(wikipedia.org)
Hey nerds. You all prepped for The Hobbit coming out in one week? What am I saying, of course you are.
…But are you really?
Oh, you really are? Well…alright then.
I, for one, know that I am not prepared – in fact you could say that I am decidedly unprepared. At the risk at being assaulted by Tolkein fans with torches pitchforks, I am ready to admit that I actually haven’t read The Hobbit in years. And when I say years, I mean like…since 6th grade. >.>
But before you start wailing and gnashing your teeth, fear not! Instead of giving an apathetic shrug of my shoulders, I’ve decided that this calls for a serious reading challenge, a challenge that you’re more than welcome to join! I’ve decided that in 1 week I will re-read the entire book and be ready to jump into line at the theater, full of the smug knowledge that I am better than everyone who didn’t bother reading the book at all. Ah, the douchey self-assurance of the bibliophile…your undeserved satisfaction will be mine!
While yes, I do tend to be that annoying person who asserts that “the book was much better”, I believe that most books-turned-movies deserve an honest reading beforehand so you can get the real background of the story. Most movies simply can’t handle all the nuance books include, so having that knowledge beforehand always (for me, anyway) enhances the movie. I suppose sometimes it also makes the movie more disappointing when it fails to live up to what I see as the book’s standards, but if nothing else it clarifies vague plot points and helps you better understand character motivations.
At any rate, come one come all to The Hobbit Re-Reading Challenge! I plan on snagging the book today (er…I may not have a copy >.>) and divvying up daily chapters to keep myself at a solid reading pace. So much hobbit-y discussion to come!
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4 Comments
Dale
06 Dec 2012 08:12 pm
Yeah, that’s the problem I had when I reread the LotR books before the movies: disappointment. All I could see was what they didn’t cover and it really dragged down my enjoyment of the movies. I decided this time to do it in the reverse order and watch the movies THEN read the book to fill in the gaps.
NotBlogger
07 Dec 2012 01:12 pm
I actually haven't read all of the LotR books yet, but I can absolutely see how that is. I've already heard Tom Bombadil rants from other friends. :D An interesting tactic, reading the book after the movie. I dunno...I always end up feeling like that's cheating. :D
Anna V
07 Dec 2012 10:12 am
Brilliance!! I don’t have a copy either, so my participation in your rad challenge will depend wholly on whether or not I can get my grubby little hands on a copy!
happy reading!
NotBlogger
07 Dec 2012 01:12 pm
I hope you can scrounge up a copy! I picked one up yesterday and it was surprisingly shorter than I remember (from many years ago, of course). Let me know if you get one and can keep up with the reading! :D