Posted: October 25, 1999 at 09:55:02: by shadowdax
I first read The Hobbit at age 9 as a school text. I enjoyed it and borrowed LOtR from the library as soon as I had finished. I didn't enjoy this as much, but still read all the way through (including appendices), and then started Sil. I found it pretty tough going and found myself skipping pages in search of the interesting bits. I finally brought it back to the library and forgot about it for many years. I never got into fantasy or role-playing mauch. It was only about 14 years later that I started reading LOtR again when some of my friends were into this. This time round I bought the books for myself. I have re-read it about every 2 years since, and read the Hobbit about once in 4 years. I really loved the Sil on my second attempt. I have read it in whole twice, but many of my favourite passages much more than that. I have also read Roverandom, but wasn't specially impressed, Farmer Giles of Ham (some good passages, some humour, but not quite up to Tolkien's ME works), Leaf by Niggle (ver un-Tolkien-like, but some good passages, although it drags on a little in places, lacking some of the humour of his children's books yet without attaining the grandeur of his ME books), Smith of Wooton Major (a difficult one), The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (I loved this, and would recommend it to anyone, even if they are unfamiliar with his other work). Father Xmas Letters (some excellent passges and good artwork) I went on to read some of the History of Middle Earth. I don't own all of these books, and haven't read any all the way through, but like especially those passages which were not used in the final Silmarillion, and also the unfinished sequel to Return of the King. I also enjoyed his letters and biography.
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