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/lit/ - Literature

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17008444 No.17008444 [Reply] [Original]

I'm reading a translation but, ok, guys, it really is not written that good, right?

>> No.17008450

>>17008444
It's not amazing but I don't think it's bad either, he has nice descriptions of things and some suitably epic moments given the genre.

>> No.17008478

>>17008450
Seconded

>> No.17008482

>>17008444
No, you probably have a bad translation. I read it in translation first and had the same thoughts as you, but a few years later I read the original and was amazed by how well-crafted Tolkien's prose really was. There's not a single author in the fantasy genre that's better with words than Tolkien.

>> No.17008522

>>17008444
Yeah bro you cracked the code, a genius linguist who crafted an entire universe to explore and flex his mastery over languages and the written word actually had bad prose, based on a translation you read. I think you’re right.

>> No.17008527

>>17008522
>if you make up new words that means you're a good prose writer dude
ok

>> No.17008562

Hell yeah, I have those versions too. Pretty comfy

>> No.17008596
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17008596

>>17008444
>I'm reading a translation
>it really is not written that good

>> No.17008598

>>17008527
You didn't address his point of basing the merits of the prose on a translation lmao.
Also making up good words requires you to be more than proficient with language.

>> No.17008604

>>17008522
thats all true though, he does have bad prose

>> No.17008612

>>17008604
No he doesn't.

>> No.17008621

>>17008598
>not having enough mastery of the english language to say what you need to say without making up words means you're good with language

>> No.17008628

>>17008621
Why are you such a retard? If there's one author who "mastered" the English language it's objectively Tolkien lmao.

>> No.17008732

>>17008612
come on man it's slightly above average at best. nobody is reading tolkein for the prose, that's not a bad thing, he has a lot of other great stuff to offer, but compared to a lot of writers his prose is nothing special

>> No.17008737

>>17008732
>>17008604

“In rode the Lord of the Nazgûl. A great black shape against the fires beyond he loomed up, grown to a vast menace of despair. In rode the Lord of the Nazgûl, under the archway that no enemy ever yet had passed, and all fled before his face.

All save one. There waiting, silent and still in the space before the Gate, sat Gandalf upon Shadowfax: Shadowfax who alone among the free horses of the earth endured the terror, unmoving, steadfast as a graven image in Rath Dínen.
"You cannot enter here," said Gandalf, and the huge shadow halted. "Go back to the abyss prepared for you! Go back! Fall into the nothingness that awaits you and your Master. Go!"
The Black Rider flung back his hood, and behold! he had a kingly crown; and yet upon no head visible was it set. The red fires shone between it and the mantled shoulders vast and dark. From a mouth unseen there came a deadly laughter.
"Old fool!" he said. "Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!" And with that he lifted high his sword and flames ran down the blade.

And in that very moment, away behind in some courtyard of the city, a cock crowed. Shrill and clear he crowed, recking nothing of war nor of wizardry, welcoming only the morning that in the sky far above the shadows of death was coming with the dawn.
And as if in answer there came from far away another note. Horns, horns, horns, in dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the north wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last.”

>> No.17008748

>>17008732
No, it's actually really good. I really appreciated Tolkien for his prose when I read his works the second time around. It's some of the best. You just have to remember he uses language to try and create a timeless world like in mythology, he's playing a completely different game than the Sandersons and Martins.

>> No.17008751

>>17008737
if you couldn't cherry pick 3 paragraphs of decent writing out of 2000 pages I would be worries

>> No.17008770
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17008770

>>17008751

>> No.17008918

>>17008444
I cannot imagine Tolkien coming across well after any translation, but Tolkien definitely doesn't have weak prose. Is it the best prose ever? No. Is it even the best prose in fantasy? No. But that's kind of like saying, "Riemann was a garbage mathematician because Euler was alive!"
It's disingenuous to say his writing is just "not good", when it ranges from truly amazing at best to pretty-damn-good at worst.

>> No.17008963

>>17008918
This, you can dislike his style, but to say his prose is bad or mediocre is just plain wrong.

>> No.17009169

>>17008737
Never read the books or watched the movies, did Gandalf die here? Not a native speaker, should I have been able to know it from this passage?

>> No.17009200

>>17009169
No and no.

>> No.17009208

>>17008444
It's ok, it is made to fit the tone of the world (this isn't a. great way to put it because all good prose is tailored to fit the story but Tolkien's is especially stylized)

>> No.17009722

No. It’s not written well at all

>> No.17009817

>>17009722
You're right, it's written brilliantly.

>> No.17009917

>>17008444
If you can understand english why are you reading a translation? I only read translations when I don't know the language, and even then I almost always read an english translation instead of in my native language (more to choose from, improves my english, often better, easier to discuss it with others online etc.).

>> No.17009925

> it really is not written that good, right?
>written good

It is written well.

>> No.17009926

>thinking tolkien's prose isn't good
the ultimate filter