Reviews tagging 'War'

Middle-earth Envisioned: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: On Screen, On Stage, and Beyond by Paul Simpson, Brian J. Robb

1 review

pokecol's review

informative reflective slow-paced

3.0

Middle-Earth Envisioned is a very good book for what it does. A comprehensive and introspective look at all aspects of the production of Middle-Earth since its inception to [the publication date of Middle-Earth Envisioned].
I do not typically like looking into the process for creative works, as the creative work itself, being the intended end product is often something I prefer to have connection to in a vacuum (for many reasons) - however, Tolkien's work is something of a strange misnomer in the larger world. Middle-Earth and by association, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, have had such ludicrously profound impact on creative storytelling that its difficult to avoid, and mandatory to engage with if cultivating an expansive fantasy fiction is anywhere on the radar.
I care greatly about this process because it illustrates in magnanimity and reality the way in which there is an inherent socio-philosophical exchange of creative efforts transposed to a public consciousness. It generally sucks this is true, but a sky-down look at all the intricacies does well not only to inform about the position of Middle-Earth and Tolkien Estate (in this book) but the wider facsimiles of a process in this vein interpreted by any fashion.

I will say there was some obvious biases in the writing, moments where use of terms like objective or disparaging adjectives were applied in places where they might do without. There is reason in the articulation of respect for authorial intent but as a book looking at things from the outside it seems a little trite when not quoting a statement passed.

The looks into the wider impact and art however are the more interesting, fascinating and engaging part of the book. While there is some obvious talk about the process of creating the novels as well as the very prolific film-adaptations, these are things we are mostly widely aware of. The topics about how the portrayal of Tolkien's world has translated to stage, comic, fan-creation, music and art is incredible and does wonders for illustrating the impact of creativity in the world.
There are lots of personal thoughts and feelings to engage with when talking about this kind of subject but from an overview, it is all extremely insightful, and narratively, very cool to follow Tolkien Estates position on its authorial intent. As well as following the story of all artists which follow, visual, stage, musical and theatrical - showing where the bounds of appreciation lie.
It is all round an outside, non-fiction tale, of impact, and though the through-line might be used to simply envisage Middle-Earth's subjectivity to changes, it works beautifully as an information manual on the subjectivity of artists to the implications of Middle-Earth instead.

The layout of the book is concise and interesting. The guest authors and small segments dedicated to individual research topics on the broader spectrum of Tolkien's work were great. The deeper dives into very ancillary association, particularly through the music discussion was stellar. And of course all the artistic pieces portrayed throughout the book are outstanding. There is so much to be said for the art alone that it is a little difficult to choose words to review such a thing. A picture paints a thousand words; is certainly as applicable as it gets, because that's where much of the intention lies for transitioning a literary work to a single piece - thus meaning most pages where something is representative of an artists look at Tolkien's work each individually deserve insight, review and thought. So I will say little more than that here as it is a disservice to each illustrator to simply talk about the contribution in broad terms. That being said, it is a stand-out of the book, and though they feature less than one might expect for a visual look into Middle-Earth, all illustrations make a worthwhile appearance. And learning about every individual artist's position with Middle-Earth is an excellent all round digest.

The only real criticism I have to levy is that the middle of the book falls flat. The topic of theatrical productions is very interesting but it gets so into the reeds of myriad plays it becomes a little thin on what matters to impact, especially when spotlighting the odd parody theatre play. Though I guess it shows a commitment to a full retrospective.

I love the character of Tolkien too shown through this book in his unwavering position about his work. Of course this isn't exactly something to be said about this book in particular, as Tolkien's stances, letters and authorial work is something total outside a mere retrospective - but the position the book takes on portraying Tolkien's earnest elision to public expansion of creation is a good way of informing us as a reader on the scope and intention.

Lastly, though it is necessary and perhaps a good thing for the usage of many illustrations, the literal physical book itself is very large - enough so that it becomes quite frustrating to handle when reading unless it is seated on a desk (or something like a lectern) which made returning to the book in order to continue reading feel like a more difficult hurdle than it needed to be. This is easily the largest book I own. I do not think that size should be compromised for the sake of the art, so I'm not sure what concession could have been made in order to better accommodate a consumer's interaction with it - but it is nonetheless quite cumbersome.

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Content Warnings

Minor: War