Lord of the Rings is undoubtedly THE reference in terms of heroic fantasy. Even if Game of Thrones is not far behind. Recently George RR Martin, the author of Game of Thronescommented on Tolkien’s work. He notably pointed out an element of the story that he does not like at all.
Lord of the Rings VS Game of Thrones
From the 1910s, J.R.R. Tolkienphilosopher and professor at Oxford, imagines a totally crazy story in the world of heroic fantasy. He imagines an entire magical and inhospitable universe, as well as several languages, including Elvish, to create an iconic story which takes place in Middle Earth. After the Silmarillion et The HobbitTolkien tackles the trilogy Lord of the Rings at the beginning of the years 1930. A true monument of modern literature, he undertook this totally crazy journey from 1937 to 1949. Published between 1954 et 1955the three volumes of Lord of the Rings have become a absolute reference of pop cultureaided by the iconic adaptations of Peter Jackson in the early 2000s.
At the beginning of the 1990s, another author revolutionized the world of heroic fantasy. We are obviously talking about George R.R. Martinthe author of Game of Thrones. He too imagines a universe populated by dragons and warriors who will leave a lasting impression on the minds of readers. His universe gained further popularity in the early 2010s when HBO decides to adapt George RR Martin’s novels into a series.
George RR Martin’s review
George R.R. Martin has never hidden his respect for the work of Tolkien, which was obviously a source of inspiration for him. However, there is one element of the story that he does not appreciate very much. Indeed, the American author widely disputes the resurrection of Gandalf. Remember, in the first volume of Lord of the RingsGandalf sacrifices himself to save the Fellowship of the Ring from the claws of the terrible Balrog. A sequence magnified in Peter Jackson’s film with Ian McKellen’s iconic line: “You will not pass!” “.
Except that Gandalf then returns in the second volume of Lord of the Rings in the form of Gandalf the white. A return to The Two Towers which does not please George RR Martin, accustomed to killing his characters without an ounce of empathy. According to him, Gandalf should have stayed dead!
In a recent intervention in the podcast The Bullseye Podcastthe author of Game of Thrones returned to the resurrection of Gandalf:
Although I admire Tolkien, I always felt that Gandalf should have stayed dead. It was an incredible sequence in the Fellowship of the Ring when he faces the Balrog on the Khazad-dûm and he falls into the void. And then his last words, “flee, you fools” still resonate within me. And then he comes back as Gandalf the White, as if he had upgraded. I never liked Gandalf as much as I did as Gandalf the Grey, and I never appreciated his return. I think it would have been an even stronger story if Tolkien had left him dead.
The rare times Martin resurrects characters is to make darker versions of them. He therefore regrets that Gandalf has returned in an improved form. A fairly interesting analysis, but which is undoubtedly not shared by the fans, who, overall, love Gandalf the White. And you, what do you think of Gandalf’s return in Lord of the Rings ?
