Christopher Tolkien on why he hates the Peter Jackson movies
The whole world may be in love with Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy (though less so with The Hobbit) – but Tolkien’s son and literary executor is not. Invited to meet Peter Jackson, the Tolkien family declined. ‘They eviscerated the book by making it an action movie for young people aged 15 to 25,’ Christopher told France’s Le Monde, in his first ever press interview . ‘And it seems that The Hobbit will be the same kind of film.’
Animals who look like Homeland characters
It’s Friday, so we’ve got some furry cuteness for you to feast your eyes on (via KIll Your Darlings). How can an animal look like Carrie Mathieson, Nicholas Brody or Saul Berenson? It seemed like a tall order for us, until we clapped eyes on this Buzzfeed Top Ten. The resemblances are spooky.
Is Orwell Overrated? Steven Poole says ‘yes’
George Orwell’s ‘Politics of the English Language’ is one of the most treasured and oft-quoted essays on writing and language over the past venture. But Steve Poole says it’s ‘probably the most wildly overrated of any of his writings’ and ‘much of it is the kind of nonsense screed against linguistic pet hates that anyone today might compose in a green-text email to the newspapers’.
Book piracy in Mumbai
While digital piracy is big news in the western world, piracy of printed books is unheard of. But in Mumbai, where foreign books are traditionally hard to find and expensive, it’s been a thriving business since the 1970s. ‘It is far easier to buy a pirated book than it is to find a bookstore or library.’
Get the body you always wanted - you’ll need a shovel
It’s that time of year for body image woes, calorie counting, dabbling in exercise regimes – and, of course, motivational articles about how to get the perfect body.
The Hairpin offers a terrific antidote to it all with their piece titled ‘Getting the Body You’ve Always Wanted’. ‘1. Wait until at least April, when the ground softens; 2. Dress warmly (think layers), bring a shovel and a lantern on a stick.’ You get the picture from there …