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Birdland · 07-12-2002, 06:29 PM

(Thanks for bringing these "old" threads forward, B-W. They're fun!)

Ahhhhh, the first time reading LOTR. It was 1973, and I had just gotten in trouble because I left the library copy of The Exorcist" laying around, and my mom picked it up and read "the crucifix" scene, and had drug our High School librarian over the coals for having such "filth" in the schools.

Anyway, I was looking for another (safer) book to check out and ran across these three little paperback books encased in laminated plastic covers (like they used to do to preserve cheap book copies for library use.) So I checked out the first one, and read it in about a week. I remember it started a little "slow", but was not too bad. But by the end of the week I was totally mesmerized. I had to know what happened next!

So on Monday, I ran back to the school library to check out the other two books...and they weren't there! Gone! (And they never did come back.) I went flying to the librarian, squealing and complaining - as only a teenager can - "Where are they! I have to find out what happened! When will they be back!!!"

The librarian, perhaps remembering how my Mother had reamed him out over "The Exorcist", just rolled his eyes, and said to me in his best "Lonely-Gay-Man-Stuck-In-Small-Midwest-Town" voice:

"Don't worry. The Hobbits make it."

Anyway, happy ending is I did get the beautiful Ballantine "White" paperback set, (with the box) for Christmas. In two days I had completed the other two books. Reading by flashlight, dragging it along as we visited relatives, and totally ignoring my cousins. I sobbed when I read the last chapter.

I've read it every year or so since then, including reading it out loud with my ex-husband. (That was the best reading of all!)

Oh. I did breathlessly recommend it to my best friend after finishing it. Her reaction? "I don't know. It started pretty slow, and I lost interest."

I wonder if she ever did read it?

07-12-2002, 06:29 PM	#26
Birdland Ghastly Neekerbreeker Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: the banks of the mighty Scioto Posts: 1,751	(Thanks for bringing these "old" threads forward, B-W. They're fun!) Ahhhhh, the first time reading LOTR. It was 1973, and I had just gotten in trouble because I left the library copy of The Exorcist" laying around, and my mom picked it up and read "the crucifix" scene, and had drug our High School librarian over the coals for having such "filth" in the schools. Anyway, I was looking for another (safer) book to check out and ran across these three little paperback books encased in laminated plastic covers (like they used to do to preserve cheap book copies for library use.) So I checked out the first one, and read it in about a week. I remember it started a little "slow", but was not too bad. But by the end of the week I was totally mesmerized. I had to know what happened next! So on Monday, I ran back to the school library to check out the other two books...and they weren't there! Gone! (And they never did come back.) I went flying to the librarian, squealing and complaining - as only a teenager can - "Where are they! I have to find out what happened! When will they be back!!!" The librarian, perhaps remembering how my Mother had reamed him out over "The Exorcist", just rolled his eyes, and said to me in his best "Lonely-Gay-Man-Stuck-In-Small-Midwest-Town" voice: "Don't worry. The Hobbits make it." Anyway, happy ending is I did get the beautiful Ballantine "White" paperback set, (with the box) for Christmas. In two days I had completed the other two books. Reading by flashlight, dragging it along as we visited relatives, and totally ignoring my cousins. I sobbed when I read the last chapter. I've read it every year or so since then, including reading it out loud with my ex-husband. (That was the best reading of all!) Oh. I did breathlessly recommend it to my best friend after finishing it. Her reaction? "I don't know. It started pretty slow, and I lost interest." I wonder if she ever did read it?