How were you introduced to Tolkien?

[blantyr]

I was around 12 years old. It was Christmas. I was looking forward to toys. My aunt gave me books, instead. Books! A series of three of them. Stupid aunt. My mother insisted I give them a shot.

It only took 30 years for me to wear them out, and have to buy a new set.

[Faramir Jones]

When I was 10, I saw a dramatised version of The Hobbit on a UK children's TV series called Jackanory, transmitted over 2 weeks and 10 episodes. I was impressed; as it was a nice mix of very well and less well-known actors of the time, Bernard Cribbins playing Bilbo Baggins.

While the effect of the dramatisation on me was significant, it was delayed; because it was two years later before I began to read the book. The occasion was my family moving house, me coming across a forgotten copy of The Hobbit, and eventually reading it to pieces. The rest, for me, is history...

[Ring Bearer]

It was the "Riddles in the Dark" scene for me in the first Hobbit movie.

Read "The Hobbit" in the summer of either 2013 or 2014.
I still haven't read The Lord of the Rings--I intend to read them some day.

I do know about a lot of things from the book because of the Internet(and my brother).
I do not intend to read The Silm because it is just too long(and I have spent hours on the Fandom wikia reading about the characters and thus know that it is too time consuming and meaningless for me).

[Mithadan]

I have already posted to say how I was first introduced to Tolkien. And perhaps this should be a new thread, but I am curious.

For those of you who were first introduced to Tolkien via the movies, how did this affect your first reading of the books? Do you regret not reading the books first? And did reading the books affect your view of the movies?

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Mithadan

I have already posted to say how I was first introduced to Tolkien. And perhaps this should be a new thread, but I am curious.

For those of you who were first introduced to Tolkien via the movies, how did this affect your first reading of the books? Do you regret not reading the books first? And did reading the books affect your view of the movies?

Excellent questions, Mithadan!

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Mithadan

I have already posted to say how I was first introduced to Tolkien. And perhaps this should be a new thread, but I am curious.

For those of you who were first introduced to Tolkien via the movies, how did this affect your first reading of the books? Do you regret not reading the books first? And did reading the books affect your view of the movies?

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Excellent questions, Mithadan!

I'm interested in that myself!

I've searched inwardly at times, trying to see if I always prefer print to visual treatment, as I do with Tolkien. It seems it's often the case, but not always.

If others feel similarly, what sets the Professor's works apart?