Why do you think LOTR appeals to so many people? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Merri · 08-14-2002, 10:14 AM

Do you think there are 'requirements' to appreciate the Lord of the Rings? I think there are, sort of. Ie: You should have an imagination, an open mind, and the ability to take a guy's word for it.

I've been thinking about why LOTR appeals to so many people. Maybe it gives us a release from the horrors of the modern world (!!)? Or some other reason . . . What do you think??

(Gah, I sound like my English teacher, scary! Oh well, I'm still curious)

[ August 20, 2002: Message edited by: Merri ]

08-14-2002, 11:57 AM

I don't think there are any requirements when reading The Lord of the Rings. I think to read any book, you would need imagination and an open mind. Whether or not the reader will enjoy LotR depends on that particular readers tastes.

The Lord of the Rings appeals to me because of the depth of the story. Tolkien didn't build his mythology around his plot but his plot around his mythology and I think that's important. One can tell that he wrote TLOTR because he wanted to write a tale (as opposed to making money).

Middle-earth is so richly described that one can feel as if they are deep in Shelob's lair along with Frodo and Sam or wandering deep in Lothlorien. Well, anyway, that's just me.

I think that it is indeed an escape from reality for some people. For others it's the depth and some people simply get this feeling of being swept away by the the story.

I hope that made sense. *sweatdrop*

Shadowstrife911 · 08-14-2002, 12:18 PM

The depth of the world that JRR Tolkien created to me is the most important part of it and this creates the appeal. I have always enjoyed real-world mythology (Greek, Roman, Norse, Celtic, Chinese etc.) and those myths were built upon the history of their people, when you read them they did not seem transposed. For instance, the writers of those eras didn't just take myths and write ignore the original ideas (basing it off of their history), they incorporated the history of their people.

What Tolkien did was of true genius, instead of writing a mythology based on an already existing history and people he created his own. Mr. Tolkien managed to create an entired universe that was so real and full of depth that people would think it was an actual mythology found in an ancient manuscript. (Well maybe not exactly, that would be one detailed manuscript [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img])

Ravenna · 08-14-2002, 02:39 PM

When I first read LOTR, it was largely because it was a fantasy story which took me out of the mundane everyday world and it's problems.
Later, as I reread over and again, the depth and underlying meanings began to emerge, and made me think more deeply about the events and the relationships.
The only prerequisites I think you need to read Tolkien are an open mind and sufficient education to appreciate the language he used. I still read it largely as an escape from everyday problems, which probably explains why I read so much fantasy literature in general, but over the years my appreciation has broadened and deepened, and these days I find so much more to it than I used to.

galadwen29 · 08-14-2002, 02:48 PM

i believe that it is not in good imaginations

for example i love the books and the movie (i love the books more than the movie)
my sister however hates lotr.
my cousin loves the movie but does not wish to read all three books.
all three of us have very vivid imaginations.

so it must be something else. i believe it is the sheer writing of tolkien. it is not some fantasy book but a different world with different races and languages. once you read the first chapter you are enthralled by the lands and ways of middle earth.

[img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Durialion · 08-14-2002, 04:52 PM

I guess because there are so many aspects to the books.

Ithaeliel · 08-14-2002, 05:07 PM

Example, Durialion? [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

I enjoy LotR because, quite simply, fantasy is my favorite genre, and Tolkien's world is about as fantastic as you can get. It has demons, immortals, gods, mythology of how the world was made and grown, different humanoid races, battles, magical items... you get my drift, it is almost a fully developed world and history that he made.

The thing I like best about his world is it isn't all happily ever after-- it's real. In many ways, the people in his world are more sorrowful and weary than joyous. The elves, although they are immortal, grow tired of life. In many stories, the immortal creatures forever live in beauty and happiness, and they become wise but not sorrowful, which I believe is in a way impossible to do. To attain wisdom, one must experience mistakes and treachery, and that is what Tolkien has shown me in his work.

Merri · 08-14-2002, 08:15 PM

Yes . . . I think one of the major problems with the fantasy genre is that the authors make it so farfetched and unrealistic that it's hard for us to believe/associate with, but Tolkien's characters are very human, and very easy to believe in. I don't know . . . I hope I'm making at least a bit of sense.

08-15-2002, 09:06 AM

when i first read lotr was an escape from that technical world. tolkien shows you that there can be a world and meaning behind things. not everything is facts and numbers. now i have grown so fond of this world, that i have to stick to it. it´s also so heroic. e.g. who would die for love these days. few would.
tolkiens world is so rich of characters that almost everyone can identify with someone. and at last there is hardly any fictionary world that is so rich and deep as tolkien has created one.

Neferchoirwen · 08-15-2002, 10:43 AM

Well, tolkien was one of the first proponents of fantasy, and since it IS a fantasy, that in itself creates a sort of escape for its readers.
As for the characters being so human, having over-buffed characters, (not necessarily physically, though) aren't really what I buy into. Keeping the characters as human as possible in any fantasy can make the whole thing appealing in its humility. And it keeps that balance of the 'escapism' in a constant reality check through a huumble character in a world that's so unfamiliar.

Legolas · 08-15-2002, 11:24 AM

You could think of a million. The reasons people read Tolkien's works are numerous and differ from person to person, often being a combination of reasons...

Some of the more popular reasons: escapism, love of mythology, love of fairy-tales, the common fantasy features (dragons, wizards, etc.), interest in battles, interst in a somewhat medieval setting, the ideas of creation and the creators watching over it, good always has a way of winning, simple people accomplishing great tasks (the hobbits), etc. Sometimes it is the skeleton of the story alone that keeps people interested. It gives them a reason to hope. Others are just interested in reading a good book.

Tolkien's books satisfy all these tastes because of their spread of functionality. They can work on different levels...myths, history, fairy-tales, epic fantasy, the languages...all that while still being inspirational and thought-provoking.

[ August 15, 2002: Message edited by: Legalos ]

***Sharkû*** · 08-15-2002, 11:48 AM

There may not be any special requirements to enjoy Tolkien's Legendarium, but there certainly are some things which help to access some different, deeper levels of it.
This probably is due to the fact that his fiction was not written for the sake of others' entertainment alone. For a great deal, it was written for the author's entertainment, and therefore things he enjoyed are represented in it with great care and love for detail.

The more you know about languages, the more you will be able to see what work Tolkien put into his nomenclature, for example; further adding to the richness of the works. The Lord of the Rings is especially great in this regard as far as I can see it. Much the same would, I think, go for about any area Tolkien took delight in: mythology, philosophy, &c.

Researching into any such area and viewing Tolkien's Legendarium under that aspect can, unlike with some other works of fiction, hardly be disappointing. On the other hand, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are, with all depth, not two of the most popular books for adolescents for no reason; the approach to the books simply can be made on various levels, any of which can provide quality literature.

Galadel Vinorel · 08-15-2002, 12:12 PM

Yes, I think to many of us, at least to me, LOTR is an escape from our technological world. Middle Earth seems almost like a paradrise. It is not far-fetched like many fantasy books. I think it is interesting the way that Tolkien created this whole new world, with it's own history, and people, and languages, and wars, and beauty, and, yet, a deep sorrow. LOTR seemd to touch the deep places of my soul, and bring up emotions I never knew that I had.

LOTR seems to pierce your heart, and leave you wanting more. It touched me so deeply, and it brought me close to people. I met people because of LOTR, that I never would have talked to before then. I actually started wanting to write, when, before I read these AMAZING books, I had never thought that I could. I name Lord of the Rings my all-time favorite trilogy. [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

Eruwen · 08-17-2002, 05:41 PM

I am actually in it to escape from the hideous world around me. The things I go through at school are tragic. And I go to a Christian school. It gets pretty bad. And once I read LOTR the first time, I was hooked.

This story has changed my perspective on life. I have learned to appreciate the beauty of nature around me. Yes, I still use the story to get my mind away from the world, but it has hepled me in much more than that. I actually want to read, and learn, and explore the history of ME. {And I hate history all together.}

If Tolkein was alive right now, I think I would have only one goal in life: to journey to whereever in this world he is, and tell him how much he has changed me.

Auriel Haevasawen · 08-18-2002, 07:05 AM

The Lord of the Rings was voted the greatest book of the twentieth century in a huge poll in the UK run by Waterstones bookstore and the BBC. I think that alone shows that it appeals right across the readership spectrum. I am not a fantasy fan per se but I'd be lost without my Tolkien. Yes, he is escapism but as others have already pointed out it is the craftsmanship that just makes his work so utterly wonderful. I have studied Saxon history and early British myths and legends for years and can see common threads but it truly is a world of it's own, so beautiful and plausible. You can see it as soon as you read it. I recently met a woman of 84 who had just read it for the first time and was really upset she had not come across the book earlier in her life. She said that when reading it she wasn't in an old people's home anymore, she was walking across Middle Earth and free. I know in my own writing I will never come near Tolkien's skill with the English language but his books are so great they still inspire me to get out the thesaurus and do the best I can with my brain instead of thinking I'll never match that, I might as well give up. Tolkien appeals because he is so good on so many levels, story, 'historical' background, language, imagination, thought process. Everything.

mordor136 · 08-18-2002, 10:11 AM

when you read lotr you enter an almost 4-D
world.you can fell the weight of the ring.you can smell the flowers of elanor in lothlorein. all in all a very riveting experience.

Merri · 08-18-2002, 10:55 AM

I'm rereading the LOTR series right now, and I was just reading Peter Beagle's foreward to the books when I found my answer . . . or at least, an answer I agree with. Here's what he says:

"For in the end it is Middle-earth and its dwellers that we love, not Tolkien's considerable gifts in showing it to us. I said once that the world he charts was there long before him, and I still believe it. He is a great enough magician to tap our most common nightmares, daydreams and twilight fancies, but he never invented them either: he found them a place to live, a green alternative to each day's madness here in a poisoned world. We are raised to honor all the wrong explorers and discoverers- thieves planting flags, murderers crarrying crosses. Let us at last praise the colonization of dreams" - Peter S. Beagle

I think that sums it up pretty well, don't you?

08-20-2002, 12:08 PM

For one thing, they don't appeal to everyone. Take my mom, for instance. i caught her reading TTT when we were at the beach last Sunday and she said it was terrible, and she had no idea why I liked to read such stuff. But NEway. I'm not sure about the other people who like LOTR, but for me it's because LOTR is just so different. I mean, don't others get bored reading mysteries and romance novels and stuff? How many books have you read about a respectable hobbit getting involved in something like this? And the way JRRT says the stuff he says makes the thing that he wants to say loud and clear to the people who are really paying attention. And if you aren't, there's the challenge. Basically, what I mean is that you have to keep your focus on the book, and it can still make you semi-conscious about your surroundings and what other people are doing-take you away from the hustle and bustle of the world.

08-14-2002, 10:14 AM	#1
Merri Wight Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: The Shire Posts: 221	Why do you think LOTR appeals to so many people? Do you think there are 'requirements' to appreciate the Lord of the Rings? I think there are, sort of. Ie: You should have an imagination, an open mind, and the ability to take a guy's word for it. I've been thinking about why LOTR appeals to so many people. Maybe it gives us a release from the horrors of the modern world (!!)? Or some other reason . . . What do you think?? (Gah, I sound like my English teacher, scary! Oh well, I'm still curious) [ August 20, 2002: Message edited by: Merri ] __________________ Knowledge is just opinion that you trust enough to act upon. -Children of the Mind, by Orson Scott Card.

08-14-2002, 12:18 PM	#3
Shadowstrife911 Animated Skeleton Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Toronto Posts: 30	The depth of the world that JRR Tolkien created to me is the most important part of it and this creates the appeal. I have always enjoyed real-world mythology (Greek, Roman, Norse, Celtic, Chinese etc.) and those myths were built upon the history of their people, when you read them they did not seem transposed. For instance, the writers of those eras didn't just take myths and write ignore the original ideas (basing it off of their history), they incorporated the history of their people. What Tolkien did was of true genius, instead of writing a mythology based on an already existing history and people he created his own. Mr. Tolkien managed to create an entired universe that was so real and full of depth that people would think it was an actual mythology found in an ancient manuscript. (Well maybe not exactly, that would be one detailed manuscript [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]) __________________ "It needs more to make a king than a piece of elvish glass, or a rabble such as this." -the Mouth of Sauron

08-14-2002, 02:48 PM	#5
galadwen29 Animated Skeleton Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: england Posts: 30	i believe that it is not in good imaginations for example i love the books and the movie (i love the books more than the movie) my sister however hates lotr. my cousin loves the movie but does not wish to read all three books. all three of us have very vivid imaginations. so it must be something else. i believe it is the sheer writing of tolkien. it is not some fantasy book but a different world with different races and languages. once you read the first chapter you are enthralled by the lands and ways of middle earth. [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] __________________ "i don't know half of you as well as i should like; and i like less than half of you half as well as you deserve" "TOSS ME!"

08-14-2002, 04:52 PM	#6
Durialion Animated Skeleton Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Lothlorien Posts: 42	I guess because there are so many aspects to the books. __________________ Durialion the High Elf "I wish the ring had never come to me and this adventure had never happened." Frodo "So do all who live to see these times, but you have to decide what to do when the time comes." Gandalf

08-14-2002, 05:07 PM	#7
Ithaeliel Cornus Caliga Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Five-hundred-twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes from here Posts: 716	Example, Durialion? [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] I enjoy LotR because, quite simply, fantasy is my favorite genre, and Tolkien's world is about as fantastic as you can get. It has demons, immortals, gods, mythology of how the world was made and grown, different humanoid races, battles, magical items... you get my drift, it is almost a fully developed world and history that he made. The thing I like best about his world is it isn't all happily ever after-- it's real. In many ways, the people in his world are more sorrowful and weary than joyous. The elves, although they are immortal, grow tired of life. In many stories, the immortal creatures forever live in beauty and happiness, and they become wise but not sorrowful, which I believe is in a way impossible to do. To attain wisdom, one must experience mistakes and treachery, and that is what Tolkien has shown me in his work. __________________ That best portion of a good man's life, His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love. .................William Wordsworth

08-14-2002, 11:57 AM	#2
Erendis Guest Posts: n/a	I don't think there are any requirements when reading The Lord of the Rings. I think to read any book, you would need imagination and an open mind. Whether or not the reader will enjoy LotR depends on that particular readers tastes. The Lord of the Rings appeals to me because of the depth of the story. Tolkien didn't build his mythology around his plot but his plot around his mythology and I think that's important. One can tell that he wrote TLOTR because he wanted to write a tale (as opposed to making money). Middle-earth is so richly described that one can feel as if they are deep in Shelob's lair along with Frodo and Sam or wandering deep in Lothlorien. Well, anyway, that's just me. I think that it is indeed an escape from reality for some people. For others it's the depth and some people simply get this feeling of being swept away by the the story. I hope that made sense. sweatdrop

08-14-2002, 02:39 PM	#4
Ravenna Haunting Spirit Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: witney, oxfordshire Posts: 70	When I first read LOTR, it was largely because it was a fantasy story which took me out of the mundane everyday world and it's problems. Later, as I reread over and again, the depth and underlying meanings began to emerge, and made me think more deeply about the events and the relationships. The only prerequisites I think you need to read Tolkien are an open mind and sufficient education to appreciate the language he used. I still read it largely as an escape from everyday problems, which probably explains why I read so much fantasy literature in general, but over the years my appreciation has broadened and deepened, and these days I find so much more to it than I used to.

08-14-2002, 08:15 PM	#8
Merri Wight Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: The Shire Posts: 221	Yes . . . I think one of the major problems with the fantasy genre is that the authors make it so farfetched and unrealistic that it's hard for us to believe/associate with, but Tolkien's characters are very human, and very easy to believe in. I don't know . . . I hope I'm making at least a bit of sense. __________________ Knowledge is just opinion that you trust enough to act upon. -Children of the Mind, by Orson Scott Card.

08-15-2002, 09:06 AM	#9
lilith Guest Posts: n/a	when i first read lotr was an escape from that technical world. tolkien shows you that there can be a world and meaning behind things. not everything is facts and numbers. now i have grown so fond of this world, that i have to stick to it. it´s also so heroic. e.g. who would die for love these days. few would. tolkiens world is so rich of characters that almost everyone can identify with someone. and at last there is hardly any fictionary world that is so rich and deep as tolkien has created one.

08-15-2002, 10:43 AM	#10
Neferchoirwen Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: RtR: 483.3 miles, Fords of Bruinen Posts: 513	Well, tolkien was one of the first proponents of fantasy, and since it IS a fantasy, that in itself creates a sort of escape for its readers. As for the characters being so human, having over-buffed characters, (not necessarily physically, though) aren't really what I buy into. Keeping the characters as human as possible in any fantasy can make the whole thing appealing in its humility. And it keeps that balance of the 'escapism' in a constant reality check through a huumble character in a world that's so unfamiliar. __________________ On really romantic nights of self, I go salsa dancing with my confusion. ~Speed Levitch http://crevicesofsilence.blogspot.com/

08-15-2002, 11:24 AM	#11
Legolas A Northern Soul Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Valinor Posts: 1,850	You could think of a million. The reasons people read Tolkien's works are numerous and differ from person to person, often being a combination of reasons... Some of the more popular reasons: escapism, love of mythology, love of fairy-tales, the common fantasy features (dragons, wizards, etc.), interest in battles, interst in a somewhat medieval setting, the ideas of creation and the creators watching over it, good always has a way of winning, simple people accomplishing great tasks (the hobbits), etc. Sometimes it is the skeleton of the story alone that keeps people interested. It gives them a reason to hope. Others are just interested in reading a good book. Tolkien's books satisfy all these tastes because of their spread of functionality. They can work on different levels...myths, history, fairy-tales, epic fantasy, the languages...all that while still being inspirational and thought-provoking. [ August 15, 2002: Message edited by: Legalos ] __________________ ...take counsel with thyself, and remember who and what thou art.

08-15-2002, 11:48 AM	#12
*Sharkû* Hungry Ghoul Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 1,719	There may not be any special requirements to enjoy Tolkien's Legendarium, but there certainly are some things which help to access some different, deeper levels of it. This probably is due to the fact that his fiction was not written for the sake of others' entertainment alone. For a great deal, it was written for the author's entertainment, and therefore things he enjoyed are represented in it with great care and love for detail. The more you know about languages, the more you will be able to see what work Tolkien put into his nomenclature, for example; further adding to the richness of the works. The Lord of the Rings is especially great in this regard as far as I can see it. Much the same would, I think, go for about any area Tolkien took delight in: mythology, philosophy, &c. Researching into any such area and viewing Tolkien's Legendarium under that aspect can, unlike with some other works of fiction, hardly be disappointing. On the other hand, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are, with all depth, not two of the most popular books for adolescents for no reason; the approach to the books simply can be made on various levels, any of which can provide quality literature.

08-15-2002, 12:12 PM	#13
Galadel Vinorel Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Lothlorien, the Woodlen Realm Posts: 366	Yes, I think to many of us, at least to me, LOTR is an escape from our technological world. Middle Earth seems almost like a paradrise. It is not far-fetched like many fantasy books. I think it is interesting the way that Tolkien created this whole new world, with it's own history, and people, and languages, and wars, and beauty, and, yet, a deep sorrow. LOTR seemd to touch the deep places of my soul, and bring up emotions I never knew that I had. LOTR seems to pierce your heart, and leave you wanting more. It touched me so deeply, and it brought me close to people. I met people because of LOTR, that I never would have talked to before then. I actually started wanting to write, when, before I read these AMAZING books, I had never thought that I could. I name Lord of the Rings my all-time favorite trilogy. [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img] __________________ “Words can never convey the incredible impact of our attitude toward life. The longer I live the more convinced I become that life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it." -Charles R. Swindoll

08-17-2002, 05:41 PM	#14
Eruwen Registered User Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 901	I am actually in it to escape from the hideous world around me. The things I go through at school are tragic. And I go to a Christian school. It gets pretty bad. And once I read LOTR the first time, I was hooked. This story has changed my perspective on life. I have learned to appreciate the beauty of nature around me. Yes, I still use the story to get my mind away from the world, but it has hepled me in much more than that. I actually want to read, and learn, and explore the history of ME. {And I hate history all together.} If Tolkein was alive right now, I think I would have only one goal in life: to journey to whereever in this world he is, and tell him how much he has changed me.

08-18-2002, 07:05 AM	#15
Auriel Haevasawen Wight Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Nowhere of importance Posts: 240	The Lord of the Rings was voted the greatest book of the twentieth century in a huge poll in the UK run by Waterstones bookstore and the BBC. I think that alone shows that it appeals right across the readership spectrum. I am not a fantasy fan per se but I'd be lost without my Tolkien. Yes, he is escapism but as others have already pointed out it is the craftsmanship that just makes his work so utterly wonderful. I have studied Saxon history and early British myths and legends for years and can see common threads but it truly is a world of it's own, so beautiful and plausible. You can see it as soon as you read it. I recently met a woman of 84 who had just read it for the first time and was really upset she had not come across the book earlier in her life. She said that when reading it she wasn't in an old people's home anymore, she was walking across Middle Earth and free. I know in my own writing I will never come near Tolkien's skill with the English language but his books are so great they still inspire me to get out the thesaurus and do the best I can with my brain instead of thinking I'll never match that, I might as well give up. Tolkien appeals because he is so good on so many levels, story, 'historical' background, language, imagination, thought process. Everything. __________________ Auriel

08-18-2002, 10:11 AM	#16
mordor136 Wight Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: snowboarding with Morgoth in the void Posts: 221	when you read lotr you enter an almost 4-D world.you can fell the weight of the ring.you can smell the flowers of elanor in lothlorein. all in all a very riveting experience. __________________ It's not A.D.D I'm just ignoring you. I'm like a super-hero with no powers or motivation

08-18-2002, 10:55 AM	#17
Merri Wight Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: The Shire Posts: 221	I'm rereading the LOTR series right now, and I was just reading Peter Beagle's foreward to the books when I found my answer . . . or at least, an answer I agree with. Here's what he says: "For in the end it is Middle-earth and its dwellers that we love, not Tolkien's considerable gifts in showing it to us. I said once that the world he charts was there long before him, and I still believe it. He is a great enough magician to tap our most common nightmares, daydreams and twilight fancies, but he never invented them either: he found them a place to live, a green alternative to each day's madness here in a poisoned world. We are raised to honor all the wrong explorers and discoverers- thieves planting flags, murderers crarrying crosses. Let us at last praise the colonization of dreams" - Peter S. Beagle I think that sums it up pretty well, don't you? __________________ Knowledge is just opinion that you trust enough to act upon. -Children of the Mind, by Orson Scott Card.

08-20-2002, 12:08 PM	#18
PayalS Guest Posts: n/a	For one thing, they don't appeal to everyone. Take my mom, for instance. i caught her reading TTT when we were at the beach last Sunday and she said it was terrible, and she had no idea why I liked to read such stuff. But NEway. I'm not sure about the other people who like LOTR, but for me it's because LOTR is just so different. I mean, don't others get bored reading mysteries and romance novels and stuff? How many books have you read about a respectable hobbit getting involved in something like this? And the way JRRT says the stuff he says makes the thing that he wants to say loud and clear to the people who are really paying attention. And if you aren't, there's the challenge. Basically, what I mean is that you have to keep your focus on the book, and it can still make you semi-conscious about your surroundings and what other people are doing-take you away from the hustle and bustle of the world.