Stefan’s Comments (group member since Mar 01, 2012)

Stefan’s comments from the J.R.R. Tolkien group.

Hi, Eliza! Welcome to the group. Poke around the group a bit and let us know what you think. If you're interested in joining the group read, feel free! I don't think anybody's really posted anything there yet.

Excellent point Deirdre. Also, Bombadil is just fun in my opinion.

Looks great to me! Can't wait to see it!!

Got my copy of it on order. Can't wait to get started! Thanks for the suggestion Anne Marie!

Finished the poem itself(and subsequent notes.) I like it quite well, I just wish that there was more to it. I also wish that I had paid more attention and realized that the notes were there and read them AS I was reading the poem instead of after it.

I'm interested in what Christopher has to say in his essays on the piece, however, I almost feel that with the brevity of the work of JRRT included here, that this could have been included in a collection of works or paired with something else at the very least. As it is, the vast minority of the material that readers get is by the author himself.

Started this today. Christopher has a nice brief intro to this one. I actually prefer that he do this more often, as I would rather read the work and then delve into the analysis. I feel that at times he gives away too much of the work that he's talking about in his introductory material and there's usually something that I wish I hadn't read before reading the material that he's referring to.

I also got through the first section of the poem itself. Took me a bit to get into the flow of the style and the change in language when there is dialogue, but once I sorted that out, it's moving along swimmingly! I'm excited to dive back in later!

My copy just arrived at the library via Interlibrary Loan! I'll be picking it up this afternoon! Still have a week and a bit of class left, so won't get into it too much until after I'm done with that, but then no class til the end of August!

I'd say that now that it's July, whenever you're ready is a good time to start! I haven't received my copy yet, but I don't want that to stop anybody else.

Welcome aboard, Alex!! Always great to have some fresh blood! Just curious, but how did you manage to not see the films before reading all of those??

Oh, and extra kudos on the new converts!! Closer and closer to world domination every day!

I requested a copy via Inter-Library Loan today. I'm sure that I'll still purchase a copy, but for now, this is the better option for me.

Hello!! If you don't already know me, I'm Stefan. Anne Marie and I have been named co-moderators of this group, so I thought that I'd post a little about myself.

I've been a fan of Tolkien ever since my dad read me the Rankin & Bass illustrated version of The Hobbit when I was about 5 years old. (I guess that would have been sometime in 1979.) I've read LOTR, The Silmarillion, bits and pieces of The History of Middle Earth, The Children of Hurin, and The Atlas of Middle Earth. I'm a huge fan of all of the recent films (both LOTR and The Hobbit) as well as a fan of the Rankin & Bass cartoons of The Hobbit and The Return of the King and, to a lesser extent, Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings, incomplete though it may be.

I'm also a fan of a lot of other fantasy (Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks, Lawrence Watt-Evans, John Marco, Tad Williams, Robin McKinley, Patricia McKillip, and Brandon Sanderson to name a few)and am interested in fantasy art, gaming, and modeling (I even have a few of Saruman's Orcs of the Hand miniatures around somewhere...hmm, must dig them out and paint them up soon!) I'm currently in the process of my first actual fantasy model of my own building the Warlock's House using Hirst Arts molds to form the bricks.

While completing my Bachelor's degree in Social Science, my love of reading also led me to minor in English Lit. Other interests in reading are, Sci-fi, Suspense/Thriller, Horror (especially Stephen King), and Classic Literature. Basically, you name it, I'll give it a shot.

Besides literature and anything fantasy, I'm also an avid Blu-Ray/DVD collector. I also enjoy cooking and entertaining.

I live in an old house, so there's always some sort of remodeling going on. Also, since I live in the country, a lot of my time is spent taking care of animals (4 horses, too many cats and a dog,) fixing fence and mowing/gardening. I'm also a huge fan of NFL (Kansas City Chiefs) and College Football (Kansas State Wildcats), NCAA Basketball (Kansas State Wildcats) and Major League Baseball (Kansas City Royals).

I am currently a graduate student in College Student Development and Academic Advising at Kansas State University where I also work in the Career and Employment Services Office.

Hi, gals & guys! Just wanted to take a minute to weigh in as well.

I'm really looking forward to this group read as well. I don't have a copy yet myself, but I've been salivating over this one since it's release. Besides anything Tolkien, one of my other favorite things is Arthurian lore so this book really hits right in my wheelhouse. I can't wait to read and discuss with all of you!

As Anne Marie mentioned, Michael has named her and I as co-moderators for the group. I look forward to getting to know all of you better as we move along in our journey through Tolkien and his related works.

Anybody notice how much the poster for The Desolation of Smaug looks like the Alan Lee official LOTR artwork? I know that feel doesn't exactly mesh with a lot of the tone and feeling of the Hobbit, but it looks like they nailed the tone of Lee's artwork. I, for one, really love this poster.

I too have that edition and mine doesn't contain the repeat chapter.

Well, I pretty much sucked at that one! Good quiz though!

Kevis wrote: "I got tired of waiting to read the books in literary order, so I decided to grab the only book that was available to me and that was The Silmarillion. Fortunately, I'm a fan of mythology and classic literature, so it made my introduction to Tolkien much easier than the average reader."

I have to give you kudos on reading The Silmarillion first and getting through it then continuing on to LOTR and The Hobbit. I thoroughly enjoyed The Silmarillion, but having already read the other books and loved them, helped my in navigating my way through The Silmarillion tremendously. It's a great book, but I would never suggest that someone new to Tolkien read it before getting comfortable with his world and style.

That said, The Hobbit is really the best place to start. It eases the reader in to Middle Earth in a fun way and gives a lot of good background to prepare the reader for LOTR.

I had a tasty second breakfast of yogurt with blueberries and Andy Capp's Cheddar Fries! I'll probably hold off a bit on lunch, but in true Hobbit fashion, I will definitely not skip it.

After that, it's just Tea, Dinner and Supper to go for today!

Welcome, Georgia! Of course it's all real and really happened. Don't be ridiculous! ;)

I think that we all need more breakfast in our lives! I'll be eating my yogurt and blueberries at my desk.

Alex wrote: "Wow and who else totally adored Alan Lee's art???"

Me! Me!! xD"

Me too. I have the Lee illustrated versions of all three volumes of The Lord of the Rings. He is a fantastic artist.