The Fellowship of the Ring
discussion
Am I the only one who hates this book?
Anamika wrote: "♫~Kelly~♫ wrote: "^Wow that's a long description. xD @Annamika: I think it may also depend on how old you were when you read it. I read it in 6th grade, but I saw the movies first, so maybe th..."
Okay, I PROMISE YOU that was a typo! Sorry! I guess this book just appeals to people more than others. It is kind of lengthy so I can see why you would find it kind of boring.
Nope. Never really noticed. Not the way I did with the Wheel of Time books. Well the first five. I never read beyond the first five. :-)
In the version I read it only had a 1,000, cause the book was really big and print was seriously small. I've seen other versions where it was 3,000 pages, so no, I'm not entirely sure how many pages it had. If you wanna see a long book, you should see Les Miserables. xD
For the naysayers. Lord of the Rings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOIi9...
The Hobbit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc32Y...
I read this when I was a kid. I gave up twice before willing myself to read through it. Once I got past the initial chapters, there was no turning back. This book is worshipped not because it was the best(even in the series). Also not because it was the most engaging or gritty. In my opinion, this is worshipped mainly because all things must have a beginning. And there are not many books/series that have had a beginning as grand or epic in scope as this one. Once you get hooked, there is no turning back without reading the rest of the books in the series. It made you invest in an entirely fictional world and made you wish it were real. Atleast it did for me. I felt a heaviness upon my heart as Gandalf revealed that Frodo's ring was the one, it made me bitter when Boromir tried to take the ring by force and bitter-sad when he gave up his life fighting. It made me feel helpless when Gandalf died. It made me smile when Sam ran after Frodo when he departed the fellowship. This and so much more.And that is why, I believe this deserves to be workshipped.
Frenchie wrote: I agree. Because when you read between the lines, you will find it is not just an adventure, it is also the story of strong friendship, of hope, of bravery, o..."
I totally agree. I wanted to rant on, but there is only so much I can write from the workplace! :) :D
Manoj wrote: "I read this when I was a kid. I gave up twice before willing myself to read through it. Once I got past the initial chapters, there was no turning back. This book is worshipped not because it was t..."Nicely said, Manoj.
What can I say Anamika? It's not by accident or coincidence that, at the end of the 20th Century, in all polls and surveys, Lord of the Rings was resoundingly the most popular book of the century. And it deserved it. And that includes The Fellowship of the Ring.
I guess you would have to say your tastes don't reflect those of others. Neither is wrong. It's just a matter of what works for you.
As I said before, Tolkien eloquently created an entire universe that encompassed both breadth and depth in terms of the world of his Middle Earth, it's history, its characters and the feats they accomplished. There is no comparison in writing in the genre and very few outside of it.
Why "infuriate?" It's not your thing. So move on. Go to what you like instead of meditating on something you don't. I don't like hip-hop so I listen to classical. No point gritting my teeth listening to something I don't like.
Then stop whining about it.
Your sentence is a grammatical disaster, but I guess I know what you mean.
I did before, but your sentence is still a bit of a mess. You don't need the comma, you need to remove the "it." Now I see why Tolkien is frustrating for you.
No, not funny. Just me being unkind. I apologize for that. Take care Anamika. Be well.
I know what you meant and I know how you meant it. But that doesn't mean that I'm always going to stoop to such a low level myself. My last message to you. Enjoy your spite.
Well, as for me, I had a hard time when I tried reading the books the first time. I was 15 back then and tried reading the German translation. It should be noted that the German translation is, according to people who actually finished this book, isn't very good. What also put me off was the first pages about the Hobbits.Years later:
I read a lot more modern classics, I read The Hobbit and then, reading Lord of the Rings was extremely enjoyable. For me, I needed more experience as a reader to learn to appreciate a certain type of book. The type that uses a language from before I was even born. I loved the Count of Monte Christo and I love Lord of the Rings, but I don't 'worship' the books.
As you all know, Tolkien borrowed the elves and dwarves from Norse mythology but the hobbits appear to be his own creation and you can tell how much he loved them, even if they weren't always the focus of the story.
Sure, Lord of the Rings has lots of weaknesses - but I guess those are easy to forgive. (I could never read 'A Song of Ice and Fire' for example because I dislike how Martin treats the women in his story, especially Dany.)
Because it is so very well written. I have been a Tolkein fan for decades. Compare it to current recently published literature, even in the fantasy genre. The newer stuff reads at about the 3rd grade level.
So, Anamika, what book would you say is your favorite book?
LotR for the longest time was my alltime favorite book, but it has recently been replaced by Patricia McKillip's Riddle of Stars trilogy. . . just!Not that I ever worshipped LotR, and I have read it many more times than any other books in the past 35 years.
Frenchie, The world that McKillip creates isn't as broad or as deep as Tolkein's Middle Earth and yet she created just the right balance within which to tell her story. The pacing can be slow for some, but certainly no slower that LotR or the Hobbit. She certainly captures at least this readers emotions and takes them on a wild ride.
Oh, just to provide complete info, the books are;The Riddle Master of Hed
Heir of Sea and Fire
Harpist in the Wind
You know Anamika I'm constantly getting updates on your thread and that typo in the title makes my insides churn. Any way you can fix that maybe?
I first tried to read TLOTR when I was 11 or 12 (my mom loved it and thought I would too). At the time, I didn't like it, I found it slow and boring and decided to drop it.I tried again some time later, around 19 or 20, and I really loved it, couldn't put it down, read all the books several times, and loved the movies when they came out.
I couldn't tell you what changed. I had already read a lot of Fantasy before trying the first time, and didn't have a problem with really long books either. I guess it's just that tastes change. It's not like I go now for all the same books I loved 20 years ago. And of course, there are a lot of books I'm never going to like no matter how much everyone else loves them! :D
If you have such an aversion for the book, and you have mined the reasons why others don't agree with you, why do you persist?You obviously haven't found any soulmates here, you are unable to understand the ground breaking precedents set by Professor Tolkien, so sell the bloody thing on eBay and find something else to read.
Lord of the Rings is also my favourite book, and one I have read many, many times, although not in a few years now.I agree with those who have said in this thread that it is the foundation of modern fantasy, but I can't agree with those who have said that it is the basis of adventure stories. I think that is a genre that pre-dates LotR by a considerable period. The Three Musketeers is but one example.
it is the basis of modern fantasy.Read the Riven Codex by Eddings if you want more information
I agree with Tony concerning LotR and adventure stories. An additional example would be The Odyssey by Homer.
Anamika wrote: "So do you mean I ought to read it when I become a bit more older.That usually doesn't happen with other books.Perhaps it's not my choice of book."I think you should read it when you are older, it's easier to understand.
But you may still not like it. Matter of opinion.
I wouldn't use the word "worship" to describe how people feel about it, but that might be just me. For a lot of people, it seems to be the first fantasy novel they read. For me, it was the first fantasy novel that I had made the decision to read on my own. The characters are funny, the writing is clean, and it has a really good plot (and minimal romance. I hate romance in most books I read, unless it's really relevant to the plot or very slight). It's also a book that can be read by almost anyone old enough to understand the writing, because there aren't scenes that are completely adult. There's the fact that the book already has a good reputation. And then, of course, there's the magic.
@Howard and @Tony, yes I agree. All the mythologies are precursors of Fantasies. But what it is interesting with Tolkien is that he created a totally new fantasy world with new languages, if what I read is correct? "Yes, Tolkien created a fairly complete fantasy world with a detailed mythology of its own, and he created the languages for it. But I'm not sure it would class as "completely new" as, pretty much unavoidably, he drew inspiration from a number of sources - Norse, Germanic, and English mythology among them.
What sets Tolkien apart, for me at least, is not the originality of the story - it's basically a heroic quest, which have been around probably as long as people have been telling stories - it's the detail he has put into his world-building, and the richness of his language.
Part of the fun of the book for me is the incredible action needed to achieve a few steps. As the book progresses it is clear that Gandalf could get close to Mount Doom with the ring via flying eagle, but even if he could withstand its power he would clue in Sauron by doing so. Gandalf might have flown Frodo with the ring but still not been able to enable him to take the final steps. The entirety of the Quest is to enable the seemingly most inconsequential character to take just a few more steps than anyone else could.
Anamika wrote: "Will the topic satisfy you now?"Well, atleast fans like us wont spam your thread with comments about why we like it. Also, as pointed out earlier, other kindred spirits who dislike Tolkien's works might flock here.
Well, if you do give it another try and find it to your liking, let us know :) Adios :)
Good Lord you are one simple twit. Its no wonder you FAIL to grasp Tolkien....but again, all that anime crap you obsess over has probably rotted away the few remaining brain cells you possessed.
I've read it 16 times to date. Almost to read again! Yes, as you have guessed, my favourite book.Max...
Keith wrote: "Anamika wrote: ""Worship" is the wrong word. No I deliberately used the worship because there was one person I know who bought a LOTR book,read the same book twice from the library but left the ne..."
That's because the book is actually Christia. I knew that before I read it at age ten! Or was while I was reading one of them, I don't remember...
♫~Kelly~♫ wrote: "^Wow that's a long description. xD @Annamika: I think it may also depend on how old you were when you read it. I read it in 6th grade, but I saw the movies first, so maybe that has an effect o..."
I saw The Two Towers right before I finished The Fellowship of the rings, so it made things a little confusing. I read The Lord of the Rings trilogy when I was ten, so things were a little wordy, but I loved them anyway! ;-)
Anamika wrote: "Well I guess it is the depth that bothers me.It kind of get frustrating when he makes the story so deep."Understandable. I do admit Tolkien could have perhaps made this book flow more fluently with the details. Is that the only reason you dislike this book, or just the main reason?
Thank you for fixing the title, Ananika!
Anamika you seem to be interested only in those that agree with you in disliking Tolkiens books. The man wrote a classic piece of literature that cannot be denied.Do I like all classics, no I do not and also do not feel the need to get my choice in that validated by other people.
Dislike Tolkien or like, I do not care but recognise his importance of his work. Otherwise you end up as a whining brat and that would be a shame.
Anamika wrote: "Well I guess it is the depth that bothers me.It kind of get frustrating when he makes the story so deep."That is the point of it. To make the story deep and thus engage the reader. Superficial is easy.
Part of the reason you got this reaction is because of the general topic you posted in, instead of seeking out groups of already established non-Tolkien fans. There are plenty, no book is for everyone. If you don't like a story with this much world building, then that's okay. You probably wouldn't like A Song of Ice and Fire, or many others. You might like Terry Pratchett's work, depending on whether fantasy as a genre interests you or not.The other issue is that you don't make much of a distinction between you liking something and it being objectively "good" or "bad". It's actually really important as you get older to know when a work is not for you, but not "bad" because of it. For a lot of people LOTR is the opposite reading experience it is for you. It's engaging, interesting, detailed, human, with a journey that resonates for them. If it's not for you that's unfortunate, but that's how it is. You can try it again later, maybe examine what your expectations for the books are and see if that's clouding your reading of it. Or not. It may just never click with you.
Threads with the "Am I the only one..." are just kind of loaded, though. No one is the "only one" who doesn't like something because absolutely no story connects to every reader. I would just suggest that next time you do a search and find conversations already happening about it. If you only wanted people to agree with you, that's not likely. And whether you like the books or not, they are incredibly influential in modern fantasy. A great deal of skill went into the creation of the LOTR world, its mythologies, cultures, etc. A little respect for the craft that went into it, whether or not it's you're thing, is what most people here are looking for.
To heck with LotR haters.I love it and always will :P
Well you have certainly learned both. And that hatred isn't all you thought it was. Although you certainly didn't want to know about LOTR in the beginning, just validation for your particular paradigmI have been reluctant to broach this, but 'hate a book'? Really? Dislike an author, maybe, a particular book, maybe.
Hate is an emotion usually directed at animate beings rather than inanimate objects.
For my generation, anyway. Although I do understand that recent generations are far more superficial than us oldies.
I was a teenager when I found LOTR in the public library, this was in the Houghton Mifflin hard cover edition with all the big Maps included . Now I am by no means a speedreader, but for some reason I couldn't put the damn thing down and read the entire trilogy in less than a week...something like 3 or 4 days as I remember. Now I am near 71 years old now so some of this is somewhat foggy memory...Now at this time there were very few ways for a fantasy junkie to get his or her fantasy fix. there was the quest \ adventure tales of Tolkein and there was the darker adventure stories that had been printed in the 30\40's in the pulps. Personally I prefered the pulp stories (when I could find them) what was mostly available at the time was mostly some howard\Conan adventures...some years later ACE printed it "Pirated" edition of LOTR and then the dam burst...first Conan then other copiers of Tolkein..and then reprints of stories and novels from Weird Tales et al....so regardless of whether you're a Tolkein fan or not, any reader of Fantasy and darker horror stories owe Tolkein's work a great thank you for opening the magic chest which has since given us the rich field of Fantasy....so like him or no...we must thank Tolkein for his work and for all the other works descended from his rich and thorough mythology....(personally I don't much care for the LOTR much myself)
I agree with Cheri . . .
Although I would have said . . . 
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I'm glad that you've considered the possibility that this book is not for you at this point in your life, but you're willing to give it a chance later. I hope you do, because you may come to "worship" the tale as well.