Lord of the Rings boring books

[Lotrelf]

Hi, friends! Yeah, that's the title. I just want to know, how do you guys react when someone says, "Lord of the Rings is boring"? I just saw a girl crying out loud how she found LotR boring. I maintained my patience, and told her that she's lucky for I have learned patience. And, she said that She meant offense. I STILL FEEL LIKE TO PUNCH IN HER FACE!! Jeez!
How do you people react?

[Inziladun]

I've never had anyone say that to me personally. My response would be that it's one heck a lot more meaningful and inspiring than anything modern instant-gratification-Kardashian-loving-loud-social media obsessed-fast food society can offer.

[Galin]

I cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!

No wait, that's what I do when I spill milk

[Lotrelf]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I've never had anyone say that to me personally. My response would be that it's one heck a lot more meaningful and inspiring than anything modern instant-gratification-Kardashian-loving-loud-social media obsessed-fast food society can offer.

You're lucky, I'd say. I heard someone else say so too. He met me on Facebook. I was reading the books those days. And he said while discussing books that he found books BORING, and I deleted him! I felt relieved.
You can't compare LotR to the modern literature by any means. LotR and other stuff by Professor is CLASSIC. It definitily offers much more than any other modern book can.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

"The intelligent man finds everything fascinating; the dullard is constantly bored" --Belloc

Five bucks says this young person also finds Shakespeare boring and stoopid.

[Galadriel55]

I have a friend who found LOTR boring. She didn't quite say so - I think she was interested in the characters and plot, but she said she couldn't get through all the descriptions in FOTR. She got bogged down somewhere in the middle of it and dropped the book (and to think that I'm trying to get her to read Victor Hugo!). I told her I respectfully disagree, because the book is awesome even if you don't like the descriptiveness, and because I found the descriptions of the landscapes quite picturesque and thus fascinating. In the end, we've left each other to our own opinions.

However, despite my disagreement, I can see where she's coming from. For a long time I had to really force myself through the Shire chapters in FOTR. I still find them less interesting than the rest, but there was a time when I found them downright tedious. You have to read the entire LOTR to appreciate everything in it, but if it's not your type of book, then there's only so much you can do. Some people can be convinced to suffer through Shire with a promise of a story that keeps you on your feet more a bit later. Other's aren't even wavering about it. Either way, it's not worth fighting with real people over their taste in books. (However, I do agree with and second Zil's complaint about the modern instant-gratification-[...]-society.)

[Mithalwen]

Only boring people get bored.. my mother had a very effective technique for dealing with children who claimed to be bored which was to give them silver or brass to polish... anyway... I have always been fascined by language and languages... I have a clear memory of waiting by the car for my mother prodding the grass verge with my foot and wondering who decided that grass got to mean grass..sadly that was the moment. I discovered my Mother was fallible because she didn't know (my father's infallibility was crushed when he failed to convince me that the sky went on forever when I wanted to know what was beyond the stars. With mature reflection I realise that the problem was with my understanding but six year olds are so judgemental...and yes I must have been a horrible child). So discovering Tolkien and its created languages AND cosmos was pretty much heaven and I have found it all fascinating ever since.

[Orphalesion]

Okay I might make myself unpopular here :-(

First of all, NO I do NOT think that the LOTR is boring, however I can see how somebody might find it so. I myself find the Two Towers my least favorite of the three parts, but I LOVE the Return of the King. The Two Towers simply doesn't have anything for me, it doesn't have the wonder/magic of Fellowship (except the Ents) and it doesn't have the epic climax of Return, instead we spend a whole book sitting in Rohan with the boring blonde horse people that could be cut out of the story without losing anything -_- And the LOTR is awesome but by no means perfect (no book is)

Originally Posted by Lotrelf

You can't compare LotR to the modern literature by any means. LotR and other stuff by Professor is CLASSIC. It definitely offers much more than any other modern book can.

Please don't take offense, but saying that is a tiny bit narrow minded and discards a huge corpus of literature. Not sure what you define as modern literature if who mean the "Twilight" "World of Warcraft" "Magic the Gathering" s***te, I totally agree, but what about all the good stuff that was written since the LOTR was released?
Even if we only count fantasy: "The Last Unicorn" by Peter S. Beagle, "Gormenghast" by Mervyn Peake "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman, "A Song of Ice and Fire" by R.R.Martin "The Once and Future King" by T.H. White... do I need to go on? I would count all these books as on the same level, if different, and in some ways superior/inferior to the LOTR (Song of Ice and Fire, for instance, has imho more relateable and colorful characters, but it does have annoying, gratuitous sex scenes and the way the story slags since book 4 is the "Rohan Situation" taken to its extreme) AND "Song of Ice and Fire" has something I have always missed in LOTR: an "evil" character who, over the story redeems themselves: Jamie Lannister. In the LOTR good characters can fall from grace: (Denethor, Saurman) but there is (for instance) no Orc that changes sides. Considering Tolkien is a Christian writer that is a bit strange.

Anyway: If we expand that statement beyond fantasy....then I have to check if these posts have a maximum word count.

Bottom line, new stuff is not automatically inferior to old stuff (just like old stuff is not automatically inferior to new stuff) and if we believe that we'll end up like the Elves at the end of the Third Age; in a state of endless, cultural stagnation and melancholia for the "good old days" The LOTR times also had their fair share of horrid literature, but horrid literature doesn't survive usually and gets forgotten, while the good stuff gets remembered and remains in print to become "classics".

That all being said, I do think that the LOTR Movies are mindboggingly boring and ugly to look at (Minas Tirith looks like poo, Llothlorien looks like unholy spiderwebs etc.) But that has nothing to do with the books of course.

[IxnaY AintsaY]

Sometimes, I find LOTR boring. Overall though, I'd say it holds up very well for something I've read a score of times and expect to read again.

Anyway, I'm reminded, once again, of Gollum's lullaby to Sam and Frodo:

Now, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum,
What might be right for you, may not be right for some.
A man is born, he's a man of means, precious.
Then along come two, they got nothing but their jeans.

But they got, Diff'rent Strokes. It takes,
Diff'rent Strokes. It takes,
Diff'rent Strokes to move the world, my precious.

Everybody's got a special kind of story
Everybody finds a way to shine,
It don't matter that you got,
not alot, so what,
They'll have theirs, and you'll have yours, and I'll have mine
(Oh yes we will precious, yes we will...)
And together we'll be fine....

But they got, Diff'rent Strokes. It takes,
Diff'rent Strokes. It takes,
Diff'rent Strokes to move the world,
Bless us and splash us, my precioussss!

In other words, opinions are like fishes: everyone's got one, and after a day or two without proper refrigeration they all stink.

[Orphalesion]

Originally Posted by IxnaY AintsaY

In other words, opinions are like fishes: everyone's got one, and after a day or two without proper refrigeration they all stink.

Very true! Plus now I have the picture of Gollum, Sam and Frodo dancing in giant 70s afro wigs in my head

And Mithalwen: I give you Eohwyn, I did like her and (to a much lesser degree Eomer) in Return of the King. I just wish the reason for their introduction wouldn't have taken up a whole book in which the plot on Aragorn's part screeched to a grinding halt. Particularly the whole Helm's Deep plot-line was painful and the whole "weak leader controlled by outside forces" aspect was then repeated with Denethor anyway.

Actually, the war along with Saruman in the Shire displays for me a quality of Tolkien's writing that is at the same time one of his strengths and weaknesses. The invasion of Rohan and the ruin of the Shire were things that would have logically happened in a war like the War of the Ring and it speaks for Tolkien to go the extra mile in describing them. Yet a run of the mill fantasy writer would have skimmed them over because, while they also contribute to the themes of the work, they are not necessary to advance the plot and, can be perceived to be less enjoyable by some.

[Lotrelf]

Originally Posted by Orphalesion

Okay I might make myself unpopular here :-(

No. You did not make yourself unpopular. I liked your posts.

Please don't take offense, but saying that is a tiny bit narrow minded and discards a huge corpus of literature. Not sure what you define as modern literature if who mean the "Twilight" "World of Warcraft" "Magic the Gathering" s***te, I totally agree, but what about all the good stuff that was written since the LOTR was released?
Even if we only count fantasy: "The Last Unicorn" by Peter S. Beagle, "Gormenghast" by Mervyn Peake "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman, "A Song of Ice and Fire" by R.R.Martin "The Once and Future King" by T.H. White... do I need to go on? I would count all these books as on the same level, if different, and in some ways superior/inferior to the LOTR (Song of Ice and Fire, for instance, has imho more relateable and colorful characters, but it does have annoying, gratuitous sex scenes and the way the story slags since book 4 is the "Rohan Situation" taken to its extreme) AND "Song of Ice and Fire" has something I have always missed in LOTR: an "evil" character who, over the story redeems themselves: Jamie Lannister. In the LOTR good characters can fall from grace: (Denethor, Saurman) but there is (for instance) no Orc that changes sides. Considering Tolkien is a Christian writer that is a bit strange.

Anyway: If we expand that statement beyond fantasy....then I have to check if these posts have a maximum word count.

Bottom line, new stuff is not automatically inferior to old stuff (just like old stuff is not automatically inferior to new stuff) and if we believe that we'll end up like the Elves at the end of the Third Age; in a state of endless, cultural stagnation and melancholia for the "good old days" The LOTR times also had their fair share of horrid literature, but horrid literature doesn't survive usually and gets forgotten, while the good stuff gets remembered and remains in print to become "classics".

That all being said, I do think that the LOTR Movies are mindboggingly boring and ugly to look at (Minas Tirith looks like poo, Llothlorien looks like unholy spiderwebs etc.) But that has nothing to do with the books of course.

No offence really. When I meant "modern literature", I didn't mean to say the new stuff is bad or something (yup, Twilight was in my mind ). But, it can not be said that the new stuff is as good as old one. New work is inspired from old(not sayin' copied).
It's like, today scientists invent/discover, and we say, if the invention is useful, that they are "better" than Al Einstein. Surely, they did something that is more useful than Einstein's discovery, but who led them?
Similarly, modern literature is inspired from old ones; not inferior, but not as powerful as classics.

Saruman & Denether good people? I can say that for Saruman 'cause he was a Maia. Can't say the same for Denether 'cause he was already 'bad' from the start. Not that bad, but ego led him to arrogance, and his arrogance led him to his own fall.
As for Saruman, I feel, he kind of redeemed himself. Not upto that extent from where he could gain his old self and dignity; but he accepted his defeat and fall(isn't that the first step to redemption or repentance?)
Gollum? What of him? He does repent. But, there is something else at work. There is something that, imho, is as valuable as characters turning good from bad. Frodo's mercy(and later Sam's as well) leads to the ultimatel success of the quest.
Evil in Tolkien's word is stronger than I have ever seen in any Tale. After being overpowered by it, it takes alot to be the same. The Evil isn't the Evil of outer world, but that of inside of us. The fall of the Tolkien's characters, instead of showing them turning evil, shows their big flaws.

[cellurdur]

I wouldn't care much, but would ask them why they thought so and then perhaps have a conversation about it. At the end of the day I am sure I would fine many of the things they like boring.

[Lotrelf]

Here's what happened.

Originally Posted by Original Poster

Lord of the rings is one of the most boring books I have read till now

How dare she??

Originally Posted by Read Addict

For you. There are others for whom it is an ocean of inspiration that makes their lives better.

That's cool. Fits on me perfectly.

Originally Posted by Original Poster

Um. Yeah. Though I find it boring I will not debate on others' opinions and choices. And I mean no offence to the book,though my opinion shall remain constant.

Heh! Why so proud on hating the best fantasy work ever? (am I wrong when I say so?)

Originally Posted by Read Addict

Read Addict
Making no attempt to change your opinion. Just sharing mine in return of yours.

That's fine.

Originally Posted by Jigyasa Mishra

My God! Admin, what you said is true for me.
LotR ain't boring. I don't know how to react when someone insults Tolkien or his work. You're lucky, girl for I've learned patience.Good luck.

That's me.

Originally Posted by Original Poster

If I find it boring does not mean it is actually boring. Just depends on an individuals' aspect of seeing things. I honestly am not tagging lord of the ring as boring. It is just my opinion for crying out loud. I still respect the author's work regardless of how I find it.

'Tis a bit okay.

[Belegorn]

Originally Posted by Lotrelf

How do you people react?

I'd disagree with them as they would disagree with me. But I would not expect them to conform to my views, rather to embrace their own.

[Zigûr]

I think I would have to be very thin-skinned to object to people claiming that The Lord of the Rings is boring. Lots of people think it's boring. I don't, but plenty do.

The main objections seem to be:
1. too much description, especially of landscapes: "he describes every blade of grass"
2. too much monotony: "they just walk for ages"
3. too much archaism: "the characters say things like 'Forsooth! Thou art slain!'" etc

I've actually heard people say some of these things. But if people think it's boring, well, they're perfectly entitled to.

Interestingly, Book Three (or the first part of "The Two Towers" if you will) is one of my favourite parts. When I was a child my least favourite was Book Four. These days I appreciate every part of the book.

This isn't specifically related to The Lord of the Rings but in terms of 'boredom' I've always been impressed with how, in my opinion, in Chapter VIII of The Hobbit, "Flies and Spiders", Professor Tolkien manages to convey a sense of the horrible oppressiveness, tedium and drudgery of the journey through Mirkwood. I'm always as desperate to escape as the characters themselves.

[demnation]

I can certainly agree that parts of the book are slow, but then lots of great books are slow. And I could probably prattle on all day about what I don't like about the book, but my positive feelings far outweigh the negative. I happen to like The Shire bits and Tom Bombadil, the parts that seem to give people the most trouble. LOTR is quite probably my favorite book (depending on the day of the week and what kind of mood I'm in) and it is certainly one of the two or three books that have affected me greatly. But there really is no accounting for taste.

[Faramir Jones]

I can understand when someone, who has made a genuine effort to read LotR, finds it boring. I recall feeling that way at the start, when first reading it at thirteen; but then things began to pick up for me by the time of Gandalf's death, then Boromir's.

I remember particularly enjoying, by the time of RotK, how everything was coming together, hoping that Minas Tirith would be relieved, and that Frodo and Sam would succeed. That they did with Gollum's intervention amused me. Farmir and Eowyn's romance made me go all mushy. In short, I was no longer bored.

All this is, of course, my own experience.

[Erestor]

Society today is very rushed, and this is also something that defines the taste of a large part of the population. Films, which is the most popular artform nowadays, are densily packed with action, with almost no room to breath. People today seems to find it boring to relax, find any moment that doesn't seem to be a large step forward in a story (or anything else) as a waste of time, and boring - of course, this is not including holidays, when those same people are being grilled on beaches.

However, the thing that makes it boring to other people, is the thing that attracts me in LotR: it gives me room to breath, to let me wander throughout Middle-Earth. It makes it feel the journey more realistic: not a chain of action sequences, but a long time travelling while there isn't happening much.

Of course, this is a matter of taste and state of mind, so I can't criticize them for finding it boring. If they actually read it of course.

[Morthoron]

There are plenty of classics that are infinitely dull; for instance, Camus could perhaps be the only writer to make a plague tedious, and I would rather stick a rusted fork in my eye than read Jane Austen or Thomas Hardy ever again (Jude was obscure for a reason!).

But I love the long novels of Victor Hugo, Tolstoy and Umberto Eco. I even enjoy James Joyce (but Joyce requires more research than actual reading, honestly, particularly in the case of Finnegan's Wake and Ulysses).

It is all a matter of preference, really. There are those readers who agree with me, and those with no evident taste.

[Belegorn]

I used to think the Odyssey sucked. I couldn't really follow along when we had to read it in 9th grade.

[Galadriel55]

Well, to brighten up the discussion with what I think is a fair point on the "LOTR books are boring" score, I met a person once who thought so after genuinely attempting to actually read the books. When I asked him why he didn't like the books, he said that he really enjoyed The Hobbit (book), and was looking forward to LOTR. But FOTR turned out to be a big disappointment - as he told me, it's just The Hobbit repeated, except a lot more dragged out. After that he just lost the interest in the series. And I think it is a fair point - there is a lot of similarity in the structure of the stories, even though the themes are quite different. Not an issue for those who read LOTR first, or who aren't as attached to TH, but you can't blame that guy for finding FOTR redundant.

[Zigûr]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Not an issue for those who read LOTR first, or who aren't as attached to TH, but you can't blame that guy for finding FOTR redundant.

Hmm. I read The Hobbit first and am very attached to it, but I must say personally I didn't find Books I and II of The Lord of the Rings redundant. It's an interesting point of view, just one I can't say I experienced myself. Personally when I first read The Lord of the Rings (at age 10) I found Book IV to be the most dry part.

I suppose I just think for some readers Professor Tolkien's style isn't much like what they're used to from fiction. I wonder if that's why children have been known to like The Lord of the Rings even though it's not much of a children's story – they might sometimes be a bit less set in their ways when it comes to reading.