Suddenly Tom's talk left the woods and went leaping up the young stream, over bubbling waterfalls, over pebbles and worn rocks, and among small flowers in close grass and wet crannies, wandering at last up on to the Downs. They heard of the Great Barrows, and the green mounds, and the stone-rings upon the hills and in the hollows among the hills. Sheep were bleating in flocks. Green walls and white walls rose. There were fortresses on the heights. Kings of little kingdoms fought together, and the young Sun shone like fire on the red metal of their new and greedy swords. There was victory and defeat; and towers fell, fortresses were burned, and flames went up into the sky. Gold was piled on the biers of dead kings and queens; and mounds covered them, and the stone doors were shut; and the grass grew over all. Sheep walked for a while biting the grass, but soon the hills were empty again. A shadow came out of dark places far away, and the bones were stirred in the mounds. Barrow-wights walked in the hollow places with a clink of rings on cold fingers, and gold chains in the wind. Stone rings grinned out of the ground like broken teeth in the moonlight.
Honestly I think GRRM's "style" is basically the same as Tolkien's, he just revels in the edgy bullshit and isn't nearly as good at writing in general. I like the style, though, and I think the criticism of their description of scenes is (in both cases) tiresome and overexaggerated.
It is from the dull part of the book, when the main characters are screwing around doing nothing, failing to advance the plot whatsoever and nothing is happening. No elves, no Aragorn, no Rohirrim. Tolkien vividly describes their meals, though.
Suddenly Tom's talk left the woods and went leaping up the young stream, over bubbling waterfalls, over pebbles and worn rocks, and among small flowers in close grass and wet crannies, wandering at last up on to the Downs. They heard of the Great Barrows, and the green mounds, and the stone-rings upon the hills and in the hollows among the hills. Sheep were bleating in flocks. Green walls and white walls rose. There were fortresses on the heights. Kings of little kingdoms fought together, and the young Sun shone like fire on the red metal of their new and greedy swords. There was victory and defeat; and towers fell, fortresses were burned, and flames went up into the sky. Gold was piled on the biers of dead kings and queens; and mounds covered them, and the stone doors were shut; and the grass grew over all. Sheep walked for a while biting the grass, but soon the hills were empty again. A shadow came out of dark places far away, and the bones were stirred in the mounds. Barrow-wights walked in the hollow places with a clink of rings on cold fingers, and gold chains in the wind. Stone rings grinned out of the ground like broken teeth in the moonlight.
-- J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Fellowship of the Ring"
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Honestly I think GRRM's "style" is basically the same as Tolkien's, he just revels in the edgy bullshit and isn't nearly as good at writing in general. I like the style, though, and I think the criticism of their description of scenes is (in both cases) tiresome and overexaggerated.
Oh, that reminds me: Epic Rap Battles Of History: J. R. R. Tolkien vs George R. R. Martin.
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It is from the dull part of the book, when the main characters are screwing around doing nothing, failing to advance the plot whatsoever and nothing is happening. No elves, no Aragorn, no Rohirrim. Tolkien vividly describes their meals, though.
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For me that works because describing that meal is an interesting way of introducing the characters and showing what they are like
tl;dr: the old man talked their ears off about endless bullshit.
This is forshadowing! The fellowship ends up at the barrows!
They meet Tom before they wander into the mounds of the Barrow-Wights.
Yes, this is a good example of what OP is talking about