What does it mean to be a true fan? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

06-08-2004, 03:21 PM

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 · 06-08-2004, 04:22 PM

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 · 06-09-2004, 01:01 PM

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 · 06-10-2004, 09:19 PM

Quote:

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 · 06-28-2004, 11:13 PM

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 · 06-29-2004, 09:39 AM

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:

Quote:

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 · 06-29-2004, 09:56 AM

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.

06-08-2004, 03:21 PM	#1
Marcus Guest Posts: n/a	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. Last edited by Marcus; 06-09-2004 at 02:21 AM.

06-08-2004, 04:22 PM	#2
Boromir88 Laconic Loreman Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: USA Posts: 7,521	True fan and other stuff 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.

06-09-2004, 01:01 PM	#3
Lathriel Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Wandering through Middle-Earth (Sadly in Alberta and not ME) Posts: 612	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) __________________ Back again

06-28-2004, 11:13 PM	#5
Araréiel Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 92	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.

06-29-2004, 09:56 AM	#7
Araréiel Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 92	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.