.

Get it. Hear it. Love it.

As for the heroes being morons, I think that's only if you consider the morons to be the heroes. There were plenty of good guys who didn't do anything stupid. Tuor, Earendil, Gil-galad, were all on the up and up. Fingolfin and Fingon were nearly perfect (IMO). Hurin and Huor were awesome. Yeah, there were jerks but there were also some wonderful characters.

Not only that, but the variety of characters gives it a depth and realism.

Best of all, most novels have A protagonist. The Silmarillion has so many deep characters that each reader can actually pick his or her own. To me, the house of Finfgolfin and the men who joined them are the protagonists but to someone else it is the house of Feanor who are the main guys.

Great story, but I sympathize with people who say it's a bit of a crappy read. So I reiterate: Listen To It!

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

I know you don't know me, DPR, but I'm a professional Shakespearean actress and director, among my other skills. I've been doing that, for pay, since 1969.

I'm more than competent to evaluate text, even obscure text, without an audio book.

[The Dread Pirate Roberts]

Originally Posted by sisterandcousinandaunt

I know you don't know me, DPR, but I'm a professional Shakepearean actress and director, among my other skills. I've been doing that, for pay, since 1969.

I'm more than competent to evaluate text, even obscure text, without an audio book.

Sorry for my post. I suppose I'm just too dumb to realize that audio books are only for people as dumb as me. I'd tell you what I do for a living but don't want to look like an Internet show-off.

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

Originally Posted by The Dread Pirate Roberts

Sorry for my post. I suppose I'm just too dumb to realize that audio books are only for people as dumb as me. I'd tell you what I do for a living but don't want to look like an Internet show-off.

I gotcha. I appreciate your restraint, too. Heaven forfend I misread your being condescending as... well, being condescending. Surely MORE exposure to poorly written prose would cause me to love it properly.

Curufin, I'll be going, now. I think we've seen enough of why my being up here was a bad idea.

Sorry, all.

[The Dread Pirate Roberts]

Originally Posted by sisterandcousinandaunt

I gotcha. I appreciate your restraint, too. Heaven forfend I misread your being condescending as... well, being condescending. Surely MORE exposure to poorly written prose would cause me to love it properly.

Who is being condescending?

[Jon S.]

>> If you like Tolkien's world but don't enjoy reading the Silmarillion, I highly recommend listening to the audio book. ... Great story, but I sympathize with people who say it's a bit of a crappy read. So I reiterate: Listen To It!

Thanks for the audiobook suggestion, DPR. As I understand you, you're not saying everyone MUST listen to the Sil audio book but IF you're someone who didn't enjoy reading the Sil but otherwise enjoy Tolkien, it might come come to life for you out loud. in fact, as someone who actually read the Hobbit and LOTR, including appendices, out loud from beginning to end (for my daughter when she was younger), though I always thoroughly enjoy reading the books, I really did experience them differently audibly.

Though I admit I'm just an environmental enforcement attorney in real life.

[The Dread Pirate Roberts]

Jon, I have read The Hobbit aloud with my daughter and it's great. I love the spoken word. Right now she and I are reading Prince Caspian together in anticipation of the upcoming movie. I haven't decided when to break into LotR with her. She isn't old enough for it yet, plus has a stack in the "to read" list we have to get through first.

Reading aloud with her is one of the great pleasures in my life. Audible books really present material in a different way and they are processed in the mind a different way. Well worth getting the audio version of any book you really love, IMO. But what do I know?

[Curufin]

Glad to hear I'm not alone in this. Of course, someone is sure to point out my hypocrisy in hating Túrin and loving Fëanor (again) - but bah on them.

And to get back on topic, that picture looks nothing like how I imagine Fëanor.

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by Curufin

Glad to hear I'm not alone in this. Of course, someone is sure to point out my hypocrisy in hating Túrin and loving Fëanor (again) - but bah on them.

What hypocrisy can there be in LOVE? Love is an irrational feeling.

[Aikanáro]

Originally Posted by Curufin

And to get back on topic, that picture looks nothing like how I imagine Fëanor.

Me neither - in fact my first thought was that the picture is just quite creepy. I wouldn't have thought it was meant to be Fëanor at all.

[Curufin]

Fëanor has short hair, for one thing.

Don't get me started on this.

[katya]

I didn't think it looked much like him either. Though I must say, this one http://www.celebritycowboy.com/wp-co...7/11/fabio.jpg definitely does.

Fëanor has short hair? Where'd you read that? I like it.

[Curufin]

I didn't read it anywhere, it's just my logical deduction.

See, Fëanor, above all else, is of course a craftsman. He spends hours and hours in his smithy, making things (like gems and the Silmarils). Smithies have fire. Fire and long hair are not friends.

My brother is a firefighter with the US Forest Service. They are strongly suggested not to have long hair, because if you do, the tiniest little spark can light you up like a torch.

There are lots, and lots, and lots of sparks in a smithy.

Therefore, my logical deduction:

There are fire and sparks in a smithy.
Long hair catches fire more easily than short hair.
Fëanor is one of the most intelligent of the Eldar.

Therefore:

Fëanor would not have long hair.



BTW, I think Curufin would have short hair for the same reason.

Edit: And the picture that looks most like the Fëanor of my mental image is here: http://www.goldseven.de/img/tolkien/...seoffeanor.jpg

He's the one in the back looking annoyed at being interrupted. Notice also how he even has his sleeves cross-gartered so they won't get in the flame/sparks.

[katya]

Works for me! I like the short hair look for him anyway. That's a nice picture too. Looks like Fëanor to me. I'm sure I've seen the artist before...

[Curufin]

It's Jenny Dolfen - she's my favorite Tolkien artist, and she does some good Harry Potter stuff as well. Her link is in my signature - she drew my avatar pic, too.

(BTW, Curu is the one standing back and looking evil - the dark haired one. That's Celegorm, the blonde, being all flashy with his sword. )

Here's the big version of my avatar pic:

http://www.goldseven.de/img/tolkien/...n_celecuru.jpg

[katya]

That is a nice pic too. I like her interpretations. In the gallery on the site I found a picture I had indeed seen before- Fingon rescuing Maedhros- one of my favorite scenes.

[Curufin]

This summer (when I have a job) I'm going to buy all of her prints and use them to decorate my room. Her drawing with Fingolfin coming over the mountains at the rising of the sun is my desktop design on my laptop.

[katya]

Nice! I used to use this one http://www.geocities.com/pictolkien/SILx24x2.jpg for my wallpaper a lot, not because I have a thing for Eärendil or anything, but because I can taste the sea in it.