How were you introduced to Tolkien?

[Alatáriël Lossëhelin]

I've been a resident of Middle Earth for many years now. In 1966 (when I was 15), a friend loaned me a copy of the Hobbit. I stayed up all night reading it. I immediately borrowed FotR and read it in a couple of days. However, since this set of books was being routed to several people, I had to wait weeks to find out what happened to the Fellowship, and even longer before Sam was able to rescue Frodo. Since then, I've bought my own copies (several sets). I bought the Silmarillion when it was first published, but I could not finish it. I dug out my copy a few months ago, and I'm almost finished with the second reading.

I remember when I was about eight, I went to the Library and got the Hobbit out, but I never read it. Then when the Fellowship came out I got curious again and bought the Hobbit and LotR, I then read them and read them, then I saw the film. Since then I have become obsessed with Tolkien and have collected all of HoME and some other books, and the Silmarillion.

Like a lot of people I saw the the fellowship of the ring first (i'll give my self a slap) but i thought what a great film, the book must be fantastic.

I bought the 3 books and started reading, I enjoyed them so much i read them twice within the year. In the same year i also read the Hobbit, The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.

I have started to read the LOTR again just incase i missed anything.

[The Evenstar]

I had heard about the books and then when the movies came out, I becasme even mor intrested and it turned out that I loved them and I began to read the books. From then on, I have done research on LOTR to get to knoe it better.
I'm young, so I wasn't around when the books came out!

[Lathriel]

My mom loved LOTR and as usual I was looking for a new book to read (I always am)
At around age eight she told me the Hobbit might be fun. I liked it a lot.Than a year or two after I read LOTR.nNow I am planning to read it once a year! (I need my own copy, my mom's is getting dog eared and ripped.)

I was first introduced to Tolkien when I saw a production of The Hobbit at a children’s theatre 10 years ago, when I was 8 years old. My mom had already read many of the Chronicles of Narnia to my brother and I, so I immediately took to the Hobbit, and enjoyed the performance.

Last year, I was coming back early from a trip to Germany, and was alone with 24 hours to kill in the Frankfurt airport, so I looked for a bookstore, and enquired after whether they had any books in English. I was delighted, when I saw that they had an English version of LOTR series. (I had seen FOTR in the theatres, and read other fantasy series since then, but somehow I hadn’t gotten around to reading LOTR.) I sat down in a quite spot and started reading. The hours flew by! LOTR are the best books I have ever read. Since then, I have read The Hobbit, The Silmarillion,the Letters of Tolkien, and a few days ago, started reading LOTR again.

[Nerindel]

I was introduced to tolkien by both my parents,they read me the Hobbit many times (my dad did a wicked Gollum voice)I loved it. my mother was a member of the Tolkien Society and went to Oxford many times as Éowyn (she even had a sword especially made for her). It was my mother that bought me my first copy of the LOTR trilogy when I was 12 and I've read it every year since,some times 2 or 3 times a year. I even did my Standard grade book report on LOTRs ( I got a gade B [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] ). I only got a copy of the sil 5 years ago but I loved that too [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[Helkahothion]

I got a puzzle from the movie with all the characters. My mother pushed me to go see the movie. After the movie I read the books.
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Lincoln continental picture

[Daewen]

I can't believe I haven't posted here yet, because, as anyone who's read a few of my other posts in miscelanious threads would know, I love to brag about how I got introduced to Lord of the Rings.
When I was five years old (and still taking naps [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] ) my dad would sit me down and read me a few chapters of the Hobbit before I took my nap. Even though I was young, I followed the story line fairly well, although certain details eluded me. By the time I was seven, my dad had begun to read me the Fellowship of the ring, then when I was eight, we read the Two Towers, then when I was nine, we read Return of the King, and when I was ten, my dad sat me down and said, "I think it's time for you to tackle the Hobbit again...but this time, on your own." So I re-read all the books, starting with the Hobbit, and since read them rather sporadicaly, it took untill I was about 12 to finish, but by the time I was 13, I was reading the Silmarilon to my dad, and a year later, when I was 14 (and reading the Unfinished Tales if anyone cares) the first movie came out and my dad and I saw it together. So, in short, Tolkien's works have been a bit of a father daughter bonding thing for me and my dear old Gaffer, as I have taken to calling him as of late.

[GreatWarg]

In a hole in a ground there lived a hobbit... but that right now, is irrevelant to my tale.

Since I was... I believe nine... yes that sounds about right... when I was nine, during the summer break, I was idle. My older sister didn't want to see me just sit there and mope, so she forced me to go out bike riding with her. As we rode, she insisted that we stop by a book store that they tore down two years ago and built a coffee shop.

My sister bought three paper-back books curiously named 'The Fellowship of the Ring,' 'The Two Towers,' and 'The Return of the King.' I casually read the description, and found it somewhat interesting. Afterwards, I would find my sister constantly reading those books, and began pestering her about them. After she finished a chapter, she would summarize what had happened to me. Not only did this help me develop interest in Tolkien, but it helped me bond more with my sister.

Eventually, my sister gave my her copy of 'The Hobbit,' and soon thereafter I was busy gulping up everything about Tolkien. I received 'The Silmarillion' and 'Unfinished Tales' two years ago, and have just finished the HoME series some months ago. Am now working on 'The Lays of Beleriand.'

When I was in seventh grade I had a wonderful english instructor who loved Tolkien. For part of our studies we read the Hobbit as a class divided up into three teams. There was a HUGE map of Middle-earth on one side of the classroom that charted our progress through the book, and depending on how well you did in your team, your group would advance farther through the map and gain points. He made the story fun and I really enjoyed it. My Mom bought me the boxed set of the LOTR with the Hobbit included afterwards (I still have it - the pages are battered and it is 15 years old and very special to me!) My Mom also has always loved Tolkien and we even have a cat who's name is Frodo, one in the past who was named Gandalf, and we almost had two parakeets named Pippin and Merry when I was 5(I guess Dad wasn't to keen on that idea so they were named something else!) So with the influences from my English teacher and my Mother I have always loved Tolkien!

[Niluial]

My mom read The Hobbit to me when I was a little girl (four or three)! I loved The Hobbit, I even got a stuffed toy from a British shop (I come from Australia but I lived in England for about three years). It was a Tolkien toy shop with Tolkien books and stuffed toys I got the Smaug stuffed dragon! I lived with Smaug where I went Smaug went [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]! So as much as I love Lord Of The Rings, The Hobbit will always be a all time favourite.. I suppose LOTR is as well… [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]. So that’s how I got to know Tolkien books, I suppose I grew up with Tolkien [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]!

[Katherine712]

About a year ago, I was home one sunday and was bored out of my mind. So I wandered into my parents room and picked up The Fellowship Of the Ring, mainly out of desperation for something to do. About half an hour later, I was hooked, and haven't stopped reading and admiring the books since. I had heard how good the books were from a friend, and ended up finishing the trilogy before her! [img]smilies/confused.gif[/img]

[Luinalatawen]

I was in middle school, probably 7th grade, and they showed us a cartoon version of The Hobbit. I remember being not very interested in it, but I have a vivid picture of the Hobbit-holes in the video til this day. My mom read The Hobbit when she was younger and always told me that I should read it, but, stupidly enough, I never took her advice.

I make it a point to see book-inspired movies after reading the book itself, so that is what sparked my interest (finally). So my mom then bought me a copy of LotR and I read it. Unfortunately, it was after my first viewing of The Fellowship. I really regret not listening to my mom when she told me to read The Hobbit!!! But it's all good now... Now, I'm determined to read LotR at least once every year. And to read HoME.

Now, I look back and laugh at how STUPID I was to not be interested in Tolkien!! But hey, I'm only 18, and I have the rest of my life to become more learned in the area of Middle Earth.

[Gilbo]

It was a dark and stormy night off the coast of Santo Stefano. The fierce wind nearly drove the ship to keel over. we had rolled almost 30 degrees. I was in search of a reason not to puke. I looked in the community drawer and found a copy of Fellowship. For lack of anything better(skinmag), I began to read.
I finished a day later and went in search of the next book. That was 1974. I've read it about once a year since then. It always seems as good as the first.

[Gorwingel]

Gilbo that is a cool way to discover a book. Are you some kind of fisherperson, or were you just on a pleasure trip?

I found out about Tolkien one dull Sunday strolling through a cemetry where I came upon the graves of Luthien and Beren and I wanted to find out about them

[Sillabub]

I read the hobbit when I was in grade 4 or something. One of my really good friends introduced me to the existance of the lord of the rings, and I saw about half of FOTR this past september, I just finished the movie a few months ago and have watched it at least 6 times since. It was this LOTR musical I was trying out for (I was auditioning for the part of Pippin) that got me to read FOTR (which, might I add, was REALLY boring!!). Antien introduced me to the Barrow-downs.

[elle]

well i got addicted to tolkien not to long a go and it happen because of the movie. i have all ways had the books of the lord of the rings, for my mother gave them to me when i was young, but i never read them until i saw the movie. then i decided it looked good so i read them once, then again, and again , until i read the trilogy 8 times in a row. i was hooked, then i told mother to buy the sil and so she did, and i read that, and asked mother to buy the unfinished tales for me, and im in the middle of that right now! i love tolkien!

[Novhloke]

actually how i started on reading The Hobbit and then on LotR and appendices was because of the LotR Movie Trailer, real good trailer, so i began reading, now im a full fledged fan.

Since we started dating 8 years ago, my husband had been trying desperately to read the books. 'Twasn't my thing, I thought.

Only after seeing TTT in the theaters (not even FOTR on DVD) did my obsession begin. Now, I know more about it than he does, and I'm getting our 4yo son hooked on it as well. I'm even learning Sindarin!

[Wolf Larson]

I was first introduced to Tolkein with a TV trailer, I spoke casually of seeing it with my father, a good freind of mine who at the time was 78, recomended to me that I see the movie before I read the books. Seeing as he had always pictured hobbits as fat a green I decided to take his advise. (We never figured out where green came from) One day as I came in the door from school my dad askd me if I was interested in seeing a movie. I agreed. Since then I have read the books three times been all over the many sites, have claimed Melko as my favorite character and gotten my sisters and cousin interested. The friend also watched the movie with me and found it quite accurate. (Even without Tom.) -Wolf Larson

I first read The Hobbit for school and then got hooked on LOTR and when the movies came out I saw them (of course) and recently I've been reading some of his other books [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[Idunn]

Well, in my family it is I who is hooked on books. That's why it is a shame to admit that in fact my younger brother had read LORT before me. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] Certainly, he loved the book and encouraged me to take a look at it. What I did. As a consequence, we together went on enjoying other Tolkien's books. But right now it is I who is reading LORT for the second time.

[EvennStarr8]

My sister came down one smmer and on the way to the airport (about 2 hours there) she told me and my other sister about the books she was reading:Lord of the Rings! I was so excited just hearing about them! Then in my Senior year in high school we read The Hobbit and watched the movie (cartoon).I was hooked then,but I'm "stuck" on Rotk!And I haven't read anything else yet! [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

[Phoenix]

I had never even heard of tLoTR until a friend and my mom took me to see the first showing at midnight and I absolutely fell in love. As soon as I had seen it agaaaaain I started reading the books. No once a year I read The Hobbit, The Trilogy, and The Silmarillion, and in that order.

[Corwyn Celesil]

My father read The Hobbit years ago, and I was vaguely intrigued then, but I didn't actually read any of the books until four or five years ago. I confess to my shame that I only got through FoTR, TTT, and the beginning of RoTK before becoming horribly bored and confused. After I watched the first movie, I wanted to refresh my memory, so I read the first book, then after the second movie I read the second and third books, and by the time I got to the Appendices, I was addicted. I in quick succession read The Silmarillion (which is my favorite of all the books), The Unfinished Tales, The Book of Lost Tales 1-2, The Lost Road, and most of the other books Christopher Tolkien put together. I had to quit at The War of the Ring because I could no longer borrow them from the person I was borrowing them from. A good deal of my interest came from one of my best friends, who is obssessed with LoTR.

[Laura]

I read the Hobbit when I was about 6 (i'm 19 now), but I didn't read any of the lord of the rings books til last year when i first saw the fellowship on video. Then i bought all three of the lotr books in october and read them in about a week, then went back to the beginning and read them again. I got totally hooked and must have read them about 5 times since i bought them. I just bought the silmarillion but i'm finding it a bit hard to get into.

[QuickSlash]

Well, I first read the Fellowship in December 2001, when it came out as a movie. My mom'd told me that the books were very good, and I'd decided to read the books (or at least the first one) before seeing the movie. That's a policy of mine, and I suggest everyone use it. The books are always better than the movies, and the books lose their initial magic if you've seen the movie. You end up with the director's first impression instead of your own.

But, anyway, I suppose Peter Jackson introduced me to Tolkein. ;D

[arianrod]

My dad read me The Hobbit when I was 5. I fell in love with Bilbo, and even named a teddy bear after him. (Unfortunatly, the dog ate it, dad washed it, and it burned to a crisp in the drier because of the glitter in its fur. yea... it's kinda a traumatic experience for me... how would you like to see your favorite teddy bear named after your favorite character burning to death in your family's drier? But I'm getting off subject...) I was very moved by the whole book, even cried for days after Thorin died, and was eager to read more about Bilbo. When I was about 8, I was browsing the bookshelf for something to read and stumbled upon Dad's LotR collection, which he'd had since college but never read. I remembered Bilbo and eagerly opened the cover, but soon saw that it was about some fool named Frodo and I shoved the book back on the shelf, not wanting anything to do with it. Until...

...Peter Jackson made a movie. I was older, but still fixed on Bilbo and pretty stubborn about not being very interested in seeing the Fellowship movie, but good ol' Dad dragged me to the theatre anyway... and I fell in love with another Baggins. So, almost the minute I got home, I retrived the grudged books from the shelf and started on page one.

I've tried reading the books to my dad now, to kind of return the favor. It's hard because we both have busier scheduals, but we're slowly making our way through, and he loves them.

Hi all,
This is my very first post here on the Downs. I was introduced to JRRT in my 9th grade class, 30 some years ago, by my English Literature teacher. I was hooked on Sci-Fi/Fantasy earlier than that, but Tolkien really got the Fantasy side firmly entrenched in my soul. Been reading it since then. Also expanded to try and read other, Older authors and try to keep up with all the new ones coming along.

[greyhavener]

I was about twelve or thirteen. My cousin gave me his old LOTR set and a copy of the Hobbit telling me he thought I'd like it. I read it all over spring break and thought it was the best thing I ever read. Thirty years later, I still do.

[Finwe]

I think it must have been when I was 5 or 6. My first "grown-up" series was Lord of the Rings. I read part of it, and then put it away for a long time. Then, the year before FotR came out, I took it up again, and now I am a devoted Valarin follower and Tolkienologist.

[Olorin]

My father has been an avid LotR fan since he was younger than me. He has been trying to get me to read it since I was a toddler, however it was actally the first movie that caught my eye and instilled in me a love for everything Middle Earth related.

[Meneltarmacil]

Well, for me it all started when I was 6. My family was going to take a long car trip and got The Hobbit on casette tape to listen to on the way. I fell in love with Middle Earth instantly after listening to it. Later, I got LOTR on cassette and thought it was even better. I remember wondering if it would ever become a movie. Everybody kept saying, "No way".
Then Peter Jackson came along. [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]

BTW has anybody else listened to The Mind's Eye audiotapes of LOTR or The Hobbit? They were quite well done IMO.

[Snowdog]

*leans back against a tree in the Shire and lights his pipe, and blowing a smokering that Gandalf manipulated, I start to tell of my adventure...*

It was late 1975 when a friend and I went walking around the neighborhood. We stopped to share a smoke when he told me of this book he was reading called The Hobbit. I asked what it was about and he told me about hobbits and the fact they tended to stay home and loved to eat and smoke. That got me intersted as I figured they smoked alot, got high and then had the munchies. He loaned me the book after he finished and I started reading it and loved it! He told me on one of our walks about another book called the The Fellowship of the Ring. Of course I read it and since my friend wasn't reading them as fast as I, I checked out Return of the King from the library rather than waiting for him to finish. of course I delved into Middle Earth as I combed the Apendices for every scrap of detail. Early 1976 I spotted this girl reading Return of the King by the flagpole and I struck up a conversation. It was a nice relationship to finish out the senior year as we would write Tengwar notes to each other, and our crowning achievement was when we cut class after lunch when the construction crew went to lunch, and we inscribed 'friends' in Tengwar into a wet cement curb. It was there until last fall when rennovation of the school caused the destruction of that curb. It was too bad the last time we saw each other was graduation night....
Anyway, I loved Tolkien's writing, and was in the line party at the local Walden Books for the release of the Silmarillion... the first new glimpse into Middle Earth since the Return of the King was released in 1954.

I was also one who went to the theatre to see Bakshi's animated Lord of the Rings. I wasn't impressed with much of it, mainly because it ended at Helms Deep and was never truely finished. I did like the way the Orcs were portrayed as it was more like my minds eye saw them (they were too organized in the PJ movie).

I lapsed in my vigilance for Middle Earth for some years after that, not caring for the animated Hobbit and poor finish-up of Return of the King... Then I saw Unfinished Tales on a bookrack in a grocery store... one of the small ones in the checkout line, and I immediatly bought it, though I didn't read it for some months afterward. I loved it much, and promptly read the trilogy again. It was then I started writing some fanfiction and I used some of an unfinished novel I was writing over the years, and had fun making my own Middle Earth side stories. Anyway.. I digress...

It was with mixed feelings when I heard a movie was being made of the books, and though I think PJ has done a remarkable job of bringing Middle Earth to the big screen, there are many aspects of the movie I can never agree with (Rohan being rocky being one, the changing of the story so much being the other though I know why it was done).

The one thing I think has been lost is the Mind's Eye "seeing" the characters as described by Tolkien himself wheras reading the book for the first time after seeing the movie, the character imprint is already on ones mind before reading the descriptions. On the bright side, it has brought many more people to know the fine writings of Tolkien! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

* tamps out pipe and stretches in the sun as I eat an apple..*

[Liriodendron]

Ohh Snowdog! I love it when you tell those good old stories! Hobbits (and Gandalf's smokerings) seemed so far out! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[Sirithheruwen]

My dad was a big fan of the books, and he read The Hobbit to me when I was little. Later, when I was a little older, my uncle, who was also a big fan, gave me FOTR. I've been in love ever since!

Check this out and persevere, and you will become lost in Middle-earth.
Love, Cormac

[Esgallhugwen]

I was first introduced to Tolkien by my mom! when I was a wee lass she would read me the Hobbit but it was indeed special because the book was in fact in comic book form with beautiful pictures and actually exactly like the actual paperback novel. It was a long comic you could say [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] Me and my little brother were so into it we would act it out, he would be Bilbo and I dressed in a red robe would be Smaug the Magnificent! [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img] It was so much fun!

[Silmiel of Imladris]

I am fairly new to Middle-Earth. About three years ago my friend told me about the LOTR series and how they were going to make a movie trilogy based on them. He gave me the Hobbit to read and I took my time to get though it because there was a lot of stuff I didn't understand at the time. (I must sound pathetic because I was a freshman in high school when I read the Hobbit and most of you guys were much younger and you still got more out of it than I did.) Well after I finshed the Hobbit he gave me the Fellowship to read and I hated it. I struggled with all the names and places that were not explained in detail. After a while I gave the book back because I was having such a hard time and I kind of forgot about Middle-Earth completely. Then I saw the Fellowship preview and I was stunned. I knew that the only way I could totally enjoy and understand the movie for myself would be to finish the book. So I borrowed it from a different friend this time and I struggled with it again. I didn't get much out of it and I only finished it about a month before the movie but when I saw the Fellowship I was like "Oh...now I get it." So anyway after that I read TTT and it was much easier because I knew more and ROTK was a breeze because I got the elvish dictionary that I can't live without. Now I am reading the Sil which I am taking my time on so I won't get lost and after that I am reading the Lost Tales of Numenor and Middle Earth. So I am glad my friends kicked my butt to read these books or I would have never of know about all the fun I would have been missing.