How were you introduced to Tolkien?

[Túroch]

When did you first read the books and who introduced them to you. My mother practicly read the LoTR and The Hobbit to me when I was in the cradle and read it to me countless times. When I could read I began to read them anually. It wasn't untill a year ago that I really started reading the Sill and the Book of Lost Tales (and how cool they are). How did you start on Tolkien?

[burrahobbit]

Three years ago Barrow-wight said "hey, read this," and I was all "huh? ok."

[ November 26, 2002: Message edited by: burrahobbit ]

[Pookabunny]

Shame on me - I read the books when I first saw the movie trailer. I wasn't much of a reader before, but now that I'm out of school, I read ALL THE TIME.
I was amazed at the trailer and decided to read the books before I saw the film. Fell in LOVE with them and now I'm addicted.

[Pallando B.C]

I read The Hobbit in 6th grade and I am thankful to say that i read LotR before the movie.
I have read the Silmarillion ( which is the best of all Tolkiens books ) and in the process of reading Unfinished Tales. smilies/smile.gif

[Pallando B.C]

Ohh whoops! smilies/frown.gif I forgot the actual topic. My father introduced it to me.

[Arwen_Evenstar]

I saw the FotR first... smilies/frown.gif naughty I know...
Then I read the books twice and I am half way thoroug the Sillmarillion, but I cant get a hold of the books of Lost Tales! smilies/mad.gif

[Kiara]

My dad always read to us when we were little: Chronicles of Narnia, Hobbit, etc....He recommended LoTR to us, and I was the first of us kids to get through it. I loved it so much, I then proceeded to consume the Lost Tales, and afterwards tried the Silmarillion. I dead-ended there 'cause I think it was a bit too complex for me at that point. I have now re-read the Hobbit 2 more times and the same with the Lord of the Rings, only I listened to it the 3rd time through: Ever listened to the unabridged version read by Robert Inglis? It is so good....It was such a good way to go through the book that now I'm trying the same thing for the Silmarillion (different reader, but very good!).

[the phantom]

I had a record that my dad bought when I was little that told the story of The Hobbit, and when I was eight my dad and I read The Hobbit. When I was twelve, my dad and I started reading LOTR together. In the middle of high school I read it myself, more slowly, and I really started to get into it. I owe my Tolkien experience to my Dad.

[Sapphire_Flame]

My dad got me addicted to Tolkien very early on. He read the Hobbit to me the first time when I was maybe six, then I read it myself continually between the ages of eight and, um, well I'm still reading it constantly. Dad tried reading the Trilogy to me for the first time when I was eight, but I really didn't have the attention span to handle it then. When my dad found out that LotR was being made into a movie (movies, sorry), he insisted that I read the books. I had no objections; I had been meaning to read the books for ages. I was about 3/4 of the way through Fellowship for the first time when I saw the Movie. Then, when I got home, I cheated and read ahead into TTT to find out what happened to Merry and Pippin. As of currently I have read the Trilogy six times, and am on my seventh time through, and am half through the Silmarillion. After that, Lost Tales is next on my reading list!

[LePetitChoux]

Oh, I'm so embarrassed! I saw the movie, then read the books... http://smilies.crowd9.com/contrib/unknown/face76.gif But I love it and am on RotK foe the 2nd time now. smilies/cool.gif

[Meela]

i was about three when i first heard the stories. its actually one of the earliest memories i have of my life. god knows who read them... some family person...

[Túroch]

Well from what i'm reading here a lot people started LoTR because of the movie. Even if I have an axe to grind against Peter Jackson I am glad that his movie has introduced so many to the world Tolkien. My good friend who had been interestd in LoTR but didn't want to read it is now devouring the trilogy.

[Arwen Imladris]

My parents also read to me. They read me the Hobbit and LOTR. Latter I read it to myself. Then I watched the movie and read LOTR a couple more times along with the Sil and UT and various other books by Tolkien.

[Meela]

am i the only person who found the silmarillion boring?

[Galadrie1]

I was introduced to Tolkien when my fourth grade teacher read the class "The Hobbit". She didn't read the last chapter (she did that for every book she read to us smilies/rolleyes.gif ) so about a year later I checked it out of the library and read the whole thing.

[Maylin Talese]

I found out about LotR in fourth grade, when i was reading a bo on C.S Lewis, but the author of the book made it sound long and boring. I took me a while to commit to reading them, now I reread about twice a year. smilies/biggrin.gif

[Demloth of Dol Amroth]

i started to read LOTR on the prompting of a friend, Nytesky on this site, around the time the first movie came out, and read through the series a couple times. then i read the Silmarillion a few months later at least 2 times, and realized i had arrived in middle-earth and was not going to leave. surprisingly, i only read unfinished tales once-shame on me. ironically, i read the hobbit only a couple months ago, and because it was for school-shame on me! oh yes, my dad is being a heretic-he says FoTR is boring-which is only because of the hobbit's singing! i can sort-of sympathize-it took an agonizingly long time to get through the section on the barrow-downs. it was rather boring, IMHO-don't tell BW! i'm also trying to get a copy of the sil so i can reread it again...DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT!! i'm one of those weird people who absorb long and to most people boring histories-i don't even study for my advanced placement history tests and ace them. i'm also curious about these other books other than the ones mentioned above that i keep hearing about. can someone explain?

[Faye Took]

Collette took me to see the movie with her and I instantly feel inlove! Sadly I didn't know there was more, and I got really mad because of the ending, but the Collette told me there was going to be 2 more movies because its a book trilogy! Right after the movie I went straight to Borders book store which was right next to the movie theater, and bought the books!

[Ringannunwen]

My grade 6 teacher read the hobbit to us. my friend read the lotr books and she lent me the books, then i bought the books. i read the books. i luved the books. smilies/rolleyes.gif

[Helkahothion]

Well for christmas my cousin gave me a puzzle of Lotr (woth the movie charctars on it. At that time lotr did not came into my vocabulary. Then my mother sayd:"why don't you go see the movie"(bless my mother) So I went. I loved it. ANd 2 weeks later I barrowed the book from a friend. And now I am reading it for the second time.


p.s. the puzzle isn't finished yet.( I was never a great puzler. I only completed legolas's part)
________
PREMACY AND MAZDA5 (http://www.ford-wiki.com/wiki/Mazda_Premacy_and_Mazda5)

[dragoneyes]

I was told many times about it at my friends house, because they've all read it, but I was prompted into actually reading it by the movie. I've only read the trilogy, my sister's stolen the hobbit (even though it is her's) and taken it away to university with her.

[Krumtakh the Obtuse]

When I was in sixth grade, we had to read a small excerpt of the hobbit as an assignment, but I didn't pay much attention to it. But last year, in August, some people in my guild (I still play on neopets. :rolleyes smilies/smile.gif were talking about how great LotR was, and I decided to read it, and I loved it!

I have read LotR and the hobbit a bunch of times, and the Silmarillion twice.

[ November 27, 2002: Message edited by: Krumtakh the Obtuse ]

[Orual]

When my brother and I were little, my mom read the Hobbit to us in bed every night. It took a couple of weeks to get through the whole book (we had short attention spans), but it was worth it. We loved it. Right after that, Mom attempted to read Fellowship, but we only got to "Strider." Le sigh. So it was several years later that I read Fellowship after that--shortly before the movie came out--and I finished TT and RotK not too long after. I've been totally hooked ever since!

~*~Orual~*~

[Lindril Arvilya]

My mum wouldn't read to me once I learned to read myself.... I could read faster on my own and got fed up with the reading out loud part. But whenever I went to her asking for a new book, she'd give me a nice thick one (well, was at the time) such as The Hobbit. I got through it and was bored. Years later (four years ago?) I started on Lord of the Rings, and gave up just at the start of RotK- I'd read the first two in less than a week. Picked up the book six months later and had forgotten all the names. Reread them from the start and loved every minute. How odd. I need my own copies of The Sil and Unfinished Tales... Christmas is coming....

[Beruthiel]

My mum read the hobbit and lotr to me when I was about 6 or 7. I could have read it for myself but it was a bit complicated for me. I've been hooked on it ever since, I've read LOTR about 5 times (I'm on the 6th time at the moment) and I've read the hobbit 3 times . I really wanna read the Silmarillion and all the other books but I can't find them any where!

[nerddogs]

I read the Hobbit when I was in 9th grade after playing D&D for the 1st time. That was 21 years ago! http://blenderwars.com/forums/images/smiles/icon_redface.gif

[Sasha]

My dad used to read it to me all the time too smilies/smile.gif I guess i was under his influence then smilies/smile.gif

[aragornreborn]

My Dad checked out the Hobbit audio cassettes from the library and we listened to it on a long car trip. I absolutely loved it! A few years later, someone gave me LOTR for my birthday. I started reading it, but I thought it started out kind of slow at the time, so I stopped. Then I saw FOTR, ran home, and read the the trilogy in about a week. Then I read the Silmarillion and the Hobbit. I need to read the Lost Tales or whatever it is they're called.

[Malamute]

Hmmm....

I read the hobbit when i was in i believe 6th grade for the first time... i ran across it when i was looking at D&D stuff for the first time. smilies/smile.gif

Then in 7th grade my literature teacher had us read the Hobbit and critique it and do a project based on the story. (he was pretty cool indeed).

I then proceded to read through the trilogy over the next year.

[Peri]

I was introduced to the book "The Hobbit" by my sixth grade teacher Mr. Brown. I thought it was a great book. I read the LOTR trilogy when I heard they were going to make the books into a movie.

[Nenuial]

my pa started reading the hobbit and i was like why would read that kind of crap. but know i am sooo amshamed of myself for thinking that cause after my dad introduced it to me ive been hooked. i read so much know and tolkien is the greatest!!! right now im reading the sill and i got to say at first it was kind of hard to get past the first couple of pages but....this is the BEST book ever. u gotta read it. ok we enough of my bordem.

[MYyyPreciousSS]

I was (as most people here it seems) introduced to the books by my dad. Though, to tell the truth, I did see the movie before I read the books. Yet, the thing is, when I first saw FotR I wasn't all that impressed. I thought it was a good movie, but it wasn't what started my obsession. What started it was when my dad and I where (for some odd reason) talking about riddles. So my dad comes out with "The Hobbit" to show me some good examples. I read them and was intrigued, so, I read the chapter. I loved it and its now my favorite chapter ever. I especially liked Gollum, and wanted to read more, so I did, and it went on from there. And that is how it all started for me, I saw the movie again and it then became my favorite movie. I really do have to thank my dad for bringing it all to my attention.

[Eglaladiel]

lets see....ummm...a year or so before the movies came out....then again when i heard they were making a movie (and saw it)...and then again over the summer hols... yup... smilies/smile.gif

[Galadel Vinorel]

I was introduced to Lord of the Rings through my best friend, who made me read The Hobbit a few weeks after FOTR came out in theaters. We then went and saw the movie, and read the LOTR Series. I have been hooked on LOTR ever since.

It is an addiction!! smilies/wink.gif smilies/biggrin.gif I LOVE LOTR!! I am sorry now that I never heard about Tolkien before the the FOTR movie came out, but oh well.... *sigh* smilies/frown.gif smilies/redface.gif smilies/biggrin.gif I LOVE LOTR!! smilies/biggrin.gif smilies/cool.gif

[Hopefever]

i saw FOTR first then I read LOTR, the hobbit and SIM. I liked the movie better.

[Fincarnwen]

When I was 10 (in a previous Age!) I was annoying my older cousin - he gave me LOTR and told me to sit down and read it or he was going to kill me. I took him at his word, and started reading. I was instantly hooked!

[Balin999]

At 13, I read about the books, actually in an article about a one-man-black-metal-band called Burzum. It was about a guy that shot another black-metal guy. The murder was calling himself "Grishnakh". Before I read LotR, I thought it was a satanic story (silly me!) but I was suprised positively.
Since then I can't let go of LotR and Middle-Earth.
I also think of it as something real, by now. Sometimes it helps me to escape reality (better than drugs, I guess).

[Aeryn Evenstar]

I'm the consumate Star Wars junkie, but my little brother is into the fantasy genre. He got the LOTR book about a year before the first movie came out and started telling me about it and I got interested. So I bought the book and was hooked from the start. Now I've read more than he has on it! smilies/biggrin.gif

[Carrûn]

I was introduced to Tolkien by a childhood neighbor who read the Hobbit to me and her kids. At the time I didn't really remember the story but they lived on a Girl Scout camp so we had quite a bit of fun playing dwarves. She never got around to reading LOTR to us as the dad died of cancer & they had to move. I think from there the local librarian who was a friend of my moms saw me returning the Hobbit one day and handed me the other ones saying I should try them. At as it goes, history became legend, legend became myth...

[Elven-Maiden]

My friend must have known about the movie coming out, because he kept bugging me to read them, and it wasn't until after I finished the Hobbit (and was waiting for Santa to deliver the rest) that I found out about the movie.

[eholmes]

My father received the book the year I was born as a gift from his oldest sister. He became quite engrossed in it. My mother, a bit jelous of his new obsession, decided to find out what was so wonderful and read his books.
When I was eight and my sister was about six, my father read them aloud to us, from The Hobbit through The Return of the King. I have since read them so many times I have lost count. When I was about thirteen or fourteen I began The Silmarillion. Tolkien's depth of vision still astonishes me, and my literary experience as a whole has been profoundly impacted by his works.

[wendith]

I was out of something to read, and I saw other people reading it, so i stared reading FOTR,

[Calavanya]

Do you remember the cartoon? That's how I started. Then I read the books. Was there a comic or something. I think there was. I was a little girl then...

[Sword Maiden Of The Shire]

OK here's how I got turned onto Tolkien,

Before I even knew about The Lord Of The Rings, I was still hung up on Harry Potter *Ducks flying rocks* I was home with my dad and he said "Let's go see a that movie The Lord Of The Rings." I said "No I want to go see Harry Potter....again.

Anyway, we saw 'The Fellowship Of The Ring' And when I came out of the theatre, I was flying!! I LOVED IT!!!!!!! Now, I'm as loyal to Tolkien as you can be and I don't plan on giving this up
*Rocks stop*

I'm going to go read The Two Towers now!! (For the....I forget....how many times I've read it!!)
------------------------
"That settles it!" "Short cuts make delays but inns make longer ones!" ~Frodo~

[Everlen]

How I was introduced to Tolkein.... well... when I was younger... after I had read the Chronicles of Narnia, the same people who got me hooked on those asked me if I had ever heard of the Hobbit. That was the first time I had and I didn't hear much else until I was in 8th grade and my English teacher began raving on and on about how much he loved it. He was one of the biggest fans I think I will ever meet in my life. He was awesome and we read the Hobbit that year. I liked it alot but the whole school thing kinda turned me off to it. But then... alas! I went and saw The Fellowship of the Ring in the middle of ninth grade and was hooked. I saw it in December... read the books... then saw it again in march! I am on my second time reading the trilogy and I love it better than ever! I think my teenage life would be a whole lot more boring if I had never gone to see that movie.

[Molly Tobin]

I know I was in elementary school at the time, but I don't remember what came first: the cartoon movie of The Hobbit or Dad reading the LOTR books to me as bedtime stories. Thinking back on it now, he probably cut out some of the more fun bits of the books, thinking maybe they weren't suitable for my tender young mind. I'll have to read them for myself and check, eh?

[Hirilaelin]

Well, when I was about nine, I received the book for a birthday present. The moment I saw it, i was astonished by its size. (paperbound, all of them put together) I tryed to read it that year, but it was just to hard. Then, I heard that FotR was coming out, and one of my friends was a fan, so I decided to read the book again. It was amazing! Then, I told my Mom that she had to read it aloud to everybody. (my family are all fans now!) She did! The entire thing! smilies/eek.gif I was quite amazed. (she started reading after we all saw FotR, and a while before TTT, I told her she had to finish at least TTT before we saw the movie. Then, she finished the entire book! I was amazed. Even my Dad listened! smilies/tongue.gif )

~Hirilaelin

(before this, my Mom had read "The Hobbit" to us so many times that the cover had fallen off, so I suppose they were already fans. We even had the animated Hobbit! Still do as a matter of fact....
smilies/biggrin.gif )

[ January 21, 2003: Message edited by: Hirilaelin ]

[Boromir's Lady]

I had read The Hobbit in elementary school (which has been a long time ago for me!) but never read The Lord of the Rings. As a matter of fact, I was an avid reader while I was in school, read everything I could get my hands on, but I had rarely heard anything about these books as a child/teen/young adult (I have no idea why).

It wasn't until I went to see 'The Fellowship' in theatres that made me run to the bookstore and buy the trilogy to read. I could NOT believe I had not read it before!

[Falagar]

My dad read the Hobbit and LotR to me when I was about 7-8 years old...three or four years later I read it by myself, and was automatically hooked. And I read it again...and then I found the Silm, started, gave up, started again a year later, read it, loved it, read LotR again, heard they were making a movie, read LotR again, read the UT, read the Silm again, and then bought three HoME books, and then bought four more HoME book, which I'm currently reading smilies/smile.gif

[ January 22, 2003: Message edited by: Falagar ]

[radagast]

I was first introduced to Tolkien by afriend back in 87. We were in a book store and he saw the Book Of Lost Tales part 1 in the clearance section. He picked it up and said that I would enjoy it. So I bought it. I skimmed throuh it and found that very interesting. So I bought the Hobbit, LOTR and the Silm. And have been in heaven ever since.

[Airerûthiel]

When I was a little kid, my mum's friend used to look after me while my mum worked. During my childhood she used to give me birthday and Christmas gifts of classic books (Anne of Green Gables, Narnia Chronicles, that sort of thing), and one year she gave me a copy of The Hobbit. I read that in about a day, thought it was brilliant and wanted to read more of Tolkien's work. But my parents wouldn't let me read Lord of the Rings then because they thought I wouldn't really understand it. So my interest in Tolkien lay dormant for about four years, and then I saw the movie of FotR. Thinking that was really good, I then spent my Christmas money on a second-hand copy of LotR...and it goes on from there.

[Rinlothien]

A friend recommended the Hobbit when I was in High School. I was hooked and reread them all yearly(until I had kids)I managed a bookstore in the 80s and bought the Sil the day it came out. Now I have my husband hooked, he just started The Hobbit smilies/smile.gif

[DaughterofVana]

The person who introduced me was... myself, I guess. I saw the cartoon of the Hobbit way back in elementary school. I tried to check out the book then, but the librarian stopped me, saying that it was too hard for me. "I have High Schoolers that come in here looking for it when their copies are out in the High School library," she said to me. When I still resisted, she made a big deal of flipping open the cover and reading the first sentence: "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit..." then looked at me like "you've got to be kidding." I gave up. So it would be six or seven years later...

My Uncle Dave, a renowned Tolkien fan ("renowned" being that I talked about him on another thread) was getting rid of his old paperback set from the seventies. He had just gotten the red leatherbound edition with the box and the seven stars/seven stones/white tree on the front. (Know it so well because we sell it at the bookstore where I work(ed) ) Anyway, my Grandma gave the old paperbacks to me. I was STILL interested in reading them, but I was afraid to read the paperbacks because they were in such dismal shape--you could tell that they were really well loved. I bought all three for myself (matching set there, too), then the accompaning "Hobbit", and that was it! smilies/smile.gif

-'Vana

[ January 22, 2003: Message edited by: DaughterofVana ]

[Melyana4324]

At first I wasnt really interested in that sort of stuff, but I was persuaded by my best mates to go and watch the first one. From then on Ive been hooked completely!!! I dont normally do much reading but, after watching the second film Im totally into the reading. I got all three books bought for me over xmas and Im making good progress. Im really into it now and sometimes I think I was stupid for not reading the books sooner.

[Reyna Evergreen]

I was introduced to Tolkein's work by my dad, when he heard that they were making a movie out of it. (about two years before) I got hooked on the books, then became estatic about everything Tokien when the Fellowship of the Ring came out on movie. I read the Silm after I saw that I might need to read it to keep up at the BarrowDowns, and it turns out I liked it as much as the trilogy.

[Ardwenna]

I first read the hobbit when I was in middle school. And I tried the LOTR books, but I couldn't understand them much. And then I heard they were making the movies and I picked them up again and started reading them. Then my best friend bought me the boxed set for my birthday last year. smilies/smile.gif It was lovely.

BTW~Elijah Wood is from my hometown. Isn't that cool? smilies/smile.gif

[Lady Iverin]

I remember there being the LOTR trilogy books in a closet somewhere in my house when I was little. I always wanted to know what they were. I thought they looked boring. My mom eventually threw them away because they were old and smelly. I never did understand why she did that. They might have been worth something. Anyway, I watched the cute cartoon movie of the Hobbit when I was about 6 or 7. I forgot all about LOTR until my mom told me that they made movies of the books. Then I got excited and bought the books. smilies/smile.gif

[Rynoah, the Overly-Happy]

It's hard to explain, for I was introduced to Tolkien many, many times, so I will do my best to keep it as short as possible:

I know this'll sound so horrid and such, but I was actually "introduced" to Tolkien when I was about seven years old. However, I never actually got into his books until recently. I had an older brother and sister who had a teacher by the name of Mr. Cottle for their sixth-grade teacher. Mr. Cottle read The Hobbit to all his classes year after year, and my sister came home and immediately wanted the actual book from a Scholastic Book magazine. My mother obliged and bought it, but I took little interest in it (I was seven!). Then, my brother came home years later praising it and borrowed the book from my sister, reading it by himself. I still took no interest in it. I was 9. Finally, by the time I was 12 and in sixth grade, I got Mr. Cottle. He read to us The Hobbit (also The Grey King, which is also an excellent book in a good series by Susan Cooper) and I grew slightly interested in it. However, when he said there were more books in the series, it went in one ear and out the other. When I was twelve, I wasn't a big fan of book series and had no interest in reading them. Finally, at the age of thirteen or fourteen and in Junior High, I borrowed The Hobbit from my sister and read through it again. By this time, I was suffering a horrible bout of depression and had blocked most of my childhood, so I didn't remember there were more than one. Pity, because I probably would've read them earlier if I had as I was interested in book series by then, now that I think about it. I was again ensnared by the book, but depression set in, my sister moved away (taking the book with her) and I forgot about it again for three years. Then, rumor grew of a new movie trilogy based in a fantasy world. Taking little interest in the movie itself, I didn't pay much attention to it, but I did get a few bookmarks from the High School library for my brother-in-law (the one married to the sister who owns The Hobbit). He was delighted and began to spout off names of characters and histories. I was less than amused, until he mentioned that Ian McKellan would be doing the part of a familiar name: Gandalf. A rusty chest in the depression-scorched area of the library of my mind opened and I drew forth old, half-charred documents of memories of a book about a little man who lived in a hole and went on an adventure with a wizard named Gandalf. I was interested, however, I still didn't realize that there were books involved. I just figured that the movie was a spinoff of the children's book.

I didn't actually hear of the book trilogy until the ride to the theater, when my brother-in-law and his brother began to talk of them. When I got out of the theater, I was completely blown away (and surprised. I hadn't known Sean Bean, whom I have been a bit of a fan of for quite some time, was going to be in the movie!) and wanted desperately to get a hold of the books. The last sister living with me (who is getting married in May) bought the entire trilogy after I got a hold of the Fellowship of the Ring and I was blessed to be able to read all three in their entireity without having to wait to borrow them.

So, you could say my sister introduced me to Tolkien, or Mr. Cottle, or my brother-in-law or even the movies. It is your choice. smilies/wink.gif

[ March 02, 2003: Message edited by: Rynoah, the Overly-Happy ]

[Lyta_Underhill]

I came to them a little late, I suppose. I had seen the cartoon version of the Hobbit in the mists of memory long gone, but in 1987, my father presented me with a boxed special 50th anniversary edition of The Hobbit for Christmas, and I thought it was nice and pretty and all, but I didn't read it until I was in no mood for Chemistry homework one evening the next year. I read it and enjoyed it, and thought no more of it, until my father bought me the boxed set of Lord of the Rings after that, which included The Hobbit. So, it sat unread through the rest of my undergraduate years in college, until I reached graduate school and was more than desperate for escape. Thus, one winter's evening, I picked up Fellowship of the Ring and did not stop until the end of Return of the King...strange thing, I did not get as much out of them then as I did after I reread them this year, 13 years after the first time. I don't know why, but I'm glad to have gotten back to them!

Cheers,
Lyta

[Calenedheliel1]

I first read the Hobbit when I was fifteen years old and thought it was the greatest story I had ever read. The librarian was the one to suggest the book to me and I am forever in her debt. I didn't read the Lord of the Rings until 2 years ago. Why? I'll never know because I owned to books for a long time but never took or had the time to read them.

[TheHobbit]

I asked in a library after a good fantasybook when I was 8 years old.
Then I read it and I thought it was awesome.
Later when the movies came I was just overwhelmed. smilies/biggrin.gif

[Donlammenion]

i first got introduced to the book (old full edition FotR,TTT,RotK) in secondary school and read it with the enthuiasm of a child playing with a new toy i found it almost impossible to put it down. i didnt read again until a few years ago when i read the hobbit and only recently have i got back to FotR and now im on TTT and i read with the same enthuiasm as ever only with a better understanding of tolkens genius.
Thats my story short but sweet.

[Quelledaewen]

Well, I'm 46 years old. I read The Hobbit when I was 15 or 16, then many years later (and this was during the Hippie movement) my pot-smoking boyfriend introduced me to the trilogy. This story gained new popularity during the Vietnam War era.

[Lossenorodion]

ohhh well shame on me also,i saw the movie first but befor it my father had read the books and told me about them and i saw him once and look at the cover(which are pretty odd some trees and stuff like it) and i was like wth are u reading and didnt pay attention,

but know i think how stupid i was and now i regret myself smilies/rolleyes.gif

[Vardamar]

My mother introduced me.

oh and the movies reintroduced me

[Armadoin]

First, I would like to say this; many of you have been refering to the books as a trilogy. That in itself is not true: Tolkien never wanted it to be a trilogy, and besides, there are a total of 6 books in the one book. The publishers simply wanted it split into three books for odd marketing purposes.

Any way; I am also ashamed to say that I had never heard of lotr until the movie came out. I had been forced to read the Hobbit in 8th grade, and I loathed every minute of it *slaps self silly with book*. When the movie came out, my sister told me we had to go see it, because her friends had told her it was great. So, I went to see it, and I fell in love with the whole aspect. I went home and read the Hobbit and loved it, then went out the next day and bought the book and stayed awake until I had read the whole thing, then I read it again, and I discovered the list of books in the back, and so far I have only read the shaping of middle earth, the sil, Bolt2, and sir Gawain. I am making it a point to read every one of his books at least twice before I die (which hopefully won't be for another 80 years) But, so ends my epic tale of my conversion. smilies/biggrin.gif smilies/biggrin.gif

[mark12_30]

In (?third or) fourth grade our teacher read The Hobbit to us.

And in sixth and seventh grade, reading LOTR was considered essential among us nerds.

Let's see, that was.... 1972? 1973?

[ March 05, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

[nPiLL]

I was introduced to Tolkien when i was at the library and i saw a copy of The Hobbit. At first i took a look at it and thought what a stupid book. So reluctantly i took it, thinking it was going to be a simple read for a school book report. After i had read it i thought it was great. I then began researching the LotR a little bit. I soon bought my copies of The Hobbit and LotR. I read the first two LotR and thought they were awesome. Ever since i have like the LotR and the stuff about them.

[merenwen]

my little brother got the fotr movie for his birthday but i wasn't that interested then, but then a girl in my homeroom really liked lotr and so it kinda rubbed off on me. so i started reading the books really loved them. So every day i get to talk about lotr with sumone who doesn't think i'm crazy smilies/biggrin.gif it's quite lovely

[Pervinca Burrows from Combe]

I had never heard about LOTR until my friend ask me (who had read the books before) wanted me to see the movie FOTR so i said sure why not. When she was explaining what the movie was about i ask myself how she talked me into seeing this weird movie. After the movie ended i couldn't stop thinking about it and read the first book in a week(i wasn't a fast reader then). Now its my favorite book/movie ever. smilies/biggrin.gif

[Lyra Greenleaf]

my mum was telling me for years to read it every time i moaned that 'i've got nothing to read!', but i got a really funny picture in my head of some monster (a 'hobbit') sitting on a hole which some other people were trying to stuff a ring down. so i didnt read it. then i saw the film trailer in july 2002, and by september i'd read the hobbit and all three books! so i'm kind of ashamed that the film did really inspire me to read the books

[Calencoire]

I hadn't ever heard of The Lord of the Rings until I saw the trailer for The Fellowship of the Ring. I thought the movie looked very cool, since I like fantasy/history things like that. Then I found out they were books too and not just a movie. I got the books for Christmas, fell in love, saw the movie and fell deeper in love. smilies/biggrin.gif

[Gil-Galad]

my bro took me to see this play in the park (its in Canada) and it was the Hobbit so after i saw the pay i wanted to read the book, then i got into lotr and BAM here i am with some catnip and a barbie doll man my life is messed smilies/rolleyes.gif smilies/evil.gif smilies/eek.gif smilies/tongue.gif smilies/wink.gif smilies/biggrin.gif smilies/biggrin.gif

[gilraën]

My mother read The Hobbit to all of her seven children and then when we were able gave us her copies of LOTR to read for ouselves. I can't remember the exact age, but I was less than 10. I'm now reading The Hobbit in turn to my 5 year old since my mother is no longer with us to pass on that tradition, she read it to her older grandchildren too. I only discovered the Simarillion, Unfinished Tales and HoME recently.

[Luthien_ Tinuviel]

I read The Hobbit in fourth grade, then I read LOTR in that summer and have read it annually ever since. If I had not been introduced to Tolkien then, I feel sure I would have sooner or later, due to the fact that my dad likes Tolkien also, and owns The Hobbit and LOTR as well.

[ March 12, 2003: Message edited by: Luthien_ Tinuviel ]

[Sophia the Thunder Mistress]

I first read the hobbit when I was in fifth grade. My mother had read a lot of Tolkien in High School, but could'nt remember much of it (she, to this day calls the Silmarillion the "Samrillion" and calls Eomer "Elmer" *shakes head in despair*) But she remembered enough to know it was the kind of thing I'd like, so when I was sick she bought me a copy. I devoured it in about two days and then read the entire Lord of the Rings in less than a week. I got a little bogged down in the Silmarillion though, and didn't finish it till about my sophomore year of high school. Since then I've probably read it all about twenty, twenty five times smilies/smile.gif *sigh* it just keeps getting better!

[Annalaliath]

my mother had the Hobbit on vidio for the longest time till my dad recorded some horrable concert over it. but other than that the book were in my house for long before i was borne(my mother says that when she was young, the 60's she was looking for anything grey because she was obsesed with elves) just to say the least i got into Narnia and then Tolkien and also i got into Terry Brooks. that lead me to the Brothers Hildebrant and finally full circle back to Tolkien. but we can all attribute this to my mother and that old cartoon.

[Isildur]

Been a fan of Tolkien for about 2 years; just got the books at a local book sale for about a dollar each and became hooked. Love the movies too. smilies/cool.gif

[Rochelle]

I am not ashamed in the least to say that the movies introduced me to Tolkien. My dad and brother had read the books countless times, but I was never one for "fantasy". When I saw the first movie, I was so enthralled with the detail of the characters and the scenery, so I decided I would finally pick up my dad's 40 year old copies and read 'em smilies/smile.gif I have finished the trilogy now, and am actually reading the Hobbit *lol* A little out of order, but no one minds that smilies/smile.gif I'm also proud to say that I actually finished Return of the King before the movie came out, so I will be able to criticize the movie properly.

That is why I hailed Peter Jackson's remarkable job on LotR. If he had done poorly then I doubt I would have ever read the books...Mae Caernen PJ!

[Ainaserkewen]

Ahh, when did I learn about tolkien? Well, I had some friends in my younger grades who read them, but they were kind of nerdy and by their discriptions, the book sounded boring. Plus, I really didn't read much back then. Then, in grade 8, my class went to see the movie. I was thrown into his world, met all the characters and the music, oh the music, just held me and hasn't let me go. After seeing it 6 times in the theater, I begged to get the books, which I read, quickly at first, but over and over, until I can recount every detail, now I search for the related books by C. Tolkein. I can't wait to read them all.

[Alatáriël Lossëhelin]

I've been a resident of Middle Earth for many years now. In 1966 (when I was 15), a friend loaned me a copy of the Hobbit. I stayed up all night reading it. I immediately borrowed FotR and read it in a couple of days. However, since this set of books was being routed to several people, I had to wait weeks to find out what happened to the Fellowship, and even longer before Sam was able to rescue Frodo. Since then, I've bought my own copies (several sets). I bought the Silmarillion when it was first published, but I could not finish it. I dug out my copy a few months ago, and I'm almost finished with the second reading.

[Elen]

I remember when I was about eight, I went to the Library and got the Hobbit out, but I never read it. Then when the Fellowship came out I got curious again and bought the Hobbit and LotR, I then read them and read them, then I saw the film. Since then I have become obsessed with Tolkien and have collected all of HoME and some other books, and the Silmarillion.

[Bunko]

Like a lot of people I saw the the fellowship of the ring first (i'll give my self a slap) but i thought what a great film, the book must be fantastic.

I bought the 3 books and started reading, I enjoyed them so much i read them twice within the year. In the same year i also read the Hobbit, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.

I have started to read the LOTR again just incase i missed anything.

[The Evenstar]

I had heard about the books and then when the movies came out, I becasme even mor intrested and it turned out that I loved them and I began to read the books. From then on, I have done research on LOTR to get to knoe it better.
I'm young, so I wasn't around when the books came out!

[Lathriel]

My mom loved LOTR and as usual I was looking for a new book to read (I always am)
At around age eight she told me the Hobbit might be fun. I liked it a lot.Than a year or two after I read LOTR.nNow I am planning to read it once a year! (I need my own copy, my mom's is getting dog eared and ripped.)

[Miraz]

I was first introduced to Tolkien when I saw a production of The Hobbit at a children’s theatre 10 years ago, when I was 8 years old. My mom had already read many of the Chronicles of Narnia to my brother and I, so I immediately took to the Hobbit, and enjoyed the performance.

Last year, I was coming back early from a trip to Germany, and was alone with 24 hours to kill in the Frankfurt airport, so I looked for a bookstore, and enquired after whether they had any books in English. I was delighted, when I saw that they had an English version of LOTR series. (I had seen FOTR in the theatres, and read other fantasy series since then, but somehow I hadn’t gotten around to reading LOTR.) I sat down in a quite spot and started reading. The hours flew by! LOTR are the best books I have ever read. Since then, I have read The Hobbit, The Silmarillion,the Letters of Tolkien, and a few days ago, started reading LOTR again.

[Nerindel]

I was introduced to tolkien by both my parents,they read me the Hobbit many times (my dad did a wicked Gollum voice)I loved it. my mother was a member of the Tolkien Society and went to Oxford many times as Éowyn (she even had a sword especially made for her). It was my mother that bought me my first copy of the LOTR trilogy when I was 12 and I've read it every year since,some times 2 or 3 times a year. I even did my Standard grade book report on LOTRs ( I got a gade B smilies/smile.gif ). I only got a copy of the sil 5 years ago but I loved that too smilies/smile.gif

[Helkahothion]

I got a puzzle from the movie with all the characters. My mother pushed me to go see the movie. After the movie I read the books.
________
Lincoln continental picture (http://www.ford-wiki.com/wiki/Lincoln_Continental)

[Daewen]

I can't believe I haven't posted here yet, because, as anyone who's read a few of my other posts in miscelanious threads would know, I love to brag about how I got introduced to Lord of the Rings.
When I was five years old (and still taking naps smilies/wink.gif ) my dad would sit me down and read me a few chapters of the Hobbit before I took my nap. Even though I was young, I followed the story line fairly well, although certain details eluded me. By the time I was seven, my dad had begun to read me the Fellowship of the ring, then when I was eight, we read the Two Towers, then when I was nine, we read Return of the King, and when I was ten, my dad sat me down and said, "I think it's time for you to tackle the Hobbit again...but this time, on your own." So I re-read all the books, starting with the Hobbit, and since read them rather sporadicaly, it took untill I was about 12 to finish, but by the time I was 13, I was reading the Silmarilon to my dad, and a year later, when I was 14 (and reading the Unfinished Tales if anyone cares) the first movie came out and my dad and I saw it together. So, in short, Tolkien's works have been a bit of a father daughter bonding thing for me and my dear old Gaffer, as I have taken to calling him as of late.

[GreatWarg]

In a hole in a ground there lived a hobbit... but that right now, is irrevelant to my tale.

Since I was... I believe nine... yes that sounds about right... when I was nine, during the summer break, I was idle. My older sister didn't want to see me just sit there and mope, so she forced me to go out bike riding with her. As we rode, she insisted that we stop by a book store that they tore down two years ago and built a coffee shop.

My sister bought three paper-back books curiously named 'The Fellowship of the Ring,' 'The Two Towers,' and 'The Return of the King.' I casually read the description, and found it somewhat interesting. Afterwards, I would find my sister constantly reading those books, and began pestering her about them. After she finished a chapter, she would summarize what had happened to me. Not only did this help me develop interest in Tolkien, but it helped me bond more with my sister.

Eventually, my sister gave my her copy of 'The Hobbit,' and soon thereafter I was busy gulping up everything about Tolkien. I received 'The Silmarillion' and 'Unfinished Tales' two years ago, and have just finished the HoME series some months ago. Am now working on 'The Lays of Beleriand.'

[PraileyTook]

When I was in seventh grade I had a wonderful english instructor who loved Tolkien. For part of our studies we read the Hobbit as a class divided up into three teams. There was a HUGE map of Middle-earth on one side of the classroom that charted our progress through the book, and depending on how well you did in your team, your group would advance farther through the map and gain points. He made the story fun and I really enjoyed it. My Mom bought me the boxed set of the LOTR with the Hobbit included afterwards (I still have it - the pages are battered and it is 15 years old and very special to me!) My Mom also has always loved Tolkien and we even have a cat who's name is Frodo, one in the past who was named Gandalf, and we almost had two parakeets named Pippin and Merry when I was 5(I guess Dad wasn't to keen on that idea so they were named something else!) So with the influences from my English teacher and my Mother I have always loved Tolkien!

[Niluial]

My mom read The Hobbit to me when I was a little girl (four or three)! I loved The Hobbit, I even got a stuffed toy from a British shop (I come from Australia but I lived in England for about three years). It was a Tolkien toy shop with Tolkien books and stuffed toys I got the Smaug stuffed dragon! I lived with Smaug where I went Smaug went smilies/biggrin.gif! So as much as I love Lord Of The Rings, The Hobbit will always be a all time favourite.. I suppose LOTR is as well… smilies/wink.gif. So that’s how I got to know Tolkien books, I suppose I grew up with Tolkien smilies/smile.gif!

[Katherine712]

About a year ago, I was home one sunday and was bored out of my mind. So I wandered into my parents room and picked up The Fellowship Of the Ring, mainly out of desperation for something to do. About half an hour later, I was hooked, and haven't stopped reading and admiring the books since. I had heard how good the books were from a friend, and ended up finishing the trilogy before her! smilies/confused.gif

[Luinalatawen]

I was in middle school, probably 7th grade, and they showed us a cartoon version of The Hobbit. I remember being not very interested in it, but I have a vivid picture of the Hobbit-holes in the video til this day. My mom read The Hobbit when she was younger and always told me that I should read it, but, stupidly enough, I never took her advice.

I make it a point to see book-inspired movies after reading the book itself, so that is what sparked my interest (finally). So my mom then bought me a copy of LotR and I read it. Unfortunately, it was after my first viewing of The Fellowship. I really regret not listening to my mom when she told me to read The Hobbit!!! But it's all good now... Now, I'm determined to read LotR at least once every year. And to read HoME.

Now, I look back and laugh at how STUPID I was to not be interested in Tolkien!! But hey, I'm only 18, and I have the rest of my life to become more learned in the area of Middle Earth.

[Gilbo]

It was a dark and stormy night off the coast of Santo Stefano. The fierce wind nearly drove the ship to keel over. we had rolled almost 30 degrees. I was in search of a reason not to puke. I looked in the community drawer and found a copy of Fellowship. For lack of anything better(skinmag), I began to read.
I finished a day later and went in search of the next book. That was 1974. I've read it about once a year since then. It always seems as good as the first.

[Gorwingel]

Gilbo that is a cool way to discover a book. Are you some kind of fisherperson, or were you just on a pleasure trip?

[Radagast II]

I found out about Tolkien one dull Sunday strolling through a cemetry where I came upon the graves of Luthien and Beren and I wanted to find out about them

[Sillabub]

I read the hobbit when I was in grade 4 or something. One of my really good friends introduced me to the existance of the lord of the rings, and I saw about half of FOTR this past september, I just finished the movie a few months ago and have watched it at least 6 times since. It was this LOTR musical I was trying out for (I was auditioning for the part of Pippin) that got me to read FOTR (which, might I add, was REALLY boring!!). Antien introduced me to the Barrow-downs.

[elle]

well i got addicted to tolkien not to long a go and it happen because of the movie. i have all ways had the books of the lord of the rings, for my mother gave them to me when i was young, but i never read them until i saw the movie. then i decided it looked good so i read them once, then again, and again , until i read the trilogy 8 times in a row. i was hooked, then i told mother to buy the sil and so she did, and i read that, and asked mother to buy the unfinished tales for me, and im in the middle of that right now! i love tolkien!

[Novhloke]

actually how i started on reading The Hobbit and then on LotR and appendices was because of the LotR Movie Trailer, real good trailer, so i began reading, now im a full fledged fan.

[Aragolas]

Since we started dating 8 years ago, my husband had been trying desperately to read the books. 'Twasn't my thing, I thought.

Only after seeing TTT in the theaters (not even FOTR on DVD) did my obsession begin. Now, I know more about it than he does, and I'm getting our 4yo son hooked on it as well. I'm even learning Sindarin!

[Wolf Larson]

I was first introduced to Tolkein with a TV trailer, I spoke casually of seeing it with my father, a good freind of mine who at the time was 78, recomended to me that I see the movie before I read the books. Seeing as he had always pictured hobbits as fat a green I decided to take his advise. (We never figured out where green came from) One day as I came in the door from school my dad askd me if I was interested in seeing a movie. I agreed. Since then I have read the books three times been all over the many sites, have claimed Melko as my favorite character and gotten my sisters and cousin interested. The friend also watched the movie with me and found it quite accurate. (Even without Tom.) -Wolf Larson

[Gandalf The Grey]

I first read The Hobbit for school and then got hooked on LOTR and when the movies came out I saw them (of course) and recently I've been reading some of his other books smilies/smile.gif

[Idunn]

Well, in my family it is I who is hooked on books. That's why it is a shame to admit that in fact my younger brother had read LORT before me. smilies/wink.gif Certainly, he loved the book and encouraged me to take a look at it. What I did. As a consequence, we together went on enjoying other Tolkien's books. But right now it is I who is reading LORT for the second time.

[EvennStarr8]

My sister came down one smmer and on the way to the airport (about 2 hours there) she told me and my other sister about the books she was reading:Lord of the Rings! I was so excited just hearing about them! Then in my Senior year in high school we read The Hobbit and watched the movie (cartoon).I was hooked then,but I'm "stuck" on Rotk!And I haven't read anything else yet! smilies/frown.gif

[Phoenix]

I had never even heard of tLoTR until a friend and my mom took me to see the first showing at midnight and I absolutely fell in love. As soon as I had seen it agaaaaain I started reading the books. No once a year I read The Hobbit, The Trilogy, and The Silmarillion, and in that order.

[Corwyn Celesil]

My father read The Hobbit years ago, and I was vaguely intrigued then, but I didn't actually read any of the books until four or five years ago. I confess to my shame that I only got through FoTR, TTT, and the beginning of RoTK before becoming horribly bored and confused. After I watched the first movie, I wanted to refresh my memory, so I read the first book, then after the second movie I read the second and third books, and by the time I got to the Appendices, I was addicted. I in quick succession read The Silmarillion (which is my favorite of all the books), The Unfinished Tales, The Book of Lost Tales 1-2, The Lost Road, and most of the other books Christopher Tolkien put together. I had to quit at The War of the Ring because I could no longer borrow them from the person I was borrowing them from. A good deal of my interest came from one of my best friends, who is obssessed with LoTR.

[Laura]

I read the Hobbit when I was about 6 (i'm 19 now), but I didn't read any of the lord of the rings books til last year when i first saw the fellowship on video. Then i bought all three of the lotr books in october and read them in about a week, then went back to the beginning and read them again. I got totally hooked and must have read them about 5 times since i bought them. I just bought the silmarillion but i'm finding it a bit hard to get into.

[QuickSlash]

Well, I first read the Fellowship in December 2001, when it came out as a movie. My mom'd told me that the books were very good, and I'd decided to read the books (or at least the first one) before seeing the movie. That's a policy of mine, and I suggest everyone use it. The books are always better than the movies, and the books lose their initial magic if you've seen the movie. You end up with the director's first impression instead of your own.

But, anyway, I suppose Peter Jackson introduced me to Tolkein. ;D

[arianrod]

My dad read me The Hobbit when I was 5. I fell in love with Bilbo, and even named a teddy bear after him. (Unfortunatly, the dog ate it, dad washed it, and it burned to a crisp in the drier because of the glitter in its fur. yea... it's kinda a traumatic experience for me... how would you like to see your favorite teddy bear named after your favorite character burning to death in your family's drier? But I'm getting off subject...) I was very moved by the whole book, even cried for days after Thorin died, and was eager to read more about Bilbo. When I was about 8, I was browsing the bookshelf for something to read and stumbled upon Dad's LotR collection, which he'd had since college but never read. I remembered Bilbo and eagerly opened the cover, but soon saw that it was about some fool named Frodo and I shoved the book back on the shelf, not wanting anything to do with it. Until...

...Peter Jackson made a movie. I was older, but still fixed on Bilbo and pretty stubborn about not being very interested in seeing the Fellowship movie, but good ol' Dad dragged me to the theatre anyway... and I fell in love with another Baggins. So, almost the minute I got home, I retrived the grudged books from the shelf and started on page one.

I've tried reading the books to my dad now, to kind of return the favor. It's hard because we both have busier scheduals, but we're slowly making our way through, and he loves them.

[Kylan MacConnell]

Hi all,
This is my very first post here on the Downs. I was introduced to JRRT in my 9th grade class, 30 some years ago, by my English Literature teacher. I was hooked on Sci-Fi/Fantasy earlier than that, but Tolkien really got the Fantasy side firmly entrenched in my soul. Been reading it since then. Also expanded to try and read other, Older authors and try to keep up with all the new ones coming along.

[greyhavener]

I was about twelve or thirteen. My cousin gave me his old LOTR set and a copy of the Hobbit telling me he thought I'd like it. I read it all over spring break and thought it was the best thing I ever read. Thirty years later, I still do.

[Finwe]

I think it must have been when I was 5 or 6. My first "grown-up" series was Lord of the Rings. I read part of it, and then put it away for a long time. Then, the year before FotR came out, I took it up again, and now I am a devoted Valarin follower and Tolkienologist.

[Olorin]

My father has been an avid LotR fan since he was younger than me. He has been trying to get me to read it since I was a toddler, however it was actally the first movie that caught my eye and instilled in me a love for everything Middle Earth related.

[Meneltarmacil]

Well, for me it all started when I was 6. My family was going to take a long car trip and got The Hobbit on casette tape to listen to on the way. I fell in love with Middle Earth instantly after listening to it. Later, I got LOTR on cassette and thought it was even better. I remember wondering if it would ever become a movie. Everybody kept saying, "No way".
Then Peter Jackson came along. smilies/evil.gif

BTW has anybody else listened to The Mind's Eye audiotapes of LOTR or The Hobbit? They were quite well done IMO.

[Snowdog]

*leans back against a tree in the Shire and lights his pipe, and blowing a smokering that Gandalf manipulated, I start to tell of my adventure...*

It was late 1975 when a friend and I went walking around the neighborhood. We stopped to share a smoke when he told me of this book he was reading called The Hobbit. I asked what it was about and he told me about hobbits and the fact they tended to stay home and loved to eat and smoke. That got me intersted as I figured they smoked alot, got high and then had the munchies. He loaned me the book after he finished and I started reading it and loved it! He told me on one of our walks about another book called the The Fellowship of the Ring. Of course I read it and since my friend wasn't reading them as fast as I, I checked out Return of the King from the library rather than waiting for him to finish. of course I delved into Middle Earth as I combed the Apendices for every scrap of detail. Early 1976 I spotted this girl reading Return of the King by the flagpole and I struck up a conversation. It was a nice relationship to finish out the senior year as we would write Tengwar notes to each other, and our crowning achievement was when we cut class after lunch when the construction crew went to lunch, and we inscribed 'friends' in Tengwar into a wet cement curb. It was there until last fall when rennovation of the school caused the destruction of that curb. It was too bad the last time we saw each other was graduation night....
Anyway, I loved Tolkien's writing, and was in the line party at the local Walden Books for the release of the Silmarillion... the first new glimpse into Middle Earth since the Return of the King was released in 1954.

I was also one who went to the theatre to see Bakshi's animated Lord of the Rings. I wasn't impressed with much of it, mainly because it ended at Helms Deep and was never truely finished. I did like the way the Orcs were portrayed as it was more like my minds eye saw them (they were too organized in the PJ movie).

I lapsed in my vigilance for Middle Earth for some years after that, not caring for the animated Hobbit and poor finish-up of Return of the King... Then I saw Unfinished Tales on a bookrack in a grocery store... one of the small ones in the checkout line, and I immediatly bought it, though I didn't read it for some months afterward. I loved it much, and promptly read the trilogy again. It was then I started writing some fanfiction and I used some of an unfinished novel I was writing over the years, and had fun making my own Middle Earth side stories. Anyway.. I digress...

It was with mixed feelings when I heard a movie was being made of the books, and though I think PJ has done a remarkable job of bringing Middle Earth to the big screen, there are many aspects of the movie I can never agree with (Rohan being rocky being one, the changing of the story so much being the other though I know why it was done).

The one thing I think has been lost is the Mind's Eye "seeing" the characters as described by Tolkien himself wheras reading the book for the first time after seeing the movie, the character imprint is already on ones mind before reading the descriptions. On the bright side, it has brought many more people to know the fine writings of Tolkien! smilies/smile.gif

* tamps out pipe and stretches in the sun as I eat an apple..*

[Liriodendron]

Ohh Snowdog! I love it when you tell those good old stories! Hobbits (and Gandalf's smokerings) seemed so far out! smilies/smile.gif

[Sirithheruwen]

My dad was a big fan of the books, and he read The Hobbit to me when I was little. Later, when I was a little older, my uncle, who was also a big fan, gave me FOTR. I've been in love ever since!

Check this out and persevere, and you will become lost in Middle-earth.
Love, Cormac

[Esgallhugwen]

I was first introduced to Tolkien by my mom! when I was a wee lass she would read me the Hobbit but it was indeed special because the book was in fact in comic book form with beautiful pictures and actually exactly like the actual paperback novel. It was a long comic you could say smilies/biggrin.gif Me and my little brother were so into it we would act it out, he would be Bilbo and I dressed in a red robe would be Smaug the Magnificent! smilies/evil.gif It was so much fun!

[Silmiel of Imladris]

I am fairly new to Middle-Earth. About three years ago my friend told me about the LOTR series and how they were going to make a movie trilogy based on them. He gave me the Hobbit to read and I took my time to get though it because there was a lot of stuff I didn't understand at the time. (I must sound pathetic because I was a freshman in high school when I read the Hobbit and most of you guys were much younger and you still got more out of it than I did.) Well after I finshed the Hobbit he gave me the Fellowship to read and I hated it. I struggled with all the names and places that were not explained in detail. After a while I gave the book back because I was having such a hard time and I kind of forgot about Middle-Earth completely. Then I saw the Fellowship preview and I was stunned. I knew that the only way I could totally enjoy and understand the movie for myself would be to finish the book. So I borrowed it from a different friend this time and I struggled with it again. I didn't get much out of it and I only finished it about a month before the movie but when I saw the Fellowship I was like "Oh...now I get it." So anyway after that I read TTT and it was much easier because I knew more and ROTK was a breeze because I got the elvish dictionary that I can't live without. Now I am reading the Sil which I am taking my time on so I won't get lost and after that I am reading the Lost Tales of Numenor and Middle Earth. So I am glad my friends kicked my butt to read these books or I would have never of know about all the fun I would have been missing.

[The Sixth Wizard]

I'm proud to say I first read the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings at the age of 9!
Not that I understood LOTR, my dad just gave me the Hobbit and I saw "If you are interested in hobbits you'll learn more in the Lord of the Rings..." and I thought I might as well, read it, and by the time I picked it up again I had forgotten basically all of it. But still, go me.
Soon I'll finish The Silmarillion...

[Goldberry101]

I'm sad to say, I thought LotR was a bad movie until I was 12...thats when my parents finally let me watch them...and I fell in love! Then I read the books. Tolkien's best book is by far the Silmarillion, and I think the Hobbit is his second best.

[Rhod the Red]

It was when I was like 12 or 13. My dad borrowed the 1970's cartoon movie of TLOTR, I liked it. Then read the book. Then we saw The Hobbit cartoon movie, then I read that.

I've been hooked eversince and we all were very pleased when Peter Jackson made his films. We weren't dissapointed.

[ninja91]

Well, I saw the film version of The Fellowship of the Ring. I fell in love with the world, and got absorbed into fantasy. They are my favorite movies of complete all time, and the books are up therer with my favorites. It also introduced me with other great fantasy, such as TOR and Forgotten Realms. J.R.R. Tolkien and R.A. Salvatore are the masters of fantasy. Represent! :D