Party kickoff

[wiseheart]

So, this should have been the actual opening post, but I forgot to set the hour when I scheduled it, so I'll simply do it again.

Welcome to my annual (virtual) birthday party! I'll be turning 59 on October 9, which means this is the last year I start it with a 5! Next time, if I live to see it, the 60s will start. Imagine that! Where has all the time gone when I was not watching?

In any case, let's have fun! The goal is, as always, to create as many collapsing threads on as many pages as possible. I'll kick up the first few topics, just to start the ball rolling, but basically it's up to you what we'll be talking about. So far, we always had fascinating topics. Photos of cakes and cookies and flowers and kittens and whatever you want to post are also welcome.

Since LJ chose to crash our party 2 years ago, I'll save the whole thing to Dreamwidth on a daily basis. Last time it happened it took us an ungodly amount of effort to recreate the lost comments, and even so, we didn't manage to get everything back.

Again, welcome and let's have fun! God knows we all deserve it. The party closes at midninght on October 9, sharp, as always. Let's use the time we have well!

Oh, and have some virtual cake:

Comments

Favourite female characters

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

Having just met Eowyn, another topic for discussion -- which are your favourite female characters? I'm going to go away & give it some thought...

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

From the Tolkienverse definitely Éowyn - not the film version of her, of course. That one was an insult.

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

I like book Eowyn too. Miranda Otto was just miscast; she has entirely the wrong look.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Anorexic wallflower-chic... brrrr! But again, all female charcters were miscast in the films.
Although I must add that I liked Galadriel in the first Hobbit movie quite a lot.

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

I thought Blanchett was the most convincing elf in the LotR trilogy by miles.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

That she was, but the radioactive glowing was very off-putting.

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

I hated that too, but the actors can't be held responsible for it.

Re: Favourite female characters

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

Books: Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Eyre, Galadriel, (Orm-)Irian (Earthsea), Susan Calvin, Horatia Winwood (Heyer)... and probably hundreds more I'm blanking on right now.

Television: Audrey Horne, Servalan (anyone else a Blake's 7 fan?)... there must be more... oh, yes, Lilah Morgan (Angel)

[solanpolarn.livejournal.com]

I am pleased to see another vote for Galadriel, who is my favourite female character in the Tolkien-verse. In The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit there aren't really that many female characters to choose from, though!

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

Galadriel seems to have earned her wisdom & serenity the hard way over the years, and to have retained a broad streak of mischief, which endears me to her. She wasn't murdered by Blanchett, either, which does help.

Are there any women 'onscreen' in The Hobbit at all?

[solanpolarn.livejournal.com]

It has been a while since I last re-read The Hobbit, so I couldn't say for sure if there are any 'onscreen' women, but I can't think of any at the moment. I did wonder if maybe some of the Elves were female, but I certainly don't think any major characters are female.

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

I wrote a bookverse The Hobbit story for an exchange recently about Belladonna Took, but she's only described in the narrative. One could postulate that one or more of the dwarves were female, I suppose. I hadn't thought of the Mirkwood elves. Will have to reread.

[solanpolarn.livejournal.com]

Will have to reread.

My thoughts exactly! :-)

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

Arwen

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

I have to admit I'm not fond of either book or film Arwen, though I've read some fanfiction that made her come alive for me. What characteristics do you like in her?

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

Her patience and loyalty appeal to me. What stories brought her alive for you?

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

The one I remember most clearly is by forodwaith, Thread of Fate, which has Arwen participating actively in the war without doing anything that seemed out of character.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

THank you. I just read it and I loved it. I recently wrote a story in which she makes a lovely gown for a nervous young bride.

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

Link link link :)

[rcfinch.livejournal.com]

In LotR (bookverse) it's hard not to go for Éowyn. In Tolkien's entire oeuvre... Nerdanel, I think, because she invented abstract art.

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

I hadn't thought of Nerdanel and hadn't realised she invented abstract art; I will have to go & look her up again!

[rcfinch.livejournal.com]

It´s somewhere in Morgoth´s Ring, IIRC. It´s not directly called abstract art, but the description strongly suggests it.

[espresso-addict.livejournal.com]

That would explain why I'd missed it; I've only read Sil & UT.

[rcfinch.livejournal.com]

Not all the HoMe volumes are equally interesting, but this one´s certainly worth a try.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I found that I enjoyed HoMe a lot - when I read the parts topic-related, as a source for research.