What books can give me the same sense of nostalgia, regret and

>>8515983

- Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Though it is very oriented around war and less around travelling listlessly like in Fellowship of the Ring.

- possibly Don Quixote

Most fantasy writers are poor readers of Tolkien and don't understand why so many people react with incredibly melancholy while reading Fellowship. I wouldn't trust any modern Fantasy to grab you the same way. Read the classics, especially East Asian material. Tolkien's European influences aren't very emotional to the modern reader, except perhaps Beowulf.

>>8515983
Growth of the soil gave me that feeling, but in a different way than LotR

>>8515983
If you're not opposed to short stories some of Lord Dunsany's works have a similar feel imo, and are very atmospheric I guess is the word.
Carcassonne is a good one to start with maybe.

bämpoo

File: 1460831653470.jpg (94KB, 601x508px) Image search: [Google]

94KB, 601x508px

>>8515983
IRL

>>8516017
RotTK is beautiful with a good bit of action and intrigue

Book of the new sun by Gene Wolfe has been the only series to affect me the same way as lotr and silmarillion.

>>8515983
Gormenghast had all that stuff and I loved the Silmarillion too

>>8517136
I'm about 1/2 through (up to the new college professor).
It just feels so dry.

>>8516017
>>8517030
What about Water Margin is it similar?

>>8515983
You read the Hobbit yet?

>>8515983
Ishiguro -- try Remains of the Day and Artist of the Floating World.

>>8516017

Not being facetious in my asking this, but what do you consider a poor reading of Tolkien vs. a proper reading?

I've never really done a close/critical reading of TLotR. I know there's plenty to examine though.

File: 38eb8a87ebff42c9777480eb7514e095.jpg (56KB, 500x667px) Image search: [Google]

56KB, 500x667px

>>8516988
Nothing cries out "past glory being forgotten and ignored" as 21st century pop-culture.

>>8515983
>Jack Vance
Lyonesse
Dying earth
>Moorcock
Elric
Gloriana
>Poul Anderson
The broken sword

>>8517247
It's like wading through honey I can't get over it. Prunesquallor is possibly my favorite character in all literature

>>8517910

Average fanboy reading:

"I feel sad that it's over :("
"wow there are five wizards? what happened to the blue ones?"
"man I love elves"
"What happened to the Balrogs?"
"this is an interesting magic system"
"wow this prose is very archaic and therefore good"

A reading that works for scholars but not for aspiring writers:

"look at these languages!"
"this is an allegory for..."
"this is some cool mythology"
"this part is derived from this Anglo-Saxon poem..."

Really, just avoid these angles and you'll get more out of it (if you're an aspiring writer) than 99% of readers. It's less about what's a "good" examination and more of avoiding the pitfalls that'll doom you to a bad or mediocre reading.

>>8517910
Not him, but I don't think it necessarily requires a close reading; the point is a lot of people mistakenly identify LotR with the high fantasy warriors and wizards type of story, when Tolkien's focus is more historical and melancholy. The "great heroes in battle against evil" is something in the distant past by the time of LotR, and it's an idea that a lot of characters (Gandalf especially) find they actually have to resist because that environment is how the ring was used which got them in that shitty situation to begin with.