What does it mean to be a true fan?

[Tarvasa]

I've heard many different theories over what it takes to be a true fan of The Lord of the Rings, whether it be the movies or the books, post your thoughts here.

[Lord of Angmar]

To be a true fan, you have to really like the books or movies.

[Elianna]

A true fan does not only drool over the cute/hott guys. They can (Faramir...drool...), but it's not all they do.

A true fan at very least makes an effort to read the books.

[Mad Baggins]

I think realizing the beauty of Middle-earth and the depth of Tolkien's works is a major part of it. You don't necessarily have to know each and every thing about Middle-earth(but it would help!), you simply have to love the books and/or movies.

[Knight of Gondor]

*Shrugs, then chuckles*

A true fan, eh? Well, I suppose it would mean that you have a good collection of books about Middle-Earth. You've read the Silmarillion at least once. You can distinguish between movie and book. If you like the movie (not mandatory, but a large, missing chunk if you don't), you have a basic, working knowledge of cast and crew members, scenes, actors, weapons, art, design, and a good deal of behind-the-scenes knowledge. You have a feel for the history of Middle-Earth, and at least a little knowledge about Tolkien itself.

I'd shy away from saying that these are qualifications, however, for entering the kingdom of fan-dom. I was a hard-core fan years ago when I first picked up the FotR book. (I had to sacrifice my reading rights to the next four Left Behind books in order for my older brother to let me go ahead and read RotK ahead of him!) I think it depends on mindset and passion for it. If you gradually fail to meet those "qualifications" I listed, then it would seem you're gradually losing your fan status.

[Orophin]

Being a fan have different levels I suposse. From little to big. There are some who have just seen the movies and like them or maybe have even read the books. Hard core fans I believe relate middle earth to reality. They begin to see things in our world that relate to tolkien's. Some may think that's weird but only the true fans can understand I guess.

[The Saucepan Man]

Surely it is rather beside the point to try to impose criteria by which people can measure themselves and others in order to decide whether or not they are true fans. You know if you are a fan or not, and you don't need to prove yourself as such to anyone.

Although I would say that it is a pretty safe bet that anyone who posts in any meaningful way on this forum more than a handful of times is a true Tolkien fan.

[The_Hand]

To be a true fan I would say all you have to do was like the book and /or movie. No more, no less, but if you have read all the books a number of times, seen the movie, slept outside to get tickets in the snow, know alot about everything Tolkien ever wrote, sees Middle-Earth all around you, like to say quotes in elvish to friends and posts more than a handfull of times on this or another Tolkien forum I'd say that you're no longer a fan, but a fanatic! I think I just decribed myself... hmmm

[Meela]

A true fan is not the person who can fill their house with the most merchandise, or the most expensive.
I had a limited amount of money for the month, and I spent the last of it on a tatty, second-hand copy of Unfinished Tales, because I desperately wanted to read the book and understand some of the early history of Middle-earth. And I treasured that book above all my other books.
I'm not saying that buying the best copy available makes you a lesser fan, but if you care enough about the material inside, it doesn't really matter what condition it's in.

Of course, the most important thing is to truly appreciate everything Tolkien has written. I'm most certainly not an expert, and I don't necessarily want to learn everything about Lord of the Rings. But what I have learnt so far, I have taken to heart.

I don't know if this would really count, but I think a true fan should be able to understand and appreciate another person's love for Lord of the Rings, even if they don't agree with it. And I am talking about Peter Jackson. He may approach Lotr from a different artistic direction, ie. through film, but he's just as much of a fan as a hardcore book fan is. I'd like to think that a true fan could understand him better, and not bicker because he might see some parts of the story in a different way to others. Hate him by all means, but I'd like to think that more people could see where he's coming from, if you get my meaning.

I suppose a true fan is not the person who owns the most, or reads the books the most. They don't even need to have read the books fully, or seen all three parts of the movie. If they absorb even a little piece of Tolkien, and take it truly to heart, that would make them a fan.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with wanting to know everything and collect everything Tolkien-related. That might make you even more of a fan. But I don't think that makes you a fan on it's own. You need to really love what Tolkien is putting across. If you feel you can disappear into Middle-earth and appreciate the underlying spirit and dedication that has gone into it's creation, I suppose you can call yourself a true fan.

Apologies for rambling, I was really getting into it there...

[Lalwendë]

I don't think you could define a 'true fan', you are whatever you think you are - if you see what I mean?

Now to be a Tolkien fan, then I would say you should have read some Tolkien, being a Lord of the Rings fan might be different, but all the same you couldn't be a fan of the film without actually having seen the film, could you? I do know a lot of people who have 'only' seen the films but are quite happy and able to have a sensible Tolkien discussion. I'd say you just have to love it!

What makes me a fan? I'd say the number one thing is that Lord of The Rings has been my favourite book for over 20 years despite being a voracious reader and having taken an English degree (Tolkien not being approved of by University literature types, in my experience). They failed to beat it out of me with their critical theory!

What else? I've got two copies of LOTR - both battered. I've got a lot of film merchandise, because I like it, and I can bore the pants off people - I was allegedly clocked the other day at work as spending a whole day having conversations about nothing but Tolkien. Heh.

I didn't name any pets after characters but I did apply for Oxford to follow in Tolkien's footsteps.

The more fans the better anyway - gives me more people to talk to about the best subject in the world! Ever!

[Liriodendron]

Originally Posted by Lord of Angmar

To be a true fan, you have to really like the books or movies.

You took the words right off my fingertips!

[Lhundulinwen]

Surely it is rather beside the point to try to impose criteria by which people can measure themselves and others in order to decide whether or not they are true fans. You know if you are a fan or not, and you don't need to prove yourself as such to anyone.

Exactly! Of course, it doesn't hurt to be a barrowdowner, quote random LOTR passages to friends, and save up your money to be able to buy the soundtracks and/ or the extended versions of the DVD's.

[Vanya]

Well, there are quasyfans, fans and fanatics. I belive I'm a fan. This means, for me, that ME is paralel world, where I escape every once in a while. It means that stories touch me every time I read them. It means that the first thing I look when I enter a bookstore is Tolkien shelf. It means trying to convert people that I find worthy of that effort. It means using Lotr screensaver or using film as background while working on comp, and then picking it up when some of favorite scenes starts. It mans telling my daughter ME bedtime stories. I could go on like this for long....
But, still, I'm not fanatic, because I didn't t learn elvish (like some people I know), or couldn't force myself to read HoME, because it's not translated yet. Even if it was, there are too much oposite informations, so I don't need the confusion. I can't pick quotes out my sleeve, I don't buy Lotr items, I hate comercial impact the film had .

[HerenIstarion]

And, of course, true fan always writes Tolkien without capital T and exercises his correctness and happy agreement with gender equality principles by referring to much esteemed professor with 'it'

[Silent Sam]

In my humble opinion, I would definately side with Elianna; DON'T drool!

I also think that it's a good idea to have read the boks as well as seen the movies.
But really, you can't say. LOTR can touch someone in hundreds of ways, not just a selected or named few.

There is no reason why a true fan can't 'drool' over the men in Middle Earth...why the heck not? One of the reasons I love Lord of the Rings is because of the values it advocates...and if some of those men happen to have those particular values I find attractive then I don't see the problem with it. I think the problem occurs when people ONLY drool...and then call themselves fans. They aren't. They'll be 'in love' with the next 'hot' thing to come out of Hollywood next month.

I also disagree with people who are rabid fans of the books who find it necessary to trash everything Peter Jackson did. That just annoys me, because film is a completely different medium to text, and I think that the changes PJ made were, for the most part, necessary. I agree totally with what Meela said, you have to appreciate that PJ is also a fan, and the films are his interpretation of the text.

I also personally love collecting LOTR merchandise. My study is filled with action figures, posters, books, games, stamps....etc etc. But that doesnt make me a true fan. I just don't think there is anything wrong with collecting stuff.

I guess to me a true fan is someone who appreciates the books of Tolkien as well as PJ's films. A true fan is someone who wants to learn about LOTR. A true fan probably bores their non-Tolkien loving friends stupid with details about the book and films. (Like I do..hehe!)

[Gorwingel]

To be a true fan, you have to really like the books or movies.

What! Does this mean you can't like both?

(I get the quote, don't worry)

I personally believe that it is very hard to make any kind of "qualifications" for something like this. If this topic would have came up a couple months ago I would have gone straight into the "you must be into the books to be a true fan" kind of thing. But I guess (recently and surprisingly) I have grown up, and I am ready to accept fans of all types. I guess you just have to be in to it in a way, and exposed to it, and maybe it has to be part of your everyday life. But, yeah, this is hard

[Rilwen Gamgee]

To me, being a real "LotR"/Tolkien fan is simply enjoying what you read. However, if you just "like" it and can't have a discussion about whatever you say you are a fan of, you're not exactly a fan. This doesn't mean you have to have the most in-depth discussions ever, just more than "Oh my gosh! [character/actor/actress' name] is so hot! I love "LotR"!" Then again, if you do think someone is attractive, there is nothing wrong with that, but only "drooling" over him or her does not make you a fan. So, it doesn't matter how many times you read the books or saw the movies, but if you truly love, and understand, what you read (or saw).

[Grimkû the Blood-Axe]

You know if you are a fan or not, and you don't need to prove yourself as such to anyone.

Enough said my dear Saucey, enough said.

[Lathriel]

I think you can only call yourself a true fan if you have seen all the movies and read LOTR.
And if you have of course at least tried the silmarillion. But it's okay if you don't have every action figure.

As long as LOTR is always there in your mind.

Of course you are not a true lord of the rings fan if you only like the movies. I mean The LOTR movies are pretty much as any action/adventure movie but with orchs, wizards and hobbits
And with this I am not saying that the movies are bad, quiet the opposite they are good, very good!

but if you reallly really....are a true Lord of the rings fan you should be interested in more literatur of Tolkien than the trilogy.

Booklist for a true fan to read.

1. The hobbit
2. The trilogy ( of course )
3. The silmarillon (gives you important history facts and the most important how middlearth was created )
4. The unfinished tales
5. The book of lost tales (1 and2)

But you do not only have to read the books one time but several times ( Like I have) to truly understand the world of middlearth and the various cultures that exists.

But of course everybody can read the books......the most important think is of course that you ENJOY what you are reading, just like Rilwen Gamgee wrote before.

[Boromir88]

Marcus, you most likely wont be able to understand Lost Tales until you read the Unfinished Tales, so add that to the list.

Elianna, I agree again, I happen to think Liv Tyler is quite attractive, it's just the one's that constantly go on about how hot someone is. I'm sure you dont want to hear me gush about Liv Tyler so I don't want to hear people gushing over Legolas, or whoever else it may be. Good point you made (if you were intending to make one).

As for the question of a true fan, hmm...depends could go two ways in my mind. A true fan of Tolkien would be one who appreciate's Tolkien and his works, and do not hold the movies above the books. A true fan of LOTR could be a book person, movie person, or both. For me I enjoy the movies, great entertainment but the books are on a much higher platform and I encourage anyone who hasn't read them to do so. I'm still sort of debating with myself right now on how to answer this. So, for now I will say a true fan of LOTR would be one who has read the books and understands the books. I mean the books is what got this all started, no books, no movies. But, I'm still sort of arguing with myself on that. Since I have adored Tolkien long before the movies it may seem kind of biased I guess you can call a "true fan" of the movies, is a true fan to the movies not necessarily LOTR. I would call a "true fan" of LOTR to be the ones who actually knew what LOTR was before the movies. But, as I said earlier that may seem biased and if anyone is offended I apologize.

[Lathriel]

Hey Boromir88
In this respect I am also slightly biased. I believe a true fan is one who read the trilogy several times before the movies.

Although the movies have made the books more dear to me they were already favourites of mine by the time the movies came out.

I apologize to those who read the books after the movies. (please spare me)

[Knight of Gondor]

Marcus, you most likely wont be able to understand Lost Tales until you read the Unfinished Tales, so add that to the list.

I don't agree, but not everyone is the same. I read both Lost Tales, and I'm only now reading UT. I got through LT okay, but you should DEFINITELY read The Silmarillion first.

[Araréiel]

I consider a major fan to be one who buys the best books, serious merchandise (flimsy copies of the Evenstar don't count), costumes in intricate detail, even change their names. A document was done wrong in my name change. Also spending considerable time studying the books to compare it to society and find the similarities Tolkien put into the book. How about learning Quenya and/or Sindarin?

I spent $200 on a leather copy of LotR on bible paper, $600 on HoME, $200 for a leather Silm, $125 for a leather Hobbit, thousands more on sterling and gold jewelry, costumes, weapons, pewter chess sets, and the like. And spun myself into major money problems. This is taking it too far.

A good fan is one who loves the books and knows them well, but doesn't go overboard.

A so-so fan is one who just saw the movies and has no idea Eowyn marries Faramir because they never got together in the movies, only a brief glance at each other in the end.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Ah, but Araréiel, should fanaticism be allowed only to those with money? I'd consider myself a fanatic (I know my friends consider me one), but I haven't got the resources needed to go overboard on merchandise. I content myself with my battered copy of FotR (bought with my first ever pay check), my slightly less battered [because its a lot newer] copy of TTT (a birthday present from my best friend at the time) and my just barely less battered than FotR copy of RotK (a gift from my brother). They are all FILLED with notes, highlighted passages, and a few random pages have come loose from the many times I've fallen asleep reading and slept on top of my books. My extra reading (the Silm., and the other works) comes with the help of my friendly neighborhood public library and the assistance of online book requests. I have some random posters, EEDVDs, the theatical version of TTT, and some of the toys, but I really can't afford hundred dollar books and costumes. Any extra money I have (and there isn't much) goes to treating friends to lunch, or buying books and CDs. Does that make me less of a fan than you?

I think so far, Meela has hit it best:

If they absorb even a little piece of Tolkien, and take it truly to heart, that would make them a fan.

I don't think you have to be obsessive of either books or movies to be a fan... True fandom is when you like something because YOU like it. Not because of trends, not because someone says its cool. LotR fans love LotR. Not just the image that comes with it.

Fea

[Araréiel]

Yeah, but I said I was taking it too far. As I said, A good fan is one who loves the books and knows them well, but doesn't go overboard.


I knew someone who spent far more than I could hope to make in a year on movie stuff, yet knew nothing of what the movie was really about, other than that it was "pretty" and popular.

The best thing I can say about a REAL fan is that that person doesn't care wht the fads are. S/he is still faithful to what s/he loves and isn't ashamed to admit it.

[Frodo2968thewhite]

Mae Govannen Mellyn nin! Elen sila lumenn omentielmo!
I must say that Meela has captured true fandom the best so far... anyone that truly loves LOTR is a fan. I, for one, consider myself an expert, and I might be what some call obsessed. I love LOTR, and It has actually helped me in times of need. I have and have read every middle earth-related book i can find, and all of Tolkien's books. I even have 4 three inch binders filled with LOTR material I found online, in magazines, and photocopied out of different sources. one of them is filled to it's capacity with elvish. I have bought all the elven rings, the ring of Barahir, and the one ring. I also have two swords, Sting and Anduril.
But I don't feel I am going overboard, because I appreciate every item I receive. I know very much about Lord of the Rings, but even if I didn't, I would still be a fan. And lack of money has never held me back, when I was little, I took a piece of yellow paper and drew elvish writing of the on it, then rolled it up into the one ring, and I would wear it all the time.

I agree about the whole, "drooling" issue. I hate seeing people that say, "Oh, I love Lord of the Rings because Orlando Bloom is in it!" Then they fill everything with pics of him, and call it LOTR.
But I do think that every major fan should be called, "odd" "weird" or "obsessed" at least once for their love of LOTR. They should also know at least 2 words of elvish.
I am a fan because of my love of Lord of the Rings, not my knowledge of it (even though it is a huge bonus), or my amount of merchandise.
Namaarie! Aa lasser en lle coia orn 'n omenta gurtha!
-Iorhael Lolindir Ancalime I Taur

[Isowen]

Maybe this is a little demanding but I think a true fan must read the books thoroughly a few times and also see the movies.

[Lady Gamgee]

Personally, I think that anyone who would be called a TRUE fan of LOTR has to truly enjoy the books & movies, perhaps even relate some of it to real life. It seems that the truer fans find out as much as they can about Tolkien, all of his works, the movies, the characters backgrounds, etc .... If there's one thing I can't stand is, what I like to call, a "bandwagoneer". For those who don't know what that is, it's someone who automatically decides they're gonna "like" something or someone just because it or they are popular ... when really they wouldn't give a second thought about it. Anyone who likes a movie, actor, etc... just because he's "cute" or "I like her", or any other countless things cannot call themselves true fans. There is much more to a movie, person, or music than what they're wearing or what color eyes they have.

Therefore, I think to be a True Fan, you must understand much about the people, places, and characters in these movies & books. True fans can also be collectors. For me, right now I'm collecting movie posters & books ... and plan on collecting the action figures too (gotta take one at a time ). True fans have gotta read the books, no doubt about it. If you don't, you're truly missing out. I am a fairly new fan to LOTR, but I am a TRUE FAN, and will remain loyal to my fellow Middle Earth inhabitants

[Arie]

A true fan? One who isn't infatuated with movie stars and is meaningful in all of their posts on the Downs.

[Lady Gamgee]

Originally Posted by Arie

A true fan? One who isn't infatuated with movie stars and is meaningful in all of their posts on the Downs.

I couldn't agree more. Very well said

[Encaitare]

I'm not saying that buying the best copy available makes you a lesser fan, but if you care enough about the material inside, it doesn't really matter what condition it's in.

Indeed! I have a really beautiful copy of the trilogy, the Alan Lee illustrated one, which I got because I wanted to have a nice copy to last a long time. But then I also have copies of FotR and TTT from the 60s or 70s, which according to the covers cost 95 cents.

In my humble opinion, I would definately side with Elianna; DON'T drool!

I think it's okay to drool because sometimes one just can't help oneself. There are so many beautiful people in the movies, ie: David Wenham, Viggo, Sean Bean, Billy Boyd... ::trails off with dreamy looks:: But, er ... ahem, you shouldn't watch the movies simply *for* the eye candy *coughrabidOrlandoBloomfangirlscough* These people cannot be considered true fans.

I would say a true fan is someone who gets the messages of the story: themes about good and evil, the dangers of too much power, the strength in friendship, etc. I don't think it's necessary to have read the books first, since I didn't but now love them. A true fan should read the books at some point, though, and should try out the Silm, UT, and all the rest of those books we just can't get enough of.

A true fan knows enough history, characters, background, and places to carry on an intelligent conversation about the story, but they should be able to recognize movie events from book events.

But more or less you just have to really, really love LotR.

[InklingElf]

Originally Posted by Arie

A true fan? One who isn't infatuated with movie stars and is meaningful in all of their posts on the Downs.

hah! true true