Who has read it? I have read it 3 times now. Once when I was 17, it gave me a better appreciation of the movie. It's a long read, and Tolkien actually made up the language before he wrote the book, he actually made up a history for England (being Middle Earth) as he felt that England didn't have much of a history LOL, eccentric dude, but sooooooo cool.

Anyway back to the book....I read it again for my husband OUT LOUD LOL, it was before the movies came out just to see what he would think. He loved it, as did I. Was cool to just light some candles and read to hubbie!

Wondering if anyone else has read the book/and or any of Tolkien's works.

I've read LOTR a few times, the same with The Hobbit and Silmarillion once. I also read some of Unfinished Tales. I love his universe.

And just a little correction; he created a mythology for England; like the Greek one and the Norse one we have up here. He wanted something like that for his own country.

A few days ago, it was 50 years since the entire story was first published(ROTK came out).

This is a very sore subject for me, but let me first state that I’ve read the trilogy twice but you see I had the very first paper back edition ever printed in my hands at one point. The main word there is of course had, when my parents were on their honeymoon they were traveling Ireland, mainly by the way of the great public bus transit. One day, a young man on a bike hoped aboard the bus they were traveling on and capriciously tossed a bundle of three books onto their lap and announced, “You must read this.” The years pass and one day my mother suggested that I indulge myself in the reading of J.RR. Tolkien. I take her up on this offer and for the next three months or so am completely engulfed in a land I could never put into words. Years pass and I learn of the idea that they may attempt to transfer the books into a movie, I read the trilogy again and offer the books to a friend, only to never see the novels ever again. Truly something they were, had a map of middle earth, a holder for each novel, but I did read them and I am the better for it, what a journey they are.

This is true but Tolkien borrowed a lot from the Norse mythology, that was his bread and butter so to speak.

I totally understand that. I had a first paperback edition of Dune from 1965 that completely fell to pieces from too many readings. You've just got to go and replace it with a new and better, preferably hardcover copy.

I cherish my copy of LOTR. It's a hardcover edition, black canvas bindings with off-white dustcovers in a slipcase. All the foldout maps, just gorgeous edition. It's from a printing in the early 80's, and is apparently pretty rare and sought after since the early 80's was kind of a lull in Tolkien's popularity and not many were printed. I wish I could find a picture online, I'd post it.

Fuck it, I'm crazy. Here's a picture I took.

Thank you for the correction, I knew 'History' was wrong when I typed it! Oh well, that is what you get for being blonde, *blonde moment*

That is so cool re: the 50 year Anniversary, my sister in law just held an exhibition in Sydney at the Powerhouse Museum last December/January with a lot of the costumes from the movie, latex bits, pottery etc.. also a lot of swords, daggers, and jewellery, my highlight was a 'Dead Boromir' in a boat, it gave me goose bumps to look at it, it looked sooooo damn real!

OMG *Drool*!!!!

i've read it once and i plan on re-reading it sometime soon.

So sorry to hear that your 'friend' didn't return those precious books, I can understand it being a sore point.

I've read it four times, and the Hobbit just as many. You have to read that before diving headfirst into Lord of the Rings.

I read the Silmarillion once, and liked it, but not enough to read it again. There's a lot of history there, though. I might pick it up again since I haven't read it in a few years.

I just watched the extended version of Return of the King tonight too. Uncanny that it was first published 50 years ago this week.

AHHHHHHH!!!!!

You used the word Hubbie!


ARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She reads to him out loud in bed. I think that qualifies for a "hubbie".

Thankyou! didnt' know that word was a sin? LOL

Now that i've seen the movies, I'll never touch the books. That's probably my loss, but oh well.

That's a really ignorant thing to do. The movies don't even cover half of what the books contain.

count me in on this nerd group. I've only read it once, but I'll read it again.

reading. pfft

I've read the Fellowship and The Hobbit. I plan to read the rest... My dad is letting me read his original paperbacks. They're in MINT condition and I like to travel with my books so I need to be very careful with them. There are no bends or creases except in the binding.

nerd

Make way for Queen Geek...I've read LOTR 12times and now fantasise about having pointy ears and speaking fluent Quenya and Sindarin (Lower and Higher Elvish). Yes I am a MASSIVE Tolkien fanatic...i have three copies of the books and memorabilia from all three films. I'm a GEEK!!! But i think if you're passionate about something you're allowed to be a little bit crazy... 'Pearl and Sir Orfeo' is a beautifully poetic book, and 'The Silmarillion' is a must-read if you like the epic-tale style...and read 'The Hobbit', it's like a bedtime story that can still be enjoyed as an adult!