Will The Hobbit do damage to the books?

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Mister Underhill

Here's a thought -- which would do more damage to the book, a bad adaptation, or a spectacularly good adaptation? Bad film adaptations typically fade and are quickly forgotten, while the classic books that they're based on endure. Great film adaptations endure and can come to overshadow a book.

I guess the answer there depends upon how closely the adaptation is associated (by the consumer) with its source material.
For those who were already familiar with The Hobbit book, I think the association is likely to be less. For one who first experiences the movies, the greater.