How old were you when........

[Raamalooke]

You first read LOTR?

*shuffles feet shyly* I have to confess that I didn't read the books until after I saw FOTR in the theater.:( Fantasy books never appealed to me. I loved the movie so much that I got the books and read them. I can't believe what a difference there is between the book (FOTR) and the movie. I expected them to be different, they always are, but I couldn't believe the amount of detail in the book. It's incredible. Everyone I know that has seen the movie but not read the book gets an earfull from me about how the MUST read the book. You can't fully understand the story without reading the book. The movie is only an interpretation of the book. I mean, the movie keeps the story intact and tells it well but you get so much more from the book. All of my friends have now read FOTR and are in the process of reading the others.

I'm just curious as to how old everyone else was when they first read the story. I'm hoping i'm not the only one that didn't read them until after seeing the movie.

[DGoeij]

Well, I can't help you. I bumped into the FotR in the library at the age of 13 (can you believe it, almost 10 years ago :eek: ) and my dad encouraged me to take it with me. I didn't understand all of it, but I knew I liked it.
No need to draw you a picutre I guess, but I'm currently enjoying the UT and I intend to buy a Tolkien biography, when time and money find eachother at the right moment. :)

EDIT: And welcome to the Forum too AND the guild of Periaur too.:)

[Raamalooke]

I really wish i'd gotten into them sooner.

Thanks for the welcome. :cool:

[Gamil Zirak]

I first read the LoTR when I was 12 (eleven years ago).

[Rangerdave]

I began my adventures in Middle Earth on the 25th of March, 1975. And I have been returning ever since.

RD

[Maedhros]

Rangerdave, I wasn't even born when you began reading JRRT. Wow.


;)

[Legolam]

Our teacher read us the Hobbit when I was 7, then my dad went out and bought me all the LOTR books. I read them when I was 8 and couldn't stop until I was about 14. I went through a phase (only a phase though!) of not reading them until about a year ago, and I've made a decision never to let them rest like that again!!

[Niniel]

I first read LOTR when I was 15, and have read it at least 6 times since then (the whole book that is, I have of course read my favourite parts a lot more). I read the Hobbit when I was 18, and I finished the Sil and UT just three months ago.

[Grond]

November 24, 1973 is when I sat down to read the entire Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. I had already read The Two Towers on a bus in October on my way to a college track meet in Arkadelphia, AR. I went to a local bookstore and bought the collector package which included the Hobbit, FOTR, TT and ROTK. I then proceeded to lie on my Mom's couch during Thanksgiving break and read from Monday morning until I was finished. I am guessing sometime Wednesday because I know that I was through before the turkey was served. :);) I would have been 19 at the time.

[Gamil Zirak]

Good old Henderson State University. Where you a runner or a thrower Grond?

[Grond]

Actually I was a pole-vaulter.... and a pretty good one at that... by 1973 standards anyway. ;):)

[Rangerdave]

Originally posted by Gamil Zirak
Where you a runner or a thrower Grond?

I'm guessing he was a Charioteer
:D :D :D

So what was Ben Hur really like?

RD

[Elbereth]

Ok...I admit it...i didn't read LOTR until 1/1/02... *waits for foodstuffs to be thrown in her general direction*

Tolkien had always been on my "to read" list...but I just hadn't gotten to him until then... and the movie was a big incentive as well...

But after I read LOTR...i was hooked and continued to read almost everything Tolkien had written. I still have the "History of Middle Earth series" to finish and the his short stories...but hopefully I will get around to that later.

[Eowyn711]

I read the books when I was eleven, 1971 and then all the background books and then I read Dune. Ok, that didn't relate but I read all of those too. haha

Are there any chat rooms on this site??

Ann

[Mindy_O_Lluin]

I was reading it the first time in the cold part of Fall, 1970. When I was blooming, just out of those frightful High school years.

[Anamatar IV]

i read the hobbit 3 years ago, tried reading the fotr 2 years ago but couldnt get passed bombadil, saw the movie, read the books twice in the same month every 3rd month since then and thats about it.

[In Flames]

My mom read the FOTR for me early in the 80's. WHen i was home sick from school :) The first time i read the Hobbit i was around 10.
And i didnt read the Sil until i was 15-16.

[legoman]

I was 18, it was last November I think... yes, it was a sunny day, with white clouds in the sky, the kind of day you remember as you grow older and long for so you can play in the garden and climb the big oak tree at the bottom of crayfield avenue, you could still make out the old house just on the horizon where only 3 weeks earlier there had been what some call, a disturbance of the peace... the bin men had forgotten to pick up the rubbish.

Wah, what sorry, yup I read them last year after having an earful from Tookish-Girl and another friend of mine as to the fact I didn't read enough, I'd read the hobbit when I was about 8 but never got onto LOTR, the book is massive and the bigest things I read then where by enid blyton.

[DGoeij]

There's nobody who would accuse me of not reading enough, but Enid who?????

[legoman]

exquise me? a plate of what?
How do you not know enid blyton? She was a ridiculously English Childrens story book author. I thought every kid in the world was forced to read her books: the famous 5, the adventure series.
come on... basically they involved kids having adventures and catching smugglers and knowing they're smugglers cos they have shifty eyes or wore a big coat, its soo good to read when you are older, it puts you into stitches!
In her real life she wanted to be a boy so in her books like in the faous 5, one of the female characters wants to be a boy and gets everone to call her george whilst the other girl anne is always complimented for her looks and skills at tidying up, it the most sexest thing ever but when you're little you don't even realise, haha, so ridiculous it shouldn't be allowed.
Uses the classic english phrases too:
Jolly good old chap,
I say **** that was a lovely sandwich,
Aunt Fanny is a terribly good hostess, rather.

HAHA, I could go on. oh one of the famous 5 was called ****, as in Richard (mind you one of the famous 5 was a dog - Timmy). and their Aunt was called Aunt Fanny, incase of confusion.

[DGoeij]

Oh, I think I remember that serie. Rather boring, the dog was an annoying mutt, always in trouble unless the others were in trouble, then he saved, owned by the guy who was called George and actually a girl, or vice versa, you read them like three a day and then needed something fun, like Asterix and Obelix.

yes, it's coming back to me.:p

[gate7ole]

19. Too old. How did I miss him all the previous years?

[Nimawae's hope]

I considered reading Tolkien for many years. But I never got around to reading them until I was about....uh....I think seventeen. I read through the series again a last year.....and I think it's time for me to do my yearly reading of the books again!!:D


Call me stupid, but I have never heard of Enid Blyton, or whatever it is you called that story. Is it a solely British product? Or did it manage to cross the seas to America?

[Anduril]

Well. It was a sunny day of May...year 1997...I was about 20 years old...holly!
I'm and oldie...aggggggggggghhhhhhh...

[legoman]

you read them like three a day and then needed something fun, like Asterix and Obelix.
haha, thats probably why I own nearly all the Astrix and Obelix books!!

Thats a good point Nimawae, I'm not sure if it is just British, Ask Tookish-Girl she knows more about just about all books than me. (except Asterix and Obelix, then I know waaaaaay more)

[Nimawae's hope]

I just might do that. Uh......never heard of Astrix or Obelix before either.....but I'm glad to know that you are so knowledgeable about them....I think......does it have anything to do with why you behave the way you do now?:rolleyes: :rolleyes: He he he!!

[legoman]

Asterix and Obelix are cartoon books by two french cartoonists. about a village of fearless gauls surrounded by Roman Garrissons but the gauls have a magic potion and so the Romans can't touch them, they go on the best adventures ever!!! Hilarious!

[Nimawae's hope]

COOL!! Got any copies that I can have?:D :D
I need a good belly laugh right now. Relieve some of this insane stress, if you know what I mean.....Gauls.....I like that idea thoroughly!!!


Hmmm...did we get off the subject legoman? Or is it just me?:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Arvedui]

I remember when I came across LOtR in a bookstore close to school. I had heard some rumours about Tolkien and bought the book on intuition. I'm not sure how old I was, but I think this was somewhere in 1981/82. After that, of course I had to read the Hobbit, and then I bought all the Tolkien books I could get hold of. A few years later all of the books except LOtR & The Sil were destroyed in a flood. I have not been able to sneak more than the Hobbit past my wife since then (blame it on the kids, ha-ha). But those books have given me 20 years of pure pleasure.

[Nimawae's hope]

All those books destroyed? That's terrible!!!! I wish I had a few more Tolkien books myself!
If you try really hard maybe you can still manage to get a few past her!!! He he he he!!:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Arvedui]

I didn't say I gave up, did I? And yes, that was about as terrible as thing gets, without crime beeing committed.

[Nimawae's hope]

Ahhhhh......I'm glad to know that you haven't given up your sneaky ways.....it is most healthy for the system....keeps things interesting you know!!:D :D

[legoman]

Have you tried getting a really big hat and hiding them in there, people don't always check hats...

[DGoeij]

A hat, big enough to hide a book, wearing it all the way indoors, to get past your wife and into your secret library........
Should work, she'd never believe you would be hinding anything that way.:p

[Ice Man]

I was 20.

[Nimawae's hope]

Well, maybe she would.....unless you where big hats all the time.......or maybe you should just act like you put on a bunch of weight. Just hide the books in the extra big clothing!!

[legoman]

Easy then, if you think she'll check, simply hide a really big book blatently in a bunch of flowers for her and then she'll be overwhelmed with the flowers, then she'll find the book and think you were trying to hide it from her, but then she'll think that that was the only book you've hidden and again become obsessed by the flowers and you can haul in the suitcase full of others while shes finding a vase!!!

[Nimawae's hope]

Ooooooooo!!! What a good idea.......get her totally confused, then slip it in on her!!! And if you want to get in relly good with her, after you take the suitcase to your library, take her out to a nice restaurant. She'll never suspect a thing!!

[legoman]

I don't know, that could be pushing it.
I find with women if you are actually genuinly nice to them they get far too suspicious. At least with the flowers if she gets too suspicious you could tell her they were in a sale.

[Nimawae's hope]

Yeah, you got a point there.....I guess you could tell her that he won a free meal pass......or just take her to the local McDonald's.....no suspiscion there:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

So....do you plan to get me some flowers on sale? I like.....um.....oh never mind.....

See you next week!

[Arvedui]

Hey! My wife is not that awful. If she was, she wouldn't be my wife. It is just that she doesn't share my interest in Tolkien. And as far as I'm concerned, thats her problem. I'm working to get my oldest son interested, and of course if he gets to love Tolkien as much as I do, then of course we have to get more of his books. Get it?

[DGoeij]

Divide and conquer!
I'm not married, and not even sure if I ever will, but my girlfriend shares my enthousiasm for Tolkien. I actually 'forced' her to read the Hobbit, so she would at least have met ME before the movies came out. She has reading problems, so I thought LOTR would be too much to ask, so I lend her my copy of the Hobbit. But after the Hobbit, she even bougth her own copy of LOTR (in Dutch, but still:), I'm a proud boyfriend ), and read it in about four or five months.
Today we have to hold eachother in check to prevent one of us spending to much on Tolkien.:D

[Walter]

Well it took me 43 years and a few more months to start reading my first Tolkien book. Meanwhile (in the past 10 months) I have read almost every book Tolkien wrote (except for the HoMe series where I have read only parts of each book) and a few more Tolkien-related books, and yes, there are some signs of an addiction notable... ;)

But I have read them only once for I keep thinking: "If you do it right the first time..." :D

[menchu]

I had started going sometimes to the cybercafé. [heehee, my first cybercafé] Once I saw a guy staring at the screen, watching how a ring kept going round and round. The title of the forthcoming movie appeared. I realized it was one of the myriad of books my mother had bought when she was younger. During the following months I kept finding links and references alluding to the film. I don't remember if there were any scarce images before I decided to read the book in the next summer, for which I would have such a long time and was likely to mean my last real holiday, but all the little details aroused my curiosity. It was then Aug'2002 when I got to know all the adventure inside... Took me thirteen days to finish it. I literally lived for LOTR since I didn't want to eat, nor hang out in the beach, and it was the first thing I would see after waking up and the last before going to bed.

The story which follows is quite typical... 'The Silmarillion' came, and so did the 'Unfinished Tales'... I begun to read them in English to enjoy Middle Earth in its original form, but not all the books are available here. I keep visiting this store every now and then to check if there's something new. And when I must study and restrain myself from such a complex world, I plunge into other works by Tolkien: 'Farmer Giles of Ham', 'Leaf by Niggle', 'Smith of Wooton Major'... :)

[Nimawae's hope]

He he he he!! Sounds like obsession with Tolkien has caught hold of just about everyone in this place!! I enjoy all of his literature so much it's kinda scary!!!

Anyway,Arvedui, I hope you are lucky enough to have a son that follows in your footsteps....Does he appear to be on your path of obsession yet? Or is he still to young to know?

[Arvedui]

He's not quite there yet. But he will be, I'm sure. I'll sure give my damnest to make sure he gets an insight to the works of JRRT. Not because I can secure more books that way, but because I want him to experience the grandeur of The Man's work. I guess he will be well on his way with 'The Hobbit' by the end of the year.

[legoman]

Send him on here, he'll leave a fully fledged tolkien boffin. It's impossible not to. Then he'll read everything and perhaps even help you with your sneaking of books.

[Nimawae's hope]

I'm proud to say that I was a Tolkien boffin before I even entered this place. Why else would I waste valuable study time?:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

In my house we do not have to sneak our books....we all love the stories....I actually think my parents are proud of my knowledge of Tolkien....in a weird sort of way.

[DGoeij]

Putting effort in it? Ha, amateurs! I can waist days of valuable time, without even having to try. If I tried, I would be hibernating.

I just hope my mom doesn't read this.:rolleyes:

[legoman]

My Hero, where have you been all my life, your just the role model I've been looking for.. please give me all the tips you can.lol.

[Nimawae's hope]

*Hangs head sadly* Yes. I admit that I am an amateur at such things. But if I was anything else, I fear my parents would kick me out of the house...He he he he....just kidding...I'm really an academic at heart:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: ......what?....WHAT!?!....it's not THAT funny!!

[DGoeij]

I still refrain from comment. The sniggering just won't stop.:p

[Nimawae's hope]

*Sniggers back*:p :p :p :p :p

[Dr. Ransom]

I finished LOTR for the first time about3-4 years ago (I am an avid reader). Interestingly, my brothers and I had about a 45 min. discustion about if they'd ever make a movie about of the books, and if it would be any good. Little did we know that they were filming the movie at about the same time! I was very excited when i found out that they were planning on doing a "real" movie, not a bang up job. And despite all the things I wish were different in the movie, my heart still stops when I hear Gladariel narrating the last allience between Men and Elves!

[Nimawae's hope]

Hmmmm....yes that really is a good part of the movie.

[Ramagna]

I think it must have been in the age of 14...
Quite a good age to be influenced by Tolkiens magic... :)

[Snaga]

Ohhhh........

The answer to this is about 10 I think. I dont remember.

I'm sure I am just revealing I have a one-track mind but am I the only one who, when they saw the thread title, thought this was going to be a different (and more... delicate/interesting) question? OK...its just me. Sorry!:(:(:( Bad Snaga *smacks head *

[Wonko The Sane]

I thought the same thing!! It's not just you!!!

I must have a HORRIBLY dirty one track mind as well...but then...most of you probably knew that.
*sigh* I think I have a little bit of a reputation around here for my shameless flirting.

I confess that I read The Hobbit for the first time around age 10, but didn't start reading LotR until this past Christmas when my mom gave it to me as a gift. I didn't see the movie until after I'd finished the first book though, I didn't want the movie to spoil the reading experience for me.

[Grond]

Just a note to remind everyone to please stay on topic.

[Snaga]

I thought we were (with some asides). Dear me! How strict (and off-topic) of you Grond!;)

Anyway, I also was introduced to LotR by my dad, but he tried to read it to me, my brother and sister but it takes along time to get going. He gave it up in the middle of the Shadow of the Past cos we were like 'get on with it!!!!' Kids!:rolleyes: The Hobbit has a better pace for reading aloud I think.

[DGoeij]

I agree on that. My dad warned me when I picked up LotR that it would take a long time for the stroy to pick up speed (or start for real or something, I don't realy remember what he meant) and read at least a 150 pages before turing it down. I'm glad he did, because at 13, I wasn't usually very patient with books. Today I even enjoy the shadow of the past.:D

[legoman]

Thats interesting cos I was talking to a friend who hasn't read the books cos he started and he said the writing was too descriptive, that was why I liked it I think, strange. hmm, but he did say the film is possibly his favourite film of all time.
Ah well, I'll have him reading them by the end of the year!

[Eliot]

I first read the Hobbit last year when I was 12 in Sept. - Oct. and then right after that I read the LOTR. I'm now 13 and I read the Hobbit and the LOTR again in Sept. - Oct. 02. I'm now reading the Silmarillion and it is one of the greastest books I've ever read.

[Wonko The Sane]

I started reading The Hobbit when I was 10 or so because this guy I had a huge crush on (*sigh* Andrew Shcultz, he had beautiful blue eyes...*) was playing Gandalf in the school play and HE was reading LotR.
I didn't try to read LotR until this past Christmas, which is too bad, but my friend Kelly's dad read them to her when she was little too.
Like I said, I keep trying to read them to my sister but she's not interested.
My other sister is stuck somewhere in The Hobbit, but she doesn't read much anyway.
wonko, my brother, has of course read all the books more than I have even. He's also finished The Sil which I'm still working on. :rolleyes:
My other brother is somewhere in the middle of TT.

[Aulë]

I only read my first Tolkien book when I was 18.
It was after I had seen the FoTR movie on DVD, and I couldn't wait till TTT came out :D

[Talierin]

I think I was 11... found this old boxed set that a family friend had given my parents years ago (which they never read :rolleyes: ) and rescued it off the shelf... I remember staying up all night reading Fellowship, heheh

[Arebeth]

I was 14, and it was just a few months before FOTR. I must confess it has been in my library for two years when I finally started reading it (and wondering: how could I live without?????????? I read The Simarillion and The Hobbit after, but still in French, and now I'd like to reread them all in English.

[Manveru]

Oh yeah! Reading them in English is far better than any translation... sometimes translators have a way too much imagination of their own--and I don't like changing of names (e.g. in Polish translation Merry is Rady-->which means "content";)). Maybe it isn't a big change, but why change proper names in the first place... a proper name is a proper name, right? It made me a little confused when I got to read LotR in English (Merry? Who's Merry?;))...

BTW: I had read LotR about a year before the movies came out (I hadn't even known there were arrangements for that:D). I was completely hooked by it (actually LotR was my third work of Tolkien so I knew what it was going to be like;)---I had read The Silmarillion & The Hobbit earlier---nowadays I like that "chronology" of reading;)). I was 20 (kinda late... but I consider myself a Tolkien-fan since 18---> the time I read The Silmarillion for the first time:D).

[Wonko The Sane]

I was (am) 20 when I started (will start) The Sil, in case anyone cares. :) Snaga gave me his old copy. I'm excite to start.
He even wrote a sooo sweet inscription with a quote from the tale of Beren and Luthien in the front. :)

I heart that guy. :) (Snaga not Beren) :D