Having just started the HoME series on the composition of LotR, I wonder how
much of Ms. Scull's presentation is based on those published volumes of C.
Tolkien's, and how much is based on further, unpublished material?
Where I am (just reached Rivendell), the story evolution has been fairly
straightforward -- just as FotR is the most straightline narrative of the
"three" volumes. Therefore C. Tolkien does not quote large sections of the
drafts, merely assuring us that they underwent relatively little change except
for names, etc.
I have always heard that it gets quite gnarly soon enough, as Tolkien gets
drawn into Fangorn, Lorien, Rohan, etc. Is there additional material (say, at
Marquette) that Scull is referring to? Or has she just read the HoME?
Finally, and this is how I would have answered a very similar question this
week on Movie (about doing a 2-hour film) had I had the time, the obvious
answer to how to simplify the LotR book is to continue the journey to Mordor
from Parth Galen for Frodo, while sending all the others to Minas Tirith for a
big battle. In other words, skip all of the detour to Rohan, Saruman, Fangorn,
etc.
As well, there's no reason why Cirith Ungol needs to be 120 miles south of the
Black Gate. It could have been just around the corner, in the Ered Lithui for
instance -- and given Frodo just as hard a time getting into Mordor undetected,
Gollum and all.
Of course the book is far superior as written, but there's no denying that most
readers feel a distinct jolt when Aragorn turns west to chase the orcs, and
starts chumming up the horsemen -- at that point my daughter dropped the book
for a year because she could no longer understand what was happening. I
remembered the same feeling myself at around that age (8 or so).
I am looking forward to learning more about the evolution of Trotter into
Aragorn in the next few months. I rather like Trotter - and why not? When you
meet him, he's Strider: same lines, same actions. Nothing changes in many, many
scenes except the name! Well, there is one difference: he grins a lot.
Thanks for yet another reminder that Marquette was the place to be last
fall!
"Wake up and smell the coffee."
squire online:
Footerama: "Tolkien would have LOVED it!" (improved!)
The Valaquenta discussion
