Lord of the Reads

I finished listening to the unabridged audiobook of Lord of the Rings yesterday, which I'd been listening to on my iPod when I walked to and from work. It's the 1990 recording in which British actor Rob Inglis reads the text. He took some warming up to but mostly I think he's terrific. He sounds near enough to JRR Tolkien himself that, when I started listening before I knew who it was, I wondered if he was Christopher Tolkien.

Inglis does a surprisingly good job coming up with melodies for some of Tolkien's songs, too.

He's also good at coming up with different voices to distinguish among characters. His voices for the orcs were so much like those in the Peter Jackson movies I wondered if he was an influence.

I don't have any new insight into Lord of the Rings I want to share except to say it is a perfect book to listen to on long, compulsory journeys on foot.

Here's a poem of my own:

X Sonnet 1952

Horizon dots resolve to penguin ranks.
How strange to be bereft in snowy parts.
The ducks could muster guns and icy tanks.
But souls of land must hide their thoughtful hearts.
Away, advised the Beatle, love must hide.
Amidst the freezing space, remain detached.
For every sign and post behind you lied.
And no bernard with brandy's yet dispatched.
And yet a hope arises swift from Thor.
For lightning gods would not abandon clouds.
So waiting eyes would watch the busy shore.
And pierce the falsely lost and milling crowd.
So hold the line and sharpen shining spear.
An angel now is holding Satan's beer.