Tolkien Fandom - How much is too much?

[Dimturiel]

What, are you actually implying that Gondor and Earendil and all that wasn't real?

Seriously now, I doubt there can be many negative aspects to passions such as ours-I call it passion, because I do not think the word obsession suits it too much, or at least that's how I feel. My life has been greatly influenced by Tolkien's works-well, the last six years of it, actually-but I cannot think of any single instance when this influence was not a good one. Well, maybe except the time when I criticized my French teacher because she did not know who Tolkien was, but really could I just stand and say nothing? Also I think you can have much more dangerous passions/obsessions. Liking LOTR seems harmless.

Also, would I consider marrying a person who thought LOTR was rubbish? Honestly, no. I would try to convince him he was wrong, but if he does not agree I'd give him up without too many regrets. But that would not mean I have gone too far with my obssession. We all choose to surround ourselves with people that share the same interests as us. Anyway, I have not met a person who has read Lotr thoroughly and still thought it was rubbish at the end. From a book of about 1000 pages you have to like something