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Post by Lomadia on Jun 8, 2005 2:56:18 GMT -5
I know it may be strange to think about, as for most of us, "The Lord of the Rings" (or its equivalent in your mothertongue) is as easily said as "yes" or "no", but I'd like to discuss the titles for the books. What do you think Tolkien hoped to achieve by titling the story "The Lord of the Rings." What about the three individual titles? Do you think these titles are adequate for the books? Why or why not? If you were sitting with Tolkien in 1954 discussing the titles for the books, what other suggestions might you have given and why?
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Post by Eru on Jun 8, 2005 10:30:51 GMT -5
ooh Good question - I'm going to be thinking about alternate titles.
I do think that The Two Towers may be the title most in need of change.
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Post by Haerodiel on Jun 12, 2005 20:09:30 GMT -5
Ya, even tolkien didn't know which towers the two towers were.
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Post by Lomadia on Aug 9, 2005 15:41:06 GMT -5
I find it curious that the series is named after a character we never even meet. I think this was a wise choice on Tolkien's part, because it makes the threat of Sauron ever-present, even during the light scenes that seem farthest from the conflict. "The Fellowship of the Ring" makes sense, although the Fellowship is rarely called by that name. They are almost invariably "The Company of the Ring." I agree that "The Two Towers" would be the most obvious title to change. Like you say, Haerodiel, even Tolkien himself was confused about the towers' identities (The Encyclopedia of Arda has a good article in its Moviegoers' Guide to The Two Towers). I'm still trying to come up with a better alternative, though. Any ideas? I like the sound of "The Return of the King," but you have to admit that it's incredibly spoiler-ish. Perhaps "The War of the Ring" would be less so (Yes, I realize that this is one of the part of HoME). Any other thoughts or creative 'suggestions' for name changes?
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