As you know, his stories were initially composed for his children. Whereas in general fiction people want to know where the story is going, children's stories seem to place greater emphasis on immersing the reader/listener (spectator) in the world of the story. Thus JRR's seeming obsession with nitty-gritty descriptions.
On Protagonists:
His choice here is again unoriginal, just in a different way. It's actually biblical - look at Moses, the saviour of Israel. He too was (at first) a coward, and he had a speech impediment. Hardly the man you'd choose to lead a nation from the grips of the one and only superpower of the day. Speaking strictly in historical terms, Jesus too was an unlikely fulfilment of prophesy. He wasn't a military leader (as was David), he wasn't even a priest. The real irony is seen when you look at the bumper sticker I saw in a bookshop yesterday: "My boss is a Jewish Carpenter". A peasant artisan as king and saviour? Unthinkable!
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2005-10-01 07:41 am (UTC)As you know, his stories were initially composed for his children. Whereas in general fiction people want to know where the story is going, children's stories seem to place greater emphasis on immersing the reader/listener (spectator) in the world of the story. Thus JRR's seeming obsession with nitty-gritty descriptions.
On Protagonists:
His choice here is again unoriginal, just in a different way. It's actually biblical - look at Moses, the saviour of Israel. He too was (at first) a coward, and he had a speech impediment. Hardly the man you'd choose to lead a nation from the grips of the one and only superpower of the day. Speaking strictly in historical terms, Jesus too was an unlikely fulfilment of prophesy. He wasn't a military leader (as was David), he wasn't even a priest. The real irony is seen when you look at the bumper sticker I saw in a bookshop yesterday: "My boss is a Jewish Carpenter". A peasant artisan as king and saviour? Unthinkable!