Few things reflexively irk me as much as a Tolkien comparison.
Okay, that’s a bit of hyperbole. But there is an underlying truth — they are irritating.
Why? Because anyone saying “X is the new Tolkien” or “Y is a masterpiece worthy of Tolkien” is, frankly, almost certainly full of it.
The problem is that — just like me at the start of this piece — they are indulging in hyperbole. And yes, I’m looking at you Time Magazine and Lee “George RR Martin is the American Tolkien” Grossman.
That’s not to say I believe that George RR Martin writes drivel. Far from it, I devoured all five A Song of Ice and Fire books in three weeks and found each book thoroughly engrossing. I really enjoyed the knife-edge politics, the interplay of competing agendas, and the unremitting, Hobbesian brutality of Westeros. Continue reading “In search of a better George R.R. Martin comparison”
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Thanks to Alientraveller for this one: Game of Thrones, HBO’s adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s first book in his bestselling series, premieres April 17. From Ladyhawke to Raiders of the Lost Ark to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Martin curates his list of all-time favorites…Fans of the books should also read “10 Secrets of HBO’s Game of Thrones,” to find out about casting direwolves, forging the Iron Throne, creating the Dothraki language, and many other behind-the-scenes details.
1. Fellowship of the Ring/ The Two Towers/ Return of the King: “I suppose I could list these as my Top 3, but they are really one long movie (very long if you watch the extended cuts with their extra footage, which are my preferred versions) just as the Tolkien “trilogy” was actually one long novel sliced into three parts by publisher fiat…” More..
