From: mr@sandman.net   
      
   In article <3puja9pchjiqc3fdgj394uoo644pvpnsuk@4ax.com>, Paul S. Person  wrote:   
      
   > > Sandman:   
   > > But, the scenes in the book that are undeniably about action   
   > > (battles) are in turn very underwhelming, and the movies more than   
   > > delivers on what one's inner eye *wanted* to see. Battle of the   
   > > Five armies is the most obvious example of this.   
   >   
   > Actually, I quite like the fuller versions of many of the battles in   
   > the films.   
      
   > Well, not Helm's Deep -- that drags. How much does it drag? Although   
   > it only occupies 20 minutes of time (I timed it once from the DVD   
   > using a computer DVD player program that was very helpful in this   
   > regard), several reviewers asserted that it lasted 1 hour. When a 20   
   > minute battle /feels/ like it lasts an hour, there are problems. (In   
   > fairness, I should point out that the 20 minutes of Helm's Deep are   
   > interspersed with 20 minutes of two other story lines so that,   
   > overall, the entire 3-story-line sequence does take an hour or so.)   
      
   > But that is because I am seeing them. When I am reading them, JRRT's   
   > versions are much to be preferred. Blow-by-blow battle descriptions   
   > are for After Action Reports, not novels.   
      
   Yes, but I've recently read the two first book sin the Eragon series, and   
   while as good a writer as Tolkien by a longshot, the battles aren't   
   blow-by-blow (at least not all the time) but rather perfectly paced and   
   really engaging.   
      
   Same goes with the a Song of Ice and Fire books, who doesn't have that many   
   battles, but a lot of fights. And those are really well written as well.   
      
   So I'm in between here. I read Tolkiens books and when it comes to battles,   
   find myself wanting more. But not TOO much either.   
      
   > > Sandman:   
   > > You think? It was still a chapter, and he ran about for a couple   
   > > of *weeks* in the caves. I'm not sure I considering him having   
   > > matured in the caves...   
   >   
   > I /know/. I had a discussion on this point when the she-elf's   
   > existence was revealed, and it was on rabt.   
      
   You know he matured? I'd say he matured a whole lot more with his   
   encounters with Smaug... BUt I suppose it's all up to interpretation.   
      
      
      
      
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