@ShikamaruRocks:

You and my brother would seriously get along, I think.

Either that, or we'd try to tear out each other's throat.

reading Dickens for me is like struggling through waist-deep mire

That is what reading Tolkien is like for me. o_O I just want to toss the book out the window and be done with it. Dickens on the other hand... o_O I liked The Adventures of Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol and Great Expectations. I can't recall if I've read any others by Dickens.

Also, Goodkind has a lot of descriptions and yet it's not so much that I feel bogged down by it. He does get a bit too graphic for my tastes at times, but I really like how in depth he gets at times.

Anyway, it's a shame that you're still having issues with your Internet. So... hopefully by now you've at least gotten your research done.

I like Tolkien, and I effing love goddamn Mervyn Peake (who wrote the Gormenghast series, which is basically nothing but description). However, not many writers can get away with this in my book, pun intended--I can't think of any living ones, that's for sure. It really only appeals to people who love being totally immersed in an unfamiliar world (LotR and some high fantasy or SF) or people who love beautiful/interesting language usage (lots of literary novels that sell like two copies apiece).

Even in Tolkien's case, I can't imagine anyone considering the descriptions to be a major draw in and of themselves. The gentle humor and humanity in his writing voice is an important factor; but above all else, his characters are what make the reader want to know more about the world they inhabit. Taken by itself, the setting--no matter how intricately described--is gonna feel lifeless to most people. It all comes down to character. Mervyn Peake stretches this to its limit, of course, but then Gormenghast is far more of a 'character' than even Tolkien's settings.

@Allamorph:

I'll have to try it again in a few years then. XD

~Sarah

@Selene Shri:

Because you're young (and because I know of your initial fascination with Stephanie Meyer), I'm not all surprised you're not into Tolkien. He takes patience to read. If you start with The Hobbit, then maybe you'll get into it, but I tried the actual trilogy when I was about thirteen and couldn't read it. I picked it up again three years later and absolutely devoured it.

For now, stick with more fun, light stuff, like Madeleine L'Engle and Anne McCaffrey.

I hope they get your computers fixed soon... that is a pain
We have a dogwood outside our house. it's beautiiiifffulll lol
I love those trees... O_o people say the smell but you know i have yet to see that.. wait you do mean the trees right? just checking... i thought you meant art the last time >> but i was wrong....
dont tell me you filled up this whole post of guessing what you were actually going to talk about xD ohh please alla

i've... actually looked for different blinker speeds before... does that make me weird?

i know nothing about lord of the rings as it is -_- i saw the movie... that's the extent-
i'm not really familiar with either of the two authors but i dont like it when authors add in nothing but filler.. i would probably like tolkien better then.

@Allamorph:

I'm fascinated by the historical accounts in the Bible. Even the books of Chronicles are compelling in their thoroughness. =P Also, among the things my brother's told me were plenty of disclaimers about its at times encyclopedic feel. Listening to an audio recording will make the process much more enjoyable, something I plan to do.

Fine, don't swat him.

I don't like either one. Tolkien or Dickens. >_> My dad has books by them in the house. I liked Sherlock Holmes so I thought I'd try them. T_T I put them back on the shelves. Holmes was at least fun, those two were so boring.

I hope they fix your Internet soon, so you don't have to pay for stuff to be printed. That seems so stupid that you have to do that.

~Sarah

I caught your warning about The Silmarillion in the comment below. Sounds perfect for me. I just finished a great book full of historical references and can't wait to read another!

I think description is key to a good novel but I know I'd have some difficulties keeping interest if the descriptions were as long as you describe. I like being ablt to properly picture the setting but sometimes I'll get bored reading it. Oh well, lots of imagery is bettre than none at all.

And now I should get back to my research paper x_x;

@TwistedCyberChick:

Forewarning, The Silmarillion is almost more historically in-depth than The Bible, so unless you're a major history buff, prepare yourself for a bit of a rough slog. I enjoyed reading it, and it was still tough for me to get through.

Also the person who made the comparison is an aged and respected friend of mine, and former professor. He's also the man who required me to read Dostoevsky, Undset and Chesterton. I think he knows a bit what he's talking about, and I think he was needling me a little bit. =P

I need to read The Silmarillion, galdurnit. I've read the trilogy several times and absolutely love Tolkien's style, so I wonder what's been holding me back? Heh, probably because I know so much of what happens from my brother's many discussions about it over the years, so it feels like I've read it already. He could speak for days on end about that world, and a few times, I think he's tried.

And yet again I'm reminded of how similar you two are.

Your writing doesn't remind me of Dickens. Let that allay your fears. And swat the person who made that comparison.

@Shinmaru:

Yeah. And unless I can magically get access back in the dorm and see if I can possibly get the score, get a link, and print it off, I am going to end up spending $5.30 just for the score alone.

@Allamorph:

That stinks. I was lucky to work on the student newspaper my junior and senior years, because I had access to our computers and printers and could just use those instead of wasting money printing at the library.

I should re-read Lord of the Rings some time. I'm a fan, but I remember not being too fond of the massive descriptions. Then again, I was an impatient high schooler, haha. Maybe my opinion would be different this time. I've never been big into lengthy description, myself; obviously, there is a difference between necessary and unnecessary description, though. :P

Also I can't access the prefferred resource OR the Classical Scores Database, bookmarked on my computer, for my paper because of the internet being down. Means I have to print off more crap and copy more crap and generally spend money on a research paper for a class I'm paying to attend.

Our college is only 40% state-funded, at most. Everything else comes from us.