Public Research: How did you become Tolkien-lover? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Elu Ancalime · 01-25-2006, 05:21 PM

I saw The Two Towers with a friend, and since I had no idea what was going on, I picked up the books, then read The Hobbit, then the Silm. I basically went backwards.
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Alcarillo · 01-25-2006, 06:43 PM

In third grade, my teacher read The Hobbit aloud to the class. I then became an ardent devotee of Tolkien, immediately starting to read the Hobbit myself. Then I moved on to the Lord of the Rings, then the Silmarillion, and so on.

Lindolirian · 01-25-2006, 07:34 PM

That's pretty much the same as my story: elementary teacher read the Hobbit (in fact we did skits acting it out, I remember I was the Elvenking's porter in Barrel's Out Of Bond). I went to the LotR and Silm from there and the rest is history. Then I asked Alcarillo to check 6 Degrees of Separation in the Quiz Room.

Farael · 01-25-2006, 07:58 PM

Alright, let's see.... My mother bought "The Hobbit" for herself, yet she didn't finish it and as I had nothing to read at the time (I was about fourteen I think) I claimed it for myself. It's still sitting on my bookshelf, good luck mom trying to get that one back.

Then I went and bought LoTR (one book at the time... I remember finishing The Two Towers about an hour after the bookstore closed and trying to convince my dad to go check if it was open anyway... I did not succeed and so I could not sleep wondering what had happened to Frodo). After finishing LoTR I read The Sil but it was a big dissapointment. First of all I was quite young to appreciate it fully and second, I read it in Spanish. I have not read them in English (Ive started LoTR though) but I can tell it's MUCH better on its original language. Specially the songs, as they chose to translate them into Spanish rather than leave them in English and well... they just don't sound as good.

But a copule months ago I read all of them again and enjoyed them plenty. Looking forward to getting my hands on Unfinished Tales

Rune Son of Bjarne · 01-25-2006, 07:59 PM

All of my school was in a Tolkien frenzy, because of the movies of course. (This was some months before the premiere of the first movie) One day a friend of mine starts talking about this book he is reading called Hobbiten, (The Hobbit) I start asking questions about the book and the auther. The whole conversation ends with me beeing very confused, but I desidet that I needed to read these things for my self.
I went down to the book store, but I could not fin anything written by this Hobbiten fellow. You see I had gotten it all mxed up and thought it was a book called Tolkien written by Hobbiten. I ended up borrowing a friends old and dusted copies (bad translating) and finished the last book just around when the first film came out.

The first was kind of difficult to read at starters, but when I made it thru the first 1/3 of the book I was hooked. I had finnished LOTR, the hobbit and Silmarillion, while the movie was still runing in theaters.

Lolidir · 01-25-2006, 09:20 PM

I' m not exactly surehow it all happened, but if I can remember right I was in the 8th grade and I read the Hobbit for something. Don't reall know why, but I loved that one. Later on my schools book club, o by the way Tolkien is what got me into the whole reading thing, I suggested the Fellowship. Well you all know the story from there. One led to another and so onm and now look at me. I'm a reader of all kinds of books. And that is my vaguely remembered story.

Mithalwen · 01-27-2006, 12:12 PM

Bernard Cribbbens reading "The Hobbit" on Jackanory... that dates me but it was wonderful.............

Boromir88 · 01-27-2006, 03:10 PM

I chose other but I was kind of a mix. I bought the books for my dad and when he was done he let me read them

. But, that wouldn't really be the moment that I became a "Tolkien-lover." As I read them once and set them in a box to be packed in the basement.

It was when the movies came out when I became a true lover. And for that is where I give Peter Jackson a lot of credit for making such good movies that inspired me to pick up the books again, after some 20 years and read them over...then the rest of the story is pretty self-explanatory and why I'm here.

I actually didn't read The Hobbit or The Silmarillion until about a year ago. The Silmarillion being the more recent. Now I'm reading The Chronicles of Narnia. I've been in this big fantasy mood this passed year...I think it's because of all these movies coming out. Now did you hear they are making Beowulf into a movie?

So, it was kind of a mix of a bunch of the options I guess...

View Poll Results: I've read Tolkien, for I have...
Found him on my own in a bookstore	4	3.77%
Heard about him from a friend/sibling	31	29.25%
Watched the movies	18	16.98%
Read exalted criticism in a paper/book and read his works to look for myself	0	0%
Read spiteful criticism in a paper/book and read his works to look for myself	0	0%
Found the books prohibited in my school/university and decided to have a go	0	0%
Been taught his works in school/university	4	3.77%
Been read his works by my parents as a child/read the books bought for me by my parents	28	26.42%
Enjoyed another artist (poet, writer, etc, please indicate)	3	2.83%
Other	18	16.98%
Voters: 106. You may not vote on this poll

01-25-2006, 05:21 PM	#1
Elu Ancalime Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Anador Posts: 476	I saw The Two Towers with a friend, and since I had no idea what was going on, I picked up the books, then read The Hobbit, then the Silm. I basically went backwards. ________ IOLITE REVIEWS Last edited by Elu Ancalime; 03-03-2011 at 10:48 PM.

01-25-2006, 07:34 PM	#3
Lindolirian World's Tallest Hobbit Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Where the view is long Posts: 2,117	That's pretty much the same as my story: elementary teacher read the Hobbit (in fact we did skits acting it out, I remember I was the Elvenking's porter in Barrel's Out Of Bond). I went to the LotR and Silm from there and the rest is history. Then I asked Alcarillo to check 6 Degrees of Separation in the Quiz Room. __________________ 'They say that the One will himself enter into Arda, and heal Men and all the Marring from the beginning to the end."

01-25-2006, 07:58 PM	#4
Farael Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: In hospitals, call rooms and (rarely) my apartment. Posts: 1,538	Other Alright, let's see.... My mother bought "The Hobbit" for herself, yet she didn't finish it and as I had nothing to read at the time (I was about fourteen I think) I claimed it for myself. It's still sitting on my bookshelf, good luck mom trying to get that one back. Then I went and bought LoTR (one book at the time... I remember finishing The Two Towers about an hour after the bookstore closed and trying to convince my dad to go check if it was open anyway... I did not succeed and so I could not sleep wondering what had happened to Frodo). After finishing LoTR I read The Sil but it was a big dissapointment. First of all I was quite young to appreciate it fully and second, I read it in Spanish. I have not read them in English (Ive started LoTR though) but I can tell it's MUCH better on its original language. Specially the songs, as they chose to translate them into Spanish rather than leave them in English and well... they just don't sound as good. But a copule months ago I read all of them again and enjoyed them plenty. Looking forward to getting my hands on Unfinished Tales __________________ I prepared Explosive Runes this morning.

01-25-2006, 09:20 PM	#6
Lolidir Wight Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Roaming the plains of Middle Earth Posts: 103	I' m not exactly surehow it all happened, but if I can remember right I was in the 8th grade and I read the Hobbit for something. Don't reall know why, but I loved that one. Later on my schools book club, o by the way Tolkien is what got me into the whole reading thing, I suggested the Fellowship. Well you all know the story from there. One led to another and so onm and now look at me. I'm a reader of all kinds of books. And that is my vaguely remembered story. __________________ "Its a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to"

01-25-2006, 06:43 PM	#2
Alcarillo Shadow of the Past Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Minas Mor-go Posts: 1,007	In third grade, my teacher read The Hobbit aloud to the class. I then became an ardent devotee of Tolkien, immediately starting to read the Hobbit myself. Then I moved on to the Lord of the Rings, then the Silmarillion, and so on.

01-27-2006, 12:12 PM	#7
Mithalwen Pilgrim Soul Join Date: May 2004 Location: watching the wonga-wonga birds circle... Posts: 9,461	Bernard Cribbbens reading "The Hobbit" on Jackanory... that dates me but it was wonderful............. __________________ “But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar.” Christopher Tolkien, Requiescat in pace

01-27-2006, 03:10 PM	#8
Boromir88 Laconic Loreman Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: USA Posts: 7,521	I chose other but I was kind of a mix. I bought the books for my dad and when he was done he let me read them . But, that wouldn't really be the moment that I became a "Tolkien-lover." As I read them once and set them in a box to be packed in the basement. It was when the movies came out when I became a true lover. And for that is where I give Peter Jackson a lot of credit for making such good movies that inspired me to pick up the books again, after some 20 years and read them over...then the rest of the story is pretty self-explanatory and why I'm here. I actually didn't read The Hobbit or The Silmarillion until about a year ago. The Silmarillion being the more recent. Now I'm reading The Chronicles of Narnia. I've been in this big fantasy mood this passed year...I think it's because of all these movies coming out. Now did you hear they are making Beowulf into a movie? So, it was kind of a mix of a bunch of the options I guess... __________________ Fenris Penguin