I am reading Tolkien and now I feel like I can’t read any other author haha. People say his stuff is difficult to read. But, I just don’t think they see that there is the use of meter. Theres a rhythm to his writing. And sometimes he breaks that rhythm suddenly. He also writes in an old english verse kind of way. Which is like a reverse order of phrasing compared to contemporary english. His writing is like jazz in a sense. Theres melodies played by using notes that fit over harmonies that then expand. The musicians interplay and build on a theme. If you sit there and try to decipher why each note fits over each chord it would be an arduous, mechanical, and clunky experience. Just unpleasant. But if you snap your finger and just hum along its fun lol I feel the same way with Tolkien’s writing. He does this through the use of colons + semi colons .. which people say are run ons lol 😆
He has the best use of prosody I have seen yet.
Can anyone recommend anything similar? Maybe fantasy? But also any of author you really like? I’m open to all suggestions.
by Confident-Till8952
2 Comments
Maybe George MacDonald
Lord dunsanay, t h White, possibly Guy Gavriel Kay