So for the past few weeks I've spent a lot of time online reading The Encyclopedia of Arda. It's the online encyclopedia of all things Tolkien. I'd never read any Tolkien, but I enjoyed the LOTR movies thoroughly and with increasing enthusiasm as each installment was released, so this was a natural extensions of a newfound interest. The among the many interesting features of this encyclopedia is a small section devoted to the movies, and how each differs from the book version. There's something about this world that totally fascinates me. Miss Charming Melodee was shocked that I'd never read any of the books, given how much I loved the movies. After hearing this, I felt a little shamed for some reason. Like my dorkiness wasn't even dorkiness at all. It was a fake dorkiness. Which, in reality, is worse than genuine dorkiness. So, given how long I can read this Encyclopedia online, and how interesting I find the whole thing, I decided it was time to go to the original source and start in on the books. I was discouraged from doing so a few years ago after conversations with people who'd either read the books or tried to read the books. Matt had said he just couldn't get past all the singing and poems. That's kind of what stopped me I guess. And I do find all the singing annoying. Another reason for reading the book now is that I find it a lot easier to read books after seeing movies based on the books. Matt found this statement to be a sad commentary on me and our culture in general, I think. But it's just easier for me to visualize a book's world when part of it is already fleshed out for me. If I don't have to worry about certain visual aspects, it's one less thing I have to concentrate my mind on. I get caught up in the words anyway, so it's good that I'm not slowed down even more by having to retrieve mental images of characters from my memory banks. Anyway, part of me is wishing I'd read the books long ago, but I'm kind of glad that I didn't, because it wouldn't lessened the movie-going experience I think. I would've known what was going to happen, in general, and I would've been disappointed when scenes were cut out. Having seen the movies first, I could enjoy the movies, then get a more detailed version of the book and continue to expand my enjoyment of the Tolkien world. The other way around, the movies would've been it. So at least now I have something to look forward to. Plus, another benefit of discover Tolkien this late is that this way I get to try out being a total Tolkien geek, while also having a girlfriend.
Little else happening here in New York. Everything's in a deep freeze. As if the subzero temperature wasn't enough, last night snowed as well. I very dry powder. Would've been excellent for skiing. I actually had a dream where I was going skiing with Miss CM and her old roommate. But somehow I was late and screwed it all up. Anyway, the apartment was an igloo once again, and to make matters worse Miss CM was out of town again, as she is wont to do. A very cold and lonely night. I swear, sometimes I think if it weren't for The O.C., I'd just die!
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