Bored of the Rings by Harvard Lampoon: Book Cover

    Bored of the Rings: A Parody of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings by Harvard Lampoon, Henry Beard, Douglas C. Kenney

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    (Paperback - Anniversar)

    • Pub. Date: July 1993
    • 176pp

      Reader Rating: (37 ratings)

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      Product Details

      • Pub. Date: July 1993
      • Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
      • Format: Paperback, 176pp

      Synopsis

      For everyone who has delighted in J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy masterwork-or anyone who's just looking for a good laugh-this is the million-copy selling comic extravaganza that will convince lovers (and haters) of fantasy that they've finally experienced it all, and that they'll never need to read another fantasy parody again.

      Customer Reviews

      Brilliant Satire - Proof is that it's still in print!by Anonymous

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      December 27, 2007: I actually read this before Tolkien's books. This was over 30 years ago and I was a huge Lampoon fan. I thought it brilliant then and still do. Although some of the references are dated: ''GoodGulf' for Gandalf', it was funny and readable without having read the real Rings first. And when I finally did read JRR's books, I really liked them. However, if you view the originals as sacred texts, then this book is not for you. I think it it was written with much love for the originals, but also with much dark humor. A 'must' read if you came of age in the late 60's and 70's. It was co-written by the late great Doug Kenney who was a spot-on genius of a satirst. He was one of the co-writers of Animal House and Caddyshack. Also by Henry Beard, who is no slouch of a comedic writer, either.

      The Harvard Lampoon's take on Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings'by Anonymous

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      September 22, 2007: I remember very few lines of verse, but amongst those committed to memory are the lines: 'We Boggies are a merry folk/who like to eat until we choke/loving all like friend and brother/and hardly ever eat each other' (which is followed up a chorus that repeats the word 'gobble' a whole bunch of times). 'Bored of the Rings,' the Harvard Lampoon parody of J.R.R. Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings,' was written by Douglas C. Kenney and Henry N. Beard at the end of the Sixties, right before they went off into the real world to found 'The National Lampoon' and at a time when the Trilogy was required reading for fans of fantasy. Of course, it goes without saying that much of what you will find in here will be grossly offensive and that if you are not well versed in Tolkien's Trilogy then the story of the ring that was given by Dildo Bugger to his nephew Frito, who then embarked with his servant Spam, his friends Moxie and Pepsi, Goodgulf Grayteeth the wizard, Stomper the ranger (a.k.a. Arrowroot of Arrowshirt), Bromosel, Gimlet the dwarf and Legolam the elf across Lower Middle Earth to the dark land of Fordor is not going to make much sense. For that matter you had better be well versed in the drug culture of the Sixties and the political machinations of Richard Nixon to get all of the references (I just realized: we need an annotated edition of 'Bored of the Rings'). Even if you have seen the movies and recognize the lady Hashberry, you still need to have read the books to know who Tom Benzedrine is in the grand scheme of things. My favorite scene are when the Ballhog shows up and when Goddam and the ring meet their final fate. This is a lengthy parody, necessitated by the size of the work that inspired this insanity. Despite the low-brown humor involved with the playful names, there is some college level sophistication to the parody as well. However, if you consider Tolkien to be sacred text, then do not go anywhere near 'Bored of the Rings' because you will be grossly offended (and probably several other types of offended as well). I will still maintain that the wicked sense of humor here is inspired by an affection for Tolkien's work, but understand that there will be those who dismiss that idea.


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