How did you get involved with LOTR book?

[Pekka]

I'm just watching some awesome extra special stuff on the LOTR dvds, which are great btw, and it came to my mind how I first got introduced to it and what experience it was personally. I want you to tell me how you got involved the first time.

My first time was when my cousin had bought a role playing game, merp (middle earth role playing game), and I didn't know what RPGs were. I was 10 or 11... and I didn't understand it even when he tried to explain me really, but it sounded interesting.. spells, evil creatures, adventure, caves, orcs, battle, no limits, ultimate trip, addictive.. and at that time there were the 'concerned adults' thing going on with the whole RPG thing, because it's supposed to be like satan worshipping in disguise and make you devils servant or something like that. Well, I wasn't interested in satan worshipping, but it had kind of rebellious, danger in it, which equals interesting and must try to a kid.

So, we started playing, and boy it was awesome. I was hooked when I learned how to play RPGs, though there's really not much to learn, but released myself into the way of thinking and became expressive player. We got almost all the addition packs and extras there were, lots and lots and lots of miniatures which my cousin painted with great skills (he's an artist IIRC). You can imagine how well 10, 11 year old kid really gets into the stuff, when the GM is skilled and imagination flies..... one of those things when time flies and you don't know what hour it is, and frankly you don't care... always coming home late, and always disappointed you have to really go now.. eagerly waiting for the next chance to play.

So, as we went along with it, I realized this is based on a real book. I wasn't much of a reader, but as I found the world itself very interesting and addictive, and I was told that the book itself is very good, I just had to get my hands on it. At that time, I was already 12 though. It was my first long book, but it was great. Imagination flew, and the story itself was very vivid, though not the easiest read for first long book because of all the little details. But once you got hooked into it, it didn't matter, it only added to the picture in your head. It was a great read, it took me whole summer to read it, but I was glad I did. I didn't want to tell too many people that I liked RPGs, because that was considered dorky stuff at that time in that age group. So it was even more fun, that I had read a long book and had this whole world that I read about and experienced through the game.

Naturally later on it became obvious most had read it too, but didn't want to be loud about it

Anyway, so how did you get involved, and when? Oh and for me it was 1992.

[JohnT]

I tried reading the Hobbit, found it to be most odd: juvenile and pretentious. Never bothered with the rest (even though they aren't as juvenile as the others, so I've heard).

[yavoon]

I read it after I read "a brief history of time" not sure why.

rpgs are gay.

[Tiamat]

I saw the animated version when it came out in the 70's and it really piqued my interest and took me on to the books. In fact I found that original on dvd of that animated version and gave it to my husband for chirstmas......we just got through watching it today.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I read it in 2001, just cause it was in the one volume set and cheap . I almost didn't finish it because FOTR was soooo boring. But TTT was great and ROTK was decent, so it was ok. I read the Hobbit later... like it much better (get rid of the superfluous ****). I still think it overrated.

[VetLegion]

I've read it in highschool, one of the first books I've read in english, just after Terry Pratchett. It was cool to read in english back then and no small test for my skill either. But I managed. I thought the book to be OK, but some stuff, like the endless songs and how everyone has ten names I either skipped entirely or yawned through.

[Nubclear]

I didn't.

[yavoon]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I read it in 2001, just cause it was in the one volume set and cheap . I almost didn't finish it because FOTR was soooo boring. But TTT was great and ROTK was decent, so it was ok. I read the Hobbit later... like it much better (get rid of the superfluous ****). I still think it overrated.

FOTR was the best of the three sections. the two tower and the return of the kind were both infinitely more pretentious.

I love the sense of adventure and peril in the flight from hobbiton to rivendale.

[Verto]

Many years ago, I found a three set volume at a library, selling for 3 dollars.

I managed to read it eight times before I finally had to retire them two years ago.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I love the sense of adventure and peril in the flight from hobbiton to rivendale.

What? I almost prevented me from reading the rest of it.

[yavoon]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

Quote:

I love the sense of adventure and peril in the flight from hobbiton to rivendale.

What? I almost prevented me from reading the rest of it.

u almost prevented u! HAH! I MAKE FUN NOW!

[Imran Siddiqui]

"U" can't spell! HAH! I MAKE FUN NOW!!

[Pekka]

Tiamat, that was made in the 70s? I saw it.. I think maybe 1991, before I read the book.. it as on TV. That only added to the feeling of must read. I still have it on VHS when I recorded it.. it's a good one.

[yavoon]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
"U" can't spell! HAH! I MAKE FUN NOW!!

saw that coming a mile away.

[Verto]

Originally posted by JohnT
I tried reading the Hobbit, found it to be most odd: juvenile and pretentious. Never bothered with the rest (even though they aren't as juvenile as the others, so I've heard).

Hm..The Hobbit...juvenile?

Duh! It's a childrens book!

[Verto]

Originally posted by Tiamat
I saw the animated version when it came out in the 70's and it really piqued my interest and took me on to the books. In fact I found that original on dvd of that animated version and gave it to my husband for chirstmas......we just got through watching it today.

Those are the best.

[Q Classic]

my gf suggested it a long time ago. i forgot about it. then i saw a nice box set which i got, and was going to give someone, started reading, and then kept it. and yes, this box set was purchased long before the movie.

[JohnT]

Originally posted by Verto


Hm..The Hobbit...juvenile?

Duh! It's a childrens book!

Well, that would explain it then. I assume the other books aren't pretentious?

[yavoon]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
my gf suggested it a long time ago. i forgot about it. then i saw a nice box set which i got, and was going to give someone, started reading, and then kept it. and yes, this box set was purchased long before the movie.

good cuz otherwise u would definitely not be a cool nerd.

[Verto]

Originally posted by JohnT


Well, that would explain it then. I assume the other books aren't pretentious?

I didn't find them to be so; then again, I didn't find The Hobbit to be pretentious, so..

[yavoon]

what I didnt like about LOTR

the saruman wormtongue terrorizing the shire.
legolas
gimli
the killing of the witch king
galadriel
relative invincibility of hero characters
songs



hrrm thats all I can remember now

[Imran Siddiqui]

what I didnt like about LOTR

So... like, everything?

[yavoon]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

Quote:

what I didnt like about LOTR

So... like, everything?

yes because the entire book was made up of less than 10 things.

[Pekka]

I also didn't like the songs the first time I read it. I couldn't understand it so good anyway, and had little appreciation for it. But as I read it older, I grew to like them also.

[Q Classic]

i didn't mind most of the songs. the only character which ever really stuck in my craw and whose part i skip over every single time is that fvckwit tomfvck bombafvckdil.

[Imran Siddiqui]

yes because the entire book was made up of less than 10 things.

Legolas and Gimli were in a substantial portion of the book. If you don't like them, then you don't like the Fellowship... and with that the entire book. So, nyeh .

[yavoon]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

Quote:

yes because the entire book was made up of less than 10 things.

Legolas and Gimli were in a substantial portion of the book. If you don't like them, then you don't like the Fellowship... and with that the entire book. So, nyeh .

they are in it, but they don't do nething. they're nearly entirely superfluous to the telling of the story.

on the other hand, gimli roxored in the movie version. which was definitely helped by his line delivery.

on another note. u might wna jump off my **** there a lil boy.

[Agathon]

Picked it up from the school library when I was 13. Never been without a copy since.

[Imran Siddiqui]

they're nearly entirely superfluous to the telling of the story.

Of course they aren't! They show the power of the Fellowship, where an elf and dwarf, two members of antognistic races work together and become close friends. Its part of the main story that the evil of Sauron brings all sort of people together.

u might wna jump off my **** there a lil boy.

Now if you spoke English, I may be able to understand this another note better .

[Q Classic]

i have a feeling imran's a bit older than you, yavoon.