I've been meaning to start this thread for a while now. I'm not sure if this one's already done, but if it is, please let me know!
Okay, so basically the question is: when did you first read Lord of the Rings? What prompted you to read it? And what was your reaction (first and last)?
I started reading it when I was 16. It had been lying in my mom's cupboard since 2001 (she had tried to make me read it when I was around eight, after reading it herself), and I thought I might as well get a start on it.
Initially, I wasn't satisfied. I finished the first twenty pages and thought, "No way am I going to be able to finish this!" so I shoved it in my own cupboard. A month later, I remember being completely listless. I felt like a challenge. So I gave LotR another shot thinking, "I think I'll finish 50 pages today". I didn't finish 50. I finished till about 82. By that time, I was completely hooked. "Three is Company" and "The Old Forest" did it for me. Absolutely amazing stuff. I went on to read The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, and The Children of Hurin, and thought they were all fantastic. Actually, The Silmarillion reminds me startlingly of Greek mythology
Thoughts? Opinions? Stories? Let me know!