←back to thread

The Wisconsin cartographer who mapped Tolkien's fantasy world

(www.wpr.org)
233 points bookofjoe | 1 comments | 11 Apr 25 17:26 UTC | HN request time: 0.285s | source
Show context
jfengel ◴[14 Apr 25 19:25 UTC] No.43685180[source]▶
Atlas of Middle-earth is a truly monumental feat.

I think the article writer misses how much of it is really about The Silmarillion, rather than about Lord of the Rings. Tolkien put a lot of work into First Age geography, an entire (interminable, excruciating) chapter of The Silmarillion. Very little of it would be familiar to viewers of the films, and a lot of it opaque even to readers just of LotR.

replies(4): >>43685956 #>>43687123 #>>43687727 #>>43688140 #
rimunroe ◴[14 Apr 25 20:28 UTC] No.43685956[source]▶
> an entire (interminable, excruciating) chapter of The Silmarillion

I’ve read The Silmarillion easily more than 20 times and I swear Of Beleriand and its Realms gets longer every time I read it.

replies(1): >>43686523 #
jfengel ◴[14 Apr 25 21:29 UTC] No.43686523[source]▶
I just wish it had been relegated to an appendix. A lot of people drop Silmarillion there, but you can just skip it and get on to much better material.

It could be replaced on first read with a decent map. Or even a mediocre map. Or nothing; you just don't need it.

replies(3): >>43686759 #>>43687063 #>>43689099 #
1. thaumasiotes ◴[14 Apr 25 21:57 UTC] No.43686759[source]▶
> I just wish it had been relegated to an appendix.

It was; it wasn't even published.