Do you think it's okay to research Middle-earth?

[doug*platypus]

Good question! One that you'll probably ask yourself time and time again as you venture around the Downs. I think that most of us here have a tendency to over-analyse the books (and probably a lot of other things) from time to time, occasionally to their detriment.

But the wonderful thing is that the deeper you delve into Tolkien's Middle-Earth, the more rewarding it is. It's not a fantasy like The Sword of Shannara or the Diablo games, which are extremely superficial and don't stand up to much scrutiny. Tolkien created an extremely deep world, and I think you'll find that the more you read into it (especially with the help of others) the more you will enjoy it.

It may not be as intricate as a real history, but it's pretty durn close. And it is not just a book. Many books exist that can't be used in the same sentence with the word "just".