not a list-maker but i can try.

[dragonlady7]

So.
Now that I'm done with laundry and cooking, and am sitting with heavily-gooed hands, and am trying to write, nothing's really coming.
So.
Made a new icon, of the line I wanted Theoden to say that Saruman took instead.
Was thinkin'.
Might make me a top-ten-style list of all the kickass lines from the book that didn't make the Lord of the Rings movies. I know they didn't, that's fine, and there were most likely reasons they didn't. But, lines I wanted to hear. And lines the movieverse fans may eternally miss out on.

Anyone else have any favorite moments that either didn't make the cut, or got so mangled in making the cut that what you loved about them didn't come through? I'd love to hear your favorite bookverse quotes. Conversely, if anyone wanted to comment with their favorite movieverse moment, especially if it's straight from the book, I'd love to hear that. I had my share of triumphant squeeing to see a great moment come to life exactly as I'd imagined.

This isn't a critique of the movies, or me saying I'm a more thorough fan than anyone else. If you read them, they're hardly a representative sampling of the books. They're just a few of my favorite moments. I think it will be easy to tell which parts of the books I read most often.



These aren't even remotely chronological either. Just in the order that I found them as I flipped through the pages of bookmarks.

Lines:

So much for the House of Eorl. A lesser son of greater sires am I, but I do not need to lick your fingers.

p. 566, Théoden to Saruman.

So many strange things have chanced that to learn the praise of a fair lady under the loving strokes of a Dwarf's axe will seem no great wonder.

p. 429, Éomer to Gimli

Gil-galad was an Elven king.
Of him the harpers sadly sing:
the last whose realm was fair and free
between the Mountains and the sea.

Sam, to the others, near Weathertop.

'You will never get it back. But the desire of it may betray you to a bitter end. You will never get it back. In the last need, Sméagol, I should put on the Precious; and the Precious mastered you long ago. If I, wearing it, were to command you, you would obey, even if it were to leap from a precipice or to cast yourself into the fire. And such would be my command. So have a care, Sméagol!'

p. 626, Frodo, to Gollum, near the Morannon.

Mourn not overmuch! Mighty was the fallen
meet was his ending. When his mound is raised
women then shall weep. War now calls us!

Éomer to the knights of the king's house, upon Théoden's death. ("Yet he himself wept as he spoke.") p. 825.

And yet, Éomer, I say to you that she loves you more truly than me; for you she loves and knows; but in me she loves only a shadow and a thought: a hope of glory and great deeds, and lands far from the fields of Rohan.

Aragorn to Éomer, p. 849, in the Houses of Healing.


Moments:

'Yet we cannot stay here beyond the walls to defend them,' said Éomer. 'Look!' He pointed to the causeway. Already a great press of Orcs and Men were gathering beyond the stream. Arrows whined, and skipped on the stones about them. 'Come! We must get back and see what we can do to pile stone and beam across the gates within. Come now!'
They turned and ran. At that moment some dozen Orcs that had lain motionless among the slain leaped to their feet, and came silently and swiftly behind. Two flung themselves to the ground at Éomer's heels, tripped him, and in a moment they were on top of him. But a small dark figure that none had observed sprang out of the shadows and gave a hoarse shout: Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu! An axe swung and swept back. Two Orcs fell headless. The rest fled.
Éomer struggled to his feet, even as Aragorn ran back to his aid.

p. 522, The Battle of Helm's Deep


Someone asked me why Elrond didn't just shove Isildur into Orodruin. The book has an answer for that:

'Isildur took it, as should not have been. It should have been cast then into Orodruin's fire night at hand where it was made. But few marked what Isildur did. He alone stood by his father in that last mortal contest...'

p. 237, Elrond to the Council

And he looked at the slain, recalling their names. Then suddenly he beheld his sister Éowyn as she lay, and he knew her. He stood a moment as a man who is pierced in the midst of a cry by an arrow through the heart; and then his face went deathly white, and a cold fury rose in him, so that all speech failed him for a while. A fey mood took him.
"Éowyn, Éowyn!" he cried at last. "Éowyn, how come you here? What madness or devilry is this? Death, death, death! Death take us all!"
Then without taking counsel or waiting for the approach of the men of the City, he spurred headlong back to the front of the great host, and blew a horn, and cried aloud for the onset. Over the field rang his clear voice calling: "Death! Ride, ride to ruin and the world's ending!"
And with that the host began to move. But the Rohirrim sang no more. Death they cried with one voice loud and terrible, and gathering speed like a great tide their battle swept about their fallen king and passed, roaring away southward.

p. 825-26: Éomer becomes King of the Rohirrim on the Pelennor Field.

And in that very moment, away behind in some courtyard of the City, a cock crowed. Shrill and clear he crowed, recking nothing of wizardry or war, welcoming only the morning that in the sky far above the shadows of death was coming with the dawn.
And as if in answer there came from far away another note. Horns, horns, horns. In dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the North wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last.

p. 811, Gandalf confronts the Witch-King as Pippin comes to summon him to save Faramir

Then the prince seeing her beauty, though her face was pale and cold, touched her hand as he bent to look more closely on her. 'Men of Rohan!' he cried. 'Are there no leeches among you? She is hurt, to the death maybe, but I deem that she yet lives.' And he held the bright-burnished vambrace that was upon his arm before her cold lips, and behold! a little mist was laid on it hardly to be seen.

p. 827, Imrahil to Éowyn as he rides out to the Pelennnor

These staves he spoke, yet he laughed as he said them. For once more lust of battle was on him; and he was still unscathed, and he was young, and he was king: the lord of a fell people. And lo! even as he laughed at despair he looked out again on the black ships, and he lifted up his sword to defy them.
And then wonder took him, and a great joy; and he cast his sword up in the sunlight and sang as he caught it. And all eyes followed his gaze, and behold! upon the foremost ship a great standard broke, and the wind displayed it as she turned towards the Harlond.

p. 829, Éomer sees that the Corsair ships have been captured by Aragorn

But as he did so Faramir moaned and called on his father in his dream.
Denethor started as one waking from a trance, and the flame died in his eyes, and he wept; and he said: "Do not take my son from me! He calls for me."

p. 834, Denethor as Gandalf seizes Faramir and bears him away from the pyre that has been prepared.

Comments

[amyjessica.livejournal.com]

Personally, I would have loved to hear Galadriel's speech - "maybe thou shalt find Valimar" - and also the messages to the three hunters when they meet Gandalf in Fangorn.

Legolas and the cry of the gulls would have been a good scene, too, and maybe would have given him a little more dimension, knowing what he was sacrificing to stay with his friends. The book version of Legolas was such a wonderful character, but they certainly managed to butcher it on film.

And if they could bring Haldir back to life, that'd be great. No elves at Helm's Deep...not even as a plot device. Bad PJ, no cookie. =D

[dragonlady7.livejournal.com]

Ohh yes, some of the things Galadriel says are so much more interesting than her "Skeletor" speech in FotR. I am still somewhat undecided on that scene. I mean, making it so dramatic certainly garnered attention. She is a fascinating character because she is beautiful and terrible, and doesn't fit into any of the typical fantasy-female roles, because she is so complex. They didn't really get her wonderful wistful-fading quality across, where she knows what will be lost. But I did like that they put the light of Valinor into her eyes with Christmas lights...


Helm's Deep movieverse makes me so mad I could spit. They sacrificed so many good bookverse moments just to have... what? Short jokes and gay Elves!! UGH!
But I'm not ranting.


When i was young and first read the books, Legolas was my favoritest favorite character. Bloom was picturesque, but they took all of his lovely-weird Elven alienness and detachment and made him into a wooden Captain Obvious. Which is a shame. You're right: giving him the gulls instead of his puppy-dog "is boromir dead?" face would have been great to see.

[amyjessica.livejournal.com]

Rant all you like, I'll be behind you carrying the banner.

I always pictured Haldir as a much...earthier...character. You know? A little rough around the edges, maybe, but with that same elven otherworldliness that you described. I did not expect the snobby, holier-than-thou twinkie that he became a la movieverse. V. disappointing.

The other stupid thing is that I don't think Orlando Bloom is really a bad actor, they just gave him absolute shite to work with. Four-word sentences do not a fantastic actor make, no matter how much actual talent he may or may not have. I get that Legolas was not a wordy character, in fact rather reticent, but puh-lease. It's a good thing he's pretty or that whole role would have bombed.