Sarah McNutt
Major: Art Education Minor: Art Therapy
Sophomore
I read the hobbit in 6th grade when I did a book project on it for class. Later, when LOTR came out in theaters, I went with my family to the show and have seen each movie as they have come out. My sister and father had read the trilogy before the theatrical version and were moderate not exactly eccentric fans. The first time I had read the book was this summer for class. The character that I find to be the most intriguing is Treebeard. The books makes him out to be one of the very oldest entities, and I find that he has a very different perspective of the history of middle earth. He speaks about tragic things as if he has only briefly noticed, yet he still is aware of small changes even though He is isolated in the forest.
I have read and viewed the Harry Potter series. I saw the first two movies before I started reading the books which I did enjoy. But I find the series more entertaining then thoughtful, and I generally mark a great book on how it alters how I perceive something.
In this class I would like to discuss why Lotr is so controversial concerning its placement as the “book of the century”, and what the critics arguments are for why. As well as what separates the Lotr from other great book series. I am not as fond of the series as many others are and would not describe myself as a “lover” of Tolkien. Perhaps the more I study the book the closer I will feel. Just like a new cd the more you hear it, generally, the more you like it.
