Subject:
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Re: Plagarism in Fantasy Novels? (was Re: Harry Potter?)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Thu, 22 Mar 2001 13:42:34 GMT
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Viewed:
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623 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, James Stacey writes:
> As opposed to Earth in the distant past (some have claimed) - Tolkien
> I had to stop reading Sword of Sha na na cos it was such a blatent rip off I
> couldn't stomach it - I love the lord of the Rings. [snip]
"Sword of Sha na na?" BWAAAAAA! :) Lord Bowser, your
mighty steed awaits!
> Tolkien was a great
> scholar of western European Mythology and it did inspire much of his work,
> but it can definately be said he put it into a unique context which many
> others have tried to emulate.
I'll put on the "historian cap" here: most Mediaevalists hate
it, but Norman Cantor's polemic _Inventing the Middle Ages_ has
a rather ...interesting... chapter on Tolkien and his contemporaries.
Basically, they had to repackage the Middle Ages as something that
could be "sold" to a popular audience. The idea of mediaeviality
(if a word) as most of us know it is about 95% bogus and derived
from scholarship fifty years old or older. That doesn't make it
any less *fun*, however. But if you take a look at that book, I
guarantee you'll never look at Tolkien the same way again.
But man, did Cantor ever say a LOT of really rude things about
some really big names (many of whom are still alive). Thank God
for tenure!
> Brookes was embarrisingly bad, Donaldson was
> just too depressing, Feist was too far up his own ass and Eddings was to
> simplistic for his own good. imho. David Gemmell is the only writer to get
> close. Apart from Terry Pratchett who in lampooning the entire genre has
> created something quite original. I haven't read any Harry Potter yet cos
> people keep saying they're the best childerns Fantasy books ever, lets see
> if it ages as well as CS Lewis' Narnia or The Hobbit. I'll put money on the
> fact it dosen't[.]
Who can say anything about how writing weathers? I wouldn't be
surprised if Harry Potter and ilk weather time all right. It may
just be that it's the right genre at the right moment, and a fair
evaluation of the books' merits will have to wait until our love
affair with Rowling is over.
> anyway.... ... I want a lego balrog !
Sorry, I'm already under contract.
best
Lindsay
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