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"The Lord of the Rings" vs "The Chronicles of Narnia"
- Thread starter frederikp
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Alix
Member
I prefer the Chronicles of Narnia. I don't have a particular book preference. My criteria is readability, and I've read the Chronicles so many times I'm on a second or third set of them. I barely made it through LOTR once.
However, I know my opinion is an unusual one. LOTR is hugely popular.
However, I know my opinion is an unusual one. LOTR is hugely popular.
Occlith: Well, the book I was thinking of when I talk about Narnia, was the book 'The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe'. So I would like to hear your opions on, which book is the most well-written; 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' or 'The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring'? 
- My opinion is that 'The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring' is the most well-written of the two books, because J. R. R. Tolkien is so brilliant to describe things with fair words! We all know how the world looks like, because J. R. R. Tolkien helps us to describe it for us, instead of C. S. Lewis who barely describes any tree in his world. So yes, I think LotR is the most well-written book. What do you think??
Alix: Thanks for your reply/ opinion. And I'm sorry to say that I'm totally disagreed with you. For I think that the LotR is the most well-written, and I've read both on Danish (I come from Denmark) and on English, and I think they are stupendously!
- My opinion is that 'The Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring' is the most well-written of the two books, because J. R. R. Tolkien is so brilliant to describe things with fair words! We all know how the world looks like, because J. R. R. Tolkien helps us to describe it for us, instead of C. S. Lewis who barely describes any tree in his world. So yes, I think LotR is the most well-written book. What do you think??
Alix: Thanks for your reply/ opinion. And I'm sorry to say that I'm totally disagreed with you. For I think that the LotR is the most well-written, and I've read both on Danish (I come from Denmark) and on English, and I think they are stupendously!
Fate
New Member
Though I have read the Chronicles of Narnia series several times I'm not much of a fan of the books or--this may be blasphemous to some--even C.S. Lewis. It's LOTR and Tolkien for me. Lord of the Rings and Tolkien’s other works (The Silmarillion aside...that was a yawn fest) read less like Christian allegories than Narnia, and more like fantasy in the classical style. And when reading a work of fantasy fiction I want to be able to immerse myself and escape into a world that has more tones, hues and layers...which to me, Tolkien’s LOTR provides. J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings universe is more solidly intricate and approachable than that of C.S. Lewis' Narnia.
Plus, who doesn't like an elf?
Plus, who doesn't like an elf?
beer good
Well-Known Member
Plus, who doesn't like an elf?
An orc?
Fate: Thanks for your reasoned answer/reply. And I must say that I'm much more like you, by the opinion. And I think you have some good arguments!
C. S. Lewis did also, as a matter of fact, wrote his book for children and not for adults as J. R. R. Tolkien may have done - and therefore it's naturally a more well-written book that Tolkien wrote, because it was for adults.
However, Tolkien had a very irritating way to always tell us about every single landscape the fellowship of the ring passed through. That's for me, a bit anoying to read. And also he did always tell very much history through-out the books!
But C. S. Lewis did his world very simple and less described. So yes, they are each-others contrasts, one would say.
beer good: You are very much right! For what would the world of Middle-Earth had been if there hadn't been a single orc or elf, you may ask!
C. S. Lewis did also, as a matter of fact, wrote his book for children and not for adults as J. R. R. Tolkien may have done - and therefore it's naturally a more well-written book that Tolkien wrote, because it was for adults.
However, Tolkien had a very irritating way to always tell us about every single landscape the fellowship of the ring passed through. That's for me, a bit anoying to read. And also he did always tell very much history through-out the books!
But C. S. Lewis did his world very simple and less described. So yes, they are each-others contrasts, one would say.
beer good: You are very much right! For what would the world of Middle-Earth had been if there hadn't been a single orc or elf, you may ask!
Fate
New Member
LOL! Good point.
Like in all things, as individuals, readers have their own likes, dislikes and perspectives in what they think warrants praise or censure and most of all brings them reading pleasure. Within the genre of heroic high fantasy to me Tolkien sits pretty close to the top rung of the ladder...just slightly eclipsed by E.R. Eddison who wrote the grandfather of high fantasy, The Worm Ouroboros.
2
20235
Guest
The beginning of The Lord of the Ring is quite long and hard to go through, but it gets really better after that.
Narnia could have been great but I don't like the writing of Lewis, so I'm going for Tolkien.
Plus, even if I'm not really a fan of his work (I mean, I liked it, but it didn't blew me away), I clearly respect it for he surely knew what he was doing.
Narnia could have been great but I don't like the writing of Lewis, so I'm going for Tolkien.
Plus, even if I'm not really a fan of his work (I mean, I liked it, but it didn't blew me away), I clearly respect it for he surely knew what he was doing.
readsalot
Member
For stories, I think I like the LOTR series better, but for actual books, definitely the Chronicles of Narnia.
Okay, so maybe I'm bringing in my opinion of the movies. LOTR movies are better (IMHO). However, I was put off by Tolkien's tendency to over describe everything. Narnia is a children's series, so it's much easier to read.
Okay, so maybe I'm bringing in my opinion of the movies. LOTR movies are better (IMHO). However, I was put off by Tolkien's tendency to over describe everything. Narnia is a children's series, so it's much easier to read.
Flintlock Bill
New Member
The Dawn-Treader was a goodly ship . . .
MagnaMater
kickbox
I read the cronicals of Narnia several times as a child and then I also read the Hobbit, and liked the hobbit less - FIRST
- because, when I got presented the lord of the rings it turned one of my favourite book.
Thinking about it, I imagine it's because the LOTR is less moralizing, when I reread CN recently, I had always the feeling there's too much 'morals' in it, between the lines it's suggested, how children 'should' be, should behave, should be raised. I even got annoyed as a child (because I was aware of attending one of the modern, experimental schools he described, and I very much liked them), and when I red the Chronicles last, I finally got really angry about Aslan, because he expects far too much, is presupposing things, and is vastly unfair in his decisions.
When rereading I decided the best part is that with the horse and its boy, though I came to think, the worldview it's a bit too colonial and arrogant for my taste - RIGHT, you'll say Tolkien is a bit racist, too, for his evil guys are southeners and easterners, too, but it's also written that the war between men is despicable, where in the Cronicals the Calormen are vastly bad guys, and only one very noble is 'saved' from darkness. Disgusting message.
TLOTR transports christian morals, too, but hides them far better in the background. It's a book for elder children, more demanding in language and I've returned to it and the Hobbit for relecture rather often, and it still holds its fascination, it's the perfect quest-aventures. So far I've never gotten impatient about it, while the Chronicles had finally annoyed me re-reading them after many years.
But talking about trilogy - CS Lewis Perelandra, though visionary and true in its cultural predictions (germkillers, artificial plants, etc) really annoyed me, even offended me as a woman, and reading some of his sentences made me want to kick the authors soft parts very hard...
ok, true Arwen is reduced to boldly needling a banner, too, but there are really strong women in the Silmarilion and the Unfinished Tales, Tolkien at least recognized women for being capable of 'male' virtues, like holding their grounds in a battle-field, leading people and being fighters and queens strong in character and not easily swayed.
That much about don-literature, though I could go off about it for hours...
- because, when I got presented the lord of the rings it turned one of my favourite book.
Thinking about it, I imagine it's because the LOTR is less moralizing, when I reread CN recently, I had always the feeling there's too much 'morals' in it, between the lines it's suggested, how children 'should' be, should behave, should be raised. I even got annoyed as a child (because I was aware of attending one of the modern, experimental schools he described, and I very much liked them), and when I red the Chronicles last, I finally got really angry about Aslan, because he expects far too much, is presupposing things, and is vastly unfair in his decisions.
When rereading I decided the best part is that with the horse and its boy, though I came to think, the worldview it's a bit too colonial and arrogant for my taste - RIGHT, you'll say Tolkien is a bit racist, too, for his evil guys are southeners and easterners, too, but it's also written that the war between men is despicable, where in the Cronicals the Calormen are vastly bad guys, and only one very noble is 'saved' from darkness. Disgusting message.
TLOTR transports christian morals, too, but hides them far better in the background. It's a book for elder children, more demanding in language and I've returned to it and the Hobbit for relecture rather often, and it still holds its fascination, it's the perfect quest-aventures. So far I've never gotten impatient about it, while the Chronicles had finally annoyed me re-reading them after many years.
But talking about trilogy - CS Lewis Perelandra, though visionary and true in its cultural predictions (germkillers, artificial plants, etc) really annoyed me, even offended me as a woman, and reading some of his sentences made me want to kick the authors soft parts very hard...
ok, true Arwen is reduced to boldly needling a banner, too, but there are really strong women in the Silmarilion and the Unfinished Tales, Tolkien at least recognized women for being capable of 'male' virtues, like holding their grounds in a battle-field, leading people and being fighters and queens strong in character and not easily swayed.
That much about don-literature, though I could go off about it for hours...
Leonardo Noto
Member
Lotr
Begin a huge LOTR fan, I've got to cast my vote for JRR Tolkien's series. The Narnia series is a fun read too, but I can't say that I'm a fan of the movies. I can't wait until The Hobbit movies come out (I've heard that they're doing it in two parts, correct me if I'm wrong)!
Leonardo Noto
Begin a huge LOTR fan, I've got to cast my vote for JRR Tolkien's series. The Narnia series is a fun read too, but I can't say that I'm a fan of the movies. I can't wait until The Hobbit movies come out (I've heard that they're doing it in two parts, correct me if I'm wrong)!
Leonardo Noto
Both books are considered to be masters of fantasy books however, chronicles of narnia are often throught of as young adults books, in other words tales that are often told to teens with often more streight forward plots that are easier to follow then other books. Lord of the Rings is not often told to teens and is typically introduced once the reader gets to age twenty or so. So these books typically target different age groups. If you are going to compare fantasy books I would recommend that you compare books that are targeted at the same age group such as Lord of the Rings and Honor Harringtion.
beer good
Well-Known Member
Really? I always thought most Lord Of The Rings fans discovered the books when they were about 13? I know I did.
I think it was Terry Pratchett who said: "If you don't think The Lord Of The Rings is the greatest book in the world when you're 15, there's something wrong with you. If you still think The Lord Of The Rings is the greatest book in the world when you're 30, there's something wrong with you."
I think it was Terry Pratchett who said: "If you don't think The Lord Of The Rings is the greatest book in the world when you're 15, there's something wrong with you. If you still think The Lord Of The Rings is the greatest book in the world when you're 30, there's something wrong with you."
Penny Alley
New Member
Tolkien all the way
For me, it's JRR Tolkien all the way. My father had the books and would read them to us, every Saturday over a big bowl of popcorn, and woe be to she who stole the book from his nightstand and pilfered herself off to sit in a quiet closet and try to skip ahead of the rest.
When Jackson's movie version came out, everyone whipped out a copy of their books to re-read so we would have the original story fresh in our minds when we descended upon the theater enmasse. I never found his style difficult to follow (although I can see why some would say it is), but I also had one of those father's with whom you had to bring a dictionary to every conversation. And it is his voice that I tend to hear in my head (with all the story-telling inflections he used to use) when I read the books to this day, so that might actually have something to do with my love for the stories.
LOTR, the first book, is still wonderful but definitely caters to children. Tolkien knew that in order to get published, that's the market he'd have to write for. The fantasy genre was very much in its infancy and the authors of such were not considered by anyone to be 'real' writers. But once the first was out and the appetite of his readers was whetted, he fixed his sights on the adults and told the remaining stories the way he'd originally wanted. Sorry Terry Pratchett, I'm almost 40 and I still love the books. For me, it's his world building. It's layered and it's wonderful.
I have also read the Chronicles of Narnia, and although enjoyable, I only read the books cover-to-cover once and that was back when I was a kid. I have tried to go back as an adult, but could not reconcile myself to the 'preachy' feel of the storytelling. So, in short (too late, I know), I am a Tolkien's fan.
For me, it's JRR Tolkien all the way. My father had the books and would read them to us, every Saturday over a big bowl of popcorn, and woe be to she who stole the book from his nightstand and pilfered herself off to sit in a quiet closet and try to skip ahead of the rest.
When Jackson's movie version came out, everyone whipped out a copy of their books to re-read so we would have the original story fresh in our minds when we descended upon the theater enmasse. I never found his style difficult to follow (although I can see why some would say it is), but I also had one of those father's with whom you had to bring a dictionary to every conversation. And it is his voice that I tend to hear in my head (with all the story-telling inflections he used to use) when I read the books to this day, so that might actually have something to do with my love for the stories.
LOTR, the first book, is still wonderful but definitely caters to children. Tolkien knew that in order to get published, that's the market he'd have to write for. The fantasy genre was very much in its infancy and the authors of such were not considered by anyone to be 'real' writers. But once the first was out and the appetite of his readers was whetted, he fixed his sights on the adults and told the remaining stories the way he'd originally wanted. Sorry Terry Pratchett, I'm almost 40 and I still love the books. For me, it's his world building. It's layered and it's wonderful.
I have also read the Chronicles of Narnia, and although enjoyable, I only read the books cover-to-cover once and that was back when I was a kid. I have tried to go back as an adult, but could not reconcile myself to the 'preachy' feel of the storytelling. So, in short (too late, I know), I am a Tolkien's fan.
beer good
Well-Known Member
OK, 'fess up, who took this thread to the next level?
What are the top literary fistfights? | Books | guardian.co.uk
What are the top literary fistfights? | Books | guardian.co.uk
Lovecraftian
Active Member
Narnia. Not even close to me.