Different opinions really.

Some people say they don't like LOTR because there is too much converstion or there is too much description. I totally disagree because I personally love the description throughout the book.
By the way my friends call me bookie because I always have a book with me wherever I go.
And because I read LOTR so fast it only helped me get the name bookie.
I know a girl who took a month to read ROTK!!!!

the real problem is that the world is just dumber and fewwer and fewwer people read books any more for enjoyment like probly all of us on this site. the english language has also gone down the preverbial toilet with the use of ebonics and slang terms that are degrading becoming wide spread. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

I think it is just that some people have no imagination to speak of and they just aren't interested in trying something new. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] So sad for them.

I think it could be a number of reasons. The fact that it's long could turn people off. Also, lots of people don't enjoy the fantasy genre. Some people may like the read about ordinary people going through ordinary things so they can relate or something. I dunno, I LOVE LotR so I can't really understand it how some people don't like it! [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

Lathriel, it took me over a month to read each LotR book! A month would be quite fast for me. I read slowly, not because I cannot read fast, but because I like to read slowly so that everything can sink in and I can understand things. I can read fast, but I miss a lot of the details that way. (I know, that was off topic.) [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

I think people don't like Lord of the Rings for many different reasons, most of which were already named. My friend doesn't like Lord of the Rings because "It's too boring." I don't understand how she can say that, as she has never even picked up one of the books. Maybe people think that they will be considered geeky if they like it, or maybe it is too long and sort of scares people away. Whatever the reason, I think anybody who doesn't like Lord of the Rings is crazy! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Sorry if I offended you.
I guess I am just a fast reader. My record time for reading LOTR is a week and a half! [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

a WEEK and a HALF!!!!!!! mine is 18 hours [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img] but anyway, back to the topic, people today are so focused on being 'COOL' that they don't thimk about anything else, here in NZ we have a ratio of teachers:students at 1:43 (or something like that) and at least 60% of those are over 55 years old....which shows no-body wants to do something that makes you think at a level above staring blindly at a screen! Some people, especially 9-10 year old boys (no offence) can be very unforgiving. One when I was 8 and at that point I was reading Stephen King books I had this book that was 1000+ pages (cant remember the name, the hounds of something or other) and I was waylaid on the way home (i walk), I had my bag taken and thrown over a fence and I was beaten up simply for being "a geek". To repeat something that has cropped up a lot, most people are scared of what they don't understand and because of that I was pushed around and people who touched my would yell out something about having "Seanne germs" (yes thats my real name but don't tell *shhhhhh*) these people are the same ones that call me a freak for liking Tolkien and then when the movies came out called me a "blender".

Ouch, Morgul Queen, it sounds like they were the "geeks"!

Anyways, I think LotR can be described as one of those things, you either love to hate or hate to love. (Can't remember where I saw the expression.) And please, don't throw rotten vegetables, I'm not saying this to offend anybody! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I agree with the people that say it's all because of misunderstanding. Everyone I know that hates Lord of the Rings, are people that think it's too difficult to understand, so they don't bother to read it first before they make a judgement.
As well, because it's a fantasy story, most people think it's geeky and people who like it are just people who are trying to escape reality (even though that's why I read it) and again, they judge before they read.
If people tell me I'm a geek because I read then so be it. I'll have the satisfaction in knowing that I can understand something better than them.

I personally don't know anyone who dislikes LotR. Just people who like the movies and refuse to read the books. I agree though that different tastes is what determines whether or not someone likes Tolkien.

I think that a lot of people my age (Jr. High) don't read it because they think it is "uncool". Me and some of my friends love both the books and the movies, but other of my friends tease me (friend tease, you know what I mean) about reading them. I think that people don't want to be considered "geeks" becasue they read a book. I personally think it is really dumb.

I agree with you Heathie (welcom to the Downs)

Most of my friends like(or love) LOTR, but some of my closer friends don't. The most likely reason is because they aren't very, to say the least, good at reading and the books probably look close enough to reading the entire dictionary. They don't like the movie either, they say it is boring and confusing. I just can't understand...

One last thing Goldeberry (I wanted to tell you this a long time ago but I was too busy)
That girl took another month to just read ROTK not LOTR but just the one book
[img]smilies/redface.gif[/img]

As previously stated, there are some people who just don't enjoy fantasy novels. However, there are a few other reasons why one may not enjoy Lord of the Rings.

Stylistically, LoTR can be a bit much at times. I would definetely NOT recommend it to someone who likes books of a James Bond nature. It would be like trying to get them to read Les Miserables. Sure, thats another great piece of literature, but come on, how many people have the patience to slog through 40 pages on the sewers of Paris (Granted, LoTR never came close to that level of description)?

Now, there is another type of reader who doesn't respond well to LoTR. They're the "Hardcore Academic". Even if they do read the book, they usually write it off as "That trilogy about Elves with really big swords". This usually is charicteristic of a dislike of contemporary fantasy (These people usually can't get enough of classic literature, though).

In conclusion, its really just a matter of personal taste. I'm sure somewhere, maybe on a Shakespearean forum, people are complaining about the people who don't like Shakespeare and instead opt for Tolkien. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

I've always thought that some people are just too logical for there own good.
It's fantasy so it's not worth reading, some say. Then theres the people that think it's Merrrish to read LOTR. Then there are the smart people who don't care what other people say and do what they want and can enjoy it. Yes, I am one of those smart people.

Its the thought of reading something long and 'boring'. I should know, I was one of the people converted by the movie, which I was dragged out of my stepbrothers house, kicking and screaming (not literally!) to see. This was because I had read a chapter of the hobbit at seven, and decreed it 'boring'. The rest of my Christmas break was spent reading LotR at every spare moment. I read it for Seventeen hours, on the flights coming home.

Most of my friends like the movies, and get this. I was reading TT in school one day when my friend came up and said, "Hey, haven't you seen that movie already?" I answered,"Well, yeah but the books are always better." It's a fact. The Books, to me, are better. He looked at me as if I'd just said I was going to light my head on fire and run around the halls nude. "Better?"he scoffed(sp?)"What about the special effects?! You don't get those!" I simple frowned but desided to reply sharply with:"If you have an imagination you do." This shut him up promptly(sp?). Which brings up another reason, people just want to watch the movies, and not read the books because it wont be as 'cool' because you can't see the awesome effects. Whatever. It's called description(sp?),people.

I'd have to say people don't like LOTR cause they have a lack of imagination, or they may not appreciate the great pains that Tolkien took to add some much detail to his stories. It is always better to read the books, along with seeing the movie, because the movie will never be able to cover all of the book! In fact, the movies (especially TTT) took quite a few liberties in their portraying of the books (Faramir, Arwen,and many others), and also left out some rather large parts (Bombadil,and others)! I realize there was no way they coul've stuffed everything into a 3 hour movie, but I for one, wouldn't mind seeing a SIX hour movie, with no libirties taken, and no parts left out (within reason). As long as there's an intermission, go for it Peter! [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

People just have likes and dislikes. Its simple. Just because people dont like Lord Of The Rings doesnt mean they have lack of imagination or are dumb and stupid. Some people I know are extreamly smart, and they will not read the book. Simply because they dislike the genre, they prefer to do something else with their time, it too long or they don't like the style. And so what...? You can't be predjudice against them, just because they don't like it. Who are we to say we can't understand why they don't like it? Im sure there is somethings you don't like and others do. E.g...Im a vegan because I do not like the taste of meat or its products. Yet people don't go on and say I have no taste and I am mad (well they probably do.....but we shouldn't arent we bright enough to see that its wrong).

And maybe I'm lucky but people in my school don't make fun of you for being smart or reading Tolkien or any other books. Thats just wrong, and people in my school have better things to do with their time.

And why are you uncool if you read Tolkien, in fact any book? (Im going to sound big headed now....sorry) I am popular....(sorry) and just because I read Tolkien I don't get made fun of.....In fact no-one cares.

Well, unfortunatley, I think self image has alot to do with it. I have always been a book worm, and quite frankly I don't care what other people think, but not all teenagers are like that. A friend of mine said she doesn't read because only book worms read, and guys don't like girls who read. I was rather shocked by this, but unfortunatley alot of people feel this way.
~nat~

True. Not likeing Tolkien doesn't equal bad [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

i can tell by reading these forums that we are all intelligent people. look at the vocabulary we use! if a stupider (for want of a kinder word) came along and read this forum, im sure theyd get tired of the long words and give up. jrrt was very intelligent, so he uses long words. we are all at the higher end of the spectrum, and can appreciate it. im sure there are some people who simply cannot understand the words in the book. im not sure if im makng myself clear here, but basically what im saying is, we're clever, we read a clever book, and some people might be too dim to fully comprehend it.
then of course theres all the fantasy haters and people put off by its size, and people who are intelligent but dont do "geeky things" like read.

exactly! children dont read, they play on their games consoles and watch tv. i have nothing against either of these, but instead of spending all their times on their playstations, why dont they read a bit?
i also think the english language is going down the drain. we abolished, for some reason, the most complex pronoun, and therefore the most compelling (is that the right word?)to intelligent people; the use of thou, thy, thee, thine. all languages have a way of distinguishing whether they are talking to a superior or friend except english. (sorry if this is off topic). english has lost its beauty.

this makes me too mad to put into words. i hope you did something about it, if not, do it now anyway. i am a boffin(synonyms: geek, nerd, etc.), i love books, and always answer questions. you can guess i might have people pick on me. if they try anything, they know ill be violent. mahatma gandhi, a real hero of mine, used non-violence. this only worked because he was deally with civilised people in the government. kids who consider themselves "cool" are not civilised. they wont stop harassing you for being clever if you do nothing. they expect you to let them walk over you. why should we? they are inferior to us, their brains perhaps nonexistant! dont let them push you around just for doing something clever like reading lotr.
now they annoy me just to provoke me, but i dont turn violent unless they actually harm me. i know violence is not the answer, but that only applys when dealling with humans.

Just a little off topic post here...
Hmm... You're probably right, but I come to think about Danish (not to mention German, Icelandic etc. etc.) which is considered doing the same, because the teens "use to many English words" (alas, they think of f*ck, sh*t and equal stuff... [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img] [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] ) Anyways, it seems as the whole world is going down, if you look on the languages I mean.

About being 'geeky', there are probably a lot of people who think I am so, but it's been years since I cared (we started getting grades at school, and I realized that teachers like students who can read) and nobody ever mentions my books. Sometimes I get a glare, but that's when I can't resist telling people all the books they should read. I don't think you in general can say that non-readers and "cool" kids are stupid, or non-intelligent, or even brainless, they definately have a brain, sometimes they just wont bother using it. To bring in the disliking-topic just a bit, maybe they are afraid to be treated as they treat "us"... [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

Your typical hater (aka one with a very strong negative opinion yet who has not really read the books, hmmm) is acting out of ignorance, I think. I do not mind people who hate LOTR if they have actually read it and have a valid opinion, not just the "that is so dumb" type attitude. Although, maybe some people are just tired of being hounded about lotr 24/7 by fans like us! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Well, they don't understand it. The problem with people nowadays is that they judge things without even taking the time to experience them. I have a friend who insists she hates Lord of the Rings (which, may I say, is partly brought on by my obsession) and I simply cannot understand it.

I have no problem with people who do not like JRRT's works. It is not stupidity, or ignorance, or laziness or anything like that. It is simpy that, for them, these books do not appeal. There are many people whose views I respect who have no desire to read these books. That is their choice. It does not, however, affect my view of them.

As for those who abuse people just because they do read JRRT's works, well they clearly are just plain ignorant.

Two reasons. One People think it makes them cooler to hate it or [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] they are to stupid or young to understand the advanced and graphic story.

Forgive me, tipsy Surat, but that seems to exclude people for whom LotR just does not appeal. The world does not divide into people who love LotR and people who are too "cool" to try it or too young or stupid to understand it. [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Hear hear Saucepan man! I must admit I get quite a bit of ridicule from my friends for being a Tolkien fanatic [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img] but I think that has a lot to do with the very very sad fact that it's no longer "cool" to be well-read or intelligent. I tottally respect those who simply don't like the books, but when someone hates them and has never even attempted to read them...i get a bit hot and bothered [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Your friend is grossly misinformed. Whip out the right book at the right moment, and the boys wil come a-runnin': "Ooh, you like Tolkien too? Really? So, like, what do you think about the Shakesperian parallels with the Ents an stuff? Talk about it over coffee sometime? Can I get your number?"

Languages, just as societies, evolve, but they will not lose their beauty, as long as people like Rimbaud & Squatter are around. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Don't be so negative.

People suck sometimes. As long as you don't let them break you, you should turn out all right. The geeks are making millions these days anyway. I wish I were a geek.

That problem has existed since the dawn of civilization. It's not a recent development, and I doubt it's going away any time soon. The Legolas craze on the other hand...

Once again, the less intelligent people are just taking their revenge out on you, due to the fact that subconsciously a lot of them are aware that a decade down the road they'll be asking you "paper or plastic?"

it could be they dont like that sorta thing *my friend loves star wars and hates lotr* or their religion [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]

Yes, why do people dislike anything? I don't like coffee. Why? It tastes bad(I'm pretty young, by the way, so don't worry, I'll probably learn to like it :P). Why do people dislike LotR? Maybe they think it's bad. Nothing special about it, eh?

At first I wasn't really interested in LOTR it was something my guy-friends read and I associated it with thier "Magic" cards. I was just never inot fantasy either...but that is because Inever had read "good" fantasy untill I read LOTR. I guess I wasn't attracted to it b/c there is so much "bad" fantasy stuff out there that just feuls off violence and dragons and knights ect...You have to get past that stereotype

Also, I suppose people are scarred by the size, or they are not willing to sit down for hours on an end reading (and sometimes rereading) LOTR and looking at the maps....like I did. But I wonder sometimes...some people today could never appreciate this book. I mean, I know girls who cry over thuer boyfriens, worry about proms, sex, who "all" they think about is themselves and thier seemingly "horrible" lives. That is the problem with the teen generation today, (I think). They are selfish. So how can you expect someone like that to even try to like LOTR. It really breaks my heart honestly...for people to be so self centered. They think LOTR fans are just people who are nerdy...I mean I know I am diffrent fro most teens...I am very diffrent in my views ect...but still.

You just have to try...It's true it is difficult. But there is an intsense beauty in it..they way everything is described (Well I suppose it helps that I like history)the emotions. Many people I would just say it was boring and that just sadens me. People today don't care about trying to really get something special (beyond short term pleasure/entertainment) out of something like LOTR, for this reason I fear that our classics are in danger.

Sorry for making that so long thankyou if you read it. ^_^

I must apologize for my horrible spelling. I do not type well when I type fast. I will improve, I promise.

Yes, I know. *ouch* I mean...d'oh

[img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

You'd be surprised by the number of people who can cram all that in, and still have time to read Tolkien. Just because people have social lives, or jobs, or kids, for that matter, doesn't mean they're too busy to appreciate the beauty of true literature. Don't worry so much about "them."

People aren't any better now than they were before. Really. Not that we shouldn't take issue with present-day problems, but they are yesterday's problems, in new packaging.

*points to the edit post link*

And welcome to the Downs. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[ April 29, 2003: Message edited by: Lush ]

Lord of the Rings has a lot of depth that some people cannot fathom. It is confusing if you have only seen the movie because of all the characters and the explainations that are failed to be given. Some people are against the violence, but it is not just mindless killing, it is good verses evil. Many people find the book boring (how could they! *gasp*)and others aren't interested in the story plot. I do have friends who have not read the books but still love the story. I guess it must have to do with why some people like jelly and others like fluff (or both!)

Personaly Nyneve, I love both! But I agree with your point, as some are hopeless romantics and some cannot be forced at gunpoint(or swordpoint, whichever you perfer) to simply put on a dress. I suppose it's all in the way that you view things.