[Diamond18]

I agree with those who have said that the fading of obsession is a good thing. After I read The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings the first time, I didn't pick up another book for over a month. I just didn't feel like giving my imagination over to anything other than Middle-earth. But since that first obsessiveness faded, I have read very many wonderful books. I've enjoyed and been inspired the Earthsea books and a few others by Ursula K. LeGuin, and have been awed and completely wrapped up in some of the excellent writings of Neil Gaiman (Stardust, Neverwhere, American Gods), to only name a couple authors. So not only is there a great big real world to experience, there are also a lot more writers than Tolkien whose fiction you can become enthralled by. You can never have too many interests, and you don't have to be equally immersed in all of them during the same periods of time, so there's no shame in giving Tolkien a rest while exploring what else is out there to do with your life. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]