48
What book(s) are you currently reading or listening to? June 09 (discuss.online)
submitted 5 months ago by to c/books@lemmy.world
70 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

What have you been reading or listening to lately?

Check Official Bingo Challenge Post and the accompanying Recommendations Post for our Bingo for 2026!

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 6 points 5 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

Bear in mind that LOTR started out as a sequel to a children’s book, and changed into something new about halfway through FOTR. So you’re literally seeing the epic fantasy genre being born on the page in front of you.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 8 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

    While technically true, I feel that this is a bit of a misnomer. Even though LotR is usually considered the archetypal example of "epic/high fantasy", based on the other most popular works in the genre I think that LotR (and the rest of the non-Hobbit legendarium) is better described as "myth", and I think that fans of epic/high fantasy coming to Tolkien are often disappointed for this reason.

    For me the disappointment went the other direction - I read LotR first, and then I went on a fantasy reading binge and was repeatedly let down because I couldn't understand why none of it felt like Tolkien.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent