J.R.R.Tolkien.

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bclayton13
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Re: J.R.R.Tolkien.

Post by bclayton13 »

I watched the movies first, but that's because they started coming out when I was young (just shows my age!). I read the Hobbit later and I loved it, I really should pick up more of Tolkien's books. Seeing the Elvish language in print was particularly fascinating; I adore how much detail he put into the elvish languages.
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Megan01
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Post by Megan01 »

I find the way the author created a whole another world with its own rules and beings really magical, to say the least, and incredible. His imagination is out of this world, that's for sure. For people who aren't that interested in fantasy books it may be hard to read the complete series and really appreciate it, but I think it's an experience which is worth trying.
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Post by Zimall »

Let me admit i havent watched lord of the rings movies. I have only read the books and they are amazing except the large part that describes the geographical details.
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DakotaA
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Post by DakotaA »

As a huge Tolkien fan I appreciate this post! I fell in love with Middle Earth as a child, and still have The Hobbit cassette tapes in a lovely wooden box on my bookshelf. The trilogy films came out and my father (also the buyer of the book on tape) bought my sister and I the DVD's with extended edition. To this day they are my favorite films.

That childhood obsession led me to so many Middle Earth related books that I would consider myself to have a decently well-informed Tolkien fan. That being said, I still struggle with understanding The Silmarilian.

Side note- Beren and Luthien (Christopher Tolkien's last- and perhaps final- release) was wonderful and I highly recommend it!
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flaming_quills
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Post by flaming_quills »

I must confess that I haven't read the Lord of the Rings series all the way through but I would like to do so at some point because I don't want to have my memory of the book filtered through a lens created by someone else.
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Post by Only1Cola »

Megan01 wrote: 23 Jul 2018, 13:02 I find the way the author created a whole another world with its own rules and beings really magical, to say the least, and incredible. His imagination is out of this world, that's for sure. For people who aren't that interested in fantasy books it may be hard to read the complete series and really appreciate it, but I think it's an experience which is worth trying.
I’ll give a thumbs up to that. I completely agree! What a master mind Tolkien is to envision the world his characters live in and write novel after novel without deviating from the backdrop of Middle Earth as he describes it. Truly a worthwhile experience reading his books.
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Nisha Ward
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Post by Nisha Ward »

I know a lot of people tend to point out the problematic parts of his stories but honestly? They still hold up as some of the best examples of storytelling I've encountered in quite some time. Just the sheer epic scale of Middle Earth alone is enough to make me happy for months.
"...while a book has got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the reader it's got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the writer as well." - Terry Pratchett on The Last Continent and his writing.
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Post by Paradise37 »

I have to admit that I saw the Lord of the Rings movies before I read the books, so the movies will always have a special place in my heart for introducing me into the world that Tolkien created. I do find myself going back to the books though and rereading certain chapters or parts as they are so well written.
The Hobbit, on the other hand, I read before the movies came out and I do find the book more enjoyable than the movies.
So maybe there's a pattern there of which ever I do first I end up liking better. Either way I find both the books and the movies for The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit very enjoyable.
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Post by Artizi »

Tolkien is a complete genius, he is the founding father of a genre of literature which allowed hundreds of writers to craft beautiful works of art.
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Dan_Wellock
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Post by Dan_Wellock »

Tolkien is arguably the most influential and greatest fantasy writers of all time. He revolutionized the fantasy genre, and blazed the path to where it is today. Without him, the whole idea of fantasy would be different.
Most people believe that fantasy works cannot be considered literature, but I can definitely say, without any hesitation, that Tolkien’s books are literature and fine literature at that. Most people are impatient in this modern world. They want to get straight into the plot with no character development. However, for long-term series and actual timeless success, a book must have due character development. Otherwise, it is simply a collection of scenes carried out by a stranger.
Tolkien presents his characters in a way that is beautifully exquisite and unique. We, the readers, grow to love them! But sometimes character development can be a bit dry, and some people do not follow through. That said, regardless of what the coming generation will say regarding Tolkien’s books, they will always be timeless masterpieces in fantasy, fiction, and literature itself.
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Jennashby_87
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Post by Jennashby_87 »

I read the books first, but I have seen the movies more times than I have reread the books. The books were amazing but it’s easier to sit down and watch the movies while doing other things than it is to re read the books. Just like Harry Potter, I love the books more but I have seen the movies more times out of convenience. Those movies are pretty great as well though!
slj3988
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Post by slj3988 »

The Lotr movies introduced me to Tolkien. The Hobbit movies were too far from the book. It was a mistake turning it into a trilogy
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Laura Lee
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Post by Laura Lee »

When you read the book, did it get into the supposedly historical sources from which he allegedly drew inspiration for his stories? Knowing that Tolkien was a linguist, that aspect (maybe it's only a conspiracy theory) has always fascinated me. :)
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mariana90
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Post by mariana90 »

I don't think that one has to disregard a person who likes TLOTR movies without having read the books. It is obviously not the same, but those movies were quite a faithful interpretation of Tolkien's work, made by a true fan.

It's as if we are supposed to trash every single painting by Raphael: don't go to a museum and look at his "Transfiguration", read it in the Bible because it's so much better!

They are two different artistic expressions, and who are we to judge people for choosing one over the other?
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Tavaiel26
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Post by Tavaiel26 »

I read the LotR trilogy back in highschool and it really opened me up to a different genre of fantasy that was unknown to me until then. My first foray was through The Hobbit, and sometimes while reading the other books I wished for that almost childish feeling that got a bit lost, but I understood that the tone of the story was different, and could enjoy both works equally.

Finishing the Silmarillion is something I've been postponing forever, and I wish I get the guts to pull through it someday.
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