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I had begun to get into in Dungeons and Dragons (RPG) back in the late 70's. I was about 12 or 13 at the time. The cartoon versions of the stories, both TH and LOTR, were being aired on TV, and these really sparked my imagination. Besides, all my friends who had read the books would lord their superior geekiness over me, so I had to learn more. I read The Hobbit first and then Lord of the Rings, and truly loved them. I don't think I had ever read anything quite like them, and felt as if it was exactly the story I had always been wanting to lose myself in.
But even so, with all the changes and distractions that accompany growing up, my passion for the books faded through my high school and college years. By the time the movies began to come out, I have to admit that I barely remembered the stories at all - a fact made clear to me while listening to my students rave on about them. As they brought back to my attention all the minor characters and intricate details that I had forgotten, I felt compelled to read the books again. When I did, I discovered that my older self was in a position to appreciate the work much more deeply than I had before, and loved it every bit as much as my younger self. I am actually very glad now to have forgotten so much of the books over the years, for it has been like getting the chance to discover the magic of them twice. But I doubt that I shall ever forget them again, or fail to keep reading them over and over.
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