Your favourate scene from a book

nesf

Firstly LOTR cannot be compared to modern fantasy. There's a large gap in the goal stived for by JRR Tolkein and modern writers. He strived to immerse the reader completly in a fantasy world and its deep history as do modern writers. But his work took the shape of a historical novel rather than a story.

Secondly, your eloquence and admirable articulation after announcing an account anealing another apparition aspiring adulation, , fails to hide your elec eng type backround

Schwarzfahren

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Bob the Unlucky Octopus:
Nice to see someone actually bothering to create a worthwhile argument in a thread

Just for the record though, I never said it was the greatest book ever written, nor do I believe as such. It was Kaiser who posted it, and in fairness if you read his post the statment was hyperbole- he was merely trying to exaggerate a point to make damo look even more ridiculous than he already did (if that was possible).

For the record, my favorite book ever written(if I absolutely had to choose) would be Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.

However, I believe the two arguments you raise there bear a little scrutiny before I head off for some tapas. You classify the morality as simple and childish- yet I don't necessarily see those as faults in a novel. Lord of the Flies is hardly a kid's book, but it's take on morals is simplicity itself. That fact doesn't make the book any less powerful, especially towards the end. As for there being no mention of sex- disappointing, certainly, but a fundamental flaw? Probably not- there are numerous other human driving forces in Lord of the Rings-resourcefulness, courage, self-sacrifice, duty...

Besides, it's a fantasy novel- who says that the urges that drive the characters *have* to be human ones? There are millions of cultures on this planet alone- in not all of them is sex culturally important- in these cultures it merely serves a functional value within marriage. Not something I'd go for personally(not in a million years in fact )- but it's a conceivable point of view. If we're willing to include mythological works amongst the greats of literature, then Tolkien at least deserves a second look. I don't believe he's one of the greatest writers ever, but I do believe that as an average writer he produced a stunning and genre-defining work of fiction.

Now, off for some mid-morning nourishment

Bob the Unlucky Octopus
=Corpus Domine Nostrum=</font>

To be more specific, what I found irritating was the pathetic fallacy. I found the idea of nature's response to the morality of the charachters overbearing. Many years since reading the book, this is one of the salient complaints I have about it. Everything is hamered home a bit too much. Fine for the kids, but then again it is nice to do your own thinking on the book. Sure, it doesn't make the book less powerful, but alot of the enjoyment that comes with subtelty is lost.
I would fault Tolkien for shying away from developing sexual relations between the characters only I recognise that the book is aimed at younger readers. Im sorry, I just can't take LOTR seriously as anything more than an exception piece of children's literature, good and all as the story is.

Nesf: Fantasy is a genre I have never gotten into. No offence intended, but the spectre of nerdiness that has traditionally hung over it makes me cringe when I hear someone list off several fantasy titles as their "favourite books ever." I'm prob. not the best person to comment on this genre. Also, I don't see what elec. engineering has to d00011110000100110110101001010011010101000101010100101001 with anything?

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"Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est"
-Francis Bacon
Schwarzfahren.net

Bob the Unlucky Octopus

Nice to see someone actually bothering to create a worthwhile argument in a thread

Just for the record though, I never said it was the greatest book ever written, nor do I believe as such. It was Kaiser who posted it, and in fairness if you read his post the statment was hyperbole- he was merely trying to exaggerate a point to make damo look even more ridiculous than he already did (if that was possible).

For the record, my favorite book ever written(if I absolutely had to choose) would be Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.

However, I believe the two arguments you raise there bear a little scrutiny before I head off for some tapas. You classify the morality as simple and childish- yet I don't necessarily see those as faults in a novel. Lord of the Flies is hardly a kid's book, but it's take on morals is simplicity itself. That fact doesn't make the book any less powerful, especially towards the end. As for there being no mention of sex- disappointing, certainly, but a fundamental flaw? Probably not- there are numerous other human driving forces in Lord of the Rings-resourcefulness, courage, self-sacrifice, duty...

Besides, it's a fantasy novel- who says that the urges that drive the characters *have* to be human ones? There are millions of cultures on this planet alone- in not all of them is sex culturally important- in these cultures it merely serves a functional value within marriage. Not something I'd go for personally(not in a million years in fact )- but it's a conceivable point of view. If we're willing to include mythological works amongst the greats of literature, then Tolkien at least deserves a second look. I don't believe he's one of the greatest writers ever, but I do believe that as an average writer he produced a stunning and genre-defining work of fiction.

Now, off for some mid-morning nourishment

Bob the Unlucky Octopus
=Corpus Domine Nostrum=

nesf

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Schwarzfahren:

Nesf: Fantasy is a genre I have never gotten into. No offence intended, but the spectre of nerdiness that has traditionally hung over it makes me cringe when I hear someone list off several fantasy titles as their "favourite books ever." I'm prob. not the best person to comment on this genre. Also, I don't see what elec. engineering has to d00011110000100110110101001010011010101000101010100101001 with anything?
[/B]</font>

I agree, an elec eng student could never aspire to any true level of nerd-like euphoria.

I agree about the whole pathetic fallacy thing, but you must remember the time in which he wrote the books.

Schwarzfahren

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">elec eng student could never aspire to any true level of nerd-like euphoria</font>

I assume that was a bad attempt at sarcasm. OK, EE sometimes has an image of being a nerdy course, but look @ C/M/P it is just jointed with geeks and "nerd-like euphoria" abounds!! ( no offence to any geeks I would ignored the sarc. & have protested tongue-in-cheek that EE too is a nerdy course too but I just remembered all the jocks who are in it for the $$$.

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">"Show me the money!!"</font>

Da Bounca

bob, dont your fingers get sore from typing so much?

smoke.me.a.kipper

the end of animal farm. where the animals see the pigs and then see the humans and can't tell the differance.

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<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">"It is hard enough to remember my opinions, without also remembering my reasons for them!"
-Nietzsche</font>

Bob the Unlucky Octopus

Agreed kipper, that scene is powerful indeed. In fact it scared me almost as much as another ending scene from the same author...at the end of 1984 when Winston realizes his true feelings for Big Brother, as "two gin-scented tears ran down his face...". Absolutely chilling...and brilliant.

Bob the Unlucky Octopus
=Sanctum in est=

Greenbean

I've not read it, but in The butcher boy, the scene were.. <spoiler>
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the reader actually realises the boys father is dead is supposed to be really freaky. A nice smooth decent into madness taking the reader along for the ride up to that point, its so pathetic it makes you feel sad

Hendrix_Nighn

The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield where people start to go invisible.

Paladin

There has only been a trace mentioning of 1984. And it wasnt even the best scene imho

Ive read LOTR and its still probably my favourite book, but the best and most memorable scene to my mind was in 1984.

Winston and his girlfriend are in their rented "apartment" above the shop just before they get captured by the thought police.
Its something like:

"'We are the dead' said Winston.
'We are the dead' echoed [insert womans name ].
'You are the dead' came a voice from the wall"

Anyway, it was just great the way the tension about the thought police had been built up and at that moment you felt they were totally safe and *bam* they are caught .


Also that scene from "Barry and Jane" where Jane sees spot run. That was great.

Schwarzfahren

Yeah, 1984 is one class book.