I read it a few times in my teens, don't think I could stand it now, though. Try the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen Donaldson if you fancy an adult version ......
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lord of the rings book.how many of you have read it all the way through?
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Posted 9 months ago #
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Robert Jordans's Wheel of Time series
Pah
a pale imitation; he started off palely imitating R.E.Howard with Conan.
Other classic fantasy - Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar books (Terry Pratchet built his career on the back of them) or more modern Joe Abercrombie's First Law series.
Posted 9 months ago # -
I've heard it said that if LOtR is your favourite book at 14 then that is fine but if it is still your favourite at 40 something is wrong.
couldn't have put it better myself
Terry Pratchett said that. The same is true about his Discworld novels of course.
I've read LoTR multiple times except, like everyone else, all the poems and songs.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Read 1 and 2, got half way through the 3rd book when the 3rd film came out. I think i was a bit fatigued by all the walking in the 2nd book. Awful lot of walking.
Posted 9 months ago # -
probably read it 3 0r 4 times before i was 16 and then 2 or 3 times since
Posted 9 months ago # -
I saw all 3 films at the cinema - went with my OH.
The 3rd one was painful. I nearly stood up twice at the end as i kept thinking 'this must be the final scene'.
And then all that pointless crap about the bloody boat.
and THEN they go back to tellytubby land again.
Somewhere between the boat bit and tellytubby bit i began to really really hate Tolkien for writing this dross, and Peter Jackson for filming it
Posted 9 months ago # -
The 3rd one was painful. I nearly stood up twice at the end as i kept thinking 'this must be the final scene'.
Were you sat behind us - we were sniggering every time they made a grab for their coats.Posted 9 months ago # -
Robert Jordans's Wheel of Time series
Pah a pale imitation; he started off palely imitating R.E.Howard with Conan.
I'm quite enjoying the series. It's still not a scratch on Tolkein I agree, but I'm enjoying it. I particularly like that there's no goblins, orcs or elves, he's created a world without relying on 'lore' created by others.
Once i've finished it I'll look for another fantasty epic to read I think.
Posted 9 months ago # -
When I went to see the final film, after about 8 pints of ale (not the greatest idea, especially when I bought salted popcorn without a drink, but I digress), the film cut out just as Gollum was about to throw the ring into the fire.
We had to wait for ten minutes till they got the thing working again, grrr. Someone in the projection room must have been having a laugh.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Read the books at least 10 times, I actually like the Silmarillion as well.
Posted 9 months ago # -
DaRC_L - Member
The 3rd one was painful. I nearly stood up twice at the end as i kept thinking 'this must be the final scene'.
Were you sat behind us - we were sniggering every time they made a grab for their coats.
Possibly, if you kept hearing assorted muttered comments: "not more", "my legs have packed in", "I have DVT", "Throw it in the bloody lava you tit", "whats this about", "can i go home", "noooo more please", "boat?", "excellent, lets get to the car park before it gets to busy...hang on, why are they back at the start of the first film, this wasnt the trailer was it?"
Posted 9 months ago # -
Read it from start to finish twice. Superb book.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Read it twice but not for 20 years. Recently downloaded it to my Kindle.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Never read any of them. Never will.
When I was a kid, we moved and I changed junior schools. When I joined the class they were part way through the teacher reading "The Hobbit" in installments. Put me off for life. Bloody nonsense.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Recently re-read the Hobbit and thoroughly enjoyed it.
LOTR - never managed to lot - just wanders on for too long.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Tim
Dezb 'tis because you are fickle
Posted 9 months ago # -
Have read LotR > 10 times
1st reading was followed by The Hobbit, then by LotR, The Hobbit, LotR, then The Silmarillion.
What a loser!
Love LotR - Hobbit is twee & shite, Silmarillion is desparate (I'd know; I've struggled through it twice).
Funnily enough I rarely finish any fiction books these days, must have been scared for life.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Read it loads. Was quite the tolkien fan years ago.
I've recently re read the Silmarillion, The Hobbit and LOTR back to back.My 8 year old son is quite a reader, so I thought I'd let him have a go with my illustrated copy of The Hobbit.
He handed it back to me after half an hour with the immortal phrase, "this is nonsense."Posted 9 months ago # -
Yeah Darc
I guess there was the norse mythology he was into aswell and his academic work in Old English etc.
After going to Iceland and looking at place names there and their similarity to UK place names , you do realise how Germanic the English language actually is.
i.e. Scafell in the Lakes, Scaffafell in Iceland.
Anyone been sad enough to go to the Eagle and Child in Oxford? Um .... I have!!
Think we're going to do a big walk on the Wrekin soon as that was a huge influence on his writing for LOTR. Heck I'm sad.
By the way, Tom Bombadil does have fans, his book by JRR sells for quite alot of money, first edition though!
Posted 9 months ago # -
I read the Hobbit when I was 11. I started reading the LOTR when I was about 12 and got bored with it. I picked it up as an adult and decided that I really couldn't be bothered to waste my time reading it.
I've seen the LOTR films and found them almost entirely boring too.
Each to their own, though
Posted 9 months ago # -
Many times (we're talking >15 times) when I was younger. Recently...... i.e. in the last 10 years, about once. I read them to my son from cover to cover as bedtime stories when he was about 10....
Strangely enough I can't be arsed to pick them up any more.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Read the Hobbit when I was about 8, then sometime later LotR... reread the LotR a couple of years back, and like everyone else skipped the poems and bloody Tom Bombadil.
As that copy was starting to get a bit fragile, I bought the Kindle version last year.
What's the Kindle version like, mrstoast? (Some books seem to have pisspoor "typesetting" in the eBook version...)
Posted 9 months ago # -
I can't remember whether it was the Silmarillion or the first book of lost tales that broke me. Whichever it was- it was awful.
The main 3 are bloated, poorly paced, badly characterised, heavy handed and pretty ridiculous... But still worth the read IMO, I've gone through them probably 4 or 5 times. But by god could he have done with a proper editor. There's a difference between a developed background, and drowning in pointless detail.
More skilled authors manage to give you the background without detracting so much from the story- China Mieville's New Crobuzon is more vivid and real than any location in LOTR for example, because it's a character in the story and develops along with it, not just a theatre backdrop that has to be painted while we watch.
And yes, Tom Bombadil, what a ****.
Posted 9 months ago # -
holy thread resurrection batman.well today i finally bought another copy of the classic tome
(just seeing again how bladdy big the book actually is 
I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CARRY THE RING MASTER FRODO!!! BUT I CAN CARRY YOU.i can carry you
(aw bless Posted 4 months ago # -
Even the films take long enough to get through. good luck.
I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CARRY
THE RINGTHAT BOOK MASTER FRODO!!! BUT I CAN CARRY YOU.i can carry youPosted 4 months ago # -
Yup had the three in one book with alsorts of other stuff in it, weighed a ton trying to read at night
Posted 4 months ago # -
Twice, 30 years ago and then a few years ago before the films came out.
Probably the only thing I have in common with Charlie Kelly.
Posted 4 months ago # -
many many times, including all the appendicies and additional compendiums because I'm great big saddo who loves the works of JRRT.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Read it when I was about 15. As soon as I saw the maps I was hooked. Then read the Hobbit. Years later read the Hobbit to my daughter as a bedtime story.
As Terry Pratchett said "When you're twelve if you don't think LOTR is the best book you've read there's something wrong with you. If its still the best book you've read when you're 52 there's something wrong with you."
Posted 4 months ago # -
two thirds of the way through book 3 and the film came out, I think I was fed up with the endless walking and bliddy poems. enough.
now reading magician, which is kind of similar.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Read the whole lot a couple of times.
If you are of an impatient mindset then it's no good at all. I can enjoy something slower moving from time to time so it suits well.
While it isn't the best thing ever written there is (to my mind) a point about it being so long. If it was 250 pages long you wouldn't really get the same concept of time passing for Frodo and Sam and the length and arduousness of their quest. It's not supposed to be a day's forced march it is months and months of slow frightened slog and a short book wouldn't have done it.
Whether you care or not or that appeals to you is quite another matter.
Posted 4 months ago # -
read it 5 or 6 times, last was just before the films came out
+ silmarilion, lays of belerian etc
tend to skip the songs thoughPosted 4 months ago # -
tried it when I was young, didn't get it. no big deal, fantastic language.
Posted 4 months ago # -
I've read it and a lot more as well, goodkind, gemmell, feist, has george rr martin finished a dance with dragons or what ever it was called?
Posted 4 months ago #
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