Just Wondering

[Nilwen]

I was wondering how many people read the books after watching the movie.I read the books way before thay even thought about the movie,and was woundering if the movie promoted a larger Tolkien following.Which I'm sure it did.What are your thought on this. smilies/cool.gif

[ October 04, 2002: Message edited by: Nilwen ]

[Gliniel]

I think it definitely did. Most people I know who saw the movie didn't even realize LotR was a book (or three, rather) until I told them so. I myself read the books long before the movie too so I know where you're coming from...

[Isilya]

I knew all along that there were books (three of them!) but I never got around to reading them until I saw the movies. Go ahead, yell at me. smilies/wink.gif

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

I had heard of it before the movie because in High School we played a piece of music from The Hobbit(I'm guessing the cartoon version). But if it tells you anything... I thought a Hobbit was a dragon back then (for shame!).

I went home last November and my friend, who worked in a movie theatre, showed me the poster she had gotten from work & another friend had the CD. I was thinking, "hey, that looks like something I would like to see."
Well, over the holidays I went with my dad because we like fantasy movies & well, like everyone else who hasn't read the books... I wasn't satisfied with the ending. I was really worried about Merry and Pippin, so I went out and bought the books (so did my dad). We both read them and loved them & now I can't wait to see the next film (I now realize the anticipation people must've had for the first one).
I do think that the movie made many more fans, though I doubt that all of them have picked up the books yet. Maybe they will sometime soon.

[Eglaladiel]

well to put it in other words...duh. i read them a year or two before they came up with the movie, but I think that because of the movie, A LOT of peeps read LotR

[DarkRose]

Certainly, as most movies do, I believe the FOTR movie sparked the inspiration that caused many, many people to read the beloved trilogy. In fact, a few friends of mine had never given LOTR a passing glance until they saw the movie! smilies/smile.gif

As for me, LOTR was a big part of my family's tradition and a part of my life since I was born. My dad and his generation had all read it and I watched The Hobbit and heard stories about LOTR since I was a kid. So, as tradition had it, when I was about 9, my dad began reading LOTR to me at night. However, I shattered the sacred family tradition by bluntly telling him the book was boring. smilies/frown.gif I'm ashamed of that now, but I guess I just was too young to embrace LOTR back then.

Anyway, with that tradition broken, I think my dad doubted that I would ever read the trilogy. After the movie came out, I simply adored it. It inspired me to pick up the book again, and so far, I am in the beginning chapters of ROTK and enjoying it very much. =)

[Legolas]

Not only did it bring in many new fans, it brought out some worn books off the dusty shelves of some that read long ago and also readers that were big on Tolkien, but unaware of his place in popular culture (i.e. discussion groups, forums, mailing lists, et alia). Many fans who had read the books but did only that were inspired to seek out others who share in their fascination.

An easy-to-see testament to that is the number of members for this forum. <1,000 before the movie came out; almost 4,500 at the moment.

[lathspell]

I read the books about 6 years ago for the first time (well, I started with the Hobbit at the time and I was only 12 and English aint my primary language so it might have been somewhat later), but anyway a long time before the movie. And when I heard about it, I didn't like it. Not that I would mind new people knowing Tolkien and liking it (although some react quiet stupid, getting there information rather from the film than from the books), but because the film could never surpass or even be as good as the books. And I found out for myself that the film is quite bad indeed.

greetings,
lathspell

[Nilwen]

That is what bothers me.Experts who have never read the books.I am no experts but I think I know a littel more than someone how has never READ LOTR.

[ September 30, 2002: Message edited by: Nilwen ]

[Arathiriel]

I admit it was the movie that inspired me to read the LOTR but yes I had heard of the LOTR before The Fellowship of the Ring was made into a movie...

I have now read all 3 of the LOTR books and I am trying to work my way through The Silmarillion... smilies/tongue.gif

[Marillanna Sarnie]

Well, (glances around) I never actually read them until I heard that they were going to be made into a movie....then I had to read them before I saw it....... and, to date, I have read LOTR, The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and the first 3 HoME series. And any talk about LOTR has been strictly banned in my house.. .... smilies/biggrin.gif smilies/evil.gif

[Neferchoirwen]

I've heard of LotR since I was in the 6th grade, or maybe even younger. I would have began reading it then, but I typecasted fantasy as somehting only boys read. *turns head around* Before the movie, I was debating to myself whether or not I'll read FotR, but one my Lit professors said that it was okay. I took her word for it, and so there. So far, I'm halfway through TTT, and I've shopped for the Silm and UT, and all the other stuff.

Marillana:Hey welcome to the Downs! What? LotR stuff banned? in your own house? Man, you are one obssessed fan. I hop your family finds out that it all ain't bad.

[Kithrèna Greenarrow Legolas]

I think I'm the ONLY case here who owned the Lord Of The Rings game in SNES(Super Nintendo entertainment System) Before I heard of either. Then I saw the movie, inspired to do so because of the game, then read the books...Shame on Me, I know...But it was a fun game smilies/biggrin.gif

[Bill Ferny]

Jeeez! There's nothing wrong with being inspired to read the books after seeing the movie! I think its great! I hope the whole world sees the movie and decides to read the books. I think then, and only then, will there be world peace! smilies/biggrin.gif

I read the books a long time ago, but thats because I'm old, very, very old. I have this strong suspicion that I'm part of Darkroses' father's generation. Hey, I thought the Harry Potter books were just for kids until the movie made me read the books.

[CASamchik]

I read the book before the movie and they were both really cool but I like the books better than the movie because the movie skips to much. smilies/biggrin.gif

[mithuel]

I read the books ages ago but had forgotten a lot of the details by the time I came to watch the movie. Now I'm reading the books again ( along with two other fantasy novels) aswell as listening to The Hobbit (unabridged version) in the car aswell as loggin in to the barrowdowns site... and all that can only be a good thing! smilies/smile.gif

[Gliniel]

I think a while back is was Legalos that said something about the film prompting people to pick the books back up after having read them a long time ago. *points to self* Guilty as charged. LotR was always somewhere around my house, and I read it as soon as I was able to comprehend it. But I didn't really give it too much attention until I heard it was going to be made into a motion picture, and I remembered having read it (and the Hobbit) as a child. Before I saw the film I just HAD to read it again, and I'm glad I did. Now that I'm older, I can realize how awesome it all is! smilies/biggrin.gif

[Nilwen]

I think it's great if the movie prompts book reading.My local book story had one copy of LotR before the movie.Now they have about 15.

[mithuel]

I've just reread the part where Frodo is rescued from Weathertop and taken to Rivendell by Glorfindel. In the movie he is rescued by Arwen. Does anyone have any thoughts on this change? I imagine the director did it to increase Arwen's presence in the film, and to show her courage and magical powers but was it necessary to alter the story like this?

[Gliniel]

That was the only thing I particularly disliked about the movie. Arwen's character in the movie was almost the complete antithesis of her presence in the book.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

mithuel, you will find lots of discussions on the Arwen/Glorfindel question on the Movies forum. It is certainly one issue that has many book fans upset!!

[ October 02, 2002: Message edited by: Estelyn Telcontar ]

[Arwen Imladris]

I had had the books read to me, and had read them myself. It had been like, 5 years though, since I had read them, and I was kinda young so I didn't really remember a whole lot. If you look at my favorite things all through Elementary school, you will see favorite book: the Hobbit, LOTR. Seeing the movie though, that really turned me into a fanatic. I read LOTR 4 times since December! smilies/biggrin.gif I am crazy, I know. smilies/tongue.gif

[elfling]

I hate to admit it too but I saw the movie on video when it came out recently(give me a break I have a 3 year old and no money for movies and babysitter)but since then I have read the 3 books and started over and am now waiting for husband to finsh the two towers so i can read it again. I also bought the movie and we including my 3 yr old watch it often. we will buy a dvd player by nov 12th for the added footage release. I'm hooked big time. I need help. This is also the first ime I got online like this just to talk w/other fans.

[Ringannunwen]

i read fotr before i saw the movie, i knew there was 3 books and after i saw the movie read the other 2.
the movie sure promoted the books!
and ya know what!people at my class at school today (i think were trying 2 act kewl)
were talking about frodo "oh i think he's sooooooo hot! ect ,ect"
then they said "oh have you seen the 2nd one?
i haven't i want to tho . . ."
i nearly choked!
but i remained calm, telling them sorry, but the two towers hasn't come out YET, and nobody (especially you) has seen it yet.

[Nilwen]

I wish there was some thing we(as Tolkien fans)could do to promote THE BOOKS.I can't think of any thing.Can you?

[Liriodendron]

Well yes, smilies/smile.gif I was toying with the idea of having a book discussion or author or whatever night at the public library. They do other books and brown bag book talks and stuff. You could publicize thru the paper and libary newsletter, that with the current interest in the new movies, there will be a "Getting to know Tolkien", or "Lord of the Rings.. the books" discussion group. Don't knock the movie, just take the people that come (any more that one is fine!) and start with what they know and want to know. If it's just kids, make it "fun" with a costume event or something!

[Ruthwen]

I read LOTR when I was about twelve, but I forgot most of the plot afterwards. Seeing the film brought back my interest in the books, so I am now the obsessed fan you see before you. smilies/rolleyes.gif

I'm always nagging my friends to read the books (ah, the joys of being a teenager whose friends actually succumb to peer pressure) and telling random people how wonderful I think the whole of Tolkien's creation is. smilies/smile.gif

[ October 03, 2002: Message edited by: Ruthwen ]

[Rose Cotton]

I started reading the books last summer. The movie was being made but I had no idea until I had already started. I made it my goal to finnish the trilogy before FotR came into theaters.

[Meela]

when i was teeny, i think someone read the hobbit to me... so id heard of it before, but had no idea how much there was, or what it was about.

i read the books before going to see the movie.

[Nilwen]

Ruthwen,that is a great idea.I have access to the library at the local university so maybe i can do something there.I'm not nocking the movie,but I think it is important for people to read books,of any kind.Thank you for the idea. smilies/smile.gif

[mithuel]

The movies are the greatest publicity the books could ever get. They have been interpreted so brilliantly and with such vision that they make the most
effective ad campaign for the books imaginable. Anyone likely to read the books will be inspired to do so by the films. And as for those that don't - well at least they have experienced some of the wonder of Middle Earth through Peter Jackson's interpretation of Tolkien. smilies/smile.gif

[Aylwen Dreamsong]

Lots of people, not including me, read the books after the movie. It was a much bigger production and it caused a HUGE following because it got so much more publicity than the old cartoon "The Hobbit" or the cartoon for the LotR series. Many of my friends actually read it after the movie came out, and they would always complain to me about how many things were left out.

But I for one loved it before the movie.

Aylwen


So I'm a little left of center. I'm a little out of tune. Some say I'm paranormal, so I just bend their spoon. Who wants to be ordinary? In a crazy mixed-up world.

[ October 04, 2002: Message edited by: Aylwen Dreamsong ]

[Elenna]

I read the books about a month before the movie came out - I had seen the trailer and thought "Hey! That guy is really cute!" (Orlando Bloom, of course). After reading the book, however, I became so swept up in the whole Tolkien experience that when I went to see the movie, I hardly even noticed the nice looking men.

[Nilwen]

Thank you everybody for your thoughts on this.I didnt think this thread would be such a hit. smilies/smile.gif

[Eruialiwen]

I had heard of the books long before the movies, and I saw the animated movie of "The Hobbit" when I was about seven years old. I finally got the three books for my birthday a few months ago, and a few weeks afterwards FotR came out and I bought it right away. I didn't get hooked onto the book until about the middle of "Fellowship..." and now I can't put it down! I'm about halfway through the whole thing, already smilies/biggrin.gif

[Nilwen]

OK another question.Has any one read any books outher than The Hobbit and LoTR.

[dragoneyes]

I was told about it before the movies came out and kept on telling myself to get round to it, but i couldn't find the book in any shops (mind you I didn't really go out of my way to look for them), but after the movie came out I finallt bought and read the book, before seeing the movie if you must know.

[Elenna]

I've read the Silmarillion. It's good, but very involved. Make sure you are really familiar with LOTR before you try the Sil.

[elfling]

Hey, Nilwen where did you get your quote?
I love it. I'm rereading the trilogy and I'm getting to read the Sil.

[Eärendil]

Well..I read LOTR about 7 years before the movie came out. smilies/smile.gif 5 times to be exact.
And read The Hobbit last year(read it twice, The Silmarillion early this year (my favorite book of all time, read it twice, will soon start reading it again), read BoLT 1 & 2, Farmer Giles from Ham, The Father Christmas Letters (wonderful smilies/biggrin.gif, don´t think that counts, but still smilies/tongue.gif) soon starting on Morgoth´s Ring, and am currently chasing all the other books.....

[Nilwen]

I am looking for "the Adventures of Tom Bombadil"

[Ar-Luman]

I read the hobbit first when I was 12. Soon after came the LotR. I did not attempt the Silm. until I was 15. I actually read it straight through just recently. I am 22, so yeah I read the books before the movie came out. The coolest part is the way people react when they ask me any question about the movie, they get their answer and then some. They cannot believe how some people are so into the books.

[Mattius]

I read the books a few years ago and what the film has given me is a great website!! let me explain, after reading the books i never thought about seaching for sites about lord of the rings but when the movie came out i was looking around and came upon barrow downs and i have never looked back!!!

[Nilwen]

Did you know that "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil" is rare.I cant fined one in good shape for less than $100.00.Thats crazy.I am still going to get a copy thought.

[Anastasia]

Nilwen where do you live????!!!!!

I got a copy for my birthday from my friend and on the back cover it says £6.99

Its part of a book called "tales of the perilous realm" which contains

Farmer Giles of Ham,
The Adventures of T.B
Leaf by Niggle
Smith of Wooton Major

And they're all by tolkien!


As soon as I saw the movie I went home and sat down to read the books. It took me about half a term, and I'm reading them again now.

So just come to england and go to Books etc., they sell them there! http://www.plauder-smilies.de/jump.gif

[Nilwen]

I live in Texas.I was looking for the books on ebay.I didn't know they were all in Tales from the perilous realm.I will be looking for that now.Thank you.

[Maikaduriel]

I didn't read LOTR until after I saw the movie, but the book had been in my house as long as I can remember. I had no idea what it was about and, when I saw the movie on a whim on opening day with my brother and my mum and we struggled to find three consecutive seats, I realised from the atmosphere in the cinema that this was a big thing and the anticipation some people had for this movie was incredible. I loved the movie, and of course, read the books immediately after, but I think I would have had a different opinion of them if I hadn't seen the movie first. I'm a newbie to this site and I'm amazed at how many people are in these forums, as I'm used to the one on my brother's site which probably has only 20-30 people, but it's great to find people who are as devoted to the books as I and don't think I'm an absolute weirdo when I say I've seen the movie 12 times. I think it's a good thing that so many people are reading the books now that the movie is out, because the Lord of the Rings is such an amazing book and I wouldn't have read it (at least, not yet) if it weren't for the movie.

[Arwen_Evenstar]

Well, I tried reading the books when I was 10 but i couldnt get into it(i dont understand it either)but when I saw the movie i began to read it and got hooked! Im half way through RoTK again now and I have a shelf dedicated 2 the book movie ect plus the Hobbit and the Silmarllion(did i spell that right?Prob not)so yeah...
---------------------------------------------
Let he not vow to walk in the dark who has not seen the nightfallElrond the Halfelven in Rivendell

[Nilwen]

I am now reading "The Book of Lost Tales". It is very interesting.It helps you understand alot of the history.It has commentary by Christopher Tolkien.It is kool.
Has any one read any books other than the ones we have already talk about?

[Laivine]

I read half the Fellowship of the Ring before I saw the movie. Hehe. I was a huge Harry Potter fan (still am for that matter) and after I read those books and saw the movie I didn't think there could be anything better and whenever people talked about LotR I stopped listening... But after awhile I just had to read LotR too, as everyone was talking about it. Got the first book for xmas, and got halway through it before me and a mate went to see it. I really wanted to read the book out before I saw the movie, so I even stayed up most of the night before to read it.. But failed! Hehe. To catch up for not reading LotR earlier, I've read FotR and TTT 5 times, and reading RotK for the 5th time now. Hoping to get Silmarillion and other books by Tolkien for my 15th birthday.

[ October 20, 2002: Message edited by: Laivine ]

[ October 20, 2002: Message edited by: Laivine ]

[Neferchoirwen]

I'm just starting "The Return of the King"...but I'm stalling now because finding out what happens to Sam and Frodo depresses me smilies/frown.gif The more I think about it, the sadder I get.

And I've been having these strange "spoiler dreams." Some fancy book version of deja vu. Those dreams come to me when I'm in the bus after reading 10 or so pages of LotR, or just before I wake up when I've been reading LotR the night before. They've stopped happening to me since I reached the middle of "The Two Towers."
creepy...