: : This is the point I was trying to get accross (Thanx
: : Michael:^)).
: : The true Tolkien fans will always be there no matter what and
: : all the hype associated with the movies will dissipate after a
: : while along with all the "wannabe-fans" who will inevitabely
: : jump on the band-wagon.

: I'm not sure what you mean by "true Tolkien fans". I think you're saying that a true Tolkien fan won't be deterred by what he or she doesn't like, and won't be deterred from liking the movies just because they aren't want he or she is expecting. Certainly I hope you don't mean that only purists are true Tolkien fans. I think many ardent fans have radically different visions of Middle-earth. They are all "true" fans because they love the stories, not because they happen to agree with disagree with certain points of view.

What I mean by a "true" fan is someone who will not just become an overnight fan when the movies are released and then forget about Tolkien when the hype has blown over. I agree with you in that not only purists are true fans, and this is partially because it is difficult to decipher exactly what a purist is because of so many different perceptions that can be drawn from LotR etc. If the only true fans where purists then we wouldn't have these long discussions/arguments, would we?

[Snip]