10 “Lord of the Rings” Details Only Book Fans Understand

David Conrad

David is the author of AKIRA KUROSAWA AND MODERN JAPAN. He has a Ph.D. in history from the University of Texas at Austin and loves period pieces, classics, and arthouse films. www.facebook.com/DavidConradAuthor/

You may also like...

5 Responses

  1. Daniel says:

    I enjoy tidbits like No. 8 where the author himself does not know the true answer. Fans being able to investigate and debate is more entertaining than being told the answer to the mystery.

    • David Conrad says:

      That also applies to 1 and 10 to some extent. We don’t know why Cirdan didn’t give his elf ring to Saruman when Saruman arrived, or why he even felt the need to give it away at all. And we don’t know why the Nazgul has this particular weakness. We also don’t know why Maggot and Bombadil get along so well, but I guess it’s because they’re both jovial yet reclusive agrarian types who live in the same vicinity.

  2. Ever since I saw Return of the King, I have thought that Jackson should have found a way to include The Scouring of the Shire in his film. I mean, yes, it’s already a three hour movie, but those chapters of crucial thematic importance. The way the movies end, it seems like the hobbits just go home and nothing’s changed.

    • David Conrad says:

      All things considered I would like to have included the Scouring. And even more, I would like to have included their walk home through Enedwaith as they slowly peel off and go their separate ways. But I actually I do like the sensation of nothing having changed in The Shire, and that great shot of the Hobbits toasting at the table in the Green Dragon (or was it the Ivy Bush?)

  3. James Tanner says:

    This was a great read