Goodgulf, it's a parody. (Bored Of The Rings - The Harvard Lampoon)

Member Name: theediscerning

Product:	Bored Of The Rings - The Harvard Lampoon
Date:	21/08/02 (458 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The famous originals, Constant good humour

Disadvantages: At times dated in concern and references

I have possessed this book for several years now without actually realising it wasn't available on these shores - until, of course, the huge brou-ha-ha about the film last autumn (and for the next two to come).

The Harvard Lampoon as a body was always credited with the authorship, but in this volume we at last can read it was actually by some chaps by the names of Douglas C Kenney and Henry N Beard. Well, silly names are prevalent in fiction, both in characters and authors/actors.

As you are advised above, in dooyou's introduction to the tome, all names here have been changed to protect the innocent. Therefore we are here concerned with Boggles, such as Dildo Bugger (oo er), who found the ring, and his nephew, Frito, who gets the job of dispensing with it.

Aiding (of a kind) and assisting (not!) are his many friends - the inept party magician Goodgulf, Spam Gangree, and the token annoying-characters-in-the-background, twins Moxie and Pepsi Dingleberry.

Arrayed against the band of intrepid odd-bods are the ranks of narcs (Tolkein's orcs, as if it needed telling), ruled by Serutan and, above all, Sorhed.

Thankfully, there is just as much wit and invention in the rest of the book as in the thin disguising of the tomes this one rips off. The jokes are 99% clean and inoffensive fun, but much more importantly - of course - funny, right to the end.

The original publication dates from 1969, and therefore there is quite a bit of 60s-ish hippiedom here and there, which rather grated this reader's eyes. There is quite a prolonged cameo from a toke-head who saves the heroes from a wood they lose themselves in. Yes, there was a lot of talk of Tolkein having a career revival because of the stimulants in the '60s, but for this day and age it's a bit yawnsome.

With commercial concerns to the fore (the foreword is full of jokes about the authors trying to get out of debt and hoping for fast b
ucks) the plot mostly follows just part one of the trilogy - the first half ends with the boat trip from the elves (what, no funny re-naming?!) and the narc attack on the shoreline. This helps people who haven't gone as far through Tolkein as the Lampooners.

But in the end (most of) Tolkein's plot has been covered in some shape or fashion. In a very modern stylee, the book is sometimes self-referential, asking how much more chance encounters and life-saving bolts-from-the-blue can the reader bear.

As an aside, one of the jokes in this area has been ruined by the British publication. Instead of a proper (yet slim) paperback sized tome, this has been published here in a squat, small, budget hardback, thus changing the whole layout. Hence, when one character finds he will die on page 88, he looks over the reader's shoulder and finds "at least another chapter to go". But we are on p95 already. Oops!

The galloping adventure continues regardless, with many a gag and jibe keeping things enjoyable. There are cross-references to other famous fantasies in the background, from Hansel and Gretel to Alice in Wonderland, which these days remind one (happily) almost of Shrek.

There are also sacriligous changes to the original plot, which amuse (unless you are perversely protective about the original). One particular favourite was the famous fight between Goodgulf and the "ballhog", who seems to be right out of the NBA. Instead of a dramatic sacrifice, here everyone conspires to bump him and the baddie off quite happily.

Most importantly, Bored of the Rings will appeal to everyone. To either Tolkein-lovers or fans of more modern fantasy, it will come across as a very decent Terry Pratchett-style lark. *

To people who have just seen Fellowship of the Ring, it will for the most part be familiar, and engaging, at least until a Valkyrie on a sheep comes riding in.

To everyone else j
ust intrigued, and willing to spend only four hours on a very jolly and decent comedy, they should be happy too that their time is being spent very well. Anyone of a more youngful age should enjoy it to, although the Elvish and narc languages have been invented entirely of American product names and slogans ("Sing: Cadillac, pickapack, Edsel and coke", "Hocus pocus, loco parentis! Jackie Onassis, Dino de Laurentiis!") which might be over some heads.

But on the whole, this comes highly recommended to all - Tolkein lovers, haters, and neutrals.

* But with fewer footnotes.

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