Tolkienesque

I re-read "The Fellowship of the Ring" the other week. I was about due.

It's the first time I've re-read the book since the movies came out. I have always enjoyed Tolkien's books and I truly loved Peter Jackson's movies adapting the same. That said, I found myself comparing the book against the first movie and wondering what I would have wanted to change.

I'm not sure I would have changed the movie.

The book has great stuff in it. The Barrow-Wights are freakin' awesome. Gandalf's backstory as to why all of the Nine Riders were not all over Frodo was good stuff and demonstrated Gandalf's badassery. The significance of the weapons Merry and Pippin got from the Barrow-Wight lair was helpful for later when Merry stabs the Lord of the Nazgul. Aragorn isn't sporting a regular sword. He's got the broken one with him. Oh, and Radagast the Brown. Always nice to see another of the five wizards.

The book also has stuff I was glad got cut:

- Tom Bombadil
- naked Hobbit frolicking
- Tom Bombadil
oh, and Tom Bombadil

Seriously. He bugs.

I don't have a problem with the liberties Jackson took to trim down the story. The book was largely exposition with moments where Tolkien gives backstory as though you're reading a textbook (such as the bit where Merry gets the blade that's specifically enchanted to hurt the Lord of the Nazgul).

I'm even okay with Jackson bumping out some random Elf to make Arwen more important to the story (she has no speaking lines in the books at all until the end of "the Return of the King"). It's a bit silly, but good times.

All the same, I do enjoy the books a lot.