I've mentioned on here before I am ashamed to say I have only read The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring.  I'm planning on this fall and winter rereading these and The Two Towers and Return of the King so I can feel complete (and watch the trilogy of course).  Not to mention there is more movies coming with the 2 Hobbit movies in 2011 and 2012 by Guillermo del Toro.  I also am interested in reading The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and The Children of Hurin. 

Are there any huge LOTR fans on this site? How often do you watch the trilogy (extended version of course)? How many times have you read and how often have you reread LOTR, Hobbit, etc.?  What other Tolkien books have you read and would recommend?  What Tolkien stuff do you own?  What are your thoughts on the movies and the books and how they compare to one another?

There is something comforting about watching Gandalf make a soothing blue plume of a smoke ring come forth from his mouth and the friendly confines of the Shire.  This time of year is great to grab a Tolkien book or movie and cuddle up by the fire and escape to Middle-Earth for a few hours.

I've read the hobbit and trilogy >10 times- there was a stretch in high school and college where I'd read them once a year.  I would get pretty into the story, but sometimes miss details, so on most re-reads would find new nuggets.  Also, the more back-story you get from the other material, the more connections you can make within LOTR.

I've read the silmarillion twice, but probably only once on a legitimate read-through.  it's pretty much like the Bible- some parts are much more entertaining and readable than others, and there are a lot of names to keep track of in some places. 

 I own all the movies (actually, bought cinematic version on VHS as soon as it came out, and extended versions on DVD when those came out a few months later).  Don't watch them too often though- this is mainly a girlfriend constraint.  the movies are long, and best played with surround sound turned up, and she doesn't like all the "yelling and whacking". 

A steaming cup of coffee or an ice cold flagon of mead is require during viewing.

I was wondering if the History of Middle Earth books (12 of them?) or the Atlas of Middle-Earth are worth it.

The scenery in the films are breathtaking and the music is haunting.  And it helps that you actually care for the characters (top notch acting helps) and you can feel their anguish as you go on the journey with them.

It gives one hope in their own lives that big things are even possible from the smallest (not literal) person.

The detail Tolkien put into creating an entire world and languages is insane.  I wish I had the drive and creativity to do something along those lines and share as real of a world as you can get with others.

Back in the day I was more of a Tolkien nut than I am now. The movies kind of ruined it for me. And I have to admit, I own all three films on DVD but can't get through the first 20 minutes of Fellowship of the Ring. I just can't do it. I spent so many years living those books in my head, I don't care how much talent and scenery you pack into 3 hours of film, it just ruined the Tolkien world for me. I'm hoping one day I can get beyond that because I adore Cate Blanchett and it kills me that she has films I can't even sit through...

I have all of his books, and I've reread LOTR many times more than almost all of them. The one I reread most though is The Hobbit.

As a geek aside...from mid-grade school through most of high school, my friends and I would write our notes to one another in the dwarvish runes (Cirth). Was much easier than trying to come up with some secret code. (I tried to get my friends to learn the elvish runes (Tengwar) because they're prettier but the whole phoenetics thing messed them up badly)

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

What did you not like about the films?  Ian McKellen is perfect as Gandalf (amazing voice) as is Sean Bean as Boromir

I know the book is always better than the movie (99% of the time), but as I listed in another thread this is my favorite movie of all time (counting the trilogy as one).

It's always interesting to see what fans of the book didn't like (no Tom Bombadil, Scouring of the Shire, etc.).

Well considering I couldn't make it past the first 20 minutes of the first film, I can't really give a comparison of what was left out vs. what was added in. Also can't speak much for casting choices (though I love Ian McKellen in very dirty fag-hag ways and I know he's the only person who could have really pulled off Gandalf much as Richard Harris was really the only person who could have done Dumbledore). I just didn't like watching the book on film. Just did nothing for me. I was bored and it wasn't much like I'd always envisioned in my head and I knew that if I kept watching, it would just ruin rereading the books for me, so I stopped watching. I have no beef with people who do enjoy the films. I'm glad they do. They're very beautiful from the clips I've seen. They're just not for me.

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

Fair enough.

I have also read about The Complete Guide to Middle Earth on Amazon that has gotten really good reviews.  Supposedly Christopher Tolkien even uses it.  Anyone got this?

I think I have "Unfinished Tales", but don't have any of the other books besides Silmarillion (except for a couple of neat little "fan art"books).

 I can definitely see how people who have immersed themselves in the books might not like the movies, but I don't mind watching Peter J et al's *interpretation* of the tolkien world.  They definitely took their job seriously, and I actually find some things I like better in the movies (Arwen's somewhat more prominent role).   I really liked the portrayal of King Theoden- his resurgence in the books and his final day in battle are one of my favorite parts of the books and that part gives me chills in the movie as well (redicuolous elf gymnastics aside).

 The Hobbit movies should be pretty interesting, since it looks like the second movie may be put together from quite a bit of material that was not in or only hinted at in the main books.

He often used to say there was only one Road; that it was like a great river: it's springs were at every doorstep and every path was it's tributary. "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door," he used to say. "You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no telling where you might be swept off to."

I'm glad the Extended Edition DVD's movies are split into 2 discs because I have ADD.