What would YOU ask Tolkien?

[Kennashi]

I would, of course, ask the all-important question: "Do balrogs have wings?" This may sound incredibly cliché, but it's the most ridiculous debate I have ever heard in my entire life, and I just would've liked it to be settled.

But what about you guys?

[Valandil]

I would want to sit and have a long chat with him about the Northern Dunedain.

[ecthelion]

We really need to get the Tom Bombadil thing cleared out.


But he wouldn't answer.

[Varnafindë]

Was Fëanor evil?

(Btw, I don't think he was. He was a few other bad things, but not evil as such.
But it would have been interesting to see a yes or no answer from the Professor.)

[Jon S.]

Because the rest of you are already asking many of the questions I'd like to have answers to as well, it gives me the liberty to ask, "A lot of people who have never met you but claim to know exactly what you think have invoked your name in commenting on the Jackson films. Help us set the record straight - what do you think of them?"

EDIT: As this is not per se a "book" question, I might add, "Do you understand and are you bothered or copacetic with the character, dialog, and plot changes between the films and book?"

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by Jon S.

Because the rest of you are already asking many of the questions I'd like to have answers to as well, it gives me the liberty to ask, "A lot of people who have never met you but claim to know exactly what you think have invoked your name in commenting on the Jackson films. Help us set the record straight - what do you think of them?"

Tolkien has answered this question in a quite unambiguous fashion in his letter about Zimmerman's script. I have never seen another Tolkien letter so steeped in venom as this one.

I feel very unhappy about the extreme silliness and incompetence of Z and his complete lack of respect for the original (it seems willfully wrong without discernible technical reasons at nearly every point).#208
If Z and/or others do so, they may be irritated or aggrieved by the tone of many of my criticisms. If so, I am sorry (though not surprised). But I would ask them to make an effort of imagination sufficient to understand the irritation (and on occasion the resentment) of an author, who finds, increasingly as he proceeds, his work treated as it would seem carelessly in general, in places recklessly, and with no evident signs of any appreciation of what it is all about. ....#210

And now PJ has made exactly the same mistakes or worse...

[Olmer]

Oh, you are right, he answered the question:he was unhappy, all right, but he did not mind the alterations as long as it brings money.

I feel very unhappy about the extreme silliness and incompetence of Z and his complete lack of respect for the original (it seems willfully wrong without discernible technical reasons at nearly every point).But I need, and shall soon need very much indeed, money, and I am conscious of your rights and interests; so I shall endeavour to restrain myself, and avoid all avoidable offence.

#207
Concidering an enormous revenue from the movie and accompanied mechandise and media, a huge promotion of his book, a surge of interest in all his work, he would be worshipping PJ.

[Gordis]

Nay he wouldn't be. He would pocket the money, but still he would feel frustrated.

[Jon S.]

With due respect, seems to me y'all's reasoning on this issue are clouded by your personal judgments which lead to indefensible presuming and projecting. Your positions seem to be that because Tolkien objected to changes in script A it may be automatically presumed he would also reject changes in script B. That cannot be presumed. Even if some of the changes in both were absolutely identical (never having personally read the Z script, I wouldn't know), it cannot be presumed that an objection to a change in context A would be continued to the same change in a completely different context.

In any event, the OP's question was, "What would YOU ask Tolkien." I appreciate that some here cannot resist providing their own answers but I would be interested in the Professor's (which I don't know), not yours (which, believe me, I already know by now!).

[Jon S.]

>> his work treated as it would seem carelessly in general, in places recklessly, and with no evident signs of any appreciation of what it is all about. ....

Dear Prof. Tolkien,

Now that you've had an opportunity to view and listen to both the 3 EEs themselves and the additional DVDs in which the screenwriters, director, and actors explain their thinking behind some of the changes to your original book, taking it all into account, what did you think of the films?

Jon S.

P.S. [ to Olmer] Oh, and here's your check.

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by Jon S.

Oh, and here's your check.

Dear Sir,
I was endeavouring to restrain myself, but now I have to ask: Where is the rest of the money the New Line has promised me?
Sincerely,
JRR Tolkien

[The Gaffer]

Who can hold their drink best amongst the Inklings?

[Kennashi]

Gordis, you haven't told us what your question would be.

[Jon S.]

Originally Posted by Gordis

Dear Sir,
I was endeavouring to restrain myself, but now I have to ask: Where is the rest of the money the New Line has promised me?
Sincerely,
JRR Tolkien

LOL!!!

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by Kennashi

Gordis, you haven't told us what your question would be.

Need you ask?

"Tell us EVERYTHING about the Nazgul ... ugh.. I mean.. please!"

[Olmer]

Originally Posted by Gordis

Dear Sir,
I was endeavouring to restrain myself, but now I have to ask: Where is the rest of the money the New Line has promised me?
Sincerely,
JRR Tolkien

Way to go, Gordis! What are you trying to achieve by making us ROFL?

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by Olmer

Way to go, Gordis! What are you trying to achieve by making us ROFL?

An easy way to sweep the floor?

[The Dread Pirate Roberts]

If he were alive today I'd certainly have to ask: Professor Tolkien, how did you manage to live to more than 116 years of age?

[Ingwe]

Professor Tolkien, do you have detailed maps of the far east and far south of Middle Earth including the Dark Land and oh, who exactly is Tom Bombadil and where is he now, oh and even more questions, who are the current descendants of the Dunedain (as it was said, Luthian's line would never end and that likely includes them), and where may I find the Hobbits as I would love to smoke pipe weed with them, tell me where I may find the Ents and Dwarves, the most mysterious of all life as it feels urgent to me to learn their languages and of course find the four clans of Dwarves in the Far East (despite what is said of our opinion of the Dwarves, this Elf thinks Dwarves are elite!) and lastly, are YOU Tom Bombadil? I always wanted to ask the eastern Dwarves how they sent their lords so far to Eregion to receive their rings, whether it was by pony or by something else and what better person than THE MAN himself! God forbid the Dwarves trekked all that way on foot!

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Originally Posted by Kennashi

I would, of course, ask the all-important question: "Do balrogs have wings?" This may sound incredibly cliché, but it's the most ridiculous debate I have ever heard in my entire life, and I just would've liked it to be settled.

But what about you guys?

You realise the debate would still not be settled, don't you?