Have you made any converts?

[Maltagaerion]

I was just thinking, among my group of friends I was the big Tolkien fan and my friends were so-so fans. However it wasn't until I took my mom to see the movie did I realise that I 'converted' someone!

She was the one that handed me the first book 'The Hobbit' all those years ago, but she never read the books. After seeing the movie though, now shes asking me about the books, and is actually reading them!

Anyone else have any 'convert' stories?

[zifnab]

I have never 'converted' anyone to Tolkien, but my best friend did turn me unto Tolkien, I had always known about him and had watched the cartoons before, but had never read any of the books. But Im glad I have now! Thank you Scott!

[Samwise]

[img]smilies/confused.gif[/img] No, I don't believe I've made any myself. Back in Jr. High, though (maaany moons ago) a friend converted me by running off to class and leaving her library copy of "The Two Towers" in my lap... [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Watching LOTR
The edge of my seat
hands tearing up a napkin
I liked that movie!

Copyright 2001 S. Uffelman

[silme-ranaa]

yes,but only two of them.I made them buy the book after coming out of the cinema.=)

[Elanor]

I've made two semi-converts - does that add up to one whole one? [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] My two best friends have always teasaed me about liking Tolkien, but they both LOVED the movie, and came out full of questions. They were desperate to know what happens next, and they went to see the movie again the next day. So I pointed them towards the books, only to be told that one doesn't like reading [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] and the other read the first few pages and said he preferred to wait for the next movie because it was too difficult! [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[Elanor]

Wait, I forgot I made a really good convert over Christmas. I teach in a secondary school, and one of the silly boys in my year 8 class (age 12 or 13) who is usually a pain in the neck was going on about how brilliant the movie was, on the last day of term before the holidays. He is a reader, but he didn't realise LotR was a book! So I lent him a copy to read, and forgot about it. But then I bumped into him in town at the weekend, and he said he had been reading all through Christmas, and that the book was really cool. We stood and talked about it for a while in the middle of the street. Not only have I made a convert, but I think he may be a bit less silly in my lessons in future [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[shieldmaiden]

I haven't made any converts yet. I persuaded a friend to read the book and she liked it but that's all. A few of my friends promissed me that they would read the books (I'll be happy to borrow the books to them) and they will go to see the movie with me.

[img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[ January 06, 2002: Message edited by: shieldmaiden ]

[Luineglin]

i converted many by converting one of the "trend setters".

[Tarlondeion Of Gondolin]

I've made a semi convert who's loves LOTR but isn't really that intrested in the History and books like the Silm.

[Samwise]

Slime-ranna, hello! Have you posted before!

LOTR Moment (IV) (Minas Tirith?)
Orcs are everywhere
Sam whacks one with a pot
gets..."the hang of this!" [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Copyright 2002 S. Uffelman

[Samwise]

[img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] Whoop. Now that I look at your "stage of death", I see you have. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

"If I hear not allowed much oftener I'm going to get angry."
Sam Gamgee

[Rose Cotton]

My best friend will read( and usually enjoys) anything that I read so it was easy to hook her. Right now I'm working on two other people.

[Samwise]

Oh--but I think I did make a convert to this board--does that count? Her name's Arwyn Brandybuck! waves Hi, Mary!

"It's an ill wind as blows nobody no good, as I always say. And All's well as ends Better!"
Gaffer Gamgee

[img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Pippin]

yup, I saw the movie FIVE times, heh! mostly because I enjoyed it so much, but also because some one else really wanted to see it with me, cause they thought it looked good and I could explain things (without revealing too much) afterwards. each one has now gone and bought a copy, or have borrowed one, cause they couldn't let it end there!

[Nazgûl Queen]

<center><font color="red">Well....
I don't know if I actually CONVERTED them... but for ages b4 the movie I was talking a lot to my friends about how good the books were and how good the movie was going to be...
So when they all went to the movies together in the holidays they decided to watch LotR... and they all loved it... and at least 2 have started reading the books...
And then there is another friend who I lent my copy of the book to over the holidays.... but I dont know what she thinks of it yet....

I'm hoping I'll be able to turn them into fanatics like me!

BTW... did you know that I'm the only person my Dad knows who's managed to read the Silmarillion without any breaks or boredom? [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Alkanoonion]

First I converted my older sister to the hobbit, LOTR, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. Her favourite was The Adventures of Tom Bombadil.

Next I started on my friends at work, who also loved the movie. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Finally I got the boss to read The Lord of the Rings, but he liked the movie better. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

[zifnab]

BTW... did you know that I'm the only person my Dad knows who's managed to read the Silmarillion without any breaks or boredom?

Well I didnt get bored from it but I did have to take breaks...like...food/sleep/bathroom. lol

[img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

[Samwise]

Erm...(places his hand on the hilt of his short-sword and swallows hard).
W-welcome....y-your Highness... [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]

"Oh, please, Mister Gandalf! Don't turn me into anything unnatural!"
Sam Gamgee

[Arwen Imladris]

Well, not really. However I did get my brother to come to this website. I also encouraged him to read the sil and UT, but he had already read LOTR several times. I did force a friend to come with me to see LOTR but she is not a full fledged fan. yet... [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]

[Merry Brandybuck]

I am the LotR converter. At least ten friends of mine (none of whom knew each other well) started reading Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit, either because they thought if I went on and on about it so much it must be good, to find out what I was talking about, to see if elvish really existed, because I'd forced them to see the moive with me or they just plain wanted me to shut up!
I had a little private race between them in my mind, too see who would finish first. Only four or five actually finished. Only three became as obsessed as I did. (most gave up at the Council of Elrond. that chapter never ends!)
Still, it's a pretty good record, no? At least some of my friends can now appreciate I'm not a total psychopath when I go round crying "THE PRECIOUS IS LOST" and the like. Lord of the Rings has invaded my life, really and truly........

[Manwe Sulimo]

I converted one person big-time, giving him The Hobbit, LotR, and The Silmarillion to munch on at the beginning of the year. He even got an account on the Barrow-downs, but *still* hasn't posted.

Of course, if you asked him, he'd say it was the movie that turned him. He even bought the book version that had all the pretty movie pictures on it (I still rag on him about that).

Other than that, I got another 3 people to read it, but they didn't care for it. I, of course, immediately started swearing by Elbereth the Fair that they would love LotR....soon....

[DaughterofVana]

I was always thought of as odd for liking Tolkien in school, and I was always really hard pressed to find another person who liked it as much as I did (though when I did find one or two, it was like feeling as if you found a long-lost relative) Yet as soon as the movie came out, all of these Tolkien-lovers came out of the proverbial closet and made themselves known to the so-called "commoners". Plus, since the movie was deemed "cool", people decided to give the books a try, even if before it was deemed as being too nerdy (gasp!) and therefore shunned. By the condition of this thread and the comments therein, it seems like the movie was the most evangelistic of us all! Thoughts?

-'Vana

I converted both my best friends... [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]...

My dad is the origianal lotr fan in this house and he converted me, but now thinks I'm a wee bit overly fanatical. So one night at a hockey game I saw my friend Trevor and dragged him over to my dad. "I converted him to the Lord of the rings!" I proudly proclaimed.
Dad makes a wry face. "That started out good, untill you got the 'of the Rings' bit."

it was late, and everythings funny when your tired..

[Arathiriel]

Well I've got one friend interested in LOTR by telling her about FOTR and she has told me that she wants to go see TTT. I think that we'll probably plan to go see TTT together when it's released... [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Also along with another friend, I am working to get another friend hooked on LOTR -which will happen if we ever get her to read the dang books!!!

[Furry-footed Flatfoot the Hobbit]

Converts...yes I can lay claim to two Converts!!! I took my parents to see the movie on my third trip and that was it. They loved the movie and watch it on DVD as much as I do and they are reading the books. The only problem is they haven't finished all the books, so they are driving me crazy with questions about "what will happen next" and I refuse to tell them and keep saying "Just Keep Reading"!!! Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks..LOL [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

P.S. I have to admit my parents are Cool [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Neferchoirwen]

I may have a single convert, but I'm not sure if he has joined or registered yet. I told him about the Downs' name generator, and he was literally jumping for joy when we were in line for food. I told him to join the forum board, and I think he is eager to join.

[Tirned Tinnu]

Oh, yes, I have intentionally converted Women and their babies, proud young warriors and noble men, the weak, the innocent, and the bea-u-ti-ful...I have posted without m-m-m-mercy in the Name of His Divine Shadow! (oh crud, lapsing into Kai-isms, please excuse me.) on another bboard, forcing many who were Star Wars fans to become entrenched in reading the books. To my credit, most of them said that due to my unceasing posts to explain the books and demystify the movie, they have been so annoyed at wanting to know what the heck I was babbling about that they were forced to go and buy the books in order to converse with me.
[img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
I am a proud and continual converter of kiddies the world over. Soon, I think, some of them will come here, when their knowlege has outstretched the boundaries of posting on a site that continually has posts like "Elijah, or Orli?". Hook them, and they will come!
[img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

I was converted by a couple of friends and I am eternally gratefully for that.
I got my little brother into LotR and also my mother (who had previously been sceptical about LotR for YEARS!)

However, my father remains extremely hostile on the subject. Probably because when he was growing up it was "cool" to mock LotR. Fool.

I guess LotR is "cool" nowadays but I don't suppose it will stay that way forever. So who knows? Maybe when I have children they will mock me for being obsessed with Tolkien. I will be crushed if that happens, and I will probably disown them!

[Neferchoirwen]

My convert is supposed to be here somewhere, wandering.

Well, anyways, I had the BD site flashed in my college org meeting, and I think it roused the interests of a few people.

[thalioniathiel]

I have encouraged quite a few online friends to see the movie. I've "made" my dad watch it a couple times, and the first time he said it was exciting, and the second time he didn't even notice it took 3 hours...and not too long ago, he asked when The Two Towers comes out. :-)

Also, my little sister wanted to watch the movie with me, and I wasn't sure if she should, since she is 6 and it might be too scary for her. I did let her, though, and explained a lot of stuff to her. She had a lot of questions! Some parts were a bit too scary for her, so I fast forwarded through them. I also warned her when gross or scary things were coming up, and afterwards, she told me it wasn't too scary. When she had started watching with me, the movie was already in the middle, and when we got to the end, we were both crying. She wanted to hug me, like Sam and Frodo in the boat. She also cried when Boromir died; I was afraid she would be scared and think it was gross, but I explained what happened and she just felt sad. I started the movie again so she could see the more fun stuff like the fireworks and the smoke rings--she liked those. She fell asleep before we got to the place where she had started watching, but the next time I wanted to watch, she wanted to watch it with me. She said she liked it. :-) She didn't pay that much attention to "the boring parts" but went and got a ring and tied it to a string, put her favorite blanket around her shoulders like a cloak, and said she was playing Lord of the Rings. She can read very well, and I'm sure it won't be long before we can read The Hobbit together.

[hobbitlass]

Like Thalioniathiel, I allow my young daughters to watch the funny parts of FOTR. They have seen the cartoon movies all the way through. My middle child wanted a hobbit party for her 5th bday. I was all for that. And I sing the songs from LOTR to them.


I am guiding my youngest sister, she's 21, through reading the Books. She's not that much of a reader and reads slow. I love it because she has many questions and never gets tired of my lengthy explanations. She's the only one that truly knows how obsessed I am and never faults me for it. She has no computer and when she visited me last week I brought her here to this site and we spent hours doing all the games and fun stuff. So I am definitely reeling her in. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[TolkienGurl]

Well, my boyfriend of 2 years never reads much but when i bought the Hobbit and LOTR for him for Christmas, he started reading, couldn't stop, and loved them! We both have seen the movie about 5 times! (Of course its not as good as the books...)
~Rest in Peace,
TolkienGurl [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img]

[Dark Shadow]

Well, I suppose it's not really a convert, but after sitting up all night answering all my friend's LotR questions (about the first three chapters of the book) as best as I could, I managed to convince her to finnish the book. She's reading it after renting FotR on video, and she says she'll watch TTT when it's out for rental. Considering she used to tell me the Lord of the Rings is stupid, i think I've done a good job [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img].

[Ruler of the Frogs]

It was the movie that converted me, along with the help of my cousin. After that I was a rabid Tolkien fan, and have read the the trilogy, the Hobbit, and am currently working on the Silmarillion. I did convert a friend, who loved the movies and tried her hardest to finish the whole trilogy (not a strong reader). I tried to convert my other friends as well, but they refused to watch the movie, and so they were definatly hopeless when it came to the book. But I tried [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[Adutincowen]

No, I haven't actually converted anyone to LotR... I was, however, steared toward them a couple of years back (thank you, Dessa!)

the best thing about it is that I have another friend (wow, 2 friends...) who's aunt know's everything there is to know about Middle Earth and more. much of my information was learned from this o wise source. now at school, this friend and I can speak of Haldir or Helm's Deep, and no one understands but us... [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Beren87]

I converted an old girlfriend (who now hates me but anyway) to Tolkien at the end of last year. She ended up liking the books so much she went to Ringcon in Seattle!

[Haelothiel]

I haven't converted anyone, my school is full of hopeless people who think books, smarts and anything else about me is freaky. But I actually am a convert. I had read the books but then my cousin Calencoire showed me the barrowdowns, and my big brother took me to see the movies. My family rescued me I guess, though Calencoire and I are the only people this extreme... I'm working on converts though, I really am!

[Haelothiel]

Tirwyn, I thought that your convert thing was absolutely hilarious, and it's not even late, only nine o'clock!

[Lady_Galadriel]

I have converted this one girl named Clara after I read the books and would not shut up about how awsome the movie was going to be. She saw the movie and loved it.. I lent her FOTR, as she requested to read it, but she did not get passed the second chapter.. She is not a book person.
Also our friend Cassaundra was hooked, but I think it was the movie that influenced her to read the books, which she is still completing, and not me.
Oh, and one last thing. I would like to say thanks to the long chain of people who hooked me onto LOTR. First my buddy, Sara read the books and influenced our whole group, of about 10, to read them.. But I didnt [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] (i was a stunbborn child) then everybody saw the movie and talked about the hot elf. I was sooo left out [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
so i wanted to see the movie too... well i also wanted to read the book to, so i decided to read the book and go see the movie. I did... Now I'm hooked.. I was hooked after the first few chapters of Fotr, and I love it!!!!!!

Thanks fellow downer, macaroni!!!!

[Iarwain]

It took a couple of years, but my cousin finally took intrest in Tolkien about two years ago. I was thrilled at the thought! I have other friends that have read some of LotR, and then put it down, and even more that are movie fans (I cannot stand their knowledge, it's so clumsy and misinformed). None, however, have even heard of the Silmarillion, and my cousin/convert is beginning to get an intrest in the HoME books. I'm so happy. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Iarwain