"Intellectual and well-informed hobbit"
25 July 2007, 7:40 pm. View comments. Filed under Literature, School.
I am absolutely hopeless. As a follow-up from the major trip I had before which gave me two serious bruises, I had another bad trip and now I have four huge bruises on my legs. It's reasonably funny now from retrospective view. But it hurt like mad right after I fell and my right leg was wobbly-wobbly all day.
Anyhow, at the start of my Economics lecture today in school, we were given a feedback form to ask about what we think of the lecture and the lecturer. This lecturer is great. He made boring economics lectures fun and engaging with his sense of humour and most, if not all, students love his classes. But the funniest of today's lecture was not something he said, but a particular feedback comment my friend's friend had written:
Which parts about the teacher's lecturing are good?
He reminds me of a very intellectual and well-informed Hobbit. I happen to like Hobbits. They are playful creatures. Mr G. J. is a playful Hobbit, but he seems like he may be a bit [far] away from the Shire. I think we should put him in a cage and send him back to the Shire after this Economics 111 semester. But other than being a Hobbit, he's super awesome!What suggestions do you have for improvement?
Bring Gandalf to class.
So it was a bit of fun for the first 15 minutes or so laughing over the feedback comment in economics. I "remembered" the comment word-by-word because I flipped out my cellphone camera and took a few shots, claiming to throw this into my blog. My friend said I have no life. Maybe I really don't. If I was the lecturer I would hold on to this feedback sheet and match its handwriting to an exam paper I would receive a few more weeks down the track.
That gave us a good crack-up but um... "Racist" against hobbits? Personally, I think any book that manages to rouse major international attention is successful writing, whether it be actual great writing or not. J.R.R. Tolkien is a genius for being able to construct such a complete and persuasive fictional world. I think he also wrote 12 books just on the history of Middle Earth. My sister and I have discussed about the high possibility of him being an alien from another world which he based Middle Earth on.
Another top fiction? I'm thinking of Harry Potter. I heard that USA managed to sold 5000 of the newest Harry Potter book in the first minute they were officially released in bookstores. Apparently, that's the best book-selling record so far in the US. From this point of view, it's a successful book. Over-obsession may be a bit too over-the-top for my liking, but there's no reason to hate it so much either just because there's a large number of fans all over the world. My dad calls the book childish, but everywhere I walk on campus, someone would be holding the last Harry Potter book. I wonder what J. K. Rowling might be up to now. Counting cash or writing another magical series?
23 Comments »
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Harry Potter is sold widely because everyone, but some, were anxiously waiting for its release so it's pretty obvious why it's a major success.
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I laugh at that comment. It's quite a compliment to the teacher. I don't think that it's being racist at all, but it's comparing him to a playful "species" that everyone loves. And we all know that "Bring Gandalf to Class" means that there's nothing that he can do to improve.
Personally, I loved both Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings. They're probably not the best literature out there, but they're entertaining and refreshing. And I never thought that Harry Potter was childish. Of course, I grew up reading the series and anxiously waiting for the books to come out one by one, but the last three or four are anything but childish. -
That sounds like a really good teacher. But that comment about him was funny. I sat here laughing for a few minutes over it. I wish I had a teacher that could have made economics that interesting.
As for Harry Potter, it is supposedly the last one. I don't know if I believe that she is through with writing them or not. Yes, I bought and read it. But I was not one of the crazy ones. I didn't get mine until 6pm the day after it was released. I can not agree that the last three or four books were not for children. I would not let my children (if I had any) read them. Way to dark and scary, and to hard to understand for some children. -
@Sean: The reason why this book was a success before it came out was because the earlier books were successful too. So when you look at it as a whole series, Harry Potter was a success.
@Stephanie: Lol the racist comment was a joke. I wouldn't be angry if I received such a feedback but I would still like to hold on to the handwriting and identify the writer.
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Your friend's note was hilarious. And I agree completely that Tolkien was awesome and may have been an alien but I'd rather like to think that what he wrote was real events that have happened on earth (Just that humans are oblivious to these or maybe history was erased and the rest of the remaining human race was brainwashed)
Haven't read the newest book of Harry Potter but that's only because I can't bear to part with $53 to get the book and I don't want to read an ebook version of it. I like Harry Potter though. And I think JR Rowling's probably laughing her way to the bank, she wouldn't need to write another word for another ten billion years. -
Tolkien started writing when he was in high school (or at least that's as far back as his notes go, but I'm sure he had the story in his mind before). He wrote most of the histories of middle earth and The Silmarillion before he even wrote LOTR. His wife actually contributed a great deal to the stories if I understand correctly. I believe she helped with a lot of the histories of middle earth. And by help I don't mean she made him beef stew on a cold, wintery, stormy night. I mean she actually physically wrote some of the stories. The Lord of the Rings is a TINY subplot of a much larger story. Granted, it is the most exciting sub story, but in the grand picture of things, it's very minuscule. I really recommend reading his other books and then going back and reading LOTR. There will be things in the story that you will appreciate more and give you more enjoyment if you know the history of Middle Earth first.
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Ha, I love feedback forms for lectures (etc) - I put really random comments, but which do hold truth to them! It defeats the point of being anonymous, because it's quite obviously me, but I don't care!
Not read my copy of the new Harry Potter book yet. I'm in no rush
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Haha, I enjoyed that comment written by your friend's friend. I wish I had an imagination like that. It would really help me out in my english classes.
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Yeah...Harry Potter obsession can't be good for the soul... I mean, every entry that I've seen after the release in LJ has been either someone trying to spoil, was spoiled and pissed off, or already pissed off about being spoiled before they are (wtf?). :/
I personally don't go around trying to spoil myself...though I'm quite sure I will be at some point in life.
I've gotta go mooch that book out of someone. :O -
Come on, Frodo was cute in that movie!
Tolkien and Rowling? Well, Middle Earth's been here for decades and is still a pretty popular literary topic. Whether or not Harry Potter is a current hype or something that lasts time, we'll see... -
J.K Rowling must be drowning in Money..lol
I used to love Harry Potter but then lost interest and now I feel like I'm missing something! -
Wow, I've never written much for those feedback forms. I think they type them up though, or at least they do here.
Is your professor a dwarf or something? What's with the Hobbit comparison? -
thanks for the comment! the ear infection really sucks. so far the medicine isnt working..i hope it doesnt turn out to be a long term thing..its lame. like your site
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lol. that is hillarious! a hobbit.
I love it. I might have to be a little more creative on those things this semester. 
I love the HB books, I'm not an over obsesed fan...i just have every book and movie. It's not like I got all dressed up to get the book from the store right when it came out.
But I think J.K. Rowling should write another series. I wish she would write one more HP book. But she has said that she is stoping at 7. But another series would be great. I love her writing. -
Your friend's feedback is awesome hilarious. Indeed, having Gandalf to lectures will improve them a great deal. LOL
But I remember a time in my life where I was TOTALLY obsessed with the Tolkien universe. The History of Middle Earth and Silmarillion were like a bible to me. Now I've mellowed off, thankfully.
Meh, Harry Potter's success is based on the whole hype around it; not on the books itself. But it made Rowling rich, so I guess it's all good. -
Ow those bruises sound painful.
Lol your friend sounds really funny. -
she's probably planning to buy a new mansion..holiday home at a beach..new and expensive clothes..maybe a new ipod.. the largest plasma ever........
oops!! i'm thinking too much..haha.. -
Ah, another Harry Potter reader. xD So many of them out there, it blows my mind!
Sorry about those bruises..ow! -
LOL That is gold! Those lecture feedback sheets get so tedious after you've filled out a few, especially if you have to fill out one for tutorials too, where the lecturer is also the tutor. That was creative of your friend to come up with something a little different.
Oh Middle Earth is wonderful! Tolkien is definitely creative. He's put so much thought into his creation. The same thing goes for Rowling's wizarding world. I don't think she's a really good writer, there are better writers out there, but I admire her creativeness. This magical world that she's created is amazing. -
Fancy comparing a lecturer to a hobbit! The part that really killed me was the comment about bringing Gandalf.
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From comment: I hope you feel better! I'm much better, and am going back to work tomorrow. XD *has to work with lots of little autistic kids* No pool though.
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Haha great feedback comment! I agree Tolkien is a genius, I love his writing. I've read the Harry Potter books as well, love them but they're not as brilliant as Tolkiens books though...
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The last Harry Potter book was a success before it came out. It's when a book is first conceived and brought from nowhere, especially from an unknown author is it truly a success.