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

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...

Esgallhugwen · 01-27-2006, 03:56 PM

My mom owned The Hobbit and The Trilogy and The Silm, I'm not sure when maybe before I was born. Anywho, she bought a graphic novel version of The Hobbit (still have it the binding is a little worn though), she began to read it to me at the age of either 3 or 4, because clearly I wouldn't have been able to read it myself, not understanding what some of the more complicated words meant. I fell in love with the story even picking the book up myself and trying to read it myself. But I could only understand the story by merely looking at the well drawn pictures and remembering the words my mom had spoken to me.

The full page illustration of Smaug is by far my favourite.

Me and my brother also roll played the Hobbit as well, with him being Bilbo and me Smaug (I had a red bath robe so it only made sense for me to be Smaug the Magnificent).

But sadly I only read the books until many years later when I noticed them on one of our bookshelves. I started reading shortly before the first movie came out after reading the actual novel of the Hobbit.

Well that's my story.

Glirdan · 01-27-2006, 04:01 PM

I was at my Aunt's hotel room when they were staying here and my cousins were watching it. I got so immersed in it I had to watch the whole movie and the rest of the series. When I found out that they were based on books, me being the reading lover, I had to get them and read them for myself. That's how this obsession started, not that it isn't a good thing.

01-27-2006, 04:23 PM

I had to read something for my fifth grade book report.

So, logically, I went out to the garage, (psh, like normal people keep books in thier house) and there it sat, bright and yellow in a musty box, surrounded by cheap thriller novels from the late 80's.

One look at The Hobbit, and I havn't been the same since.

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, 09:20 PM	#1
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"

01-27-2006, 12:12 PM	#2
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	#3
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

01-27-2006, 03:56 PM	#4
Esgallhugwen Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Where the Moon cries against the snow Posts: 526	My mom owned The Hobbit and The Trilogy and The Silm, I'm not sure when maybe before I was born. Anywho, she bought a graphic novel version of The Hobbit (still have it the binding is a little worn though), she began to read it to me at the age of either 3 or 4, because clearly I wouldn't have been able to read it myself, not understanding what some of the more complicated words meant. I fell in love with the story even picking the book up myself and trying to read it myself. But I could only understand the story by merely looking at the well drawn pictures and remembering the words my mom had spoken to me. The full page illustration of Smaug is by far my favourite. Me and my brother also roll played the Hobbit as well, with him being Bilbo and me Smaug (I had a red bath robe so it only made sense for me to be Smaug the Magnificent). But sadly I only read the books until many years later when I noticed them on one of our bookshelves. I started reading shortly before the first movie came out after reading the actual novel of the Hobbit. Well that's my story. __________________ "...for the sin of the idolater is not that he worships stone, but that he worships one stone over others. -8:9:4 The Witness of Fane"

01-27-2006, 04:01 PM	#5
Glirdan Energetic Essence Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Where Lark Nor Eagle Ever Flew Posts: 3,285	I was at my Aunt's hotel room when they were staying here and my cousins were watching it. I got so immersed in it I had to watch the whole movie and the rest of the series. When I found out that they were based on books, me being the reading lover, I had to get them and read them for myself. That's how this obsession started, not that it isn't a good thing. __________________ *I'm going to buy you a kitty, I'm going to let you fall in love with the kitty, and one cold, winter night, I'm going to steal into your house and punch you in the face!* Fenris Wolf

01-27-2006, 04:23 PM	#6
Moksha Guest Posts: n/a	I had to read something for my fifth grade book report. So, logically, I went out to the garage, (psh, like normal people keep books in thier house) and there it sat, bright and yellow in a musty box, surrounded by cheap thriller novels from the late 80's. One look at The Hobbit, and I havn't been the same since.