Lord of the Rings Read-Along discussion
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Did you read 'the Prologue' when you first read the book?
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Paula
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Jan 05, 2014 02:07PM
Modern authors are 'warned' against including prologues in their stories, especially ones that only include background info like Tolkien does in the prologue in LOTR. I can't remember if I spent much time on this part of the book since I first read it many years ago. But now I find it a delightful transition from The Hobbit to the denser LOTR. And it makes sense to me that a professor would want to provide this info for readers (as he also does in the appendices) I'm curious what others think - do you like 'prologues' generally, or do you skip them and come back to them after you finish the story? Did you read this prologue when you first read LOTR or did you skip it and go straight to the story?
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Back when I read it for the first time (about ten years ago!), I do remember skipping it because I had a thing against prologues at that point. However, I have to say, the prologue can be skipped over without particular issue. You just have to learn as you go along. Also, I agree about him writing it as a professor; he was used to talking to people who knew the subject matter in his studies (and classes)--that seems like an extension of it. He rolled his work and his play all into one...technically. In a way.
I've always read prologues, or at least skimmed through them. I think the first time I picked up FotR, I skimmed through it, because I was going 'this is cool and all, but I don't know these people yet, so why should I care?' It was more interesting to actually read through it this time around, because I know more the characters referenced, so I have something to tie it to, if that makes sense?
When I read the books the first time, I read the prologue but didn't really pay attention to it. This time I read it with more care. Avani, I completely understand your point.
Avani wrote: "I've always read prologues, or at least skimmed through them. I think the first time I picked up FotR, I skimmed through it, because I was going 'this is cool and all, but I don't know these people..."Yes, that does make sense. It's basically just alot of background info that can get in the way of someone wanting to get into the story. And then, once the story is read, the prologue is there, ready to provide more info. There was also a bit of a lag time between the publication of the Fellowship and then the Two Towers, and then the Return of the King. So the prologue helped provide info before the appendices were available.
I vaguely remember reading this Prologue when I first read it about 13 years ago. It didn't make much of an impact on me since I had only read The Hobbit previously and so wasn't aware of the wider world Tolkien had created... also I was 12. Re-reading it now I very much appreciated the history of the Hobbits and glimpses into what happened to everyone after the events in the story. Although to be fair I'm a History major so I have a soft spot for this kind of information... even if it is fictional.
I remember reading it the first time I went through FoTR but it did not make a huge impact on me since I was not really familiar with the characters. However I did really enjoy the history and setting details.Reading it later (and this is again reinforced with this reading) the prologue is a wealth of details that make me happy.
I don't mind prologues, but I remember finding this one really boring when I first read the book (years and years and years ago). LotR was really difficult for me to get into, and starting off with a history lesson and references to people and things I didn't know or care about yet just really did nothing to reel me in.Now, being so familiar with the books and the world, I find it quite charming!
I'm certain I read the prologue the first time I picked up the books (or at least skimmed it) but it was too long ago for me to remember. I do, however, remember reading and rereading all the supplementary work -- the prologue and appendices -- to try and learn more about the world.And then I discovered The Silmarillion, and life was perfect.
About a decade back (oh god) when I had read the books, I had actually read them out of order. I read The Two Towers first, went back to the Fellowship, and then went ahead to Return of the King. So I did read the introduction, but I am afraid it wasn't in order!I only read the Hobbit afterwards. I very much love that book!
In my first read through I made an honest effort at the prologue but got bored about 2 pages in and ended up skipping it. I was young and impatient. I really wasn't into the hobbit history lesson and quite frankly I wasn't all that interested in hobbits. I just wanted to get to all the Aragorn and Legolas parts (it was a long 150 pages for me). I definitely have more patience than I did back then. I don't mind the prologue now, and after reading The Silmarillion I found myself more interested in hobbits due to their lack of mention in Tolkien's creation story.
Paula wrote: "Modern authors are 'warned' against including prologues in their stories, especially ones that only include background info like Tolkien does in the prologue in LOTR. I can't remember if I spent mu..."I can understand why. I rather discover and learn of a fictional place or character as I'm reading through dialogue and description, rather than a 20 page information dump at the beginning of the book. As interesting and relevant (or not) as the information may be, it can be a bit overwhelming. I know I was overwhelmed when I first tried reading the book at age 11.
In contrast, I do understand that Tolkien probably wanted to provide context to his readers, especially because hobbits are a fictional people he created (unlike dwarves or elves which are already known from European mythology.) So I can't blame Tolkien for his prologue. He wanted to provide his readers with as much information about this fictional world he created before they dived deep into the heart of the story. Plus Tolkien is the Father of Epic Fantasy. Before Tolkien came along nobody had quite written a book like he did. I find the prologue in this case quite necessary.
Kara wrote: "I'm certain I read the prologue the first time I picked up the books (or at least skimmed it) but it was too long ago for me to remember. I do, however, remember reading and rereading all the suppl..."Life is perfect after the Silmarillion? lol. I sure needed the Atlas of Middle-earth to get through it. Otherwise, I would have given up. Now that I can visualize locations, I love the Sil too.
Paula wrote: "Life is perfect after the Silmarillion? lol. I sure needed the Atlas of Middle-earth to get through it. Otherwise, I would have given up. Now that I can visualize locations, I love the Sil too."Oh, hell yes. The Atlas is a i huge help!
The first time I read the books (about 7 years ago) I skipped the prologue because I did not understand any of it. This time I understood so much more of it and could properly appreciate it. Probably from not being 10 anymore. It helps not being 10 anymore. I never read prologues or introductions usually, or if I do I read the after finishing the book. I don't like reading about character that I am not yet invested in.
Kara wrote: "Paula wrote: "Life is perfect after the Silmarillion? lol. I sure needed the Atlas of Middle-earth to get through it. Otherwise, I would have given up. Now that I can visualize locations, I love th..."I didn't know the Atlas existed until after I finished my first read-through of The Silmarillion. I only had the maps the book provided and was confused as heck. I just purchased the Atlas last month and look forward to re-reading the Silmarillion with it to refer to!!
It will also be useful on this LotR re-read. Even though the geography is less confusing it's still nice to have.
I did read the prologue before, but re-reading it with context (and a more mature brain) adds so much to the immersion. I think my favorite part of the storytelling is the fact that it doesn't sound like a fictional universe, it sounds like these are real records that have been studied and collected and it's surprisingly believable. The prologue also reveals a little about the bias in The Sil and a lot about The Hobbit, which I love. Our heroes aren't entirely truthful.
Pardon for my ignorance, but what is this Atlas that you guys are speaking of? It sounds very helpful.
I read it when I did my first readthough of the book, and I remember it totally going over my head for the most part. Rereading it this 5th time through, I've finally made sense of it! I do think it's not a very helpful piece of writing as far as a prologue goes. It should have given a lot less info so that it could be remembered more easily when reading.
Alexis wrote: "Pardon for my ignorance, but what is this Atlas that you guys are speaking of? It sounds very helpful."I think this is probably what they're referring to: http://www.amazon.com/The-Atlas-Middl...
Rachel wrote: "I think this is probably what they're referring to: http://www.amazon.com/The..."Thanks so much. It constantly amazes me the extent of stuff there is out there about Middle-Earth. It can be a little overwhelming.
I am such a nerd! I read the "note on the text", the foreword to the second edition AND the prologue when I first picked up this book. I always read every line there is to read on a book! Thank yous, apendix, notes, heck! I even check the copyright year when I pick up a book. This is a bit embarrassing. lol
I don't remeber reading the prologue for this boom before. I probrably started it and relized it was more of a history then actually part of the story and didn't read it. But I love reading prologues that are actually part of the story, like in the game of throns books the prolouges are part of the story. Or in the twilight series (I know, not really anyone's favorite anymore.) they were like flash fowards to a part of the story. I've also read books with prolouges that took place years before the story happens, but they introduce the characters situations better.
I think I may have read it. I remember parts of it (mostly the 'Concerning Hobbits' part), but most of it was new to me. I tend to skip prologues because I lack patience. But I really enjoyed reading it this time around :) Hobbits are just so lovely.
I think it's the readalong that inspired me to read the prologue thoroughly. I also listened to the readalong 8tracks playlist while reading - it made the text more nice to read :)
I think I skimmed it through the first time, and didn't pay much attention to it. Neither did I read it thoroughly the second time, but now with this read-along I really read the prologue with a thought.I have to agree with many others, I don't see why it is really necessary. All the important things can be learned along the way or from the Appendix.
Lislbr wrote: "I am such a nerd! I read the "note on the text", the foreword to the second edition AND the prologue when I first picked up this book. I always read every line there is to read on a book! Thank you..."That's kind of adorable =) Sometimes I'll skim through forewords and notes on the text, and read through again if it looks interesting.
Lislbr wrote: "I am such a nerd! I read the "note on the text", the foreword to the second edition AND the prologue when I first picked up this book. I always read every line there is to read on a book! Thank you..."I do the same thing! I completely devoured every bit of the book, and even though the prologue was a little boring i found it charming. Now of course it is very interesting.
Frankly, I love the prologue. I love the idea of hearing Tolkien's 'voice' talking about the work that he and I both love. For me, those little insights into his character make me feel that I 'know' him... just a little bit.
I certainly didn't read the prologue when I first took the book. I was a little impatient with the book and wanted to get right into the story. I was 11 and I just saw the first movie adaptation and I thought I was already proving my patience by not picking up the second book right away but instead starting with the first one. But now that I actually took the time to read it for the readalong, and that I'm a little more mature or just less impatient, I actually enjoyed it. I totally get how you'd feel like you can "hear" Tolkien talk about the world he created.
Janice wrote: "Frankly, I love the prologue. I love the idea of hearing Tolkien's 'voice' talking about the work that he and I both love. For me, those little insights into his character make me feel that I 'know..."I agree completely, which is why I love to read the forward and all other notes by Tolkien. I think it's interesting to know about how authors feel towards their works, and we can really see how passionate and thorough Tolkien was with his stories.
Eléonore wrote: "I certainly didn't read the prologue when I first took the book. I was a little impatient with the book and wanted to get right into the story. I was 11 and I just saw the first movie adaptation an..."Yes, I agree that you can "hear" Tolkien talking in the prologue. That's why it seems such a good bridge between the Hobbit and the LOTR. The narrator in the Hobbit is chatty, directly addresses the reader. The narrator in LOTR is more distant/less obvious. Between the two, we have the Prologue which has an 'authority' tone. Also, I think it's important to remember that the Hobbit was published in 1937, and the LOTR in 1954-55, a gap of 17 years. For readers who had read it as children and were now adults (possibly more mature and patient :-)), Tolkien provides this overview and a review of how the Ring was found.
When I read Lord of the rings first I did skipped the prologue, thought I did read that little... But now I have read it.
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Aw, thanks :)
I definitely did not read the prologue the first time around. I was much less patient when I was a teenager. I'm so glad to have read it now though because not only is the information about Bilbo invaluable, I did not know of the existence of Harfoots, Stoors, and Fallohides. It is all very interesting!
I usually read prologues (and notes and forewards and whatnot) because it pains me not to read absolutely everything in a book. But going by my re-read so far... I think I may have skipped it when I first read it 10 or so years ago. I have absolutely no memory of anything so far! It may be that I, like several other people have said, just didn't have the patience for it seeing as I was only in middle school at the time.This time around, though, I'm finding it fascinating! It's taking me forever to get through because I keep flipping pages to check on previous pages and with the maps. Plus discussing things with my dad since it's been even longer since he read the books!
I was eleven when I read it first and i was reading it for school so I decided the Prologue wasn't that important and didn't read it.
Now when I have read the prologue I did learn so many things I didn't know before so good.
I didn't read the prologue when I first read it.
Well I only first read The Fellowship of the Ring last month, and i finished it a few days ago. I almost always read the prologue of any book, so I didn't mind reading the prologue in this one, even though it was different from the usual ones that I am used to reading.
