When Goldman returns home he asks his son how he likes the book. The son is vague. Says it's just way too long and boring to read. Goldman can not believe this as it was the most wonderful, exciting book.
He takes a look at the book and sees it IS extremely long and detailed and boring and he realizes that his father read to him only the good parts.
William Goldman proceeds to write The Princess Bride (the good parts version).
All this to say...
Emma is reading The Hobbit this summer (or is it The Lord of the Rings...is this even the same thing?)
I am not big on fantasy. Except for The Princess Bride.
I think when I was in high school I opened The Hobbit and could not get past the first paragraph.
Emma LOVES it.
As does practically everyone else I know.
Emma tells me she will read it to me out loud one day.
I would love that.
As long as it's the Good Parts Version.
I forgot to add this link to Emma's blog. It's very sweet.
To My Hobbits by Emma Boucher
Encourage one another,
Donna
p.s. I do love the Tolkien quotes!
Emma reading the good parts to you sounds just about perfect!
ReplyDeleteMy first grader is making his way through The Hobbit. We are a LOTR family, for sure. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteYour first grader is smarter than me. :op
DeleteFezzik agrees.
ReplyDeleteI never read the Hobbit, but my brother loved it. My kids love it.
hmmmm
I prefer Roald dahl
I remember reading the The Hobbit and the Trilogy when I was in my 20's riding a train from a northern suburb to Chicago to work each day. Absolutely FELL into the book each time I opened it. Remains a favorite of mine today ... 45+ years later!
ReplyDeleteI read The Lord of the Rings Trilogy first and then read The Hobbit. I know it was wrong chronologically, but it made more sense to me that way. ;-) I have an idea, watch the movies first and maybe that will get you interested in reading the books. In my mind, the book is always better....but I know I am probably in the minority thinking that way here. ;-0
ReplyDeletelove and prayers, jep
Emma had a movie on once while I was working on the computer... It was movie #2. It was all loud music and battles. It made me never want to see more. But she writes about it so lovingly... That's why I'm up for the good parts version.
DeleteMy girls insisted I watch the Lord of the Rings. Could.not.get.into.it.at.all. I felt bad because they loved it and the Hobbit too.
DeleteI can not enjoy The Hobbit (or Lord of the Rings, or whatever they all are) either. I consider that good company ;) I actually sat through all 3 of the movies, LOTR I think, and still have no idea what really went on except that it took A REALLY LONG TIME. I do like the themes of friendship, determination, etc but that's what cute Pinterest quotes and meme's are for!!!
ReplyDeleteYES!!!
DeleteWow - did not know all that The Princess Bride stuff! Thank you. I am renewed!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI haven't read either of those books. I should. I am reading something or other by Anna Quindlen right now. She has been my go to this summer. I haven't been able to read too often as there are usually kids to feed or drive and pictures to edit. Yadda yadda.
the hobbit is NOT the lord of the rings - those are three separate books. they have made 3 movies out the one hobbit book, which is just hollywood being hollywood. you judging the lord of the rings off of #2 movie battle scene is the worst way to judge lord of the rings in the world :) i will read you the good parts version.
ReplyDeleteDonna, I am so glad I am not alone. I am not a fantasy fan, either. My husband and kids love it. I went with one of my sons to see a Lord of the Rings movie to be a good sport and I have to confess I was bored to death but I sure didn't let him know that. I had to make positive comments about things like the amazing computer generated imagery. I am glad that the rest of my family enjoys it, and Emma, and whole lot of other people but just not my thing, I guess. (Also tried reading The Hobbit in the 70s and fizzled out very soon...).
ReplyDeleteDebbie Z.
The Tolkien stuff makes me cringe. Once, we decided--since we don't like to read the books--that we'd listen to an audio version while driving. After all, our young daughter would love it! Well, two minutes into playing that audio version we had to turn it off. Why? Because the characters all spoke in that odd Tolkien "speak"! Ugh!
ReplyDelete(I did like the Princess Bride though--not the movie. The book!)
I think the Hobbit is the most accessible. It makes a very nice audio book to listen to on a long drive. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (The Fellowship of The Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King) is also a good listen. The battle scenes were a bit much for me to follow, but I read them out loud to my daughter and we enjoyed them because of the beautiful writing, and then we at least understood "there was a battle, it was big, and it was important." Or not. I agree that it takes different strokes for different folks, though, and Tolkien isn't for everyone. At least read his Wikipedia page if you like biography better than fantasy. Interesting man!
ReplyDeleteI first started reading LOTR when I was in 4th grade; it took me several years to finish all three. But I have read it through 4 times since then and I love them all -- one of my favorite books! The last time I read them was probably 15 years ago when I read them all out loud (starting with The Hobbit, actually) to my 5th child. That was the only time I have ever read all the poetry!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't get through LOTR and The Hobbit until the movies came out. Somehow having the pictures from the movies in my head helped me sort through the dense detail of Tolkien. Glad I finally made it through.
ReplyDelete