Today in the Hollywood Reporter, Lego revealed that they will be showing off The Hobbit sets at their Comic-Con booth and teased the above image. From left to right (in case you don’t know): Gandalf, Dwalin, Bombur, Bofur, Bilbo, and Balin. Click on it for a higher-res pic and bask in its glory.
Coming out of E3 we have the first trailer for the Lego Lord of the Rings videogame! Looks epic! And I guess the talking Lego Minifigs are here to stay!
So, I finished reading Lord of the Flies the other day. A few days before that I finished Othello. Like many other students, I’ve been required to read these and many other books and short stories as part of my schooling. Lately though, I’ve been pondering why anyone would what to read these sad, depressing books.
Now hear me out. I’m not saying they aren’t “good”, I’m just saying that they are sad and depressing – and don’t humans have to deal with enough depressing things in their own lives? They get you to care deeply about certain characters only for them to be gruesomely killed off. We all go through deaths of family, friends, mentors, and public figures throughout our lives. Why would one want to go through the deaths of characters in movies, books, and other forms of fiction? How does that make something worth reading/watching?
I get that they make you feel intense “emotions” and all that, but why would you want to feel “emotions” that cause you stress, sadness, depression, etc.? Shouldn’t books be used as an escape to a reality where your dreams come true instead of a reality that you wish never to be part of?
I read a lot of books. Some of my favorite books include The Kingdom Keepers, The Mysterious Benedict Society, and The Twenty-One Balloons (of course, a lot of my other favorite books (the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, etc) have freakier elements, but I’m making a point, so just keep reading and bear with me). Now, these books are branded *kids books* because they don’t feature any extreme violence. The same with music, film, or any media. If it is appropriate for all ages, it is marked as *kids* and avoided by a lot of older readers. Why must writers incorporate extreme violence or inappropriate content if they wish there works to be noticed by older audiences?
Is it just because that when we get older we are expected to partake and enjoy darker activities? Are we supposed to suddenly want to watch horror films and read books where death is the main plot point? Is this really what we want to read or are we just taught that this is what we are supposed to want?
Now I could just be seeing everything from my vantage point in a rainbow-filled world of joy and happiness, but I want to hear what you think. Why read depressing books?
They are finally here (and by finally I mean a half a month early. My wallet is not prepared)! The first 7 sets in the Lego Lord of the Rings line are now available on Lego.com (and at Target and, if you are silly enough to pay mark up prices, at Toy’s R Us)! I put them in my cart for fun and they total at a wonderfully whopping $400. I have no idea how I will come by that kinda cash, let alone survive the following geek out of playing with a little Lego version of Legolas… Anyways, here are links to the sets on Lego’s site.
9469 Gandalf Arrives: 83 pieces and $13. Includes Gandalf (exclusive to the set), Frodo Baggins (in exclusive clothes), and one of the new, special, posable horsies.
9470 Shelob Attacks: 227 pieces and $20. Includes Frodo, Samwise Gamgee (exclusive to the set), the One Ring, and Gollum (exclusive to the set).
9471 Uruk-hai Army: 257 pieces and $30. Includes Eomer (exclusive to the set), Rohirrim archer (exclusive to the set), four Uruk-hai, and a new horse.
9476 The Orc Forge: 363 and $40. This set is a Target/Lego exclusive and includes Lurtz (exclusive to this set), two Mordor orcs, and a Uruk-hai.
9472 Attack on Weathertop: 430 pieces and $60. Includes Aragorn, Frodo, Meriadoc Brandybuck (exclusive to this set), two Ringwraiths (exclusive to this set), the One Ring, and one of the new horses in black.
9473 The Mines of Moria: 776 pieces and $80. Includes Legolas (exclusive to this set), Gimli, Boromir (exclusive to this set), Peregrin Took (exclusive to this set), two Mordor orcs, and a cave troll (exclusive to this set).
9474 The Battle of Helm’s Deep: 1,368 pieces and $130. Includes Aragorn, Gimli, Haldir (exclusive to this set), King Théoden (exclusive to this set), and four Uruk-hai.
Also, if you plan on buying any of these before the end of the month, Lego will include the above Frodo poster. AND, if your total is over $50, you will also enjoy the exclusive wonder of this Hulk minifigure!
What are you waiting for? A birthday or holiday or something? Go breakout your piggy banks and shop till you drop!
So, I finished reading Lord of the Flies the other day. A few days before that I finished Othello. Like many other students, I’ve been required to read these and many other books and short stories as part of my schooling. Lately though, I’ve been pondering why anyone would what to read these sad, depressing books.
I get that they make you feel intense “emotions” and all that, but why would you want to feel “emotions” that cause you stress, sadness, depression, etc.? Shouldn’t books be used as an escape to a reality where your dreams come true instead of a reality that you wish never to be part of?
rumphy 