Now I don't think that's really such a problem. Sure, he doesn't go into great detail with battles, but the things he does describe are beautifully worded. And usually involve food. That's the sort of author I feel at home with.
"And immediately, mixed with a sizzling sound, there came to Shasta a simply delightful smell. It was one he had never smelled in his life before, but I hope you have. It was, in fact, the smell of bacon and eggs and mushrooms all frying in a pan.
... By the time Shasta had finished his porridge, the Dwarf's two brothers (whose names were Rogin and Bricklethumb) were putting the dish of bacon and eggs and mushrooms, and the coffeepot and the hot milk, and the toast, on the table.
It was all new and wonderful to Shasta for Calormene food is quite different. He didn't even know what the slices of brown stuff were, for he had never seen toast before. He didn't know what the yellow soft thing they smeared on the toast was, because in Calormen you nearly always get oil instead of butter..."Now, after reading that, and it does go on for a bit, I found myself very hungry. This morning, in celebration of not having to be at school early, or indeed of having to leave the house at all, I decided to make myself a very Lewisian breakfast.
That included fried eggs with bacon and mushrooms, British Muffins with butter, and a pot of hot tea.
It was absolutely delicious. I think I shall make it again someday soon. And maybe a bit of porridge to go with? (And not so many eggs if I'm the only one eating it!)
This looks AMAZINGLY delicious. Sayin' Tolkien would talk about grass for paragraphs is a bit of a stretch though. He is, in his own way, quite as succinct as Lewis; the main difference to me is Lewis writes more directly, as if he was speaking right to you (as exemplified in the passage you quoted), while Tolkien writes--aside from The Hobbit and some short stories--with a deliberately archaic tone. I don't think he really goes on about scenery all that much, and in fact is remarkably restrained in his descriptions, at least when compared to a lot of other fantasy (and even non-fantasy) authors . . . If you want a ridiculously verbose author, I'd like to toss Eddison's name into the ring ;)
ReplyDelete. . . Although I like Eddison too of course :)
And I hope I don't sound nitpicky, but it's just I like discussing L and T as you naturally know, heh. And people tend to make Tolkien's writings sound a lot more difficult and stylized than they really are, so I just felt like airing my opinion. And now I'm hungry because I'm looking at the photo again, and sad because in all the house I don't currently have a single mushroom, rasher of bacon, or British Muffin. I could manage fried eggs and toast and tea tomorrow, though . . .