[Child of the 7th Age]

Since I began this thread, it's only fair that I add my thoughts.

On a personal level, how did the movie affect me as a Tolkien fan?

I read the Hobbit in the early 60s and LotR in the mid 60s, just before I left for college. A number of people during my undergraduate years shared my love of Tolkien. It was central to my interests and identity. Then I trudged off to graduate school, and became involved in medieval history and heavy, heavy workloads. I continued to read fantasy, but sporadically and lightly.

I have read Tolkien on and off since then. Sometimes it's been central to my life and sometimes less so, but it's always been there to draw upon.

The movie did relight my interest and led me first to e-bay (now I am broke!) and then to the Downs. Without the movie, I wouldn't have found this board or now own twelve volumes of HoMe! I think I've always had a pretty good understanding of LotR. What's different this time is that I'm looking at Middle-earth much more closely through Silm and HoMe, posting on a computer board, and writing fanfiction and RPGs. Those things just weren't around when I first read the books. So, for me, though a long-time reader, the movie did have an impact.

sharon, the 7th age hobbit