The last Ringbearer

[Zavulon]

There is a popular cliche, that we, Russians are Orcs. The evil creatures, controlled by the dark will of a mighty sorcerer (or in the lighten form, that we are a crowd of the grim brainwashed goons, controlled by a crazy dictator).
This opinion is pretty nice and funny, but, obviously, it is far from how we see ourselves.
Anyway, other people and other peoples are the only mirror we have. After the fall of the Iron Curtain we looked in the Western mirror and tried to understand what we see in it.
The results of those thoughts were different. And I think, lately I'll write some reviews about Russian understanding of other fiction worlds (like WH40k, Terminator, DnD), but now, Ladies and Gentlemen, for your entertainment it's my pleasure to introduce to you the best Russian understanding of the Lord of the Ring setting - Kirill Eskov's "The last Ringbearer".

One of the most popular opinions among Russian fandom was that Tolkien's Orcs were more or less good guys and the Elves were definitely bad guys. It was described in many books, stories or bard songs. But it was Eskov, who created a whole world, based on the original Tolkien's story and wrote beautiful adventure and spy story.
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The Last Ringbearer (Russian: Последний кольценосец, romanized: Posledniy kol'tsenosets) is a 1999 fantasy fan-fiction book by the Russian paleontologist Kirill Yeskov. It is an alternative account of, and an informal sequel to, the events of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. It has been translated into English by Yisroel Markov, but the translation has not been printed for fear of copyright action by the Tolkien Estate.

Critics have stated that the book is well-known to Tolkien fans in Russia, and that it provides an alternate take on the story. Scholars have variously called it a parody and a paraquel. They have interpreted it as a critique of totalitarianism, or of Tolkien's anti-modern racial and environmental vision coupled with a destruction of technology which could itself be called totalitarian. The book contains sections of Russian history, and while it says little directly on real-world politics, it can be read as an ironic riposte to American exceptionalism. In 2001 the book earned the Strannik Literary Award in the "Sword in the Stone" (Fantasy) nomination.

Yeskov bases his novel on the premise that the Tolkien account is a "history written by the victors". Mordor is home to an "amazing city of alchemists and poets, mechanics and astronomers, philosophers and physicians, the heart of the only civilization in Middle-earth to bet on rational knowledge and bravely pitch its barely adolescent technology against ancient magic", posing a threat to the war-mongering faction represented by Gandalf (whose attitude is described by Saruman as "crafting the Final Solution to the Mordorian problem") and the Elves.

Macy Halford, in The New Yorker, writes that The Last Ringbearer retells The Lord of the Rings "from the perspective of the bad guys, written by a Russian paleontologist in the late nineties and wildly popular in Russia". The book was written in the context of other Russian reinterpretations of Tolkien's works, such as Natalia Vasilyeva and Natalia Nekrasova's The Black Book of Arda , which treats Melkor as good and the Valar and Eru Ilúvatar as tyrannical rulers.

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Enjoy the reading, friends, and don't forget to comment it.

The Last Ringbearer - Еськов Кирилл :: Режим чтения

royallib.com

 

[gtopa1]

No Zav; you are more like Hamas: calculating useful idiots controlled by a KGB piece of spit!! Hamas has an iranian middle-man so there's that!!

Greg

 

[Zavulon]

No Zav; you are more like Hamas: calculating useful idiots controlled by a KGB piece of spit!! Hamas has an iranian middle-man so there's that!!

Greg

As I said "a crowd of the brainwashed goons, controlled by the crazy dictator", isn't it?
I don't see myself as an idiot (useful or useless), and I am definitely not controlled by KGB, at least because nowadays KGB is only Belorussian organisation. There is FSB in Russian Federation and SBU in Ukraine. And I don't work for them either.

 

[frigidweirdo]

There is a popular cliche, that we, Russians are Orcs. The evil creatures, controlled by the dark will of a mighty sorcerer (or in the lighten form, that we are a crowd of the grim brainwashed goons, controlled by a crazy dictator).
This opinion is pretty nice and funny, but, obviously, it is far from how we see ourselves.
Anyway, other people and other peoples are the only mirror we have. After the fall of the Iron Curtain we looked in the Western mirror and tried to understand what we see in it.
The results of those thoughts were different. And I think, lately I'll write some reviews about Russian understanding of other fiction worlds (like WH40k, Terminator, DnD), but now, Ladies and Gentlemen, for your entertainment it's my pleasure to introduce to you the best Russian understanding of the Lord of the Ring setting - Kirill Eskov's "The last Ringbearer".

One of the most popular opinions among Russian fandom was that Tolkien's Orcs were more or less good guys and the Elves were definitely bad guys. It was described in many books, stories or bard songs. But it was Eskov, who created a whole world, based on the original Tolkien's story and wrote beautiful adventure and spy story.
-----------
The Last Ringbearer (Russian: Последний кольценосец, romanized: Posledniy kol'tsenosets) is a 1999 fantasy fan-fiction book by the Russian paleontologist Kirill Yeskov. It is an alternative account of, and an informal sequel to, the events of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. It has been translated into English by Yisroel Markov, but the translation has not been printed for fear of copyright action by the Tolkien Estate.

Critics have stated that the book is well-known to Tolkien fans in Russia, and that it provides an alternate take on the story. Scholars have variously called it a parody and a paraquel. They have interpreted it as a critique of totalitarianism, or of Tolkien's anti-modern racial and environmental vision coupled with a destruction of technology which could itself be called totalitarian. The book contains sections of Russian history, and while it says little directly on real-world politics, it can be read as an ironic riposte to American exceptionalism. In 2001 the book earned the Strannik Literary Award in the "Sword in the Stone" (Fantasy) nomination.

Yeskov bases his novel on the premise that the Tolkien account is a "history written by the victors". Mordor is home to an "amazing city of alchemists and poets, mechanics and astronomers, philosophers and physicians, the heart of the only civilization in Middle-earth to bet on rational knowledge and bravely pitch its barely adolescent technology against ancient magic", posing a threat to the war-mongering faction represented by Gandalf (whose attitude is described by Saruman as "crafting the Final Solution to the Mordorian problem") and the Elves.

Macy Halford, in The New Yorker, writes that The Last Ringbearer retells The Lord of the Rings "from the perspective of the bad guys, written by a Russian paleontologist in the late nineties and wildly popular in Russia". The book was written in the context of other Russian reinterpretations of Tolkien's works, such as Natalia Vasilyeva and Natalia Nekrasova's The Black Book of Arda , which treats Melkor as good and the Valar and Eru Ilúvatar as tyrannical rulers.

--------
Enjoy the reading, friends, and don't forget to comment it.

The Last Ringbearer - Еськов Кирилл :: Режим чтения

royallib.com

How is it you start all your posts basically begging people to attack you for being Russian?

 

[Zavulon]

How is it you start all your posts basically begging people to attack you for being Russian?

I simply believe that all sober members of the forum won't attack a person just for being Russian, Chinese, American or anybody else. The golden rule of a decent discussion is "Discuss ideas, not personalities".

 

[frigidweirdo]

I simply believe that all sober members of the forum won't attack a person just for being Russian, Chinese, American or anybody else. The golden rule of a decent discussion is "Discuss ideas, not personalities".

No, they won't. The "sober members". Not many of those.


However it's like you're trying to provoke people nonetheless.

 

[Mushroom]

It might surprise you, but I have actually read that book several times, and greatly enjoyed it. It is indeed an alternate take on the classic story, that turns much of the original narrative on it's ear as a form of "Anti-Orc Propaganda". And the "One Ring" itself was actually worthless, and only a Macguffin used to start a war of genocide.

The true evil are the elves, and the Maiar and Ainur are assisting them in this. And the humans are simply pawns and puppets, as the elves intend on taking them over as well. But find them useful enough to keep alive even as a subjugated race that does not even know it has been subjugated. A kind of "Orc Fellowship" forms, including a former Ring Wraith, and an unwilling orc medic who after the fall of Mordor try to set things right. Primarily by placing a palantir in the home of the elves and using a magical mirror to blast it from the other palantir.

It has been a couple of years since I have last read it, but that is the general gist. And at least it is better than that abomination that was the Soviet Lord of the Rings from 1991.



Of course, I am also a long time fan of Alternate History, so for me this fits almost perfectly into that love of mine. And I would recommend it to any fan of the originals. Of course, I would also recommend Harvard Lampoon's "Bored of the Rings" for similar reasons.

 

[Zavulon]

Of course, I would also recommend Harvard Lampoon's "Bored of the Rings" for similar reasons.

Just started to read it. Really amazing piece of work. Thank you very much for the recommendation.

 

[Zavulon]

One of the main ideas of the whole story, repeatedly expressed, including by the characters themselves, is that evil cannot create. It can only distort what was already created. And the legend of the origin of the dwarves confirms this - without the grace of the Creator, they would have remained golems. The Valar cannot create a living soul. They just can't, that's all. Morgoth - Vala. But Tolkien's orcs turned out to be very lively, with characters. Especially those whom Saruman brought out, half-humans (??? and what about their souls?). In general, there are two exits here. Or to say that the bodies of the orcs (Morgoth's design) embodied the lower spirits of those whom he seduced to follow him. Or that they don't have souls at all. Literally souless, biorobots. By the way, in both cases, orcish bodies can be originally distorted, corrupted by magic from the bodies of elves. Only the elven souls are no longer in them, only matter, which, left without the fire that fills it, the spirit, has become clay, the material for Morgoth. The only thing that REALLY contradicts Tolkien's mythology is the idea of elven souls trapped in the Orkish bodies. He has it because the inner content of the characters looks out, literally shines through.

 

[Zavulon]

It might surprise you, but I have actually read that book several times, and greatly enjoyed it. It is indeed an alternate take on the classic story, that turns much of the original narrative on it's ear as a form of "Anti-Orc Propaganda". And the "One Ring" itself was actually worthless, and only a Macguffin used to start a war of genocide.

The true evil are the elves, and the Maiar and Ainur are assisting them in this. And the humans are simply pawns and puppets, as the elves intend on taking them over as well. But find them useful enough to keep alive even as a subjugated race that does not even know it has been subjugated. A kind of "Orc Fellowship" forms, including a former Ring Wraith, and an unwilling orc medic who after the fall of Mordor try to set things right. Primarily by placing a palantir in the home of the elves and using a magical mirror to blast it from the other palantir.

It has been a couple of years since I have last read it, but that is the general gist. And at least it is better than that abomination that was the Soviet Lord of the Rings from 1991.



Of course, I am also a long time fan of Alternate History, so for me this fits almost perfectly into that love of mine. And I would recommend it to any fan of the originals. Of course, I would also recommend Harvard Lampoon's "Bored of the Rings" for similar reasons.

Yes, I'm a bit surprised. I know, there are plenty of well-educated and wide-minded Americans. (I mean, a crowd of uneducated imbeciles would not be able to create such a great culture, and definitely, not the whole American culture was created by fresh immigrants.) But after reading your other messages in other threads it seems to me, that you don't love Russia. (Its OK, I know it's quite difficult, especially for a foreigner, to love Russia). You don't love Russia, but you do love Mordor, don't you? Why? What's your education and occupation, if it's not too personal question?

 

[Mushroom]

But after reading your other messages in other threads it seems to me, that you don't love Russia.

And once again, you are letting your own prejudices and bias project things onto others.

I have no idea what gave you any idea I might hate Russia. But I have seen you do that a lot, you seem to constantly project your prejudices in almost every post.

 

[Zavulon]

And once again, you are letting your own prejudices and bias project things onto others.

I have no idea what gave you any idea I might hate Russia. But I have seen you do that a lot, you seem to constantly project your prejudices in almost every post.

Sorry, no offense. Just asked. Don't answer if you don't want to. And yes, we all have our own prejudices.

 

[Mushroom]

And yes, we all have our own prejudices.

True, but most of us do not wave them in the faces of others by projecting them onto others either.

 

[luiza]

No, they won't. The "sober members". Not many of those.


However it's like you're trying to provoke people nonetheless.

Idiots provoke themselves .
It is a symptom of Idiocy

 

[Zavulon]

True, but most of us do not wave them in the faces of others by projecting them onto others either.

Sorry. No offense.

 

[Mushroom]

Sorry. No offense.

I am not offended, but you do constantly project beliefs and opinions onto others. And that is always a failure, and more telling of yourself than anything else. As is stereotyping, something else you do a lot.

 

[Zavulon]

I am not offended, but you do constantly project beliefs and opinions onto others. And that is always a failure, and more telling of yourself than anything else. As is stereotyping, something else you do a lot.

Yes. Stereotyping and/or generalisation are quite useful intellectual tools for saving intellectual energy. One don't need to understand a whole human being, labeling it works quite well.
And in most situations it's enough (as with our dear friends Litwin and ESay). But sometimes not. I do understand my humble understanding capabilities and I beg your pardon for all inconvenience which my rude attempts to study different sides of American culture could cause.

 

[Litwin]

Yes. Stereotyping and/or generalisation are quite useful intellectual tools for saving intellectual energy. One don't need to understand a whole human being, labeling it works quite well.
And in most situations it's enough (as with our dear friends Litwin and ESay). But sometimes not. I do understand my humble understanding capabilities and I beg your pardon for all inconvenience which my rude attempts to study different sides of American culture could cause.

only a pedo´d read the rapists RT "philosophy"

 

[Litwin]

There is a popular cliche, that we, Russians are Orcs.

YOU ARE ALL ARE ORCS , FROM Solzhenitsyn to Dugin, you are all the same ....

 

[Zavulon]

only a pedo´d read the rapists RT "philosophy"


View attachment 945878

Yes. Thank you, Litwin. This is exactly what I wanted to demonstrate.