lord of the rings

hey guys,

i've just recently read the hobbit and thoroughly enjoyed it and I really want to read the LOTR trilogy but I have already seen the films... is it worth reading the books?

Thanks!

if i had the chance i would have suggested reading the books first so that your experience would not be at all tainted by the films-but it is relatively the same either way-you should do fine.

it is a difficult read and one has to take it slow and appreciate it on a higher level-but i would suggest attempting the silmarillion before

you start the trilogy-this will add to the depth of your whole experience with the three master books. it is usually harder for people to hold

the patience and concentration it takes to approach that accompanying text after trilogy.

my answer to your question would be a resounding yes. classic books with a massive amount of allegorical undertones! maybe my favorite fiction ever!

okay well I don't have the silmarllion on hand and I really want to read something, so I'll get crackin on the LOTR trilogy then. cheers m8

alternating between silmarillion and the trilogy at the same time might prove to be an interesting approach

the trilogy isn't as good as the hobbit... this coming from someone who didn't enjoy the jackson films... second the silmarillion

i say go ahead and read them. it's always a good idea to ask us before you listen/read/watch anything halisray, so keep it up.

  On 6/14/2010 at 4:29 AM, troon said:

if i had the chance i would have suggested reading the books first so that your experience would not be at all tainted by the films-but it is relatively the same either way-you should do fine.

 

it is a difficult read and one has to take it slow and appreciate it on a a higher level-but i would suggest attempting the silmarillion before

you start the trilogy-this will add to the depth of your whole experience with the three master books. it is usually harder for people to hold

the patience and concentration it takes to approach that accompanying text after trilogy.

 

my answer to your question would be a resounding yes. classic books with a massive amount of allegorical undertones! maybe my favorite fiction ever!

lol at thinking LOTR is deep beyond two general plot metaphors and generic run of the mill bible parables with changed names. It's influential yes. any good as writing or as novels? absolutely not.

Tolkien scholars that are intellectual academics with Ph.Ds in literature do not exist, and if they do, they treat tolkien as a portent for the loss of the populace reading (somewhat) intellectual literature and becoming more interested in fantasy creatures/wizards/vampires.

if you want an epic novel that has more character depth and intellectual wit as well as a fascinating plot, try Moby Dick.

  On 6/14/2010 at 6:10 AM, Ricky Downtown said:

i say go ahead and read them. it's always a good idea to ask us before you listen/read/watch anything halisray, so keep it up.

be careful, he is gay

go ahead, read the book. there's still plenty to get your head around. the movie only presents the greater chunks of the books.

don't read it. it's a trap.

I have seen the films multiple times and asked a friend for the books so i could read, but i didn't even finish the first chapter. I am always so busy and it's just that i know the story so well and the films are so well done, that i don't really care. If it was another case of book->film adaptation i would try, but i don't think its necessary with LOTR.

  On 6/14/2010 at 6:10 AM, Ricky Downtown said:

i say go ahead and read them. it's always a good idea to ask us before you listen/read/watch anything halisray, so keep it up.

thanks,

Should I sleep with your mother tonight or tomorrow?

cheeky bugger ;)

  On 6/14/2010 at 3:11 PM, ruiagnelo said:

I have seen the films multiple times and asked a friend for the books so i could read, but i didn't even finish the first chapter. I am always so busy and it's just that i know the story so well and the films are so well done, that i don't really care. If it was another case of book->film adaptation i would try, but i don't think its necessary with LOTR.

wow. I think Lord of the rings is completely different when being read, than being fed the Peter Jackson blockbuster version.

About not being top- literature: Sure, its different but there are qualities in there that other books don't have. I don't know, I see myself as a hardcore intellectual but can't seem to find true flaws in Tolkien's writing, at least nor on the level with all the other works of literature.

  On 6/14/2010 at 3:32 PM, gaarg said:

  On 6/14/2010 at 3:11 PM, ruiagnelo said:

I have seen the films multiple times and asked a friend for the books so i could read, but i didn't even finish the first chapter. I am always so busy and it's just that i know the story so well and the films are so well done, that i don't really care. If it was another case of book->film adaptation i would try, but i don't think its necessary with LOTR.

 

wow. I think Lord of the rings is completely different when being read, than being fed the Peter Jackson blockbuster vesrsion.

 

About not being top- literature: Sure, its different but there are qualities in there that other books don't have. I don't know, I see myself as a hardcore intellectual but can't seem to find true flaws in Tolkien's writing, at least nor on the level with all the other works of literature.

But i would love to read them, really. I just don't have time. I have heard nothing but good things about Tolkien's writings and i heard there are couple of details different from films to book. This friend that has the books told me.

Also i am interested in other genres of readings now, like Zola or Tolstoy. I have read a couple of novels from them sometime ago and really wanted to read them again. It's just so hard to find the time.

Actually I've been reading all kinda of other stuff too, mostly sf novels and some classics. But I feel like reading Lotr again soon...for the fifth or sixth time lol.

i read the silmarillion, lotr, hobbit and some of the unfinished tales. i'm a big tolkien fan, i just get absorbed in the whole middle earth thing. i recently went through wikipedia and read as much lotr lore as i could find and it's making me want to reread lotr.

funny though how the history of middle earth is soooo european? i don't know if that's the best adjective. but look at the geography/politics. middle earth even looks like europe, with "russia" being the unexplored (sort of...) far east and the additional enemies coming from the southeast, equipped with oliphaunts and being a bit less "civilised" as men from gondor or even shirelings. the "men" (good things, elves, dwarves, halflings, men) no doubt have "god" (the valar) on their side, much like the assumed divinity of the church. the difference is, in middle earth that shit actually happened, gods did intervene and gandalf was some magic fucker. i get a sense it's how tolkien wanted to perceive on-the-verge-of-industrialization human civilization. he clearly thought overuse of mechanical stuff could lead to disaster, which is not surprising considering he grew up in a town rapidly industrializing.

i used to read tolkien with a childish innocence, just imagining these fantastic worlds that i would totally live in given the chance, but now i see it more through a critical lens, trying to match up tolkiens life with parts in the book. it hasn't become any less interesting though.

/dork

The song of ice and fire books are pretty good - ive read the first 3 so far

if you are over the age of 15 i recommend you don't even try. you're not going to finish it anyway.

the funny thing about lotr is how gay it is.

srsly.

  On 6/14/2010 at 7:24 AM, dr lopez said:

  On 6/14/2010 at 4:29 AM, troon said:

if i had the chance i would have suggested reading the books first so that your experience would not be at all tainted by the films-but it is relatively the same either way-you should do fine.

 

it is a difficult read and one has to take it slow and appreciate it on a a higher level-but i would suggest attempting the silmarillion before

you start the trilogy-this will add to the depth of your whole experience with the three master books. it is usually harder for people to hold

the patience and concentration it takes to approach that accompanying text after trilogy.

 

my answer to your question would be a resounding yes. classic books with a massive amount of allegorical undertones! maybe my favorite fiction ever!

 

 

lol at thinking LOTR is deep beyond two general plot metaphors and generic run of the mill bible parables with changed names. It's influential yes. any good as writing or as novels? absolutely not.

Tolkien scholars that are intellectual academics with Ph.Ds in literature do not exist, and if they do, they treat tolkien as a portent for the loss of the populace reading (somewhat) intellectual literature and becoming more interested in fantasy creatures/wizards/vampires.

 

if you want an epic novel that has more character depth and intellectual wit as well as a fascinating plot, try Moby Dick.

i was speaking of the silmarillion in the part you highlighted dr. not lotr-but i do feel that lotr is very 'deep' as well. i guess its just a question of what one can get out of it-it's not the same

amount for everyone-the rate depends on all types of themes, prerequisite interests and experiences in ones life-just like biblical texts which very in their gift giving depending on many aspects of the relationship between reader and word.

i would agree with you on moby dick though-i have a first print/special addition that's quite nice and has lovely illustrations.

  On 6/14/2010 at 7:24 AM, dr lopez said:

 

lol at thinking LOTR is deep beyond two general plot metaphors and generic run of the mill bible parables with changed names. It's influential yes. any good as writing or as novels? absolutely not.

Tolkien scholars that are intellectual academics with Ph.Ds in literature do not exist, and if they do, they treat tolkien as a portent for the loss of the populace reading (somewhat) intellectual literature and becoming more interested in fantasy creatures/wizards/vampires.

 

if you want an epic novel that has more character depth and intellectual wit as well as a fascinating plot, try Moby Dick.

boy do you sound like a cock.

Who gives a fuck?

These books are awesome.

I read the trilogy after seeing the films and had a deeply enriching experience. A read the hobbit afterward and enjoyed it immensely as well. I started the silmarillion but didn't get too far into it because the beginning was a blast of info about unfamiliar people and places but I hope to pick it up and have another go at it one day.

On a side note...

When I was a kid (long before Jackson's films), my big brother was somewhat of an amateur Tolkien scholar and it made me not want to read the books. He read all of Tolkiens works, including his unfinished works, learned elvish and read the trilogy 3 times in German. I thought anything he would like that much must suck. I was wrong though.

  On 6/14/2010 at 6:34 PM, jefferoo said:

my big brother was somewhat of an amateur Tolkien scholar and it made me not want to read the books. He read all of Tolkiens works, including his unfinished works, learned elvish and read the trilogy 3 times in German.

I thought anything he would like that much must suck. I was wrong though.

i have a best friend who has this same type of relationship with tolkien work's. he is now writing his own book that of course is very heavily influenced by tolkien.

  On 6/14/2010 at 6:34 PM, jefferoo said:

  On 6/14/2010 at 7:24 AM, dr lopez said:

lol at thinking LOTR is deep beyond two general plot metaphors and generic run of the mill bible parables with changed names. It's influential yes. any good as writing or as novels? absolutely not. Tolkien scholars that are intellectual academics with Ph.Ds in literature do not exist, and if they do, they treat tolkien as a portent for the loss of the populace reading (somewhat) intellectual literature and becoming more interested in fantasy creatures/wizards/vampires.if you want an epic novel that has more character depth and intellectual wit as well as a fascinating plot, try Moby Dick.

boy do you sound like a cock. Who gives a fuck?

it's just really poor writing. Tolkien's skills were in fantasy. The novels were his last resort to share his creations with the actual world. He created the languages and maps of Middle Earth long before he wrote the novels or even decided on a "story" That kind of stuff I find fascinating in a way, and it's totally clear that the "plot" and "character development" is second to merely describing his fantasy kingdom. The novels suffer for it however. They are deathly dull.

  On 6/14/2010 at 5:19 PM, GORDO said:

if you are over the age of 15 i recommend you don't even try. you're not going to finish it anyway.

this.

  On 6/14/2010 at 3:15 PM, halisray said:

  On 6/14/2010 at 6:10 AM, Ricky Downtown said:

i say go ahead and read them. it's always a good idea to ask us before you listen/read/watch anything halisray, so keep it up.

 

thanks,

 

Should I sleep with your mother tonight or tomorrow?

 

 

cheeky bugger ;)

haha, your choice dude

  On 6/14/2010 at 7:55 PM, dr lopez said:

  On 6/14/2010 at 6:34 PM, jefferoo said:

  On 6/14/2010 at 7:24 AM, dr lopez said:

lol at thinking LOTR is deep beyond two general plot metaphors and generic run of the mill bible parables with changed names. It's influential yes. any good as writing or as novels? absolutely not. Tolkien scholars that are intellectual academics with Ph.Ds in literature do not exist, and if they do, they treat tolkien as a portent for the loss of the populace reading (somewhat) intellectual literature and becoming more interested in fantasy creatures/wizards/vampires.if you want an epic novel that has more character depth and intellectual wit as well as a fascinating plot, try Moby Dick.

boy do you sound like a cock. Who gives a fuck?

 

it's just really poor writing. Tolkien's skills were in fantasy. The novels were his last resort to share his creations with the actual world. He created the languages and maps of Middle Earth long before he wrote the novels or even decided on a "story" That kind of stuff I find fascinating in a way, and it's totally clear that the "plot" and "character development" is second to merely describing his fantasy kingdom. The novels suffer for it however. They are deathly dull.

haha they can be dull, i love his middle earth though. i see lotr as a snapshot of a small period of middle earth. you lose so much from lotr if you're not at all familiar with any of the lore surrounding it. that's why poking wiki for lotr lore or reading the silmarillion are good to accompany the trilogy.

that's one of the reasons i want to read the books again. i read lotr as i was reading silmarillion before, so i was only discovering parts of middle earth as i was getting through lotr. i probably missed a ton of references in the first 2 books but i still think a lot of that shit is intensely interesting.

but i'm a fantasy dork so i'll go back to fantasizing about WoW