I first read Tolkien as a young girl. I did not enjoy that first read. Now that I am older I have revisited Middle-earth and find that the complexities and mysteries that confounded me as a youth are what draw me in again and again. I find myself clamoring for more and more information about that world, and looking forward to the reading and re-reading of these beautiful histories. I do not simply read-I go to Middle-earth. Tolkien gave me a place to let my imagination fly free with the Windlords. The clever turn of a Wizard's phrase, the delicate languages of the Elves, the winsome cheer of the hobbits, and the ancient sadness that permeates this adventure, these are the reasons I love Tolkien.
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