A visitor

[Isilarma]

I'd love to see do an EE marathon in a cinema; it would be amazing. I think I was too young to really appreciate even the original releases when they first came out, so I'd love to see them on a big screen again. We took over my friend's house while his parents were away for ours. I think they were glad that that's all we were doing We did a Harry Potter marathon too, and that was amazing. Very, very long, but so worth it.

I'm quite glad they cut Bombadil too; those chapters were interesting, but they never seemed particularly important. I was quite pleased when they put Old Man Willow in, even if it was a film later. Agree about the Scouring of the Shire too; it would have been cool to see the hobbits in action, but I think there were quite enough endings as it is. Although it really annoyed me that we never saw what happened to Saruman. I'm glad the EE fixed that.

They should have pput Glorfindel in! I have to say, the Aragorn/Arwen scenes annoyed me, but that's probably because romance irritates me in general. Still, it would have been much cooler to see Glorfindel take them on. I think there's a very good chance he used a Song of Power; he's good, but they were powerful too, and even with Aragorn he's still massively outnumbered. Fiondil wrote a oneshot about that somewhere I think.

Yep, Peter's done a good job so far. The spiders will be cool, though I really pity him for having to film that. They should have lots more of the White Council! Especially Elrond Have you heard the news about that female elf captain, Tauriel? I read something about a doomed romance between her and one of the dwarves, which I can't say I'm that happy about. I'm just hoping that it won't be too important.

It was incredible. I read somewhere that he made up the languages first, and then built the rest of the culture around them, which is simply amazing. Goes to show what a professor of English at Oxford can do!

That DVD sounds even more awesome. I got some Amazon vouchers for Christmas so I have a feeling I know what they'll be going on

[Kitty279]

And I want to see particularly FotR on the big screen! It's the one I only saw once in the cinema. Back when I got into it, TTT was already running, so the only time I saw it in the cinema was when we did that marathon for the RotK release. Two years ago they showed the EE's, one per week, but I missed FotR again because I was on holiday. And the EE marathon I missed altogether *grumbles*

It's probably true that you need a certain age to really appreciate this story, no matter if book or movie. And besides, no matter how many times you watch it, you always notice new details. It's the same for me with reading the book.

Wow, LotR *and* HP marathons? Are you sure your eyes didn't end up rectangular from all that watching TV?

The Bombadil chapter always bored me a bit, I tend to skip or skim over it when I read the book now. So I didn't really miss that part; save Tom being mentioned two more times he didn't play any part in the rest of the story, after all. Oh, and you weren't the only one who was annoyed because Saruman's end was cut from the theatrical release. We all missed it, and from what I did read, Christopher Lee wasn't taking it too well. Though obviously, he calmed down again, seeing as he now was involved in the Hobbit again.

Ha, another one who has no use for romance and finds it annoying! Yay! I can totally do without and never understood why the general consensus is that every film needs one Sure, they needed to introduce Arwen better than the book did, but still ... she has nothing on Glorfindel! (And btw, the one who was supposed to be Glorfindel looks way too young anyway, I have picked my own one).

As I said to Fiondil in another case, it stands to reason that he used a Song of Power. Remember how Frodo saw that 'shining figure of white light'? That sounded like more than just Glorfindel fighting, when I think about it. Though I was joking if there were unclad Maiar standing guard to make sure he's not ending in another dimension again.

Yeah, heard about that and wasn't too fond of that idea, either. Again, why do we need romance? They say it's necessary to keep the female audience in, but IMO that's rubbish. We have Thorin, Kili and Fili, what else do we need?? (And the same was true for LotR. Who needs Arwen when there are so many hot guys??)

Which reminds me, there's a website that you might enjoy. Try the Oakentoon entries here, my friend and I had so much fun going through them - screenshots and other film pictures, put together to a little story, and with very new texts ;D The bad thing is, when I saw the Hobbit again yesterday, I had to bite my lips to not giggle in the most inconvenient moments because I had them in mind! Shouldn't look at these pics so close to watching the movie ;D

Yeah, IIRC Quenya and Sindarin are based on Latin and Welsh. And it's true, they were invented very early on, and parts of the Silmarillion as well - he wrote them in the trenches of WWI. Probably the reason why they are so depressing. But it's really amazing. There were other authors, particularly in the fantasy genre, who used some invented words, but no one bothered to do that much as Tolkien did. Obviously, there's enough that you can really use it; Fiondil translates whole Christmas Carols every year, which I find mind-boggling - have got some of them myself.

That DVD might actually help a bit with your Founders story if you use swords, too. And even without it, it's nice to see the fighting scenes, movie or otherwise. I suspect there was a lot said about the history, but sadly, the DVD is not subtitled, at least not the German one.

[Isilarma]

Definitely. I haven't read the books in a couple of years now (I found fanfiction and got slightly distracted) but I know I'll get a lot more out of it now, especially now that I've read the Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales too.

Haha, marathons are brilliant. We did the first Harry Potter one just before the last film came out, then had a couple of hours sleep and went to see it at the cinema. That was fun. I've done it since with all eight. The atmosphere is amazing; it;s one of the few times you'll be surrounded by people who love it as much as you do. And I've found it's an excellent way to get prompt ideas and write stuff

I'm so glad Christopher Lee did agree to play Saruman; he's perfect! He has the ultimate bad guy voice, though Alan Rickmn is a close second. It was really bad that they cut his part completely originally though; it was insulting to him, and left the Saruman story without a clear ending. The EE version was a massive improvement.

I get so sick of romance everywhere! Why does every book or film have to revolve around a pairing? Personally, I find friendship and family relationships much more interesting, as is obvious from one look at my profile

Hmm, I just checked the Glorfindel actor, and I'm almost glad he wasn't there more. He's nothing like I imagine him to be. Yeah, the Song of Power makes sense, though I bet there would be unclad Maiar there in that case Huh, just realised I've started taking Fiondil's word practically as canon. Oops. Oh well, it's too good not too.

I know, right. I'd watch it just for Thorin and Kili. Although my housemate (studying English, massive Tolkien fan, and huge feminist) absolutely loves the idea on the basis that there need to be 'more strong female characters because Tolkien couldn't write women well.' My arguments against that haven't been going too well. I have a horrible suspicion that this new charcter is going to end up so mary-Sueish that I'll just despise her on principle.

I'm looking at that website now, and it's brilliant! I love the one with Kili shooting a 'wolf,' and then Harry and the others wondering where Lupin is. This person is a genius. And it is true, how do Kili, and Legolas for that matter, never run out of arrows? I know Legolas did in the books, but for some reason it never seems to happen in the films Oh, and that Valentine's Day one is awesome.

Yeah, I've seen quite a few authors who made up odd words or phrases, but never a complete language, let alone several. Hmm, parts of the Silmarillion make a lot more sense now. I never knew he started writing it that early.

I think it will be very useful. I won't be going into a lot of detail about swords, but Godric does use one, so I'd better do some research. The trio will be getting some training with them too, though they won't suddenly become ninjas overnight. That annoys me.

[Kitty279]

Back then it took me at least three readings before it made 'click' when I read Elrond's parentage. Somehow I had never realised who (or what) his father really was. And there are other little details that didn't sink in the first time around, or became much more meaningful because I now know more about Tolkien's work.

Christopher Lee was the perfect Saruman, indeed! He can incorporate the powerful wizard, look like a good guy and still believably be the bad guy. It would not have been the same if someone else had taken over the role for the Hobbit. Agreed about LotR - his storyline was way too incomplete, and by now the EE is what I normally see, I can't even remember when I watched the theatrical version on DVD.

Tell me about it! Started reading a fic recently whose summary talked about Harry getting to know Sirius better and learning about his family. It started out like that, yes, and then it descended more and more into 'how can the girls get Harry into a relationship with both of them and into bed' - I'm about ready to ditch the story if the author doesn't soon get back so something else, it bores me to death. It's my typical problem with too many of these stories - the moment they get the romance going, they forget their plot and write romance only, and the more or less dramatic rest of the story is falling by the wayside. Good recipe to drive me off.

Remember the wedding in the movie? When the Elves parted to reveal Arwen, there was a blond Elf in the picture, I decided that is *my* Glorfindel. Not as good-looking as I think of him, but better than that kid that is supposed to be Glorfindel.

*snicker* You are falling into the same trap as I keep doing. After years of reading Fiondil, his word becomes law Have to remind me sometimes that his stories may be mostly close to canon, but that some parts are not canon! Though sometimes he's closer to canon than he knows. I remember a reviewer asking if Ingwion was canon, and he told her no - but that reminded me of an accidental find I made in HoME:
'Ingwiel son of Ingwë was their chief': observing the apparent error, in that Ingwiel appears to be named the leader of the Noldor (see V334, §6) my father changed this to 'Finarphin son of Finwë': see IV.196, second footnote. In the typescript he let the passage stand, but changed Ingwiel to Ingwion (and also 'Light-elves' to 'Fair-elves', see X,168,180).
Fiondil didn't even know that, but his guess was dead on Of course I straight away mailed him this paragraph. Sooo ... any questions why it is so easy to forget that his stories aren't canon?

Yeah, these two are worth watching it just for themselves Your housemate left me shaking my head. Tolkien did not too bad with Eowyn, it's more that he killed too many mothers off. I wonder if the early death of his own mother has anything to do with it? In any case, that story doesn't have room for a lot of romance, and I can't see Aragorn and the others taking women with them. So I agree the story has to center on the guys. And the same goes for the Hobbit. Besides, who needs women with all this eye candy?? They're just in the way of daydreaming! As for Tauriel ... I'm pretty sceptical myself, but we will see.

Ha yes, these were brilliant! Glad you liked it and had some fun there, too. Oh, about the arrows, I've seen an oneshot somewhere that explained that Celeborn gave his kinsman a quiver with arrows where Elven magic made sure he would never run out of arrows. You weren't the only one to wonder, you know

Sounds about right to me. Back then, the sword was *the* weapon, after all, so it would be only logical that Godric was a competent swordfighter. And yes, give them some training, so they will be able to handle his sword later on if needs be, but don't overdo it. It's simply not something you can learn overnight, it's a long process.

Did you get around to read Elf Academy yet? Just wondering if it worked for you

[Isilarma]

I remember when I first read the Silmarillion I spent hours making family trees and trying to work out how it all interconnected; it was fascinating. I kept getting confused when it kept saying different things, like who Ereinion's father was, but I still loved it.

I haven't watched the original releases in years; ever since my aunt showed my the EEs they're the only version I could watch. It just feels too incomplete otherwise. Yeah, I can't imagine anyone else playing Saruman now. I'm so glad he was willing to film the Hobbit, and extremely impressed that he was able to. He's in his nineties now, isn't he?

That's the sort of thing that drives me mad too. I'd love to read a decent story where Harry and Sirius spend time getting to know one another, or better yet where they're able to be a properly. That's a perfectly good storyline, why does there have to be a massive love interest Especially when there's more than one interest involved. If there has to be romance, it shouldn't be the main focus. The way Fiondil wrote Námo's relationship with Vaire in Wars of the Valar was about the right balance for me.

It's very easy though, especially because they're so realistic and close to canon. I love that little fact about Ingwion. Guess it shows just how much research Fiondil did, and how good the results were.

You have a good point there; hardly any of the main character's mothers survived. Very interesting. But yeah, the romacne wasn't an important part of the plot, adn there was no real reson for any of the women to have more major roles. I do love Eowyn's story and how she develops as a character, but when Aragorn and Legolas, and now Thorin, are around...

Ooh, that sounds interesting. Do you have a link for that? When I watched them with my uni friends last year it became a bit of a running gag, Elven arrows, Elven bread, Elven cloaks, Elven rope, Elven magic in general, etc. That, and how many times can Legolas point out the obvious I love him, but he did do it a lot.

I've made Godric the son of Muggle knight who married a witch, so it stands to reason that he would have been trained to use both magic and Muggle weapons in combat. He's going to have taught Salazar to use one too, considering the amount of trouble they get into That was over several years though; the trio aren't going to be there nearly long enough to become great. It's more of a 'I want you to be able to stop someone stabbing you long enough for me to get there' kind of thing.

I read the first couple of chapters, but then my deadlines became more iminent than even I'm happy with, so I had to put it on hold. I also got a load of ideas for my story, so that kind of took over for a bit too. What I read was really good though; I was wondering how he was going to handle the different time, but it was brilliantly done. I really shouldn't have been surprised I'll have to get back to it once things calm down a bit.

[Kitty279]

*groans* These Elven family trees were a pain in the butt, weren't they? I've made one myself (and am ready to swear they are all somehow related, mostly twice!), though in the end I used what Christopher Tolkien wrote in the HoME and mostly ignored the family trees in the Sil, as they are clearly not the last word. So, there Orodreth was the father of Ereinion and son of Angrod. Fiondil has a copy of it, too.

Same here, I tend to rather watch the EE, though I got the TR too - first, I couldn't wait, and second, the extras aren't all the same. 'The Long and Short of it' wasn't on the EE! Christopher Lee is 90 now (turns 91 in May), so I suspect he was around 89 when they were filming. I was happy that he was included, too! As far as I know, they filmed his scenes in London to spare him the long flight to Wellington. And I suspect the council between the four Wise was done that way, with the wizards sitting, to make it easier for him
Btw, Swordmaster Bob Anderson is only a few months younger than Lee, and he was working on parts of the Hobbit, too! Sadly, he died last January with 89.

Completely agree. Sirius and Harry getting to know each other, maybe Sirius trying to teach Harry about his family and the customs of the wizarding world, helping him to find a way to defeat Voldemort without having to die - that's my idea of a good story. Sadly, there are very few.

Yeah, it was only a footnote, admittedly, but it shows that his guess was very close to canon. Honestly, I've learned so much about the Sil by reading his work! (Have to admit that I still haven't read the whole book, only bits and pieces - hate all that gloom and doom!)

There must have been another way to mention Arwen a bit more, so people don't go 'Arwen who?' when she turns up for the wedding, like I did. But yes, who needs her when there are all these lovely scruffy Rangers and beautiful Elves? (Though I have still a bone to pick with Peter for leaving Elladan and Elrohir out. Admittedly, the are barely playing a role in the books, but thanks to fanfiction, I totally love them!)

Sorry, no. Knowing you, I've been trying to remember who wrote that since I mentioned it, but I honestly can't remember. It's been a very long time ago, not too long after the movies were running, and there are too many suspects. It was probably on SoA, but might have been on LJ ...
Legolas *was* underdeveloped in the books, too. Did you ever notice that we get descriptions of side characters like Imrahil of Dol Amroth, but never one of Legolas?

Sounds good to me, and absolutely logical and believable Glad you don't try to make them masters of swordfighting in a few days!

Oh, of course your studies have to come first! SoA is terribly distracting, isn't it?
Yeah, that's what I wanted to know. I've been trying some 'Elves in modern times' stories back before I discovered SoA, and they were all silly and even stupid, so I gave up on reading any. For the same reason, I had some doubts when Fiondil started that one, but it only took two or three chapters and I was lost - hook, line and sinker He can really pull off anything from the Ainulindalë to the Dagor Dagorath.

[Isilarma]

Tell me about it. I was going to make one massive one, but had to give up because I couldn't find any paper big enough. I love looking at people like Elrond and realising they're related to literally everybody. I need to find a copy of HoME; I've read the Silmarillion, but I've never seen this one. I will have to remedy this situation

Same; I've read the Silmarillion before, but Fiondil makes things so much clearer. To be honest, I skipped a lot of the descriptions and so on when I first read it. It was really good, but there was a lot of it, and my attention span wasn't quite what it is now. That made it a bit tricky to understand some of Elf Interrupted, but it was all explained enough that I was able to get back into it fairly quickly.

Yeah, more Arwen would have been good, just not always in a romantic moment with Aragorn. Those bits in Two Towers nearly drove me mad because nothing happened! Give us more cool Elves/Rangers/Rohirrim. It also annoyed me how they portrayed Elrond as a really over-protective father. I haven;t read the books in a while, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't that bad.

Elladan and Elrohir would have been awesome! And they'd probably have got the same reaction that Fili and Kili did I'd have liked to have seen more of them in the books too come to that. Did they sail over the Sea in the end, or did they become Mortal? I can't remember reading about their choice anywhere.

Haha, you know me so well Legolas was my favourite character when I first read them (he was the elf, an archer, and just plain awesome) and I was always disappointed that he didn't have a bigger role. I was delighted when the films came out.

Thanks, I'm glad you think so. it's not going to come up for a while yet; they're a bit busy learning about magical Duelling. Godric has a lot of work to do after Lockhart, Quirrell and umbridge. Oh, and I may have caused a minor outrage at the end of the last chapter by suggesting that Harry got his eyes fixed. Half the reviewers loved the idea, the others hated it. It won't really affect the plot either way, though I'm tempted to do it just to see Snape's reaction wen Harry turns up looking a bit more like Lily.

Just a little bit Though the Harry Potter challenges forum on ff.net is very nearly as bad.
I've seen a few like it, but always ignored them because they sounded ridiculous. Once again, Fiondil is the exception.

[Kitty279]

It took me two pages glued together to get that whole mess together, and that's only Elu Thingol, Ingwë, Olwë and Elwë. So I know what you mean. The additional pain in the butt that were different languages didn't help, either, because some sources used the Sindarin names and the others Quenya, depending on which book was used and personal likes and dislikes of whoever wrote that. When I once complained to Fiondil that I kept getting confused by 'Arafinwë' because for me that's 'Finarfin', he just laughed and told me that he goes 'Finarfin who' when he hears that name, for him that's 'Arafinwë'!

HoME has 10 books, plus the index book, and is more than dry. The first two books are ok (The Book of Lost Tales), as far as I can tell a slightly different form of the Silmarillion. The others are basically the closest Christopher Tolkien could get to how the books were written; old versions with many corrections. I just can't believe JRRT wrote all that by hand!! IIRC, just to get them to Bree took about 8 different drafts. And with nearly each of then, not only the story was changed, but names as well. The Hobbit names were the worst, it's hard to keep track of who was who, as sometimes he changed the character, sometimes the name, sometimes both (or at least that's how it felt!). Did you know that Strider once was a Hobbit named Trotter with wooden feet and supposed to be a lost Took? It's interesting to see how the books were written (I've worked my way through the books covering LotR), but with all these side remarks, footers and everything, it can be tiring to read. And frankly, I got my family tree not just directly from there, but by digging everywhere for more, including online. (Much easier to check sources in online Tolkien dictionaries than going through HoME myself!) Even put both Sindarin and Quenya names in to save myself some grey hairs.
If you want a copy, I can scan them next weekend. Maybe we could compare notes.

Sometimes fanfiction is much better to understand the Sil, IMO. They are just more digestible

Ugh, don't get me started on Elrond in the movies! That wasn't the Elrond of the book I had imagined. Too hard and unfriendly in some parts. That he only went to give Aragorn the sword when Arwen was supposedly dying (where did they get that??) annoyed me quite a bit. And honestly, Lord Elrond riding into the Rohirrim camp without any guards?? Never got that. Plus, the way he seemed to blame Aragorn ... no, that was not my Elrond.

LOL, yes, what Kili and Fili are for TH, would Elladan and Elrohir have been for LotR. With Legolas as Thorin ;D

The question if the twins sailed in the end is one heatedly discussed. As far as I remember, all Tolkien said was that 'they delayed their choice', leaving us hanging. Personally, I don't think it would have been fair to Elrond to take all of his children away from him for all the ages of the world and want to believe they waited until their sister died, maybe even longer, and then sailed.

You know, I like to imagine the Professor, somewhere beyond the circles of the world, sitting in the meadow under a nice shady tree in the sunshine, surrounded by fans, explaining not only questions like that, but continuing his tale with what he added since he arrived there.

Ah yes, Legolas, Aragorn and Frodo were my favourites, with the two tall people having a little advantage over a certain Hobbit. They were just so cool!

A discussion here recently brought up that some feel rather strong about changing Harry's appearance even a slightly bit, yes, which surprised me a bit. Personally, I like him as he is, but I see the practical side. Do we need to force him to deal with his pitiful sight forever, just for appearance's sake? I can live with both ways, in other words.

[Isilarma]

I was so confused when he kept using Arafinwë and Findarato etc, I'd never even heard of those versions before reading his stories. Now I actually find I prefer them; Arafinwë sounds a lot cooler than Finarfin. And I like learning more of the Elvish languages. One of my goals is to learn at least one of them, preferably more. Along with Klingon

Okay, I may just stick to the first couple then. As much as I love his world, that's a bit too much detail for me. The idea of that Trotter character sounds so strange; I can't imagine the Hobbits not meeting Aragorn at Bree now.

Your family tree sounds amazing, thanks. I don't think you'd want to see mine though; it only covers the Noldor tree to Elrond, and looking back, even that's wrong. It's got things like Fingon being Ereinion's father and so on.

Movie Elrond was awful! He raised Aragorn like his own son; he's not meant to hate him! And the whole delivering Anduril thing was ridiculous. For one thing, I highly doubt Glorfindel would have let him leave Imladris without guards, let alone go all the way to Rohan. I never got the 'Arwen's fate is now tied to the fate of the Ring' thing either. I love Peter Jackson and his vision, but some bits just didn't work for me.

I prefer the idea of the twins eventually sailing. Elrond went through quite enough without losing all his children too. And, unlike Arwen, they didn't have anything keeping them in Middle-Earth once Aragorn died.

That's a nice image. Considering everything he created while he was alive, I can't imagine what he could have come up with in the time since. And fans could finally get answers to all these questions!

I always loved Legolas, then fanfiction made me love Elrond and Glorfindel, and Fiondil made me love Námo. There are just too many awesome characters involved.

Yeah, I like Harry, and I can see why some people don't want him to change, but most fanfics change everything else anyway. Having him suddenly change hair, clothes, attitude, skill level etc, and not the glasses just seems odd. Personally, I couldn't care less as long as it's well written.

[Kitty279]

LOL - if you have a problem with Arafinwë already, then don't get me started on the Fëanorionnath with their additional nicknames and mother's names and all that. Needed Fiondil's list to sort these out. Always knew I don't like them, they are such a pain in the butt! :-P (Ok, maybe Maglor ...)

You have to remember that JRRT never knew what he was going to write until he did. He started LotR because his publisher wanted a sequel to the Hobbit, and developed idea and story while writing. New ideas meant rewriting, of course. That's why the beginning changed so much, and I think it was pretty much in the last draft that Trotter the Hobbit became finally Strider, the future High King.

Ok, will scan the two pages and send them. You will have to print them and then put them side to side; I was simply unable to get that on one page.

That's what I keep saying and told Blackrose only recently, yes - Elrond would never be abroad all alone, not in the middle of a war and with Saruman being a traitor and all. I don't care that he's over 6000 years old already and an experienced warrior, it's way too dangerous for him! No, that's one of the changes I never cared for and found rather strange, because they didn't make much sense to me.

Me too! First for Elrond's sake - the poor guy has been through enough! - and second, thanks to fanfiction, the Elrondionnath are some of my favourites, and I want them to survive and sail!

Exactly! It's been what, 40 years? Without having to teach, he'd have so much time to continue writing! And I am sure our questions would give him many new ideas I know it works, I was asking so many and musing aloud so much during a fic that I got a sequel from the author just to answer my thoughts

Agreed on Harry

[Isilarma]

Tell me about it. I was reading 'In Darkness Bound' and was feeling quite proud of myself for knowing the Quenyan names, and then the mother's names turned up! They're awesome, but so confusing.

Great, thanks I'm not surprised at the size, the whole thing is enormous. I can'r wait to show my brother; he loves LotR as much as I do. Well, nearly. I need to introduce him to Fiondil over Easter.

No way. Can you imagine what Glorfindel would have to say about it? Actually, that would be a hilarious story. But yeah, Elrond's awesome, but I doubt he would travel alone like that in peace times, let alone in the middle of a war. And then no one even comments on it. Competely ridiculous.

It would be amazing. I wonder what he'd think of all the fanfic that's produced. Some he would probably like, but those Mary-Sues... Haha, that's a pretty good result. Which author was that?

[Kitty279]

Confusing, indeed! As if it weren't bad enough to keep the Sindarin versions of the Quenyan names straight! Don't ask how many hours I needed to sort that out and get some semblance of order into my family tree, and then work out how to draw it that afterwards I understand it myself. Anyway, you should have it by now. Have fun with it!

You are lucky with your brother. Mine has completely different interests, he'd never read for fun! Then enjoy corrupting your brother! (And I am curious if he likes the stories as well!)

Glorfindel would tell him off like a naughty elfling, then tie Elrond down and drag him to the healers to have his mental health checked Ha, that would indeed be a hilarious story - pity no one has written it yet, at least to my knowledge! Maybe I should suggest the plot to Fiondil, but he's got way too much to write already.

I don't know ... some fanfic he might actually like, but when I think back to some of these I've seen in the beginning ... ugh. Not any better than that movie script he took apart. And I doubt he'd approve of the slash fics I've read and loved.

That was Larner's 'Reconcilation' - if you read the whole summary, you can see that she blames it on Dreamflower and me

[Isilarma]

Just got it, and it's brilliant! Thank you I can't wait to show Andrew. I'm lucky; we have quite similar tastes when it comes to books and films, and, like me, he if he finds a character he likes, he has to read everything he can about them. He always loved the kings of the Noldor, especially Fingolfin and Finrod, so I don't think he's going to need to much convincing to try Fiondil Oromë will probably end up being a favourite too.

Haha, I can so see Glorfindel doing that, and quite rightly so if Elrond was going to be that stupid. Yeah, I'd love to see what Fiondil would do with it, but he's got quite enough to be getting on with already.

There was a movie script? I don't think I've heard this. Yeah, the slash might not go down so well, but I think he'd approve of people like Fiondil who really concentrate on the details and try to keep it canon.

Ah, I'll have to take a look. I've been so preoccupied with Fiondil that I haven't even looked at all those others you recommended. Wonder what I'm going to be doing over the Easter break...

[Kitty279]

You're welcome! Ha, yes, I can see why he would love Fiondil's stories, too.

Since that came up, I keep seeing Glorfindel standing there, hands on hips, tapping his foot and glaring at Elrond while lecturing him about basic safety measures!

There were people interested in making a movie out of LotR back to the fifties. Someone actually had a treatment and Tolkien got to read it. I've read his response that gives an idea what these movie guys planned - frankly, what Peter did with Elrond was harmless in comparison!! Beaks and feathers for Orcs (!!), a speaking, sneering balrog, and it sounds as if they could see Imladris from Weathertop - as a 'shimmering forest'. Not to mention that they kept travelling by Eagle Air. Needless to say, that movie was never made. I've seen the answer in a Tolkien reader, but I am not sure if it's available in English, or with the same content. The original was a letter to that movie guy (Forrest R. Ackerman) and you will find it in Tolkien's letters (#210).

*snicker* You will probably not even notice that it is Easter because you are going to be too busy.
If you want to read Larner, I'd recommend to go back to the last page of her profile and start with some of the stories there, because they set the stage, and introduce her idea of canon on which all the others are built. One of my favourites is 'The King's Commission', btw, and 'Lesser Rings', though they are set after Frodo sailed. Really, she has written so much, you'll be busy for weeks if you like her stories, so be warned!

[Isilarma]

*grin* Yep, I can see that too. And now I'm just imagining what Finrod and the others would say if they found out Glorfindel was telling someone else not to do something reckless

That...That... *stares stupidly at screen* Eagle Air? Talking Balrog? Mutant bird Orcs? And have they even looked at the maps in the books?! Or even opened them? I have to find the response, just to see Tolkien's reaction. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd thrown a fit. I know Christopher Tolkien didn't like Peter's version, but compared to that... Hmm, I probably shouldn't be getting so worked up about this. I may be a little too invested

Haha, this Easter is going to be insanely busy. I've got a load of Founders oneshots I need to write, 'Strange Visitors' to update, Avengers ideas to get down, and that's not even including work and visiting people. It's going to be awesome though, I can't wait. Do you get much time off over Easter?

I will do, thanks. Just in case I need somethign else to keep me occupied

[Kitty279]

ROFL - he'd never live that down!

That were just some examples I picked up by reading a few paragraphs of Tolkien's letter. Gives you a completely new appreciation of Peter's work. Christopher should re-read that letter and then think how much, much worse it could have been. When you consider that people complain about the rather modest changes Peter made - imagine what the purists would have said if *that* treatment had been made into a movie!

*blinks* And when will you talk your brother into reading Fiondil, or read anything yourself? Or sleep, for that matter?

Three more hours, and I don't have to see the madhouse for ten whole days! *does a happy dance*

Oh well, maybe for Christmas ...

[Isilarma]

Definitely. I think the purists would have changed their minds about Peter rather quickly if they saw that.

Ha, I'll find time for Fiondil. Since starting uni though, I've found that sleep can be relegated to something I can do without if necessary, which comes in handy when I'm writing practical reports at four in the morning. Hmm, should probably stop doing that.

Nice one, enjoy it! Read lots of nice stories Thanks for reviewing my story by the way; I've just sent a PM on ff.net, but it's worth saying again.

There's my summer reading sorted. And Christmas Although I've come up with a new novel length fic too. Do you ever read fics where Harry is Salazar?

...I really shouldn't be starting any more projects, should I?

[Kitty279]

After they lynched Ackerman That movie wouldn't have been much of a success, no doubt. I wonder if it would have been worse than Bakshi and Rankin/Bass?

You can do that for a while, but I suspect one of these days it will catch up to you when you don't sleep enough. So yes, you should stop doing that. Listen to a wise old woman

Thanks, I do just that, as you have noticed. And you are welcome!

*snicker* I'll keep you busy for quite a while, it seems.

Another story? Are you sure you have the time for it?? Haven't read one so far, but I might make an exception if you wrote it. But don't neglect your studies over all that!

[Isilarma]

Haha, wouldn't surprise me. I remember watching the Bakshi one when I was little, and even then I was shouting at the screen at some points (Legolas meeting Aragorn and the Hobbits? That's worse than Arwen). I haven't seen the Rankin/Bass one, though the images I just looked up do not look promising.

Probably. My housemates keep telling me off. And I do feel awful the next day, so I'm trying to work on time management. Of course, it's always around then that I discover a brilliant novel-length fanfic with numerous sequels

I think so. I'm going to work on it in my spare time, and then post it when it's finished, so it probably won't be up for quite a while. I know I wouldn't have time to update it and 'Strange Visitors' at the same time. It's a really interesting concept though; I've read a couple, but most of them aren't great, and the good ones aren't finished, and that always makes me want to try it myself. Schoolwork is coming first though, so I'll have to wait until after exams at least.

[Kitty279]

Haven't seen either of these, but from what I heard, I wasn't too eager to torture me with these films. I'd rather watch Jackson's version again. Really can't wait for the DVD and EE and later the next movie, and the sneak peak on Sunday didn't help to keep my impatience down!

Typical timing, believe me. Been there, done that. But you should just bookmark them and start reading another time. It's better for you, even if you have to bear with your curiosity for a bit. That's what I now usually do.

Spare time? What spare time? In between your studies, friends, family, reading fanfiction, writing 'Strange Visitors' and all that? Do I need to send Manveru or Erunaro to dump you into your bed when you are too busy playing? But I see you are somewhat sensible about it.

Right now I am catching up with Fiondil once again. Always fun. And then I need to have a look at that one story by Larner ... and am knitting at the same time ... and then there are all the books I need to read ... that's what you call a relaxing holiday!

[Isilarma]

Yeah, stick to Jackson's versions. I can't wait to show my dad the Hobbit; my brother and I saw it in the cinema, but he never got round to it. We'll probably get the DVD as soon as it comes out, so we'll sit him down with it then. I just wish they were releasing the sequels sooner; waiting until December is so annoying!

I should do that. I sometimes do, and then treat myself to a chapter in revision breaks. Except that one chapter becomes two, and then three, and four... It doesn't usually turn out so well. These exams are counting towads my degree now though, so I need to work on that.

Haha, free time? What is this strange concept? I should be able to manage, though I keep having to remind myself that I need to start working on my dissertation during the summer. I think relaxing holidays are a thing of the past. Yes, send Manveru! Or Maranwë. Either would be awesome

Now that sounds much more fun. Lots of reading is always good, especially when it involves Glorfindel and the Valar I'm giving myself until Monday off, but then I need to get started on work; we've got two presentations straight after we get back, and then exams and stuff. What fun.

[Kitty279]

Amazon Germany still has the 19th April as the release date *grumbles* But I am leaving for Croatia the day before, so I'll have to wait another week! Way too long! And it's still nearly 9 months till the second part is available. How are we supposed to survive that long??

*snicker* Yeah, know the feeling. It's a very bad habit, but when a story is good, it's so hard to stop reading! You think 'just one more chapter' and five chapters later you are still reading and realise you should have been in bed an hour ago ... In any case, good luck on the exams. Don't allow wizards and elves to ruin it for you!

Ok, I'll try to get at least one of these out of the 'watching Glorfindel duty' and over to you. But I'll probably have to forbid him first to spend half the time telling you stories about our favourite balrog slayer

No Glorfindel in the current story, but Maglor. Or to be more precise, Maglor and a group of elves trying to find the Straight Road many millennia after the last ship sailed. It's another one I always wanted to read - Maglor being allowed to go to Valinor and how that turns out.

Ugh. At least when I leave work, I can really leave it behind. No working on anything at home. I don't envy you!

[Isilarma]

I think it's the 8th for us. My brother's going to be getting it for his birthday, and then we'll all have to watch it together. What a trial that will be Ouch, that's unfortunate. Have fun in Croatia though!

I know! Why does there have to be such a long wait? They're all finished filming etc aren't they? Oh well, I suppose we'll just have to watch the EEs, read the books, and then retreat to fanfic until December

Thanks, I'll do my best. I absolutely hate waiting, especially when I know that the fic in question is really good. I hate exams That Maglor story sounds really interesting, I'll have to take a look. After exams.

Aww, but that's not fair! Think about all the extra stuff he could tell us. How about if I promised to share it?

That sounds good. I love being at uni, but it does seem like the work is never-ending. I want a holiday where I don't have to worry about revision! Or dissertations for that matter.

[celticmagic]

I think it would be intersting if Sam and Dean Winchester from Supernatural went to Hogwarts.

[Kitty279]

LOL - now I nearly was grumbling about the completely unrelated post in between - had already forgotten what the original purpose of that thread was before we hijacked it!

Still no different date than the 19th *grumbles* Btw, can someone explain to me why the DVD is supposed to be in German, English and French, but the subtitles only in French and Dutch? Doesn't make much sense. Thanks, I am sure we will have fun. And hopefully it's warmer!

Know what you mean. Sometimes it's really annoying when you want to read and don't have time. And considering how much time I spent on SoA over the years, I could keep you busy for weeks

Yeah, can imagine, that's a job you never can really put down until you are done, particularly at this stage.

[Isilarma]

Haha, that threw me a bit too. Hmm, we're on a Harry Potter thread in a Hary Potter section of a Harry Potter forum, and yet we're confused when someone posts something Harry Potter related. Reckon we're a bit obsessed?

Huh. That's perfectly logical. Some people are strange. Maybe it'll have different subtitles, and they just neglected to mention it or something. I hope so, it couldn't be much colder. I want summer to get here! Can I send Legolas to go and find the sun for me?

Give me another two months, then exams will be over and I will be free! Well, except for dissertation courses. They still haven't told us what that's going to involve. But I'll have more time at least. So much to read!

[Kitty279]

Yes, we are obsessed. And enjoy every minute of it
Maybe I should change the title to something like 'A visitor - AKA we love Tolkien'

I decided not to pre-order that thing, but get it from a shop around here when I am back from holiday. That way I can check what subtitles they list on the back cover before buying it. (I suspect it was just a mistake on Amazon, as it doesn't make much sense). In the worst case, I'll have to order it via Amazon UK. That one is properly subtitled in English.

Ah yes, send Legolas and some other Elves to find the sun, they can do something useful for once! I'm so tired of the winter!!! Still temperatures barely above zero and it looks like January, not April.

Ok. And I know what you are going to do in two months I just hope your holidays will be long enough to get through all the reading you have waiting for you!

[Isilarma]

Couldn't agree more Lol, that title sounds about right. I swear I've posted more in this thread than on the rest of the site put together.

That sounds like a better plan. Amazon isn't entirely reliable after all; I'm always a bit wary buying stuff on there, but it's usually so much cheaper than in the shops.

It really is ridiculous. There was that one week where it started getting warmer, and then the next week it was snowing again! I've seen more snow this year than I have in the rest of my life! That's what you get when you live right on the south coast though. I go to university in the Midlands, and it's quite a bit colder up there, not that you can really tell at the moment.

Haha, you know me too well. Reading, writing, more reading, socialising, reading, more writing... With a bit of work thrown in here and there. Possibly.

[Kitty279]

*snicker* Could be right, seeing that about every second post is from you

Normally I use Amazon to either get stuff I couldn't find in the shops here, or for English books. They are cheaper there, and when I order them there, I get them for the price they said before - when I order them in the bookshop, it takes much longer and the already higher prices usually are rising a bit, too. (Germany has a book price control, which means, German books cost the same everywhere. But that sadly doesn't include books in other languages, so you can get some nasty surprises when you go to pick up your ordered books)

Amazon and the technical details, that's another story. Years ago I sent them an email asking why they list pretty much everything in the technical details of DVDs, but not if there are subtitles. For me having them or not would be an argument for/against buying, after all, and I wouldn't be the only one. I won't buy a feature film if I don't know if it's subtitled or not. Their response: If I need that sort of detail, I should look at the technical details *bangs head* It went completely over their heads that I complained because it was *not* there! At least now they seem to have noticed that these details are actually missing and add them.

Couldn't agree more *grumbles* Was the same here. I'm so sick and tired of winter! We are still barely over zero degrees, at times back to below zero, yesterday a few snowflakes fell - it's annoying! Though we didn't even have much snow, it was just cold and unusually grey and clouded all winter. But it's supposed to get warmer soon, and the ponies agree, they have finally started to shed their immense winter coat. With six weeks delay, mind you. They usually know better than we what to expect from the weather. Here the meadows are still more brown than green, while in other years they would be already a lush green at this time of year. The trees don't have new leaves yet, either.
The south coast is lovely, btw. Spent two holidays in South England and fell in love with it.

That sounds about right, yes

[Isilarma]

That must get really annoying. I can see why Amazon is the better option. I love wandering round bookshops, but it's just so much cheaper to buy them online. Especially textbooks; I'm not paying £60 in the shop when I can get a second and one for half that. Although I always seem to get carried away and end up buying far more than I mean to. My Dad's exactly the same; our house is like a library.

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. How difficult is it to read an email properly and fix the problem, especially when it's something as obvous as the subtitles? They sound like the ff.net admins.

I hate winter! My hands have been purple for about six months now. It's about the same temperature here, though I think it's finally starting to warm up. It was six degrees today - positively tropical! I'm so glad I'm not in Leicester right now. It's just really weird to think that this time last year we were having barbecues! *grumbles* You have ponies? That's very cool