Final Exam Blog Post

I have learned and entered a new world of books coming into this elective. Most language art classes don’t focus much on the books and how they are viewed through the public. I have also gotten to open myself into thinking about how books could be considered “less valued” by the author not being literary. This is definitely not something have considered before and am willing to think about in the future. I have always been a math type of guy and business type too. As a future businessman (hopefully) I have not considered the book industry as much of a prosperous or complicated industry. I thought of it as a simple and traditional infrastructure based on simple supply and demand. This battle between writing styles has made me think that the book industry structure as more of a movie type industry. You have the money makers and the award movies. I have also seen my reading classmates in a whole new light, usually I read with my class grade and the same book; in this class I have seen older and the same aged people read a diverse selection of books. I feel as if this has changed my view on literature and will guide me through some of the more advanced classes in my future as a student. This opportunity and class time has also given me a well needed reading time since I can get easily distracted at school. Questions covered in this class like the discrimination of “chick lit” has also made me think why I find a slanted view of even since I haven’t read it.

Personally I have grown and developed myself as a reader. This class didn’t have a schedule and you could read how much whenever which was great for me. This forced me to motivate myself to read since I’m not much of a reader. I think it was good to carry on some of the responsibility as a reader. I have also this try some of the books I would have to put on hold since I am distracted with Romeo and Juliet or something. I have taken of my list some good titles like; Holes, 13 Reasons Why, The Lord of the Rings, and The Fault in Our Stars. I came into this class wanting to be more of a reader not only in just pumping out novels but also as someone who is in the literary world and is conscious of it. I usually never pick books on my own and just pick up the next biggest book. This trimester has been great for expanding to some of the books that I thought I would never be able to read. This class was also a different style of than other classes I have taken. As I said before it had a looser schedule and restrictions which made this the perfect class to end a great day on. The environment helped me get better associated with books and the way I view them. This trimester I haven’t viewed them as much of homework as I have for a leisure activity.  Best Sellers has changed me not only as a reader but a person too who has learned in an environment with different grade levels. I have met wonderful people who enjoy reading more than I do which was fun. I have also seen people who love genres that I don’t necessarily find interesting. The diversity of readers has made me see different book genres and how the people and books compare and unite under the book world. Overall I have progressed as a person and a reader, I think this was a great class to take as a freshman and would take it again if I had the chance. 

The Fellowship of The Ring

The Lord of Rings is considered a classic among many fantasy novels and may be the reason we find fantasy such a great genre in this generation. However, the little action, and constant description of the land is not what many readers want to read in a book consisting of magical powers, powerful rings, colossal trolls, and elves. The Lord of the Rings starts you off in a small town in The Shire. Bilbo Baggins is celebrating his eleventy-first birthday and is going out with a bang. He plans to leave his rather large house to Frodo and wants to journey eastward with his dwarf friend. Bilbo has limitless money from an adventure that other hobbits consider strange, and he is thought to be very eccentric. Bilbo is kind and gives his money away but people are always wary. When he has his extravagant party he brings all his best friends and relatives to the house and announces his departure. At the end of his speech Bilbo magically disappears into thin air and everyone thinks this is part of the party so no one cares that he is gone. Bilbo sneaks into his house and meets Gandalf, who was awaiting his return. Gandalf says his farewells but really wants to talk about the ring that Bilbo has. Gandalf wants Bilbo to give him the ring, because he thinks Bilbo is becoming too dependent on it. At first Bilbo doesn’t want to give it up but in the end he gives the rings to Frodo and leaves for Rivendell. 17 years later Frodo, living his mansion alone, gets a guest. It’s Gandalf, who tells Frodo the origin of the Ring and tells him to venture away from The Shire and go to Rivendell. When Frodo leaves, 3 hobbits and loyal friends, “If by my life or death I can protect you, I will,” (said by Aragorn) join his company to get Frodo to Rivendell. Then the company adventures far and wide to restore order in the Middle Earth. 

           When you pick up a book called The Lord of The Rings you imagine great battles and action but is not exactly what you get. You get some action scenes but they are normally two to three paragraphs tops. In place of the missing action you get amazing descriptions of lands beyond your wildest dreams, characters that you could almost touch, and objects you feel like you could hold. Tolkien the author has amazing adverbs and adjectives. Writing descriptively and detailed is one of his many strengths. “The night deepened. There came the soft sound of horses led with stealth along the lane. Outside the gate they stopped, and three black figures entered, like shades of night creeping across the ground. One went to the door, one to the corner of the house on either side, and there they stood, as still as the shadows of stones, while night went slowly on. The house and the quiet trees seemed to be waiting breathlessly.” He also is great and definitely dedicated to creating world in which a reader will feel a part of and can imagine every little hill and plain in all of Middle Earth. My last strength Tolkien puts in his books is an amazing plot and mystery behind the adventure of Frodo. You can see the history and understand why Frodo has to do what he asked of by Gandalf. You are told in not only the introduction but also in the book the corruption the ring can do and understand why Gandalf doesn't want handle the ring. One strength I felt that was used too much and cost Tolkien a perfect book was the over using descriptive language. Tolkien describes every pebble and weed along the journey which just drags on the book and puts the reader in a dead state. "At the top, as high as Gandalf could reach, was an arch of interlacing letters in an Elvish character. Below, though the threads were in places blurred or broken, the outline could be seen of an anvil and a hammer surmounted by a crown with seven stars. Beneath these again were two trees, each bearing crescent moons. More clearly than all else there shone forth in the middle of the door a single star with many rays." This also keeps Tolkien from writing action scenes because he spent 50 pages on the scenery. This seems to be one of the biggest and only weaknesses blatantly evident in The Lord of the Rings.

Finally, everything considered The Fellowship of the Ring is an A- for trying to be too descriptive. The plot and history in the book is just astonishing and can really be considered a new world in itself. Readers can see this when Gandalf tells Frodo about the Ring and how it was made by Sauron. The characters and their development are progressive, unique, and relatable. Frodo has a strong will but bends to Sauron's will because he is mightier. Tolkien doesn't make Frodo some superman. Frodo also loses lots of weight throughout his journey. History in this book really contributes and can be found in the actions and decisions of many the characters. Instead of going through the top of the hills because of the old ancient god who has killed many in the past they went to Moria.  The book feels as if it is a living thing and you are watching from above as you travel into Middle Earth. Overall the book made the reader involved and definitely imaging a vast world, in the end it is a great read. 

The One Genre to Rule them All

The activity of imagining things that can’t be real, using one’s imagination, also known as Fantasy and the genre I am reading. Harry Potter, A Wrinkle in Time, Eragon these are all books that have revolutionized the Fantasy genre. One series in particular though has put Fantasy on the map for the last 80 years, The Lord of the Rings. I am currently reading this series and it is the epitome of Fantasy books according to that definition. Tolkien has created a world unparalleled to any other; he has created elves, dwarfs, hobbits, and Magicians into a world that is masked with unnatural beauty and the innocence of people. The Lord of the Rings is purely imagination and is wielded by the reader in his/her own thoughts. This series has created a strong precedent for many to follow and will continue to have effect on Fantasy books for years to come, magic, worlds, creatures are made into reality and shown off with many features unimaginable like powerful rings that can mask and control anything.

A Slight Introduction to Fantasy

Fantasy is commonly placed into medieval setting but not restricted to that specific time. There are three primary genres and settings for Fantasy: Fantasy World (The Hobbit), Reality into Fantasy World (Alice in Wonderland), and Real World (Mary Poppins).  Of all the Fiction subgenres, Fantasy has the longest and richest history. This Fantasy history can be seen in The Epic of Gilgamesh and Homer’s Odyssey. These books were some of the first to reach world attention and for readers to marvel at as books that have influenced literature as a whole. Fantasy has been not taking seriously among Literary “experts” and therefore going into the field is mainly for money not for literary “art”. Fantasy has had many stereotypes that is has had to come over in the modern era, for instance the “geeky” factor in the genre itself. Luckily this genre has had lots of success, the first The Lord of the Rings has helped relieve this genre from this ‘”geeky” stereotype. Harry Potter has also helped this stereotype and many others. This series may not get the respect it deserves but has transformed and intrigued the readers for many years.

 

Sources

Genre Fiction As Literature

The Fantasy Genre

Fantasy- Wikipedia

 

Blizzard Bag 2

The book I chose for my Fantasy book club was The Fellowship of The Ring, it is by J.R.R. Tolkien. This book is split into two minor books of 280 pages each. I decided to do this book because I had seen the movies and The Hobbit came out this past year and wanted to give the books a try. If you don’t know what the Lord of The Rings Trilogy is about then I will give you a brief summary. In The Fellowship of the Book the main character Frodo is staying in his super rich Uncle’s house. His uncle Bilbo disappeared 61 years ago and came back with mass amounts of treasure which is what they were surviving on. They set you in a time where Bilbo’s and Frodo’s birthday party are coming up soon and will be the day that Bilbo will leave to go East permanently. Since Hobbits love parties everyone gets excited and Gandalf comes to wish Bilbo goodbye and talk about the secret powerful ring Bilbo has. When the party is about to close Bilbo talks about how he is to go away and in front of everyone’s eyes he disappears from thin air. Gandalf is waiting for Bilbo inside his home and they talk about this ring which has made Bilbo addicted to it. Gandalf scares Bilbo into giving the ring to his heir Frodo before he leaves forever. When Bilbo leaves Frodo is left with a ring and Gandalf tells him the danger of the powerful ring. My book then goes on to tell of Frodo’s journey trying to escape the evil powers and how he does this. I think the book isn’t bad but I don’t like how Tolkien narrates the story and makes it go on forever by describing everything they see to the last crack on it. The action in the book is quick and lame because Tolkien chews up all the time focusing on describing things instead of focusing on important things like plot and character development. I think this book could be better if he focused on more of the elements I find valuable in a book. Not to totally rip on Tolkien he uses amazing verbs and adjectives throughout the book.