Loving "The Lord of the Rings"

I’ve had The Lord of the Rings on my mind lately.
 

Not only is it the "one fandom to rule them all," but I’ve been reading academic essays about the series as part of my light summer reading. So, what would be a better follow-up to my first blog post ever than talking about why I love The Lord of the Rings?

For those of you who might be unfamiliar with the books, The Lord of the Rings is a trilogy written by J. R. R. Tolkien that formed the basis of Peter Jackson's film adaptations. The books are entitled The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. I recommend these books to anyone who is interested in a classic tale of good versus evil and adventure (with the warning that these are not quick reads and are probably not reading-level appropriate for the very young).

Now, for a basic summary of why I love The Lord of the Rings.
 

Plot

I enjoy how Tolkien built the plot of this work. The Fellowship of the Ring begins with a joyful celebration that just about everyone has experienced – a birthday party – but then it quickly develops into a quest in which the fate of the entire world is on the line. I do not want to give too much away, but I will say that trilogy’s plot keeps reader interest high as it eventually splits, follows the activities of different groups, and then reunites at the end.

Adventures

I’ve always loved adventures, and the trials the main character Frodo and his companions face in the books are incredible. The story is basically a quest to destroy an evil Ring and defeat the evil Sauron, but to quote the wonderful movie The Princess Bride, the books are full of “fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles…” There’s something for everyone in The Lord of the Rings.

Characters

Characters unworthy of a good plot make for a disappointing story. Fortunately, this is not the case with The Lord of the Rings. The main struggle of the series might seem like a straightforward battle between good and evil (which has upset some critics for being too “black and white”), but as C. S. Lewis notes in “The Dethronement of Power,” the characters are very much NOT clear cut (para. 1-2). Some are distant and almost trapped in static myth, but many are dynamic, some even seeming as likely to come from a small rural town in America as from an imaginary land.

 Style and Language

The Lord of the Rings has been criticized for being too detailed, too dense, too slow, or not having beautiful writing. I personally find Tolkien’s writing style stark but unique. In fact, I think it is lovely at times. This simplicity of the writing allows the reader to focus on the story, not on the language. Battles and mighty deeds lose none of their grandeur for being expressed with simple words. However, the simple diction is nothing to downplay. The books are full of quotable gems, such as “your Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while all the company is true” (400-1), spoken by Galadriel in The Fellowship of the Ring.

Themes

Tolkien claimed that The Lord of the Rings is not an allegory (a story that has literal meaning and deeper meaning; a story that works on two levels), but the books are full of deep universal truths all the same. I think this book is a classic because it investigates the struggles one takes on in the fight of good versus evil. Critics have drawn out themes such as the importance of free will, the power of choice, and the corrupting influence of power (please refer to Zimbardo and Isaacs’ Understanding The Lord of the Rings: The Best of Tolkien Criticism). Some see religious meaning in the story (Tolkien was Catholic), while others like to focus on how its lessons can be applied to real life. The Lord of the Rings concerns facets of life all people face in every time: how to act in the face of evil or danger, making choices, friendship, and sacrifice. The trilogy deals with important ideas and invites readers to consider them.

The Age of the Geek

I've never written a blog with other people before, so this promises to be interesting. My own blog, which lasted for about a year, sort of pathetically fizzled out, but hopefully with other writers to keep me motivated, this time around will be different.

As much as I love Narnia, LOTR, Austen, and many things nerdy, my own preferences (at this point in time) lean more toward the #SuperWhoLock category of fandoms--that is, Supernatural, Doctor Who, and Sherlock, as well as the Marvel genre: Avengers, Agent Carter, Daredevil, etc. Nor is my love of all things geekified limited to these that I have listed. The reason for this passion is not merely because the characters are so well-developed and enticing, nor is it the satirical nature of the humor, although those are major factors. (Side note: character development is important. This is why so many shows only last a few seasons and mostly suck. They have no character development.) A big reason for my love of these things is that, no matter how secular they may be or how out there, I seem to always be able to find those specks of Truth that speak to the catholicism (universality) of Catholicism. 

For instance, Doctor Who: "In 900 years of time and space, I've never met anyone who wasn't important." The importance of human life, right there. Boom. The Doctor is all about life--saving it, defending it, whatever. He's there to make sure it goes on. And he's willing to sacrifice to make it happen. And that is beautiful.

Supernatural: It's all about family, and "family don't end in blood." Also, parents are not there to be your friends. They're there to be your PARENTS.

Sherlock: Personal relationships are important. People need each other. We were created to need others. 

I could go on, but I think you get the point. All these shows and more are long-standing and have a lasting effect and a huge fan base because they all communicate universal truths, things that everyone can relate to and which have always been and will always be true. 

These universal truths are what help bind us together as a community of geeks, whether we are willing to admit it or not. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the age of the geek. 

Introduction

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” – Gandalf

 I love quotes. I love Gandalf. And I’m deciding to spend some time writing for this blog.

There will be nerdiness!

There will be puns!

And there will be lots of references to The Lord of the Rings and other fabulous works!

But before I get too carried away…

 

My Rules

I have outlined The 8 Fabulous Rules of Blogging for myself to follow.

1.      I will not rant. It is neither fun nor uplifting. Therefore, no severe ranting.

2.      I allow myself to complain, but not incessantly.
3.      I will try to see the positive in the world and share it.
4.      I will be Catholic-out-loud.
5.      I will reference The Lord of the Rings, as well as other nerd-doms, as much as I like without regret.
6.      I will proofread. No one wants to read an article rife with typos. Therefore, I give my fellow bloggers leave to mercilessly make fun of me if I post typos and promise to do the same to them.
7.      I will post at least once a month. I can’t commit to a regular schedule, but I will post at least once every four weeks. I will aim for every two weeks.
8.      I will have fun. I think I am going to like blogging, and I hope you enjoy what you read here.

 

Welcome to FONAM.

The Time Has Come!

The time has come for me to abandon my old, neglected blog and venture forth into a bold, new, nerdy direction. The time has come for me to inundate the interwebs and with all things Veggie Tales, kittens, Lord of the Rings, Blimey Cow and Catholic.

Yes indeed, my friends, I am no longer the wallflower of my yesteryears.  While I still proudly acknowledge my natural self as introverted, shy, and mild mannered, the time has come for me to "Shake It Off" and let my true inner self shine.  

Yes. I went there.

Because let’s be real:  I am a dork and I can never say what I’m want to say without stuttering and cringing and failing to make eye contact. I am at my best in writing, so I shall let it all out here, even if it’s for no one’s sake but my own.  See Exhibit 1:

Exhibit 1.

Therefore, if I’m thinking about kittens.  Bam.  You have me freaking out about the cuteness of kittens.

I accept that I am a crazy cat lady.

If I’m feeling philosophical about the newest episode of Agent Carter: Shazam, you have a wordy puddle of sentimental feels peppered with gifs of Jarvis or Cartson (which is, for those of you who are wondering, the ship name for Carter and Thompson).

As in "Don't you want to jump on the Agent Carter bandwagon?"

If I’ve just finished a particularly long week at work and I can’t seem to get my mind off of history? Presto.  A long post about how I love the Bayeaux tapestry.

Or a nerdy knockoff of the Bayeaux tapestry.

So, please, enjoy! I must say that I am rather looking forward to this opportunity to unleash my full craziness!