[queenoftheshire]

After reading the Story of Aragorn and Arwen in the apendices of RotK, I felt kind of disgusted. It was just basic stuff, I mean it barely scratched the surface. It makes it great to do fanfic for but it really doesn't give you the impression that their story was the most important part of Lord of the Rings as Tolkien said. I don't know if I'm overreacting but I just thought before I read it: "Finally! I'll get to actually read how Aragorn and Arwen met etc, etc." but it wasn't so great.

[Hathor]

Personally? I loved the story of Aragorn and Arwen.

Tolkien was a good writer, but when you get down to the core, he was not as... say... melodramatic as a lot of the tendancy for modern writing can be. *kicks Anne Rice down from her high horse* I think the fact that it was understated made it the more beautiful. Just look at Arwen's pain at the end, when her Estel dies. That had me in tears, frankly enough.

Thier story being the most important part? Where did you read that? I've never heard it before. I thought it was important just to have that final last link between Elves and Men before they were forever sundered...

There was more to Lord of the Rings than romance. I think that Tolkien did a damn fine job getting across the action, the horror, even some of the gentle humour in Merry and Pippin, and yeah, I think he did the romance well too.

Lord of the Rings makes me feel a lot of things. Disgusted isn't one of them.

[Ania]

I agree with Hathor, Tolkien didn't just right a romance, he created an entire new world, at least five new languages, a history, gods, peoples, all of his own imagination. I'd say that if he created anything, he created a masterpiece, the complexity with which he created this world is what makes it so unique and amazing. A true creation of genius.

So many modern writers in today's age get so mixed up in the whole physical side of romance and the modern ideals of love being more physical than mental, that it sometimes proves true that certain relationships created in modern literature lack the emotional depth to be able to survive through pain and trial such as Arwen and Aragorn's. That's what I think causes their relationship to seem even more real and certainly deeper, the sheer pain and tragedy of their relationship binds them closer together. It unites humans and elves for the last time and also gives an idea of the depth and strength of their bond of love.

As for the details, that's what fan fiction writers are here for

[Ania]

*cringes when she sees the spelling mistakes*, REALLY sorry, meant 'write' not right 'right' *hides head in shame*

[Panneth]

I think PJ has relied too heavily on the love story of LotR in his films anyway. It's a sub-plot not the main plot. Yes it's great for fanfic writers to have this extra information, but it has no bearing on the course of the War of the Ring. The story of Aragorn and Arwen as written in the Appendix has no part in LotR as it occurs after and before, so what's wrong with just giving it a short summary?

Can you tell I'm not Arwen's greatest fan?!

~Panneth

[queenoftheshire]

Oh I know that JRR Tolkien wasn't a romance writer, I just thought that the apendices would go into more detail is all...

[queenoftheshire]

OMG! Typo! I WILL DIE FOR THAT. Tolkien, missed a lettr oh! God help me! LOL

[dolarabee]

you realise you can go back and edit your post, right?

[queenoftheshire]

oops yes now i do

[phoenixqueen]

I don't know if anyone is interested in hearing this, but I actually went and wrote an expansion on the scene where Aragorn dies. I've heard a lot of people really loved it, and eventually it will be posted on Open Scrolls, but I haven't had time to do a lot of posting lately. You can find it at:

http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1487859

I hope people are interested! It also contains Legolas and Gimli, (I'm a softie for the elf, and where the elf goes, Gimli follows)

phoenixqueen