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All excellent points. That's an interesting observation about the archetypal characters of the book vs. the angsty versions in the film. I hadn't really thought about that before.

I'm also thinking now about what really makes a book feel "bloated" vs. "rich." You're absolutely right about fantasy today. In fact, despite it being my favorite genre as a kid, I barely read it anymore because I find much of it so tedious. I find the level of detail somewhat excruciating in many cases. And yet I love the Lord of the Rings (even all those pages about party preparations and Lobelia Sackville-Baggins). I'm sure a lot of it simply comes down to personal preference. But I think there may also be something about dedication to realism vs. the archetypes you previously mentioned. Perhaps a book can move toward one or the other, but not both at the same time.

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