How were you introduced to Tolkien?

[Formendacil]

I am surprised to discover I never replied to this thread (that surely means I replied to some similar once)--but, a decade or more on, it's certainly not too late.

I came to Tolkien by way of Narnia: my dad had both the Narnia books and The Hobbit and LotR on his shelf--he'd been into both authors in his college years. I was about 9 when, having exhausted Narnia and tired temporarily of rereading it, I decided to sample the thicker, darker volume with a dragon on front (a Methuen softcover featuring Tolkien's famous Smaug on the hoard illustration). I had read enough--I was a voracious reader then, as I can sadly no longer claim--to know that Tolkien and Lewis were friends, and I hoped it would satisfy the itch.

I'm not sure it, but the new itch reading The Hobbit opened up has never been satisfied. Naturally, reading The Hobbit led to reading The Lord of the Rings. I was definitely just a little too young to QUITE enjoy it, but I enjoyed more than enough that I came back to it again and again. I've guesstimated for the sake of putting numbers into Goodreads that I read The Lord of the Rings twice a year from then until the mid-2000s, but that number is probably low. When I finished it, I went back and restarted it. I devoured the Appendices.

Naturally, it was only a matter of time before I read The Silmarillion. It was difficult and required even more attention, but it clicked somewhere around the second or third reading (roughly when I sorted out all the Fin-s). That barrier broken, Unfinished Tales was smooth sailing. That exhausted my dad's collection, and I was now working the library system to get ahold of the HoME in the year or two immediately prior to the movies being released. I was not emotionally ready for those, which turned my private passion into something that just about everybody had an opinion about and seemed to think they knew (but really, said 14-year-old me, how dare they even say "Haldir is hot" if they haven't read The Lays of Beleriand or "The Sea-Bell"?)

Slowly the teenaged years passed and I found the 'Downs at the end of them, and I'd mostly leeched the need to "possess" Middle-earth as mine and mine alone out of my system. Just as well, since this website and the shared nature of the fandom has become, well, rather important to my life's story. (cf. the wife I met through the 'Downs and our nearly-year-old baby...)

[Urwen]

I watched the movies, and I took a shine to Frodo. Then I got LoTR and Silmarillion books, and I started liking Eowyn, Maedhros and Lomion, and the rest is history.

[Mithadan]

I was a young science fiction fan and wanted to try fantasy. By reputation, The Hobbit was among the best. The other fourth grade class was reading it and I borrowed a copy. When I finished, I learned about the sequel and read that. The rest is history (and well-documented elsewhere).

[Barandiun]

I was introduced to Tolkien by TheGreatElvenWarrior. Since Tolkien is her life, and I am her partner, I had an obligation to read The Hobbit then Lord of the Rings. So we read the Hobbit together, then we read Lord of the Rings together. Right after then we watched all the Peter Jackson movies (extended versions.) I appreciate how unfamiliar I was with the plot and most characters because the read was always surprising and totally exciting.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Barandiun

I was introduced to Tolkien by TheGreatElvenWarrior. Since Tolkien is her life, and I am her partner, I had an obligation to read The Hobbit then Lord of the Rings. So we read the Hobbit together, then we read Lord of the Rings together. Right after then we watched all the Peter Jackson movies (extended versions.) I appreciate how unfamiliar I was with the plot and most characters because the read was always surprising and totally exciting.

That is actually really cool. I don't remember not knowing what happens, so I'm curious about what your thoughts were reading through it for the first time. Do the cliffhangers actually work? Who do you cheer for the most? How do you imagine the characters? *hovers excitedly*

Also, on a similar note, may I suggest the Chapter by Chapter forum? A good place to post chapter-specific questions and impressions [which I personally love reading, hence the selfish moment].

[William Cloud Hicklin]

Well, I was about 9 or 10, and read a lot (we didn't have TV). So I was a regular at our little post library, which had some wonderful books thanks to the way the Army had stocked them in the late 40s. These included leatherbound quarto 1st Editions of all the Baum Oz books, which I read through. Having run out of Oz, I asked the Librarian "Have you got anything else like that?" And so I went home with The Hobbit. This was a first-edition text, "false" version of Riddles in the Dark (with color plates including the eagle, ergo a 1st US printing, but sadly in library binding)- and also no ad blurb for the Lord of the Rings, so it was actually some time and many readings (and library fines) before I learned there was a sequel!

But eventually I did - from Marty Trinkle, the chaplain's daughter - and since the library didn't have the LR I went up to the Stars & Stripes bookstore and had Guni special-order it for me- the original Ballantine boxed set with the ghastly Remington covers.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

That is actually really cool. I don't remember not knowing what happens, so I'm curious about what your thoughts were reading through it for the first time. Do the cliffhangers actually work? Who do you cheer for the most? How do you imagine the characters? *hovers excitedly*

Believe me, the cliffhangers totally work when you don't know anything about the story. Do you know how hard it was for me to not spoil the whole thing? We've been in a relationship for six years, and we only finished reading through in February. Anyway, my favourite cliffhanger that totally destroyed Brandy was when Pippin gets crushed by the troll at the end of book v, and it was sure a surprise when he came into Frodo's room in Cormallen!

[Barandiun]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

That is actually really cool. I don't remember not knowing what happens, so I'm curious about what your thoughts were reading through it for the first time. Do the cliffhangers actually work? Who do you cheer for the most? How do you imagine the characters? *hovers excitedly*

Also, on a similar note, may I suggest the Chapter by Chapter forum? A good place to post chapter-specific questions and impressions [which I personally love reading, hence the selfish moment].

Oh yes. It's totally exciting, not knowing what to think of Strider. Then learning more about who he is. Not knowing who it is when Gandalf returns as 'the white.' That's amazing. I wish I wasn't spoiled by popular culture that Gandalf the White exists. I would have loved the surprise of not thinking I would see him again. The most stressful parts were with and after meeting Shelob, not knowing about her two poisons. Not knowing what would become of Frodo and Sam. And worrying what would happen to Merry and Pippin the entire time the orcs have them.
Then watching Sméagol's transformation in front of Frodo's eyes. I never trusted him but there is so much anticipation wondering if he would betray them and what part he had to play in fate. I always wondered if I was going to be able to see what he could have been after the ring was destroyed.
I really rooted for the Hobbits. you can know how naïve they are. When amazing and frightening things happen, you can feel how unexpected must be when you only know just as much as they do.

[Galadriel55]

That is amazing! I feel like reading the books for a long time doesn't make you like them less by any stretch, but you get excited about different things. It's really cool to hear again what it's like to read with fresh eyes. Thanks for sharing!!!