I read The Hobbit, Moomintrolls, Lloyd Alexander's Prydain, Maren's Little Owl, and the Uncle stories by the time I was eight. I'm stuck on what I now know as High Fantasy :) Despite E R Burroughs, Rider Haggard, J Norman, Peake, Brooks, Eddings, Donaldson, Douglass exposure (one had to take whatever made it waaaay down here back then!) I still need a Hero I can like. I make an exception for Freidman.
Early Pern/McCaffrey, Lackey, Scarborough, L Norman, Bujold, well - I could go on and on :) I confess that I like a Flawed!Hero (not usually to the extent of CS Friedman), and a huge admission ..... I like Aragorn more post-movie than before (even on re-read, I bung movie!Aragorn in, and it works better for me). He seemed too perfect (despite the obstacles in his way and the weight of destiny on his shoulders), in the books (when I first read LOTR at 14), it was Legolas I wanted to know more about, the Eorlingas needed expounding upon, , and the Hobbits I worried over (I seemed to consider the Men Of Gondor bloody lucky to have other races/species so worried about them!). I do like Flewelling (actually, she may have been a bit of a realisation).
I've always read for the relationships in stories, as much as the plot. Which possibly explains why I adore series (although these days some series seem more like money-spinners than genuine tales-that-need-to-be-told).
Having read a considerable amount of Sci-Fi and MurderMystery/Crime as well, the idea of relationship overiding plot holds true (with the note that world-building is also necessary, so a Jennifer Crusie loses over a David Weber in the comedy department).
Sorry, I'll shut up now. One of the reasons I adore fanfic is that those notions that I think need exploring are also considered important by other people - and they are capable of following it through :) As a book addict, I confess that I've spent far less on books in the last 6 years than before - and my purchases are far more selected. I make sure I buy any fanfic author who is published (despite otp's and prefs), and I respond to any rec's made by the "community". My TBR pile is no smaller, but I know there are gems awaiting me ( as opposed to the "Take these to the book exchange" situation I had before!
During filming I was on the Tolkien newsgroups, rather than the Yahoo! and LJ communities - so my own thoughts were never expressed (NG were predominantly male and anti-PJ (I was there during the Arwen-at-Helm's Deep phase), so I was just following them for info .... odd, considering they were filming right here!).
No, I really will shut up now (my connection has died twice since I started typing, so whether or not this gets through is a punt). Cheers!
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2007-08-26 09:34 am (UTC)Despite E R Burroughs, Rider Haggard, J Norman, Peake, Brooks, Eddings, Donaldson, Douglass exposure (one had to take whatever made it waaaay down here back then!) I still need a Hero I can like. I make an exception for Freidman.
Early Pern/McCaffrey, Lackey, Scarborough, L Norman, Bujold, well - I could go on and on :)
I confess that I like a Flawed!Hero (not usually to the extent of CS Friedman), and a huge admission ..... I like Aragorn more post-movie than before (even on re-read, I bung movie!Aragorn in, and it works better for me). He seemed too perfect (despite the obstacles in his way and the weight of destiny on his shoulders), in the books (when I first read LOTR at 14), it was Legolas I wanted to know more about, the Eorlingas needed expounding upon, , and the Hobbits I worried over (I seemed to consider the Men Of Gondor bloody lucky to have other races/species so worried about them!).
I do like Flewelling (actually, she may have been a bit of a realisation).
I've always read for the relationships in stories, as much as the plot. Which possibly explains why I adore series (although these days some series seem more like money-spinners than genuine tales-that-need-to-be-told).
Having read a considerable amount of Sci-Fi and MurderMystery/Crime as well, the idea of relationship overiding plot holds true (with the note that world-building is also necessary, so a Jennifer Crusie loses over a David Weber in the comedy department).
Sorry, I'll shut up now. One of the reasons I adore fanfic is that those notions that I think need exploring are also considered important by other people - and they are capable of following it through :) As a book addict, I confess that I've spent far less on books in the last 6 years than before - and my purchases are far more selected. I make sure I buy any fanfic author who is published (despite otp's and prefs), and I respond to any rec's made by the "community". My TBR pile is no smaller, but I know there are gems awaiting me ( as opposed to the "Take these to the book exchange" situation I had before!
During filming I was on the Tolkien newsgroups, rather than the Yahoo! and LJ communities - so my own thoughts were never expressed (NG were predominantly male and anti-PJ (I was there during the Arwen-at-Helm's Deep phase), so I was just following them for info .... odd, considering they were filming right here!).
No, I really will shut up now (my connection has died twice since I started typing, so whether or not this gets through is a punt).
Cheers!