J.R.R.TOLKIN , the master

[Dave Hawksford]

Philology,
I find it interesting how his studies lead him to so much usage of mythology.

 

[Mike Stafford]

As a great fan of Tolkien's work I can only agree. I was so pleased to see how well the movies were done. They were based on the books although not totally faithful. But they are epics worth your time, both the books and the movies.

I first discovered The Lord of the Rings books when I was a teenager. They had already been out for quite a few years but I didn't find them in the library until I was 12 or 13. I devoured them.

Then later I learned of The Hobbit which is actually the first book and was in print for almost 30 years before I learned of it. It should be read first as it sets the table, so to speak, for the trilogy. I read it and loved it.

Then in the early 2000's or whenever it was that I started reading about the movies being made I bought the books and read them again. And then I read them again. They are so rich that they are worthy of reading over and over again.

And just like how I initially read the books in the wrong order buzz started about the movie version of The Hobbit so I bought the book and read it. And then I read it again. The Hobbit trilogy did not disappoint.

For those of us that like science fiction and/or fantasy stories The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are required reading. And should be reread.....often. They can be summed up by saying that the little average man is what makes the world go round. It may not seem that way but in actuality it is the average man and woman out there doing what it takes to make a living and take care of a family who keep the world running. It is not the rich guys or the celebrities. It is the average Joes doing average jobs. They are the unsung heroes and I see many of them on FWW every day.

My copies are dog eared...and the movie DVDs have been well used.

 

[Dave Hawksford]

Mike, this would be one of your favorites, it was 74 when 1st introduced to Tolkin.

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

All my friends in high school (mid-1970s) were huge Tolkien fans. Even though I was a voracious reader, I tried several time to read The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit and just couldn't make it past the first few pages. I just couldn't keep track of all the invented names of people and places. Then when the movies came out I gave them a try, and again I had a hard time following the story. (Watching them in a theater may have been a contributing factor back then since I couldn't rewind to re-watch parts.) Then during the whole Covid thing, I binge-watched all of them at home and they finally made sense.

It's definitely an epic story, but it ain't quite at the level of Blazing Saddles or Ghostbusters.

 

[Rennie Heuer]

I have the director's cut of all six films and have watched LOTR many times. Its a commitment - over 12 hours! My mom gave me a hardbound boxed version of LOTR many decades ago and I have read it cover to covers at least 4 times.

 

[Toni Ciuraneta]

As a great fan of Tolkien's work I can only agree. I was so pleased to see how well the movies were done. They were based on the books although not totally faithful. But they are epics worth your time, both the books and the movies.

I first discovered The Lord of the Rings books when I was a teenager. They had already been out for quite a few years but I didn't find them in the library until I was 12 or 13. I devoured them.

Then later I learned of The Hobbit which is actually the first book and was in print for almost 30 years before I learned of it. It should be read first as it sets the table, so to speak, for the trilogy. I read it and loved it.

Then in the early 2000's or whenever it was that I started reading about the movies being made I bought the books and read them again. And then I read them again. They are so rich that they are worthy of reading over and over again.

And just like how I initially read the books in the wrong order buzz started about the movie version of The Hobbit so I bought the book and read it. And then I read it again. The Hobbit trilogy did not disappoint.

For those of us that like science fiction and/or fantasy stories The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are required reading. And should be reread.....often. They can be summed up by saying that the little average man is what makes the world go round. It may not seem that way but in actuality it is the average man and woman out there doing what it takes to make a living and take care of a family who keep the world running. It is not the rich guys or the celebrities. It is the average Joes doing average jobs. They are the unsung heroes and I see many of them on FWW every day.

My copies are dog eared...and the movie DVDs have been well used.

Apart from The Lord of the Rings, I am also a fan of the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, and also the Terramar series by Ursula K. Leguin, a pity that the movies they made from them do not make the stories justice IMHO.