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Vaine 01-14-2009 12:04 PM
Which is your favourite Tolkien book?
 
I did a quick search and couldn't find a similar thread so here goes:

Which is your favourite book about Tolkien's legendarium?

Mine is The Children of Húrin.
Simply because I just love the story, and how it keeps me thrilled throughout.
I love LotR too, but it's just too dragged out compared to CoH. (Like butter scraped over too much bread :p)

Lalwendë 01-15-2009 07:04 AM
Specifically, mine's Book 1 of Lord of the Rings, i.e. the first half of Fellowship! :cool:

Vaine 01-15-2009 10:24 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lalwendë (Post 581191)
Specifically, mine's Book 1 of Lord of the Rings, i.e. the first half of Fellowship! :cool:
Thats an interesting choice, might I ask why? :p
I always liked frodo's journey from the Shire to Rivendell as well. Pretty exciting, but I'd like to hear your reason.

Legate of Amon Lanc 01-15-2009 10:56 AM
Hmm, it is quite problematic (at least for me) to name a particular book, as the books are such a diverse compilation of topics (especially if you speak about things like the Silmarillion, which consists of many various stories) that choosing something is not that easy. However, even despite that, I could perhaps say the Unfinished Tales. I do not certainly like all of it that much, but there are some parts which are just beautiful, really beautiful. For example, the tale of Tuor (Ulmo's appearance), the Hunt for the Ring, the part about Istari... Okay, of course it is not a tale by itself, but all these are veeery nice.

Vaine 01-15-2009 11:01 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc (Post 581254)
Hmm, it is quite problematic (at least for me) to name a particular book, as the books are such a diverse compilation of topics (especially if you speak about things like the Silmarillion, which consists of many various stories) that choosing something is not that easy. However, even despite that, I could perhaps say the Unfinished Tales. I do not certainly like all of it that much, but there are some parts which are just beautiful, really beautiful. For example, the tale of Tuor (Ulmo's appearance), the Hunt for the Ring, the part about Istari... Okay, of course it is not a tale by itself, but all these are veeery nice.
I was thinking the same thing, which is why I chose The Children of Húrin, as it is the one I liked the most of all the 'stories' in the Silmarillion.

And to have it between two bookcovers of its own is just sweet :p

Lariren Shadow 01-15-2009 12:06 PM
I love Return of the King. I have a thing for Men in the books(never would I want to be an Elf or a Hobbit) and all the triumph of Men and all their stories I just love. And I love all the scenes in from Pelennor to the Pyre of Denethor and especially the faramir and Éowyn scenes(because I find them hopelessly romantic).

I do like Helm's Deep and the interactions at Henneth Annun(I do have that right? It's not Emyn Arnen because that's where Faramir builds his house in the Fourth Age right?) in The Two Towers, but, to be honest, I don't like some of the Treebeard stuff. I know what it is there for, but sometimes reading it puts me to sleep.

Feanor of the Peredhil 01-15-2009 04:42 PM
*don't hurt me*

I love The Hobbit. Of all of the books, it's the one I find most enjoyable to casually reread. The characters are likable, the songs are still accessible to the average reader, and Elves still sing Tra-la-la-lally. :D

Simply put, it's not as exhausting of a commitment to sit and read The Hobbit as it is to pick up the Silm. I like me my story arcs.

Nogrod 01-15-2009 05:09 PM
It was great to get the CoH as a more detailed tale. I'm one of those who really appreciated it. But still there's none beating the Silmarillion.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fea
Simply put, it's not as exhausting of a commitment to sit and read The Hobbit as it is to pick up the Silm.
But you don't have to read it all at one sit my dear! :D

Vaine 01-15-2009 05:12 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Feanor of the Peredhil (Post 581387)
*don't hurt me*

I love The Hobbit. Of all of the books, it's the one I find most enjoyable to casually reread. The characters are likable, the songs are still accessible to the average reader, and Elves still sing Tra-la-la-lally. :D

Simply put, it's not as exhausting of a commitment to sit and read The Hobbit as it is to pick up the Silm. I like me my story arcs.
Interesting, thats the one I like the least, because it's written from such a human (present) point of view.

Feanor of the Peredhil 01-15-2009 07:47 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nogrod (Post 581388)
But you don't have to read it all at one sit my dear! :D
Technically, I suppose I don't. Compulsively, though? Quite a different story. If I stop to think about it, a disproportionate amount of my life has been spent making sure I never end up with only a single book out of a series, and making sure I finish (even if I resort to skimming) every book I start. I just... get twitchy when things are completed properly.

Hence The Hobbit, which is easy to finish in one sitting, and which has an inarguably solid and earned resolution, is fantastic.

Mirandir 01-15-2009 09:20 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lariren Shadow (Post 581306)
I love Return of the King. I have a thing for Men in the books(never would I want to be an Elf or a Hobbit) and all the triumph of Men and all their stories I just love. And I love all the scenes in from Pelennor to the Pyre of Denethor and especially the faramir and Éowyn scenes(because I find them hopelessly romantic).
Oh Lari...Pretty much we're just destined to be friends. :p

Return of the King is my favorite book as well. The triumphs of Men totally sold me on the book, even though I do have a soft spot for Elves. ;)

Legate of Amon Lanc 01-16-2009 06:53 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Feanor of the Peredhil (Post 581387)
*don't hurt me*

I love The Hobbit. Of all of the books, it's the one I find most enjoyable to casually reread. The characters are likable, the songs are still accessible to the average reader, and Elves still sing Tra-la-la-lally. :D
Why should we hurt you? :) I was actually thinking about The Hobbit too, I like it a lot, and that includes the tra-la-lally Elves (don't see what's the problem with them). Then I also pondered writing the Two Towers, but again, there are just several chapters I like, and some which are not so good, or basically average. But those I like are the best: if we were to write just one chapter, then I would say "The Uruk-Hai" with no hesitation. It is just brilliant.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Vaine (Post 581390)
Interesting, thats the one I like the least, because it's written from such a human (present) point of view.
And that's what I like as well and it does not bother me at all. And I won't say it is necessarily from a "present" point of view - or if I understood correctly what you mean by it - it is written from the narrator's point of view, you have this narrator interacting with the reader "as you can imagine, poor Mr. Bilbo was..." But that is actually pretty good. Imagine something written about let's say Saruman from that point of view. Awwwww! Cuuuuuuuuute!!!!!

Lariren Shadow 01-16-2009 07:20 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirandir (Post 581400)
Oh Lari...Pretty much we're just destined to be friends. :p
It's true.

And I feel sad that people missed my totally geekying out yesterday over Tolkien in History of England(must get the Song of Maldon).

Vaine 01-16-2009 07:58 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc (Post 581411)
Why should we hurt you? :) I was actually thinking about The Hobbit too, I like it a lot, and that includes the tra-la-lally Elves (don't see what's the problem with them). Then I also pondered writing the Two Towers, but again, there are just several chapters I like, and some which are not so good, or basically average. But those I like are the best: if we were to write just one chapter, then I would say "The Uruk-Hai" with no hesitation. It is just brilliant.



And that's what I like as well and it does not bother me at all. And I won't say it is necessarily from a "present" point of view - or if I understood correctly what you mean by it - it is written from the narrator's point of view, you have this narrator interacting with the reader "as you can imagine, poor Mr. Bilbo was..." But that is actually pretty good. Imagine something written about let's say Saruman from that point of view. Awwwww! Cuuuuuuuuute!!!!!
Well, when it gets told that the game of golf was invented during a hobbit war, it just leaves me with a big :| face :p

And I do realise it's a childrens book, however I just can't enjoy it as much as I would like after reading the Silmarillion etc.

For some reason I read the Silmarillion before I read the Hobbit.

Lalwendë 01-16-2009 05:08 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vaine (Post 581228)
Thats an interesting choice, might I ask why? :p
I always liked frodo's journey from the Shire to Rivendell as well. Pretty exciting, but I'd like to hear your reason.
Lots of reasons really, but the main one is that it has the most information about the Hobbits and The Shire in it, which I love.

Of course it's also got a familiar landscape, and familiar sorts of mysteries such as Barrows and Forests and it evokes magic for me, especially with the Tom chapters (sorry folks, I love old Tom ;)). It makes me want to go walking about and looking for old groves and Downs and creepy, ganrled old willows....

And coming from that, I find it the most lovingly written part of the whole story. The landscapes spring out of the page and you feel like you can even smell them; you can taste the food and ale at Bilbo's party; you can explore Bag End; and feel frightened as the outside world starts to intrude. :eek:

Vaine 01-16-2009 05:49 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lalwendë (Post 581511)
Lots of reasons really, but the main one is that it has the most information about the Hobbits and The Shire in it, which I love.

Of course it's also got a familiar landscape, and familiar sorts of mysteries such as Barrows and Forests and it evokes magic for me, especially with the Tom chapters (sorry folks, I love old Tom ;)). It makes me want to go walking about and looking for old groves and Downs and creepy, ganrled old willows....

And coming from that, I find it the most lovingly written part of the whole story. The landscapes spring out of the page and you feel like you can even smell them; you can taste the food and ale at Bilbo's party; you can explore Bag End; and feel frightened as the outside world starts to intrude. :eek:
Yeah as I recall from when I read it myself, Book 1 was the longest, in terms of travelling per page (If you know what I mean), it's the part where Tolkien spent the most time explaining landscapes and characters in detail, heavy detail :p

But again, this is why it is to easy sometimes to.. ehm, whats the word, dive into it, experience it, live it? Something...

Morthoron 01-17-2009 08:43 AM
The Silmarillion. A sentimental attachment, really. It was the first hardcover Tolkien book I purchased the year it was published and with my own money. It speaks to the power of the book that a teenager would surrender beer and cigarette money for a copy!

Vaine 01-17-2009 08:46 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Morthoron (Post 581554)
The Silmarillion. A sentimental attachment, really. It was the first hardcover Tolkien book I purchased the year it was published and with my own money. It speaks to the power of the book that a teenager would surrender beer and cigarette money for a copy!
hahaha :D
Thats awesome.

Galadriel 11-03-2010 04:59 AM
Fellowship of the Ring and The Silmarillion. And Children of Húrin was really interesting too...

xMellrynxMaidenx 11-03-2010 08:30 AM
The Silmarillion.

It was the first challenging book I had picked up and read (even if on the first way through I didn't quite follow it :p) to completion. Mind you because I didn't quite grasp it on the first time through, it had taken me a whole lot longer to read through it than it normally would.

Galadriel55 11-03-2010 05:52 PM
I like all of Tolkien's works that I've read so far (LOTR, TH, the Silm, and Narn i Hin Hurin) pretty much the same - I just love all of them. Maybe not TH so much - it is a bit simple and not detailed and deep enough for me. I guess It's just meant for younger kids.
An easier question for me to answer is if I like one specific scene or episode from one of the books. Then I can really give a yes or no answer.

Galadriel 01-10-2011 08:36 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Galadriel55 (Post 642499)
Maybe not TH so much - it is a bit simple and not detailed and deep enough for me.
Same here. People stare at me when I say I didn't like The Hobbit, but it was too...I don't know, I just found it boring (except for the first chapter and the part with the Wood-elves).


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