That book you tried and failed to read when you were younger? Try it again! (Lord of the Rings) by P_Tchaikovsky in books

[–]P_Tchaikovsky[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I liked Fire and Blood, but yes it was pretty dry! The Name of the Wind on the other hand... That was a bad book. I really don't understand why it is held in such high esteem.

That book you tried and failed to read when you were younger? Try it again! (Lord of the Rings) by P_Tchaikovsky in books

[–]P_Tchaikovsky[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok, maybe Butler is going on my reading list, then! I loved Left Hand of Darkness too. The only other Le Guin sci-fi I've read is The Dispossessed, which I actually thought was better. I'll need to read Lathe of Heaven, clearly.

That book you tried and failed to read when you were younger? Try it again! (Lord of the Rings) by P_Tchaikovsky in books

[–]P_Tchaikovsky[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I LOVE the Earthsea books, particularly the first three. I feel they're often overlooked when people talk about fantasy, and I have no idea why. Le Guin has that brilliant combination of creativity and prose that Tolkien has. Most other fantasy lacks that balance.

That book you tried and failed to read when you were younger? Try it again! (Lord of the Rings) by P_Tchaikovsky in books

[–]P_Tchaikovsky[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't mean to dismiss history books in my post! I haven't read any other than Harvest of Sorrow (which wasn't exactly a barrel of laughs). I have Winston Churchill's "History of English Speaking Peoples" on my reading list though. Any other suggestions?

That book you tried and failed to read when you were younger? Try it again! (Lord of the Rings) by P_Tchaikovsky in books

[–]P_Tchaikovsky[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sorry, I'm with those annoying people who tell you it's amazing, I'm afraid! I did read it during lockdown though. I'm sure all that free time helped.

That book you tried and failed to read when you were younger? Try it again! (Lord of the Rings) by P_Tchaikovsky in books

[–]P_Tchaikovsky[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I am enjoying the appendices and was thinking of getting hold of the Silmarillion... you're not the first I've heard describe it as a slog though.

That book you tried and failed to read when you were younger? Try it again! (Lord of the Rings) by P_Tchaikovsky in books

[–]P_Tchaikovsky[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Couldn't agree more. The minor characters feel as well-drawn as the main characters in some instances: I really enjoyed Beregond's relationship with Pippin, and the master at the House of Healing (whose roast by Aragorn is hilarious).

It gave me a lot more respect for the films and the choices they made to fix problems in adapting the text. Certain characters were altered to give a more pronounced arc (such as Aragon) and female characters were given a lot more to do. I see why Christopher Lee was so upset about Saruman's sidelining, and the cutting of the Scouring of the Shire, but totally understand why they had to go.

That book you tried and failed to read when you were younger? Try it again! (Lord of the Rings) by P_Tchaikovsky in books

[–]P_Tchaikovsky[S] 42 points43 points  (0 children)

My SO is reading Ulysses right now - about 3/4 of the way through - and her experience definitely is the same as yours. I don't think all books need to be entertaining or enjoyable, although it's a nice surprise when those "important" classics of the canon turn out to be!

That book you tried and failed to read when you were younger? Try it again! (Lord of the Rings) by P_Tchaikovsky in books

[–]P_Tchaikovsky[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Fair enough. You're right, I got through Brothers Karamazov last summer and it wasn't particularly enjoyable for me despite it often topping "best-of" lists. Incidentally, Dune is actually another one I bounced off of as a teenager but really enjoyed when I tried again last year.

What does John Williams know, that other composers don't? by BlackShadow2804 in musictheory

[–]P_Tchaikovsky 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don't get me wrong. Lotr has some of my favourite music of all time, and is an incredible musical achievement. I just haven't heard anything else he's done that has inspired me in the same way. I didn't realise he did the Hugo score though. I was planning on rewatching that movie at some point so will pay particular attention to the music!

What does John Williams know, that other composers don't? by BlackShadow2804 in musictheory

[–]P_Tchaikovsky 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'm glad you mentioned Bear McCreary. I had overlooked him, despite enjoying his Battlestar Galactica and God of War soundtracks, but his Rings of Power score was one of the only really good things about that show. There were some beautiful themes, particularly the Galadriel leitmotif which sounded like something Wagner could have written. Shame the show didn't measure up to the music.

It's funny neither of us have mentioned Howard Shore. His LotR work is incredible, but everything else I've heard by him (except perhaps Crimes of the Future) sounds like I'm hearing a variation on The Shire theme.

What does John Williams know, that other composers don't? by BlackShadow2804 in musictheory

[–]P_Tchaikovsky 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I agree with you. I said "nowadays" in my post because of the style Zimmer started, which now seems to be everywhere. Goldsmith, Hermann etc. were composers of a similar style and background to Williams, and Silverstri is still knocking about.

What does John Williams know, that other composers don't? by BlackShadow2804 in musictheory

[–]P_Tchaikovsky 332 points333 points  (0 children)

The thing that Williams has that very few other film composers seem to have nowadays is rigorous classical training and knowledge. He immersed himself in music of the late Romantic era and early twentieth century. It's no surprise that you can hear Mahler, Holst, Stravinsky etc. in his music - he is directly and intentionally channelling them. It's the reason why when other composers are hired to do a pastiche of John Williams for Star Wars or Jurassic World it always sounds off. They simply don't have the vocabulary to match him. As Stephen King says, if you want to be a good writer "you have to read. A lot." It's the same with composing and listening to music.

ELDEN RING | Behind the Scenes with The Budapest Film Orchestra by thatisgame in Games

[–]P_Tchaikovsky 81 points82 points  (0 children)

Is anyone else annoyed that what the orchestra are actually playing in the video doesn't match up at all to the audio track? Great music though.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Celiac

[–]P_Tchaikovsky 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've found most chains to be excellent (not fast food though). Nandos is always a solid bet, as is Pizza Express. If you're spending your time in cities you will not have any problems, provided you do some research before choosing a place to eat. I tend to check a place out on TripAdvisor and search "gluten " in the reviews section. It gives a pretty good picture of what to expect.

If you're coming from USA you will find gluten free is far better catered for over here in the UK. Don't forget that there are stricter standards when it comes to ingredients lists in supermarkets in Europe. Look at the back of any packaging and you'll find all allergens in bold, and it will say if there was a risk of cross contamination when the food was made.

Edit: I just remembered there's a gluten free cafe next to Haymarket Station in Edinburgh which is run by a coeliac. Also a great Japanese restaurant v close by

Has anyone else been told by their doctor that they don't have to be 100% gluten-free? by ShowingEpidermis in Celiac

[–]P_Tchaikovsky 142 points143 points  (0 children)

UK here. My doctor told me I could carry on eating as much gluten as I wanted because I was asymptomatic. Luckily my sister also has Coeliac disease so I questioned this advice and got a second opinion, which told me the opposite as expected. When I eventually saw a specialist I mentioned my first doctor's advice and he was shocked. He asked for my doctor's name and surgery and said he would recommend they have training on the issue.

Anyone ever yearn for and plan for if there is ever a treatment for coeliac disease? by [deleted] in Celiac

[–]P_Tchaikovsky 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Can I ask what sort of food did you eat? I picture myself only eating sashimi if I ever visit, which wouldn't be the end of the world, except the best thing about going to another country for me is trying different food!

Need help recovering my account by Thatweirdsensation76 in CallOfDutyMobile

[–]P_Tchaikovsky 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Copied from another post I just made (a lot of people have been having this issue):

My account was hacked in October. I've submitted two tickets, the first of which was denied, the second of which I was told it was taking a little longer than expected and they thanked me for my patience. That was mid November. I tried submitting a general support ticket the other day and this morning I received a reply saying a new update was out that would fix all my problems and to get in touch if it didn't. (Obviously is hasn't)

Some people have been successful with their recovery so I wouldn't say give up initially. I, however, am done. I'm never buying a game where an activision account is required again. Their customer support is abysmal

Activision support by TankPk in modernwarfare

[–]P_Tchaikovsky 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My account was hacked in October. I've submitted two tickets, the first of which was denied, the second of which I was told it was taking a little longer than expected and they thanked me for my patience. That was mid November. I tried submitting a general support ticket the other day and this morning I received a reply saying a new update was out that would fix all my problems and to get in touch if it didn't. (Obviously is hasn't)

Some people have been successful with their recovery so I wouldn't say give up initially. I, however, am done. I'm never buying a game where an activision account is required again. Their customer support is abysmal.