[Lalwendë]

I've already answered Fordim's question: Is there a bit of Tolkien in all of us, or are we just rising to a challenge presented by the book in our own unique ways? But I have also been thinking about his other questions:

I am being improved by the book, or am I improving myself in response to the book?

I think that if you do indeed improve yourself in response to the book, then the book has already done its job in terms of improving you. Meaning, for example, if you go on to develop an interest in linguistics after reading LotR, then you are indeed improving in response to the book, and that response has been generated by the book itself in some way.

Is there a specific kind of Middle-earth improvement that I cannot gain from any other book, or is it merely one pathway among many to the same place?

I think the question here is whether there is one place which we can get to from reading the book. As the boards demonstrate, the results of reading Tolkien are disparate. Some of us find certainty in Tolkien, others, like myself, are often left with even more questions than when they started reading. I think this depends upon us as individuals. Tolkien has something to teach us, to show us, but we all interpret it in different ways. He is a teacher, but he is not didactic.

In terms of whether we could get this from any other book, I am not so sure. Possibly if we read all that Tolkien had read, e.g. The Eddas, Beowulf etc., then we might possibly get the same results, as the influence of these is immense on his work, but we must not forget that Tolkien's work is also unique. It is filled with his own interpretations, impressions and ideas.

There are a lot of pathways that look quite similar, but the signposts have been subtly altered, I find! And if we are talking of Middle-earth improvement then where else could we get that from but LotR?

Are those of us who are made better by the book, or who better ourselves in resonse to the book, better in the same way?

I think we all share one common trait and that is a keen sense of wonder. It is this that is stirred within us when we journey through Middle Earth. Possibly this is another 'bit of Tolkien' that we all share, as he certainly had this sense. But I don't think we will all be better in the same way, after all, LotR is just one influence on our lives (even if it is an overly large influence in my own case ) and as individuals we will respond in different ways. There will be certain traits that Downers share, as this is a community, and like all communities, it has its own culture, shared ideals, and broadly held beliefs; other sites would likely be very different. So, we may all share certain traits, but not all Tolkien fans will.