2020 Significant?

@RainontheMoon Ah, well, it seems we have different perspectives on how we see the world.
I'm a writer. I understand Tolkien on the level of language, archetypal myth and symbolism.

But I do not see a Mordor in this world, nor a magical ring of evil that can only be destroyed by the molten magma of the Earth, nor hobbits, magicians, orcs, ents, elves, dwarves (of the mythic variety), and certainly no such thing as magic.

We have a renewed nuclear arms race, plural cold wars escalating, terrorism, worldwide pollution in all environments, global warming, mass extinctions of wildlife, a pandemic, populations in some places suffering permanent and chronic starvation, the rich getting much richer (especially the monopolies and multinationals), and in all countries dire increases in levels of poverty and the numbers affected. But none of these is anything like the scenarios in Tolkien.

So I find your post interesting precisely because I don't understand it.

I am trying to invite you to have a conversation, to share with me, so that I can understand your point of view.

If you choose not to, then I accept that that is your right.

@hartfire No, there is no Mordor or magical ring of evil or hobbits ect.
I was simply reading the book and this year's pandemic suddenly came to mind because of the phrasing. I do see a world in peril with people in grief world wide through loss of loved ones but still holding together through love of family. And of course the many other things you have mentioned going on in the world but I was in no way comparing the scenarios in Tolkien. It was simply just a thought and nothing dramatic.

@RainontheMoon Understood. Thanks for sharing that.
The book really is amazing in its scope, and very well written.
And I believe it is in the nature of life and fallibility that there will always, alas, be suffering in the world.
Only its details fluctuate.

@DrWatson I have always preferred to read the book before I consider watch the film. I can freely imagine all the characters but they usually offer more detail to the story as movies are like shortened verisons because directors have to fit a 400-500 page book into a 1hr 30mins film and to do this they usually cut whole chapters and many things mentioned in the book go missing.

@RainontheMoon I watched the first few minutes of the first movie, realized it had a very different feel to it than the book, and I stopped watching. I prefer the way I imagined it.

@User41 You missed out on having Covid 19 then?

Covid rates very low in the grand scheme of things. For me personally I mean.

Plus I’m uncomfortable in crowds. I’ve been social distancing since I was a kid.

@RainontheMoon

@DukeOfEarle 👍