Notes from a Small Island

[Canoerebel]

2/10/45

Kushiro D+2: Three or four Allied armored units attack, supported by artillery. The result is decent - keeping the enemy under pressure while the big Allied infantry units prepare for Round 2, probably in two or three more days.

[JohnDillworth]

indeed. After 40 years or so I have decided to reread the books. About halfway thorough. Truly a man can not cross the same river twice. It is now a different thing than it was in my younger days.
saddle up and carry on!

[Canoerebel]

I re-read my favorite books regularly. Every few years or thereabouts. Either I don't have a great memory or I'm not paying careful attention while reading.

I didn't read Tolkien until after I saw the first Lord movie, solo, in a nearly empty theater, after it had been out awhile. The movie was so magnificient (IMO) that it prompted me to read all the books. I'm not a fan of "fantasy," but I love those books and the movies. Well done.

[Canoerebel]

Including afternoon sweeps, Erik had well over 700 fighters target that non-base hex. In addition, he had more than 30 over the hex to the north. And he had tons of fighters escorting his strike packages.

That may prompt all kinds of questions/notions from Ye Peanut Gallery. I think I'm aware of most of my options, such as they are. But warding off Uber Disney Fighter Sweeps is just one of many challenges, and for the moment is secondary to getting those troops ashore and supporting them in the developing ground campaign. If there was a sure-fire way of knocking out/neutralizing/dealing with Erik's fighters, I'd pursue it. But every option has hit-or-miss aspects and various danger levels that reinforce my notion that the invasion is Priority 1.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I re-read my favorite books regularly. Every few years or thereabouts. Either I don't have a great memory or I'm not paying careful attention while reading.

I didn't read Tolkien until after I saw the first Lord movie, solo, in a nearly empty theater, after it had been out awhile. The movie was so magnificient (IMO) that it prompted me to read all the books. I'm not a fan of "fantasy," but I love those books and the movies. Well done.

Tolkien started writing the book in 1937 as a commentary on the nature of war, after his experience in WWI. He did not complete the book until after WWII and he brought in some notions about what drives nations to that kind of evil.
Some claim that the "One Ring" represented Nazi philosophies as a whole and that the rings of power represented the individual elements (racism, suppression of truth, scapegoats, prosperity at the expense of moral turpitude) that drove a people to support their evil, mad ruler.

The quest for complete power over the world is the "One Ring". It took destruction of the Nazi regime and all its elements of power over the people to destroy the danger of one cruel leader running the world. But the notion is still out there, in several places around the world.

[MakeeLearn]

"Because, generally, Tolkien’s thoughts as elucidated in his letters tend to tell us (repeatedly) that The Lord of the Rings is thematically a meditation on death and immortality."

"The real theme for me is about something more permanent and difficult: Death and Immortality: the mystery of the love of the world in the hearts of a race ‘doomed’ to leave and seemingly lose it; the anguish in the hearts of a race ‘doomed’ to not leave it, until its evil-aroused story is complete. (Letter #186, April 1956)"

"[Tolkien] jumped right into explaining the construction of his great narrative work, stating that the One Ring is a mere mechanism that “sets the clock ticking fast.” And then he quite plainly spells out what the books are about–something he only alluded to once in a letter, but is incontrovertible in this speech."

"And from Letter #208 to C. Ouboter of none-other-than Voorhoeve en Deitrich dated 10 April, 1958:

"As for ‘message’: I have none really, if by that is meant the conscious purpose in writing The Lord of the Rings, of preaching, or of delivering myself of a vision of truth specially revealed to me! I was primarily writing an exciting story in an atmosphere and background such as I find personally attractive.

But in such a process inevitably one’s own taste , ideas and beliefs get taken up. Though it is only in reading the work myself (with criticisms in mind) that I become aware of the dominance of the theme of Death. (Not that there is any ‘original’ message in that: most of human art & thought is similarly preoccupied.)

But certainly Death is not an Enemy! I said, or meant to say, that the ‘message’ was the hideous peril of confusing true ‘immortality’ with limitless serial longevity. Freedom from Time, and clinging to Time. The confusion is the work of the Enemy, and one of the chief causes of human disaster. Compare the death of Aragorn with a Ringwraith. The Elves call ‘death’ the Gift of God (to Men). Their temptation is different,: towards a faineant melancholy, burdened with Memory, leading to an attempt to halt time."

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/noble-sm ... 73529.html

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2014/05 ... the-rings/

[Canoerebel]

2/10/45

NoPac: A global look at the situation.

I'm kinda feeling overwhelmed at the moment. When Pippin says something downcast during what seems to be a losing battle, Gandalf says something like, "So all men feel at times like these."

It's not hopeless, by any means. It's very challenging and frought with peril. There's no doubt that Allied hopes could essentially evaporate with a single horrendous turn, should one happen. All I know to do is to take it one turn at a time, trust in the quality of the planning and troops, do my best to figure things out step by step, and see where we end up.

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I re-read my favorite books regularly. Every few years or thereabouts. Either I don't have a great memory or I'm not paying careful attention while reading.

I didn't read Tolkien until after I saw the first Lord movie, solo, in a nearly empty theater, after it had been out awhile. The movie was so magnificient (IMO) that it prompted me to read all the books. I'm not a fan of "fantasy," but I love those books and the movies. Well done.

I first discovered the Hobbit in my school library at the age of 15. I reread the Hobbit and the trilogy every year for 30 years before trailing off on the effort.

Huge fantasy fan here. R.A. Salvatore being one of my favorite authors. Vert taken with the works of Brandon Sanderson as well who stepped in and completed Richard Jordan's seminal work the Wheel of Time series.

[MakeeLearn]

The movie fell short when it left out Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry, the "Daughter of the River".
And the experiences of The Fellowship with them.

With cunning questions, he made Frodo tell him of the Ring. When Tom tried it on, nothing happened, but he then took it off and flipped it in the air and made the ring itself disappear, showing that indeed within his realm Tom was master. However, when Frodo put the ring on, Tom could still see him. He bade the Hobbit to come back and sit down; his hand was fairer without the ring.

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tom_Bombadil


Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry = Father Time and Mother Nature??? And deeper...

[JohnDillworth]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I re-read my favorite books regularly. Every few years or thereabouts. Either I don't have a great memory or I'm not paying careful attention while reading.

I didn't read Tolkien until after I saw the first Lord movie, solo, in a nearly empty theater, after it had been out awhile. The movie was so magnificient (IMO) that it prompted me to read all the books. I'm not a fan of "fantasy," but I love those books and the movies. Well done.

Tolkien started writing the book in 1937 as a commentary on the nature of war, after his experience in WWI. He did not complete the book until after WWII and he brought in some notions about what drives nations to that kind of evil.
Some claim that the "One Ring" represented Nazi philosophies as a whole and that the rings of power represented the individual elements (racism, suppression of truth, scapegoats, prosperity at the expense of moral turpitude) that drove a people to support their evil, mad ruler.

The quest for complete power over the world is the "One Ring". It took destruction of the Nazi regime and all its elements of power over the people to destroy the danger of one cruel leader running the world. But the notion is still out there, in several places around the world.

I'm sure the shadow of WWII was impossible to ignore in the writing of the books. One of the most poignant, lasting feelings is right at the end when the protagonist does not live happily ever after. The quest and the war had taken too much. He lived thought it, but would not live a long nor happy life. Michael Ondaatje covers the same ground in the English Patient and even more so in his new, and excellent, Warlight. The shadows of great events carry down though generations whether one likes it or not. Good book Warlight. Another book the comes to mind is the powerful classic The Plague, by Albert Camus. Yes....on the surface it is an outstanding book about a plague and how people and society treat each other.....but it is, I beleive, a metaphor for the Nazi occupation. I could go on, The Magic Mountain, The Magus...but I am depressing myself. On with he war

[JohnDillworth]

Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry = Father Time and Mother Nature??? And deeper...
[/quote]

The movie fell short when it left out Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry, the "Daughter of the River".
And the experiences of The Fellowship with them.

It was an impossible achievement to capture the scope of each book in a single movie. Something must be left out I suppose.

[Canoerebel]

A book can spend two pages describing the ticking of a clock or the smell of a summer morning. Movies can't, of course.

In the case of Charles Dickens, I'm pretty sure he should be the Official Author for AE. Just like this game verges on a real-time experience, his writing verges on real-time. It takes about 24 hours to read about 24 hours in the life of David Copperfield. He was an excellent writer, but reading his books is like walking through six miles of muck. Tedious. Tiring. Annoying.

[MakeeLearn]

Yes, that is Law.... movies cannot touch all that a book builds.

However... Tom Bombadil and his wife Goldberry had a short, but as I believe a KEY part of the story. Enigmas, important to the story. There is a lot of depth to them and the experiences with them: e.g. the tree the Hobbits fell asleep in and their rescue by Tom.
Tom Bombadil was the only one that the ring had no effect on. He controlled the Ring. Why?
There is a important meaning of the story behind this.
And to have the chance to put into visual graphics the appearance of Goldberry was a missed dessert of a big helping of eye-candy.



Anyone who can turn The Hobbit into...

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – 169 minutes / 182 minutes

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – 161 minutes / 186 minutes

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies – 144 minutes / 174 minutes


Could have covered Tom and Goldberry Bombadil in the twinkle of an eye.




Looming WW2 may have been a shadow of influence on Tolkien, WW1 had a physical impact on him.
Tolkien had discernment of good/evil, more so than judgment of such.



Tom Bombadil and Goldberry Bombadil are a important part of the story and I wager that Tolkien would have been very disappointed at their absence.

Zeus and Hera ?
Adam and Eve?
Existence and Attributes?

[JohnDillworth]

I thought it was just me on Dickens. Yeah, in the stock market of great writers Dickens is not as highly valued right now. With the exception of Great Expectations I don't believe the investment was worth the return. Faulkner is also a smooth wall to me......I just can't get a grip or get inside. I expect that is me though

[Canoerebel]

Ditto on Faulkner.

[AcePylut]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

I re-read my favorite books regularly. Every few years or thereabouts. Either I don't have a great memory or I'm not paying careful attention while reading.

I didn't read Tolkien until after I saw the first Lord movie, solo, in a nearly empty theater, after it had been out awhile. The movie was so magnificient (IMO) that it prompted me to read all the books. I'm not a fan of "fantasy," but I love those books and the movies. Well done.

I first discovered the Hobbit in my school library at the age of 15. I reread the Hobbit and the trilogy every year for 30 years before trailing off on the effort.

Huge fantasy fan here. R.A. Salvatore being one of my favorite authors. Vert taken with the works of Brandon Sanderson as well who stepped in and completed Richard Jordan's seminal work the Wheel of Time series.

Amazon just green-lighted a series on the Wheel of Time. "Rolling Ring of Earth and Fire".... "Kneel, or you will be knealt" Can't wait to see how Dumai's Wells ends up.

I too read the same book over and over. I think I've read Clavell's Shogun about 5 times.

And Salvatore - is that the Drizzt Dourden Drow author?

[ChuckBerger]

Tolkein is great, though I find most of the rest of the high fantasy genre too repetitive and turgid. To my taste China Mieville is among the greatest writers of our time, full stop. The main body of his work is set in a speculative fiction / fantasy mashup world, but as with Tolkein his themes are universal (justice, power, longing, the state, difference...). And he writes a fair shot better than the esteemed Tolkein - just as erudite, but tighter and more vivid, more sensual. They'll make movies out of his Bas-Lag series one day - and I hope they don't, because I won't be able to resist watching, and I'll be disappointed!

[Kofiman]

I am also a long time Tolkein fan, with very little but praise for his work.

If you need someone new, however, I strongly recommend the two novels by Patrick Rothfuss; The Name of the Wind, and Wise Man's Fear. I find them to be quite full reads, and the third one of the trilogy should be finished sometime this coming year.

I had a rather bad experience with the Wheel of Time series. I read through those when I was employed as an excessively bored night worker. At some point the interminable droning of the meaningless words felt like the literary equivalent of my job.. endless time and space with nothing to fill it.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: AcePylut


And Salvatore - is that the Drizzt Dourden Drow author?

Yes, Drizzt Do'Urden is his most compelling character - an outlier from a generally evil and hated species/race - wandering the world of humans and met with revulsion and suspicion by most people. Despite their reaction to him, he remains ethical and heroic rather than return the "favour". Says something about judging people/elves on their individual merits rather than broadbrushing all similar with cruel dismissal.

[AcePylut]

Ah yeah, I read all the books. The first trio when they were in "Ten Towns" (iirc) The Hafling's Gem, Crystal Shard, and something else then the trio about Do'urden when he was born in Menzoberranzan. Fun reading.

My first foray into fantasy novels was those ones from the mid eighties about Raistlin and Cameron, Tanis Half Elven - can't even remember the names of those books.

So I guess I do like fantasy - there was the Raistlin series, the Drizzt series, Game of Thrones, Wheel of Time, but sorry to say, I didn't care for the Hobbit series too much.


Funny thing about the books I do and don't like ... if I was forced to read it in high school, chances are I didn't like it. Couldn't, and never got into, all that Walden Woods type of crap. Give me ShoGun, All Quiet on the Western Front, Hara's "Destroyer Captain", Shirer's Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, With the Old Breed, ... but blah, I don't give a damn about some flapper's story of life and love in the 20's, or some dude that found harmony in the woods (I lived rural, I know all about it) and wrote a boring ass book about it. I'll read Catch-22 for my kicks and insights on the human mind.

But far and away, James Clavell is my favorite author.