The Tolkien Coming of Age Club - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

mark12_30 · 09-17-2002, 03:54 PM

As I recall I first read The Hobbit in 6th grade (11 yrs old, 1972) and then made it through the Lord of The Rings in Junior High (12 or 13 years old, I remember discussing Boromir's repentance with several good friends.) What prompted me: those same friends. Dell, Martha, Carla. And then when my siblings saw the books, they said, Ah, the kid has some sense after all.

So: 30 years ago for Bilbo, 28 years ago for Frodo. (Mith, we're tied!)

I still have my original Hobbit; alas, however, my matching boxed paperback trilogy mildewed, and I threw it out last year. I had the one with Tokien's watercolors on the cover, and the Heraldric banners and tiles and insignias on the (red) box. It must have been a ballantine version, I still remember that inscription.

I have read thoroughly thru the trilogy (I think) eleven times; parts of it (Pelennor Fields) many, many more times than that. I used to gallop thru The Hobbit whenever I had a spare day.

This was Junior High, and High School; I had embroidered Tengwar on my jeans jacket and several pairs of jeans. Nobody could read it except one close friend, and she didn't squeal.

[ September 17, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

09-17-2002, 03:54 PM	#8
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	As I recall I first read The Hobbit in 6th grade (11 yrs old, 1972) and then made it through the Lord of The Rings in Junior High (12 or 13 years old, I remember discussing Boromir's repentance with several good friends.) What prompted me: those same friends. Dell, Martha, Carla. And then when my siblings saw the books, they said, Ah, the kid has some sense after all. So: 30 years ago for Bilbo, 28 years ago for Frodo. (Mith, we're tied!) I still have my original Hobbit; alas, however, my matching boxed paperback trilogy mildewed, and I threw it out last year. I had the one with Tokien's watercolors on the cover, and the Heraldric banners and tiles and insignias on the (red) box. It must have been a ballantine version, I still remember that inscription. I have read thoroughly thru the trilogy (I think) eleven times; parts of it (Pelennor Fields) many, many more times than that. I used to gallop thru The Hobbit whenever I had a spare day. This was Junior High, and High School; I had embroidered Tengwar on my jeans jacket and several pairs of jeans. Nobody could read it except one close friend, and she didn't squeal. [ September 17, 2002: Message edited by: mark12_30 ] __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.