>Personally, I find the lore and the universe of Hobbit / LOTR a bit dull. I haven't read the books, I've watched the movies as a young teen, but the universe just didn't interest me that much.

How much can you know if you haven't read the books? It's fine not to have liked the movies, and it's fine not to want to read the books, but maybe don't make such sweeping statements about a universe you barely know.

Anyway Tolkien's worldbuilding is unparalleled when it comes to his attention to language - very idiosyncratic in that way. Theology as well.

Another unique feature of the legendarium is that while Tolkien himself only published two books set in that universe, we do have access to a whole hoard of other writings of his thanks to his son Christopher - a view into not just the finished product (which in some cases, ie the Silmarillion, just does not exist anyway - or at least wasn't finished by Tolkien) but into the process of writing. Readers have access to the kind of material that would normally be reserved for scholars, and perhaps not even them.

Edit: regarding your tastes... Eh. Tolkien writes some dark stuff (Children of Húrin being the prime example) but not full on grimdark à la GRRM. Not particularly grounded either.

I'm a Tolkien fan, a stupidly obsessive one with the reddit history (complete with pathetically obscure Tolkien reference of a username) to prove it and I like it well enough (not all of it, eg anything Sauron was a big meh, but enough) ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Didn't even get a Kit Kat. Fuck off with the 'actual fans' gatekeeping twattery.

Yeah, Galadriel 'In him [Fëanor] she perceived a darkness that she hated and feared, though she did not perceive that the shadow of the same evil had fallen upon the minds of all the Noldor, and upon her own' of the house of Finwë would never make that mistake.

Exactly. Galadriel's family (including Galadriel herself) are the people who were mad enough to cross the equivalent of the Arctic on foot rather than simply ask forgiveness of the Valar and return to Valinor. And then early Second Age Galadriel herself is the woman who's seen more or less her entire paternal family die as a result of said pride, and is the only survivor (except for maybe one insane cousin) out of her entire generation of 10/11 cousins + 3 brothers... and still says 'eh, nope, still not going to ask the gods for forgiveness or heed their advice!' The show just dramatised her hubris.

Idk, I thought there were some refreshingly honest scenes in there. Like at the beginning of season 2 where you could expect >!Patti's death!< to remain a secret hanging over Kevin's head but nope, >!dude goes and digs her up and then lets Nora and Jill know all (OK, almost all) about it and even how Matt helped out and by the way he smokes!<.

Edit: although yes to be fair the existence of an entire cult of people don't talk does speak (hm) in favour of the show's inclusion... Also Laurie's entire season 1 plotline and a certain secret of hers. But still to me it's less a case of 'people don't talk because the plot requires it for drama' and more 'the very premise of the show results in people not talking' (ie the trauma is so unfathomable and strange that people can't put it into words).

Real LPT: while they're distracted, let your accomplice nick the most valuable painting in the museum.

Same etymology though - something or someone being delicate (hence the 'filet mignon') or cute (eg the darling / favourite of a king > their loyal servant).

TBF Beowulf is probably not the best example since it's poetry. Old English is still obviously its own language but if you've got a few basic notions of phonology and/or some knowledge of another Germanic language you'll probably be able to decipher a bit of OE prose. Poetry on the other hand will still be hard as fuck.

It's mentioned in the article?

>French troops marched into the Electoral Palatinate, laying waste towns, villages and fields and destroying Heidelberg Castle: “It makes my heart bleed, and they still hold it against me that I’m sad about it”, lamented Liselotte.

The Ck2 player in me felt a twinge of guilt.

That's Wild Seed, not Parable, right? (Though confusingly the latter has Earthseed in it.)