The two types of LotR fans - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

ArathorofBarahir · 12-16-2005, 04:31 PM

To be brutally honest with you, I couldn't choose, and you can't make me. I love the story and the world just the same.

12-18-2005, 12:12 AM

I'm both.. I first loved the story, and when the movies came out, I became attached to Middle Earth itself. all I remember saying when I first saw FotR was: It's sooooo pretty!!!!

Oroaranion · 12-18-2005, 10:39 AM

First thoughts after many readings of the books is that I am a story man. I have read the Hobbit and the Silm, and enjoyed both, although initially the Silm was quite hard to get into. I have a hard time imagining teh world and places inside my head, the images in there ae supplied by the movies, and this is only one person's view of the world.
Also, reading the appendices is very interesting, as it helps develop characters and give the story more of a history.

Calan · 12-31-2005, 08:43 PM

Like so many, I began with the story - read The Hobbit in elementary school, and subsequently lost interest for a few years. When the movies were initially announced, I found the thread again, and went headlong into the trilogy; aided in no small part by the interest in Dungeons & Dragons that I had developed in between times. These days, I read the trilogy in full once or twice a year, and just odd chapters at a whim.

I suppose that makes it fairly recently that I've dug deeper into the rest of the milieu. I'd never really much paid attention to the appendices in Return of the King before, much less the other books; now that I actually have the patience to churn through the weightier volumes, so much the better! The real joy is in the details as well as the vast view, and years of tabletop roleplaying have made me very aware of both views.

In short: though the story came first, the two ideas are far too intertwined now for me to decide between them - and why would I want to?

PS: Q#5 - b) Elrond, for the prose version.

Eowyn Skywalker · 01-02-2006, 12:25 AM

How can you possibly put it into words? The story is incredible. You have to fall in love with the story to ever love the world. I read the story, and I loved it, but the world contained so much depth... I wanted to fanfic, I wanted to learn the language, I wanted to know more and so much more! It's what drove me to love Star Wars just as much. They both had these worlds. And with both fandoms effecting me, I have to say with both it's the worlds, the races, the languages, the possibilities for so much more!

I love the stories. The worlds wouldn't be the same without the "canon". But after I read/watched/etc, I found myself thinking fanfictions up in my head. I built on to the worlds and made characters, immediately became a role-player of sorts. I loved RPs on sites like these because they allowed further exploration.

You can't love the world without loving at least one of the stories. But the world offers so much more than the plot does. It allows for room to run, to play, to let your fingers do the speaking over text rather than merely read it once, get the story, that's it.

I love worlds that offer the emmensity of Middle-earth, the sorts of worlds that let you make forums and fictions and RPGs. I'm not entirely a world lover. I'll never be able to read all of HoME and like it better than the LotR books. But it's probably a 60:40 in favor of the world.

12-16-2005, 04:31 PM	#1
ArathorofBarahir Wight Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Crickhallow Posts: 247	To be brutally honest with you, I couldn't choose, and you can't make me. I love the story and the world just the same. __________________ King of the Dead: The dead do not suffer the living to pass. Aragorn: You will suffer me.

12-18-2005, 10:39 AM	#3
Oroaranion Haunting Spirit Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Dol Amroth Posts: 94	First thoughts after many readings of the books is that I am a story man. I have read the Hobbit and the Silm, and enjoyed both, although initially the Silm was quite hard to get into. I have a hard time imagining teh world and places inside my head, the images in there ae supplied by the movies, and this is only one person's view of the world. Also, reading the appendices is very interesting, as it helps develop characters and give the story more of a history. __________________ I go to my fathers. And even in their mighty company I shall not now be ashamed. I felled the black serpent. A grim morn, and a glad day, and a golden sunset!

12-18-2005, 12:12 AM	#2
Ari Rainstar Guest Posts: n/a	I'm both.. I first loved the story, and when the movies came out, I became attached to Middle Earth itself. all I remember saying when I first saw FotR was: It's sooooo pretty!!!!

12-31-2005, 08:43 PM	#4
Calan Pile O'Bones Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 16	Like so many, I began with the story - read The Hobbit in elementary school, and subsequently lost interest for a few years. When the movies were initially announced, I found the thread again, and went headlong into the trilogy; aided in no small part by the interest in Dungeons & Dragons that I had developed in between times. These days, I read the trilogy in full once or twice a year, and just odd chapters at a whim. I suppose that makes it fairly recently that I've dug deeper into the rest of the milieu. I'd never really much paid attention to the appendices in Return of the King before, much less the other books; now that I actually have the patience to churn through the weightier volumes, so much the better! The real joy is in the details as well as the vast view, and years of tabletop roleplaying have made me very aware of both views. In short: though the story came first, the two ideas are far too intertwined now for me to decide between them - and why would I want to? PS: Q#5 - b) Elrond, for the prose version.

01-02-2006, 12:25 AM	#5
Eowyn Skywalker Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Somewhere far, far away. Eh. Posts: 402	How can you possibly put it into words? The story is incredible. You have to fall in love with the story to ever love the world. I read the story, and I loved it, but the world contained so much depth... I wanted to fanfic, I wanted to learn the language, I wanted to know more and so much more! It's what drove me to love Star Wars just as much. They both had these worlds. And with both fandoms effecting me, I have to say with both it's the worlds, the races, the languages, the possibilities for so much more! I love the stories. The worlds wouldn't be the same without the "canon". But after I read/watched/etc, I found myself thinking fanfictions up in my head. I built on to the worlds and made characters, immediately became a role-player of sorts. I loved RPs on sites like these because they allowed further exploration. You can't love the world without loving at least one of the stories. But the world offers so much more than the plot does. It allows for room to run, to play, to let your fingers do the speaking over text rather than merely read it once, get the story, that's it. I love worlds that offer the emmensity of Middle-earth, the sorts of worlds that let you make forums and fictions and RPGs. I'm not entirely a world lover. I'll never be able to read all of HoME and like it better than the LotR books. But it's probably a 60:40 in favor of the world. __________________ Sometimes worlds collide. This time, they got their own webpage. Join Middle-earth: Insanity forums today.