Early-teen fans on the Barrow Downs?

[Rindoien, elf of Lothlorien]

I am 13 and I was wondering if ANYONE at all here is in their early teens? It is driving me crazy, you are all in college and the like!

EDIT: To keep this topic Tolkien-related, I was wondering how you also came about the books. Any reply would be great!

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 5:25 PM December 06, 2003: Message edited by: Rindoien, elf of Lothlorien ]

[Luthien_ Tinuviel]

Nah, there are a lot of teenagers here. As far as I know, anyway. I'm one, just for your comfort. And there are a lot more, who might or might not reveal themselves. Say, just about everyone in the Mirth forum.

EDIT: Has there already been a topic about how you found out about Tolkien? Not sure. I, for one, had it going really well, because I would have found the book sone way or another anyway. I read the Hobbit when I was eight (I saw it at school and then we had it at home, too), and then found out about LOTR from my dad (who also likes LOTR). So then I read the copy of LOTR that we got, and loved it. I was nine. But if my dad hadn't recommended it, then the friend that read LOTR during the same summer that I did would have made me read it (and it wouldn't have taken much convincing). Or else I would eventually have just gone looking for it, considering there were favorable reviews of LOTR in my copy of The Hobbit. So everything was working towards my reading LOTR. Weird, that. But cool, nonetheless.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 5:32 PM December 06, 2003: Message edited by: Luthien_ Tinuviel ]

[Meela]

Say, just about everyone in the Mirth forum.

Is in their early teens? I'm the only exception then.

[Luthien_ Tinuviel]

Well, yes, you are a notable exception that I actually had in mind at the time of posting. I'm not sure that they're all in their early teens, say, but definately teens, for the most part. Hope I didn't disillusion you or anything, Meela.

[Meela]

Not at all.

I'm notably exceptional? Ooooh... I feel kinda special... *sparkles*

[Luthien_ Tinuviel]

Of course you are. So, to keep this on topic, how did you discover LOTR? Did you dream about Denethor and search the world over for the book or movie that he was in- to eventually happen upon LOTR? Or did you happen upon LOTR and then fall in love?

[Meela]

I discovered Lotr when I was very young. Not on purpose... somebody read me the Hobbit when I was three, and I caught up on the rest when I was older.

After I saw TTT for the first time, I did some research on Faramir. That was how I discovered Denethor. Then I saw a picture of him in the film, and my true love was confirmed forever.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I don't know if all of us Mirthies are teens, but I'm willing to bet a good deal of us are, simply by the diction and the topics discussed: most have little relevance to 'old people'. I for one am 16. Not an early teen, but a teen nonetheless. I know some of the guests (they haven't made their own identities, content to read others' posts), and they are early teens.

I discovered The Hobbit in 7th grade Advanced Reading class. The teacher was a Tolkienite (albight one with a slight problem with Elvish 'c's). Keeper of Dol Goldur introduced me to the Trilogy. Interest drove me toward the Silmarillion (and pure stubborness kept me there). I've read snippets of the Lost Tales, and flipped through the Atlas a few times.

Fea

[Iviana]

Well, I'm 15, so basically I'm a teen. Ang I think there are a lot of teens out here too.

I fist heard of LOTR when it came to thaters but it didn't exactly grab my attention. But then, a few months later, my mom buys it in DVD and I decided to whatch it because I was extremelly bored at the time. Now, I'm a total LOTR fan, I read the book and also other J.R.R.T.'s books. And I'm also waiting for ROTK to come out in theaters in December 17!!!!

[Elizabeth Elindel]

I'm a "young" teen - 15. :-) My dad got me invovled with the books (and now most likely wishes he never had, beacuse I won't let them be!)
Elizabeth

[Knight of Gondor]

I think you'd be surprised who among you is under twenty years of age! smilies/wink.gif

Meantime, I found the Rings series only after whispers of a nameless fear; a MOVIE about them! So I read the books that we received for Christmas. I was 40 pages away from finishing FotR, so once we got to the Argonath in the movie, I was clueless as to what would happen. Not so, by TTT time! smilies/biggrin.gif

[Daisy Brambleburr]

I'm 16, but I've only been into LotR for about a year. I managed to completely misse out on all the FotR movie hype, having only read about half of the first book which was given to me as a present, then I watched the extended DVD, loved it, and read all the books again at turbo-speed. I've never actually seen the Theatrical FOTR film.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 1:21 PM December 07, 2003: Message edited by: Daisy Brambleburr ]

[ArwenBaggins]

I'm an early teen (13). I was introduced to the books by my Grand'da, and I think he wishes he never read them to me some eight years ago. smilies/biggrin.gif

~Fëa

[Lady Snickerdoodle]

yay I'm 13 which i think is great because it practically gives me a liscence to be annoying and bratty and disrespectful to parents... not that I use it... *cough* I'm a mirthie through and through... I like that word. I read The hobbit-LOTR in 2-3rd grade and have been obsessed in fluxuating degrees ever since. But I think it's reaching its highest point ever this year. hmm. Is it any coincidence that parents and parenoid seem to have the same root word? i'm not really supposed to be giving out "personal info" but I mean, people can't be both LOTR freaks AND cyber pervs, so I guess I'm okay here... smilies/biggrin.gif smilies/biggrin.gif smilies/biggrin.gif

[Finwe]

I'm 16, and I'm one of those scary Tolkienites who has been reading LotR ever since she was a little kid. The Hobbit was my first "grownup" book, and soon after that, I got my hands on LotR (I think I was about 7 or 8) and I read it cover to cover nonstop since then. I was a fan then, but once the movies came out, I lived and breathed Tolkien.

[Amanaduial the archer]

I'm more middle teens than early teens - I'm 15.

[Catherine]

I am 15 too and I started to like LOTR when I was 13! Wow 2 years already...how time flys lol. My friend from school got me to start reading it! smilies/smile.gif

[Tar-Alcarin]

im 14. I got into LOTR about a year before the first moie came out. I had no idea they were even making a movie about it when i was 11. I read the hobbit in 5th grade, that would make me 10 years old. I have been into it ever since.

[Amarantha_Daisy]

I'm 16. Not really *early* teen, but a teen nonetheless.

I read The Hobbit in the sixth grade and loved it, so my parents bought me the LotR boxed set for my birthday. I tried to read FotR, but could never get past the first chapter. *stupid me* Time passed, and the FotR movie came out, which I watched and loved. I picked up the book again and this time read it, then read TTT and RotK. I'm now busily getting through all of Tolkien's other works. I am also now obsessive...

[Luthien_ Tinuviel]

So, it seems that most of us on this thread (and most Mirthies, for that matter. Would I be considered a Mirthie, by the way? I'm not quite sure) are teenaged girls. Odd, that, especially when one thinks of the labelling of LOTR as a "boy's book". Or has that idea died, and I'm just remembering it from elementary school?

[Oddwen]

Well, physically I'm 18, but spiritually I'm about twelve.

I discovered the joy truly when I was thirteen, when my Dad read it aloud to us. (The experience was mixed in with huge hunks of chocolate, that might have cemented my love too smilies/wink.gif )

Pre-teen girls, I would think, are attracted to LotR nowadays because of the "hunks" who travestize characters in it.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Oooh... we're talking spiritual ages? smilies/wink.gif Well, that entirely depends on teenage hormone imbalancing and how my day went. Some days I'm perfectly cheerful (remember being so happy around age 9?) and scare little children by skipping and dancing down the school halls... Those days get people telling me to grow up, act mature, and stop goofing off. Other days (and these tend to be more frequent)... well, lets put it this way: Angsty Teenage #$%*@-the-worldness. Those are the days that people tend to say things like "Quit being so cynical.", "Have fun! You're still a teenager!" and "Stop being such a buzzkill." So I suppose that makes me a nice mix between my girls (my little cousins) and my teachers.

I was just thinking about my first "big-kid" book... I was in second grade and bored out of my mind, so I read a 100-page documentary about Endangered Species (Komodo Dragons, California Condors, and the like). At least that's the one I remember. My parents (and brothers) claim that I learned to read from a big green animal book and that I used to toddle about our house saying things like "Ring-tailed lemurs come from Madagascar" and pointing to the pictures...

I remember reading The Hobbit for the first time shortly after I turned 12 and wondering why I was the only person in my class who enjoyed it...

I almost wish I could claim to have been one of the ones who grew up hearing the mastery, but I'm thankful that I wasn't introduced until I was older. I don't think I would have appreciated the books as much had I heard them when I was younger. I just wouldn't have understood as much.

Fea

[Durelin]

Yo!. 14. It's not a bad age, really. smilies/wink.gif

Pre-teen girls, I would think, are attracted to LotR nowadays because of the "hunks" who travestize characters in it.

Now that's just stereotypical! Even if, unfortunately, it is quite true in may cases. Sad, really.

[Knight of Gondor]

I do not want to set a spiritual age on myself, because the age that others have is such that if I stated it, it would be bragging. smilies/tongue.gif

Bet you guys didn't know you had this many fellow teens in the crowd, did you?

[Estelyn Telcontar]

This is a board-related topic, not a Tolkien discussion. I'm moving it to the Barrow-Downs forum; you may continue there.

[Rindoien, elf of Lothlorien]

Wow! I had no idea I'd get so many responses smilies/biggrin.gif

And just for the record.. I'm not a fangirl smilies/biggrin.gif

Heehee... eh. I first read LOTR directly after I saw FOTR. My brother had got the box set for Christmas but was too young to understand so now they have a better home... in my room smilies/evil.gif

[Aylwen Dreamsong]

I'm 14, and I read the books when I stole them ( smilies/wink.gif) from my sister only about a year and a half before the movies came out.

-Aylwen

[Lëowen]

I'm 13, and I read LotR right after the second movie came out. My friend who I had seen the movie with (he'd already read the books) told me that the movie was nothing like the book, so I figured it was quite a good movie, so the book must be even better. I read them right after that. smilies/biggrin.gif

[GaladrieloftheOlden]

I'm 13, and have liked LotR a lot for about two years now. I found it because my mom told me she'd heard that Tolkien was a good author. I was a bit reluctant to read it, as I hadn't liked the Hobbit on my first reading, but quickly got hooked.

-Menelien

[Lady Snickerdoodle]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-teen girls, I would think, are attracted to LotR nowadays because of the "hunks" who travestize characters in it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now that's just stereotypical! Even if, unfortunately, it is quite true in may cases. Sad, really.

SO NOT TRUE!!! well... not for me... even though Orli is soo cute. but my points are
1.) i got interested in the books loong before the movies came out
2.) legolas doesnt fit the hunk category. hes more the hottie kind. (there IS a difference... take it from the 13-year old)

[Sleeping Beauty]

2.) legolas doesnt fit the hunk category. hes more the hottie kind. (there IS a difference... take it from the 13-year old)

Oh dear lord, there's a difference?!? smilies/eek.gif Man, do I feel old....Must keep up with the pop-culture. Maybe I should go stand in the GAP for a while..... smilies/rolleyes.gif

And you are very special Meela, I laugh at every one of your posts. smilies/biggrin.gif

And I read the LOTR series when I was 15...was very good timing in my life. My history teacher in high school recommended it to us in an external reading list for the summer. It sounded more interesting than some of the books on the list(Hemingway, Faulkner, Fitzgerald) so I squirreled away the books from the library and read to my little hearts desire. I think being a teen is a really good age to start it....You're overcome with the majesty of it all and as you grow, you learn to see the depth in the stories. It's almost like the books grow with you. smilies/smile.gif

[Imladris]

Though no longer a pre-teen, I was a fan of the book when I was in the 13-15 (and still am, btw), but I must say that I didn't think that Legolas was all that...handsome (shall we say) when I first saw the movie (even though I loved it). *shrug* Things do change though...

[The Only Real Estel]

I'm 15...if that counts smilies/tongue.gif. I thougth Legolas was cool, but the guys code certainly bans me from saying he was hot! smilies/eek.gif smilies/wink.gif

[mark12_30]

2.) legolas doesnt fit the hunk category. hes more the hottie kind. (there IS a difference... take it from the 13-year old)
OK, Snickerdoodle, now you've got to explain that. I deal with young teens on a regular basis and this strikes me as extremely important information, especially since we'll be rerunning FotR and TTT next Saturday. So please educate me!

How about you PM me (otherwise the mods will hang me from Orthanc!) and rate (Hottie!/Hunk!/Not!!) the whole Fellowship PLUS Eomer, Faramir, and anybody else you feel belongs in the list for enlightenments' sake. But the key thing is you've gotta tell me your logic behind each choice (without embarassing me TOO much.)

Doable?

ps. It is ancient history now, smilies/rolleyes.gif n fourth grade our Very Coool teacher read The Hobbit to our class. I was about nine, then, I guess. Then in sixth grade the Hobbit was floating around, and I read it myself; Classmates raved about LotR and so in seventh grade (after several false starts) I read LOTR, so I was about twelve or thirteen... That was Thirty years ago.

First Aragorn, then Eomer and then Boromir each held my full attention for many long years. (Why is it that so many of us older women seem to "graduate" to Frodo?) Wow, how's that for off-topic? smilies/eek.gif I feel the noose tightening around my neck now! smilies/eek.gif Gibbets and crows! smilies/tongue.gif

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 1:19 PM December 11, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

[Niluial]

Well I am in my middle teens so I guess it counts. I was surprised to see how many teens there are I thought there would be less. This just shows how Tolkien encouraged reading and actually helped some of us. I don’t know about some of you but not many books interest me and if it wasn’t for Tolkien I wouldn’t be reading much today.

My mother would always read The Hobbit at night to put me to sleep when I was little. So The Hobbit has always been a treasure. I came upon LotR a few years ago but never bothered to read it but one day I picked it up and was glued to the pages. I have read the Silm once but I am reading it again to make sense of it all lol!

This is funny but I think all the teens in this room haven’t got a PT except Aman… that’s odd!

~Niluial

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 5:44 PM December 11, 2003: Message edited by: Niluial ]

[Aylwen Dreamsong]

This is funny but I think all the teens in this room haven’t got a PT except Aman… that’s odd!

*Raises hand* And me, and me! smilies/biggrin.gif It's not odd, it's just that there's that whole teen fangirl stereotype and not a very large amount of the teens on this site give intelligent (comprehendable? smilies/wink.gif ) input.

2.) legolas doesnt fit the hunk category. hes more the hottie kind. (there IS a difference... take it from the 13-year old)

I had no idea there was a difference. Then again...well, that's me... smilies/rolleyes.gif I always thought Legolas had the weirdest lines, even in the book (but even moreso in the movie, now that I think about it).

Anyway...before the noose hangs us all...

-Aylwen

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

2.) legolas doesnt fit the hunk category. hes more the hottie kind. (there IS a difference... take it from the 13-year old)

Please allow me to take a crack at this... I spend a lot of time drawing and people seem to think that you can't draw and listen at the same time, so I hear a lot of pre-teen conversation in the Art Rooms. Correct me if I'm wrong...

Hottie = exceptionally attractive person of the opposite sex that is usually (exceptions here) in your approximate age group. Tends to have other wonderful qualities as well. (ex: That hottie over there is the most amazing snowboarder! or Oooh- that hottie in my Art class is a really talented sketcher!) In some cases, I believe the actions make the hottie. (I believe some Hottie-characters could be Legolas, Merry, Eomer, Faramir, and perhaps Pip.)

Hunk = more along the lines of whoops-all-the-good-genes-went-to-his-looks-and-avoided-his-brains. Hunks tend to be very good looking, but usually have the irredeeming quality of not being all that bright. Many times they are sports enthusiasts. (For some reason I see Boromir as a bit of a Hunk... he's too obsessive over battles and such. He's attractive, but doesn't have balanced interests.)

And so our wonderful, kind, understanding-of-hottie/hunk-confusion moderators don't cut my heart out with a spoon after threatening me with a hundred hunks in a weight room, I know quite a few pre-teen Tolkienites. They aren't sure enough of themselves to get on here and argue yet, but give them a year and a few more readings and they'll be up there with the best when it comes to "yeah, but this is actually what happened"s.

I think it's wonderful that Tolkien was/is capable of turning bored kids into avid readers and debaters. Cheers all,

Fea

[mark12_30]

Fea, I heartily agree. Hence my main frustration that the esteemed Mr. Christopher Tolkien is reluctant to let PJ put The Hobbit on film. Simply put, if LOTR on film has inspired so many (so VERY many) teenagers and preteens to read the Trilogy, what would putting a good solid film of The Hobbit do for getting kids to read The Hobbit?

My own beloved husband didn't read The Hobbit until he saw the Rankin-Bass cartoon. Once he read it, he loved it. In the same vein, he thought "Shakespeare was for longhairs" 'til he saw Mel Gibson's Hamlet. Nowadays it's movie first, book second with the vast majority of people.

(So please, esteemed Mr. Christopher Tolkien, turn PJ loose on the Hobbit for all those uninspired vid-kids out there who've never met Smaug, and won't unless they meet him onscreen.)

[Trippo The Hippo]

I am 15, and I started reading LotR when my friend told me about them. I had just finished reading the chronicles of narnia and I longed for another fantasy book. I read the hobbit and I was hooked.

[Elennar Starfire]

I'm not really supposed to be giving out "personal info"

Well, if all you tell us is how old you are, we still can't stalk you! It's not enough information. Just don't tell us where you live, what your full name is, etc. (Not that I suspect anyone here of being a stalker, but it is possible)

I am 15 and have known of Middle-Earth since my dad started reading me The Hobbit when I was 4. I would look over his shoulder and read ahead. Mostly I would get stuck on a word and have to wait until he read it to figure out what it was, so I think that The Hobbit was the book that really taught me to read. After that, my dad started on LotR, and eventually finished it. I never was obsessed until I saw the movie.

[Luthien_ Tinuviel]

I always thought Legolas had the weirdest lines, even in the book (but even moreso in the movie, now that I think about it).


You took the words right out of my mouth.

not a very large amount of the teens on this site give intelligent (comprehendable?) input.


Well, you're kind of right, but I hope I don't quite fit in to that category. I think anyone who routinely haunts the Mirth forum is basically out of the running for a PT, or so it seems. Are the mods somewhat biased, or does the problem lie with us?

Nowadays it's movie first, book second with the vast majority of people.


Ay, too true. Leaving us book people looking rather odd. Although I must admit that I've seen a lot of movies of good books which I haven't actually gotten around to reading, *yet*.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 5:48 PM December 13, 2003: Message edited by: Luthien_ Tinuviel ]

[Meela]

I'd just like to point out something (not particularly aimed at anyone, just the points in the posts):

I'm older than 'teenage'. I am clever, intelligent, etc. I like the books. I also like the films. I'm only clever at some things. I am not a clever person when it comes to Tolkien's books. I can cleverly discuss some points, not all. I like the Mirth forum because I like humour. I like the Movies forum because I like the films. I would join in at the Books forum, but I am not clever enough, nor am I welcome. I discovered that the going opinion on me was that the few posts I made in there were 'stupid' and well... basically not good or worth reading.

I am not picking at anything, I just wanted to point out my situation. Some general themes on this topic seem to be that teens hang out on Mirth, and adults on Books. I'm one of probably many exceptions. This may be a small point, but I like to make myself clear to everyone.

[Luthien_ Tinuviel]

I am not picking at anything, I just wanted to point out my situation. Some general themes on this topic seem to be that teens hang out on Mirth, and adults on Books. I'm one of probably many exceptions. This may be a small point, but I like to make myself clear to everyone.


I apologize if I in any way offended. I chose to address the issue because it is one that rather annoys me; I feel as if the younger members were not as valued for their input in some cases as the older members may be. Perhaps this is just, perhaps it isn't. I'm not sure I'm an adequate judge of the situation, in fact I know I am not. I will edit my last post accordingly.

[Meela]

Absolutely no offence taken, and no need to edit any posts... it's just good to know who is an exception to ideas.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 7:43 AM December 14, 2003: Message edited by: Meela ]

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I'd like to point out that I don't believe teens to be exclusively Mirthies. A lot of us Mirthies are teens, but that doesn't mean that we don't go anywhere else. I haunt the forum because I love to laugh, but I also offer my input in Books, Newbies, Movies, and Barrowdowns.

Fea

[Niluial]

I used to post a lot in Mirth but I stopped after a while, me being not the funny type, I do still visit Mirth for a laugh or two. I haven’t been an active member for a while actually because I have been busy. But I do enjoy posting in Movies, Newbies, Barrowdowns and I would like to start putting more input into the Books. I am also big on RPG-ing at the moment and am about to join The White Horse Inn. I agree with the fact that the teens enjoy posting in Mirth but I don’t believe it is the only place… like Feanor said he is an active member all over the place which many teens are.

~Niluial

[Gorwingel]

Well, physically I'm 18, but spiritually I'm about twelve.

Oh, so true, so true smilies/wink.gif

I actually thought that there was quite a few young people on the Downs, it is just that some of them are people who kind of just show up and then quickly dissapear, so that makes it kind of hard to keep an accurate count.

I right now am 17. Not a young teen in any way, even though I really did enjoy my "tweens" (I loved 12 and younger, once I hit 13 everything went downhill from there). I discovered LOTR in my middle teens via the films (well actually I kind of discovered it in middle school, but that is a long story...), and have been happy and content ever since smilies/cool.gif

and adults on Books

well that is because it takes about that much time to know enough to make a valuable contribution to that forum smilies/wink.gif I do love the Books forum though (even though I have not spent that much time on it), I have learned so much. I better start studying though so I can contribute, because once the movies are gone I am going to have to find something else to talk about.

Oh, and Meela, don't fret about your posts in the Books sounding "stupid". They are just fine. At least you are taking a chance and making a contribution, instead of sitting on the sidelines and not doing anything at all.

[Sharkû]

"I think anyone who routinely haunts the Mirth forum is basically out of the running for a PT, or so it seems. Are the mods somewhat biased, or does the problem lie with us?"

Personal titles reward positive contributions to site or forum. Posting in Mirth does not dilute those, but weighs very little.

[Amarantha_Daisy]

I love Mirth...in fact, that's the first place I go. I've never posted in the Books forum because it's so intimidating. Meela, you've got some confidence for posting there! smilies/wink.gif 99.9% of my posts are in Mirth...

I love humor. smilies/biggrin.gif

[Meela]

I'm a regular poster in Mirth, N&N, and Movies. I'm too scared to post in Books or anywhere else.
Obviously just posting where I am posting doesn't get a personal title, because I'm at 2100 posts, and it doesn't look like I'm at the top of the receiving list just yet.

Do you have any suggestions as to how I could contribute to the forum? Like, could I be helpful to newcomers? Offer advice where it is needed? Be fair and reliable? Things like that?

[Finwe]

I disagree with the belief that teens generally congregate in the Mirth forum, and adults in the Book forum, because at 16 years of age, I am most definitely not an adult and I still frequent the Books forum. I just happen to enjoy the level of scholarliness that generally characterizes posts in the forum. It is highly unfair to assume that all teenagers aren't as "bookish" as adults.


not a very large amount of the teens on this site give intelligent (comprehendable?) input.


The reason that many teens don't seem to give "intelligent input" is opinions like that. Teenagers aren't given a chance to prove their scholarly aptitude, ergo they just stop trying. That is why teenagers seem to frequent the Mirth forum. There, people don't judge them based on the quality of their posts.

I really love everything about this forum, the people, the posts, and the forum in general, but opinions like that do hurt.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 12:44 PM December 14, 2003: Message edited by: Finwe ]

[Phervasaion]

Im a mid teen, 15. I first came too read lord of the rings after i saw FOTR. When i saw the trailer for the first movie i new i had too see it because i love fantasy movies. Straight after i saw the film i read the book.

I also do not like posting in the books forum too much because, sometimes, i can get my points wrong as i dont know everything about the Lord of the Rings. Sometimes i find posting in RPG's hard too incase i get any of my punctuation or spelling wrong.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

I enjoy reading threads that give me an opportunity to get to know forum members better, so I hope you’ll pardon a non-teen for barging in here! I would like to add a couple of comments about the Barrow-Downs that seem relevant to what some of you have been discussing.

First, the forum is big – too big for any one person to be able to read everything here (though I do try to catch as much as I possibly can, while still living a life away from the computer). That means that members have to choose what interests them most, and ignore the rest. Whether they choose Books, RPGs, Movies, or Mirth is more a matter of personality than of age. I know many adult members, including myself, who post on the Mirth forum – but not on every thread; if you read the Walk to Rivendell or the homophone thread, you’re likely to find my posts there, for example. On the other hand, there are teen members who post well and interestingly on the Books forum – you might not realize their age from their posts, since they write in quite a mature fashion. I just happen to know a lot of their ages, since I read so many different threads.

Secondly, this is a place to be without putting up barriers of age and/or gender, etc. One of the big advantages of the internet is the fact that those can be overcome simply because we do not know that about the persons we encounter, unless they choose to tell us – and are honest about it! smilies/wink.gif I’m sure we’ve gotten to know people we never would have talked to if we had met them in real life – and some of them have become friends.

Thirdly, this is a place to learn! When I came here, I read more than I posted (and I still do), especially on topics about the Silmarillion etc. which I had not yet read then. There are still discussions from which I benefit by reading what others, often younger than myself, know – and I make a point not to post unless I have something worthwhile to say.

May I add one comment about the ‘personal title’ discussion – there are threads that have discussed this in the past. Please use the search to find them, so that this thread doesn’t turn into another “Why don’t I have one yet?” topic. Oh, and a tip for all who have commented on their spelling problems – it helps to use your PC’s word processor to write posts and to spellcheck them before copying and pasting them into the posting box – I did that with this one and almost always do so to be sure. The preview function helps to double-check as well.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled posts...

[Arwen Imladris]

You may find some yonger teens on this thread: The Tolkien Under Age Club (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=14&t=000842)

[Phervasaion]

I agree with your 3rd point Estelyn, i definately read alot more than i post here and have learnt alot about Middlr-Earth because of it. I also think that because i havn't posted to much people dont seem to know me that much when i visit the site.

[Aylwen Dreamsong]

quote:
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not a very large amount of the teens on this site give intelligent (comprehendable?) input.

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The reason that many teens don't seem to give "intelligent input" is opinions like that. Teenagers aren't given a chance to prove their scholarly aptitude, ergo they just stop trying.

Since I am a teen as well, that's not exactly what I meant but okay. I know everyone on the Barrow-Downs is given the chance to give input that is worthwhile to the forums (I don't like the way that sounds, but I can't think of another way to put it. And note I said "Forums" meaning it can be anything from Books to Mirth to RPGs or whatever).

The thing is, no one knows whether you are a teen or not when you first post unless you say so or something you post sets off a flag. You are given a chance, and opinions are always changing depending on what you show the other members of the Barrow-Downs. It's almost like in real life, when people make first impressions but are rarely the ones they want to make and thusly you show the person(s) how you really are.

And no one should stop trying to give good input and worthy opinions just because they think other members are automatically *against* them because of their age.

-Aylwen

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 4:44 PM December 14, 2003: Message edited by: Aylwen Dreamsong ]

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 5:30 PM December 14, 2003: Message edited by: Aylwen Dreamsong ]

[Imladris]

I'm a teen and I don't post a lot in the Books because everyone there is so much smarter than I am! I have only read LotR and the Hobbit and I started the Sil, but that's about it! So I'm afraid that I'll say something that's incorrect. If I know the answer, I'll post. If not, I won't. Frankly, I think everyone here is nice and I don't think they're biased against teens in the least.

I prefer to hang at the RPG section myself.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

like Feanor said heis an active member all over the place

Muahahahaha. Fooled another one. smilies/evil.gif I, like Finwe, am in actuality a girl who simply liked the male characters' names better. Cheers,

Fea

[Goldberry]

Moi, I'm 14.

I'm too scared to post in Books

Same here. I often read the discussions in the Books forum and develop my own opinions but I'm never confident enough with my ideas to actually post them.


quote:
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not a very large amount of the teens on this site give intelligent (comprehendable?) input.
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The reason that many teens don't seem to give "intelligent input" is opinions like that. Teenagers aren't given a chance to prove their scholarly aptitude, ergo they just stop trying. That is why teenagers seem to frequent the Mirth forum. There, people don't judge them based on the quality of their posts.

I really love everything about this forum, the people, the posts, and the forum in general, but opinions like that do hurt.

Hear, hear, Finwe. Things like that make me feel like my input is not intelligent.

[Amarantha_Daisy]

Goldberry, you're only 14? smilies/eek.gif Wow... I always thought you were older than that... Finwe, too...and Feanor. In fact, I thought a lot of you guys were older than you are. Maybe you're just all really mature for your age smilies/wink.gif

[Finwe]

Why thank you! All I'm asking for is fair treatment for people of all ages.

[Morgul Queen]

I'm one of those lucky people who has a college english teacher as a granma, she gave me the Hobbit at 5, pointed Fellowship out at 7, and generally started me on my Tolkien love affair. I'm currently working on getting my mum to read all the books. Being a romantic, I'm ensnaring her through the Tale of Luthien and Beren, the Lay of Leithian, and the other L/B related stuff. It's working. Never doubt the power of the children of Melian (and spouses).

Oh, and for the record, I'm 15 now smilies/biggrin.gif
Is it just me, or does 15 seem to be the Board average?

What do you mean, graduate to Frodo? I started *out* loving Frodo, now I'm very, *very*, Meela-type, attached to Celebrimbor, his Anadar, and...well...Celeborn. And lets not forget Elrond (I've loved him since I got the Hobbit).

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 3:39 PM December 17, 2003: Message edited by: Morgul Queen ]

[Lady Snickerdoodle]

Teenagers aren't given a chance to prove their scholarly aptitude, ergo they just stop trying.
Yay, yes that is so true. Like how adults stereotype teenagers as spoiled and not yet mature and disrespectful and all that other c- i mean stuff. And we get hurt and then react by becoming that way. But anyway. Feanor, yeah sometimes the guy names are cooler. (ooh I should have been Legolassie! oh well if i ever get sick of snickerdoodles...) Just wondering, is there anyone here under 10? because if there is, I am deeply impressed.

[Trippo The Hippo]

Can they really respect someone with a nick like Trippo The Hippo or Lady Snickerdoodle on hte books forum?

[Imladris]

'Course they can. "What's in a name?"

[Meela]

Meela-type? Cool, I'm a syndrome! Anyone else have 'Meela syndrome'? *giggles*

[Arwen Evenstar]

Hey, I don`t turn 13 for another month! Ofcourse there are early teens on the
Barrow-Downs! I mean, it has to be the best LotR website on the net, and I`ll sword fight anyone who says it isn`t! (Not to brag or anything, but I`m actually pretty good! After all, I practice with them nearly every day!) smilies/wink.gif smilies/smile.gif

[Beruthiel]

I had no idea there were so many teens on this site! Yay, I'm not alone! I'm 14 but I've been an LOTR fan since I was 8, my mum read them to me and I've loved them ever since! Strange enough I didn't actually read the hobbit until after I'd read LOTR for the third time :P

I usually just stay around the movies forum, though I'm proud to say I HAVE posted in the books forum... once... a long time ago... but I did post in there all the same!

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

'Course they can. "What's in a name?"

That which we call a rose..., my dear Imladris.

Although you must admit that the names we choose to go by show much of our personality. The name that a person uses on the Web is like the clothes that he wears in real life. The names show a small piece of who we are. But as with clothing, people should not be judged by their names. It's entirely what the people are saying that they are judged by (not to insinuate that any of you say things by which you can be unfairly judged).

Cheers,
Fea

[Meela]

Hmmm...

What does my name say about me to you?

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 8:02 AM December 21, 2003: Message edited by: Meela ]

[Samwise]

EDIT: To keep this topic Tolkien-related, I was wondering how you also came about the books. Any reply would be great!

Well, I discovered LOTR when I was 12, though I am now 33 (which, hey, is barely more than a child to my Hobbit self).
I'm afraid that with some folks on the Barrowdowns, I can't tell their age unless they come out and say it. I think, though, that I do gravitate toward topics being discussed by people closer to my age (like I said, I think--sometimes it's hard to tell). smilies/wink.gif
I don't post a lot in the Books because everyone there is so much smarter than I am!
Bleh....me neither. smilies/tongue.gif I also tried to read the Slimarillion when I was 12.....don't think I made it past the first chapter before I gave up. Never read HoME or anything else Tolkien, either--I haven't even been all the way through the Hobbit, and that's the illustrated version. smilies/rolleyes.gif You just "hang around" in topics you enjoy, and so what if people think you're not "Tolkien Smart"? smilies/wink.gif I know I'm not, and while I enjoy Tolkien, (I am Sam Gamgee's #1 fan), there are things more important to me.

{Edit again} (After reading Miss Estelyn's post above) Exactly!

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 9:29 AM December 21, 2003: Message edited by: Samwise ]

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Well Meela... the first time I saw your name (back when I first registered) I thought: "I'll betcha this girl's a wise-@$$." Then when I started to read your posts I started thinking... "Hahahahaha- this girl's funny." I'm not quite sure how, but the name Meela is perfect for the posts you write.

With the name Keeper of Dol Goldur, that's the exact name I would have picked for him. Keeper is similar to the character: Even though he's awsome, not many people really know who he is. He's got a bit of a dark angsty side which draws him towards the Bad Guys.

What's my name say about me?

Fea

[vanwalossien]

I'm too scared to post in Books Exactly. I'm not really an early-teen fan, I'm 16, but The Books forum is extremely intimidating, which is a bit sad, 'cause I'm sure there are more people than me who'd love to be part of serious discussions, but can't work up the nerve to try and post in The Books.
I've posted there once in all my time at the Downs, and then I spent an hour or something writing the post, trying to say what I wanted to say in a comprehendable way, because not only am I younger than most on The Books, I'm not a native English speaker either, and the sheer size of the vocabulary of some posters on the Downs scare me senseless... I love reading in The Books forum though, though I never post there, I always learn lots smilies/smile.gif

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 7:31 AM December 22, 2003: Message edited by: vanwalossien ]

[ElentariGreenleaf]

Hi, I'm Elentari, 15. The books forum scares me too! Everyone there seems to know so much in-depth stuff about LotR, the hobbits and even the silm! I'm either too scared to post because I'm likely to be corrected, or I'm too confused by people refering to the silm!

[Teleri]

I'm thirteen, I just discovered this site, and it seems great. I never knew there where so many people out there who could quote Tolkien by memory.

Back to the fisrt post... I was introduced to Tolkien when I was in first grade. I was tired of baby books, but first graders were only allowed to get books from one corner of the whole school library. I was pointed in the direction of Tolkien, because though the schools abridged comic book addition of "The Hobbit" was "really closer to a second grade level" they could make an exception. Thus I was introduced to a comic book version of Tolkien where sting glowed red rather than blue. I remember going to my dad, and telling him that it was to bad Tolkien wasn't a real writer, because this book would be soooo good if it wasn't comic strip. My dad (being a Tolkien fan, and hater of abridged versions in any way shape or form) went out and got me a special edition of the book. From the first sentence I was hooked, perhaps by the idea of Hobbits, or just as likely by the way Tolkien almost imediatly goes off on a tangent.
When I began Fellowship of the Ring I was discoraged. my teacher told me it was over my head, and too scary for me. I DID have a brief stage where I got nightmeres about my teacher dressed as a Black Rider (which was the reason I found it comforting that the Nazgul cannot be seen). Anyway, since then I've read the Trillogy about fifty two times, The hobbit seven times, the Silm. 4 times, and am on my second read of unfinished tales, and the HoME books. Incase you have not already guessed, I'm an obsessive reader.

And for closure: I am now out of reach of interfering librarians, as I have convinced my parents to home school me.

[Teleri]

An edit on above post: My homeroom teacher was a wonderful person; the evil teacher from the Nazgul dream was a man who came in once a day to teach us how to over use adjectives...

[The Only Real Estel]

Hmm, I guess I'll say that I'm 16, & my bro got me started reading the books when I was 10. Always liked them, and...that's about it :p

I always thought Legolas had the weirdest lines, even in the book (but even moreso in the movie, now that I think about it).

Oh yeah, that'd be PJ trying to make Legolas's lines sound all deep & elvishy (& 'wise') :rolleyes:.

p.s. does 16 count as 'early teens'? :confused:

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Wow... I'd forgotten about this thread. My current pre-teen Lord of the Rings activities (I'm not the pre-teen, they are... actually, most of them aren't. Hm... well, at least they're teens.) are attempting the impossible. I'm trying to get some of my friends into the LotR addicts that everyone should be. Mwahahahaha. Only it's not working, since my copy of The Hobbit is currently celebrating its 6th month on my friend's bedside table, since he started it and was too bored to finish.

I'm also trying to get my Trilogy class to read both the Appendices in RotK and The Silmarillion. You'd think, considering they're all LotR junkies, that they'd be tripping over their own feet trying to get to this stuff, but it's amazingly difficult to convince anybody. But I'm doing it the hard way (they're all being dragged, kicking and screaming into reading this stuff): For the appendices I'm introducing certain people to certain parts. Such as "Hey Kel- have you read the story of Aragorn and Arwen?" as she is a bit of a romanticist. And "Fireball- you should really read the part where Helm Hammerhand dies. He's still standing up when they find him!"

Then for the Silmarillion... That's really hard. A friend bought a copy for $5 on a Florida vacation, tried reading the first page, then gave it away. Another friend just bought it and hasn't even looked at it yet, since he's a bit terrified of it. Yet another friend just bought the Silm but she's waiting until summer to read it. I told them what I tell everybody: "If you can make it past The Realms of Beleriand, you can do anything." That scares them a bit though...

I'm still trying to find some local pre-teen 'Rings fans. Not much luck there though. Maybe I'll just snag some junior high kids, hand them the books, and offer to give them junk food if they read them. That could work... Mwahahahaha. Hook 'em while they're young...

Fea

[Lhunardawen]

I just turned 15 at the start of this year. I actually started reading LotR 2 years ago, and I instantly became a fan after finishing TTT during the month of December. Before that I was one of the annoying "Go, Legolas!" movie watchers not aware of the true beauty of the book. I am ashamed to be once like that. :(

I was attracted to the Mirth, naturally, although I'm not exactly the Meela and Oddwen type. :) I thought the Books was the place to be for me, but turns out my reasoning of things is not as I would like it to be, and I feel quite insecure in posting there. But now, I usually post at both.

[Miriel Undomiel]

I'm 15, and I fell in love with Tolkien about a year ago.
First, I saw FotR in theatre, but didn't get hooked. Then, a few months later, I saw it again on DVD, and I couldn't believe how hot (not hunky) Legolas was. Much prettier then I had remembered... After seing TTT, I bought the LotR.
I read the Hobbit and Silmarillion right after finishing RotK. Been hooked ever since...

[Amanaduial the archer]

I'm not sure if I count as an early teen fan, as I'm 15, so halfway....ah well, close enough! I was 12 when I first read the books (wow, how long ago that seems!) as it was in the Summer/Autumn of 2001. I had no idea the films would be coming out at the time, but they came out several months after I had finished the books, and a few months after that, at the enduring peak of my 'obsession', I found the Downs. I happened upon the trilogy when in an airport in...Canada?...and was looking for something to occupy my mind on the long flight back to Manchester - over 1 and a half thousand pages of Middle Earth did the trick!

[Mad Baggins]

I'm 15, too, and I first saw FotR in the theaters when I was 13. I have to admit that at first, I was a squealing fangirl-type. (I know your shame, Lhunardawen!) But then I saw it a couple more times, and I found the books in my basement. I began reading the Fellowship, and I became more educated in Tolkien's works. By the time the Extended Edition rolled around, I was hooked. In a good way.

P.S. Oh, happy day! I found The Hobbit in my basement this afternoon! :)

[Amanaduial the archer]

Wow, it should be made into a fanfic: 'Mad Baggins and the Everlasting Basement' ;)

[Mad Baggins]

Mama always said the basement was like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get.

[BethoHOG]

I am 14 years old, and at a young age, my older brother (who has been a Lord of the Rings fan for a long time) exposed me to The Lord of the Rings by telling me and my brother about the story at the time he was reading it. Many years later, he excitedly told us that a movie was going to be made. At first, I said that I'd never see it because it would be too scary and violent :rolleyes:, but he managed to change my mind and see it... and after the movie ended, I immediately became hooked and have been a fan ever since. I read the trilogy after and absolutely loved those as well.

[HerenIstarion]

Following Sharku and Estelyn, I too am intruding here, though being not a teenager at all :). My apologies, ladies and gentlemen, but I would like to comment upon the following:

Can they really respect someone with a nick like Trippo The Hippo or Lady Snickerdoodle on hte books forum?

Well, I believe we can (unless all you do on the books is giggle in one case, and whatever it is hippos do in another ;))

Even more so, that I personally find Trippo The Hippo and Snickerdoodle very funny, original and inspiring nicknames. Besides, there is no rule for nicks to be Tolkien related at all

cheers

[The Only Real Estel]

Besides, there is no rule for nicks to be Tolkien related at all

Or to have any intelligence behind them (example: mine, after screwing up on the email address of my original Estel nick :p)...

[Sirithheruwen]

Yes, I too am an early teen. Here is my life story (or at least all of the important parts! ;) ):

I discovered Tolkein when I was 5 and my dad read me the Hobbit, a chapter a night. For the longest time, I thought that Gollum lived between the little space between my bed and the wall. Anyways, when I was 7, my uncle (and huge LOTR fan) gave me FOTR. Inside the cover he wrote:
Perservere and you two will soon becaome lost in Middle-earth!
A somewhat fitting beginning methinks! :) Anyways, after I finished all of the books. I didn't read them for a long while, but they always stayed at the top of my "Fave Books" list (mostly because no one else I knew had read them! :rolleyes: ) When the movies came out, I was ecstatic because there was some shred of a memory left that told me these were something special. That was when I was 10 (I think???). Well, that's about it. I, however, am proud to say that I'm not a Leggie-bopper! *cheers*

[Lhundulinwen]

15 seems to be the magic number around here- I'm 15 too. I read the Hobbit when I was about 13 (in 7th grade) and last year between late November and early January I read all of FoTR, TTT, RoTK. I am a complete Middle Earth fan, and often day dream about it. Yes, I still think Orlando Bloom as Legolas is pretty darn hot, but I like all the characters out of the book a lot better. (The movie Frodo is a wimp, I think. Even if he's knida cute in a weird hobbitish way ;) ) Didn't see the movies till after I had read all the books, and joined the site in between reading the books and seeing the movies. I guess that's all the important stuff. Bye for now!

[Aylwen Dreamsong]

Fifteen is almost the magic number...I'm almost 15. I read Lord of the Rings first when I was eleven or twelve... My dad and I were looking through the bookstore for good books, and he said that Tolkien might be fun to read, then said I might be too young for the Lord of the Rings. Of course, I took up that comment and bought the trilogy and read it all just as the first movie came out. The Sil. was soon to follow...

But, really, it all begins when the substitute teacher is left with only a VCR and an old copy of the movie version of "The Hobbit". :D

-Aylwen

[mark12_30]

...and looking back, to age 12 when I read LOTR, I remember that I thought Faramir was ... ....ooo, wonderful. Then (on a second reading) Aragorn was just wow. After that, Eomer ruled (love that battle-cry at Pelennor.) Finally, because he loved his city and gave his life for Merry and Pippin, I settled on Boromir, and that lasted for several readings and several years (*cough*). And I won't tell you what I had embroidered on MY bluejeans in Tengwar.

Thirty some-odd years later, I make my forays into the Books forum, and so far no one has thrown me out. So I can assure you all that there is hope both for the Legolas-addict and the Elijah-addict.

And who says the movie hobbits can't be considered cute by the sophisticated?

[Marared]

Well said, indeed!

At age 20, I fell in love with Aragorn. I pictured him as rugged, handsome and oh so heroic. Now at age 41, I picture him the same, but with Viggo's rugged and handsome face. My 20 year infatuation continues.

[hobbit punk]

I turned 18 in February and have been a Tolkien fan and admirer since I was about 15. However, my first taste of Tolkien came at a very young age, probably 4 or 5, when my step-dad took out his animated version of the Hobbit. (By animated I mean a sort of comic book style, not a movie...is graphic novel the right term here?) Anyways, I was really enjoying it until Bilbo found himself in Gollum's cave. Gollum scared the bejesus out of me and we never finished the book. As I grew up, my step-dad was always telling me to read Lord of the Rings. Being a playfully saucy young thing, I didn't read it simply because he wanted me to. But for some reason or another, I eventually picked it up when I was around 15. From the first sentence I was hooked. Never had a book affected me the way that Lord of the Rings did. Here it is now, three years later and my step-dad has ordered me the special hardback editions of the Lord of the Rings from the Folio Society as my graduation present. They are pricey but they are the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I plan to pass them on to the children I may have one day as a family heirloom. I hope I can pass on the same love for reading especially reading LOTR that I have now. I also am planning on becoming an English teacher one day. It is a dream of mine to teach Tolkien in school. So many of my peers won't open a book unless it counts for a grade and even then it can be a struggle to get them to read. I hope to convey the joy of reading when I am older. But for now I will continue on my other dream of some day becoming a Tolkien scholar, finishing high school and moving on to university. Lata gatas :p

[Lhunardawen]

It seems to me that most of you around here have encountered the book before the movies came out...I have seen the books around my campus when I was a highschool freshman (almost 3 years ago) and I wondered how come I don't seem to have heard about them. Then a friend of mine told me that they were going to be made into movies. I listened to my classmates debate about Legolas and Aragorn and can't actually relate to them. When I finally watched the movie, I agreed that Legolas is indeed a cutie and sort of became a fangirl. The next year, when I have finally read all the books, I decided that Aragorn was better. Another round of reading led me to the conclusion that Faramir is better than both of them.

Ah...the drama of my life with LotR. :D :rolleyes:

[Ithaeliel]

I'm 16, so I really wouldn't count as a young teen since I'm in high school now, but when I first came here I was 14. It was jsut a few months after I saw the first movie. Yes, the movie was what reallyintroduced me to Middle-earth, though I was a fan of The Hobbit as a younger kid. Having read the Silmarillion and owning some of Tolkien's less well-known books (Lost Tales, Shaping of Middle Earth, Unfinished Tales, etc.), I think it's safe to say I've become more of a book fan. My primary interest in Middle-earth, though, lies in the races, geography, and extensive history of the world, which I got from books; but I mostly utilize those interests in roleplaying.