How do you see them?

[Kamyel]

When your reading the trilogy, what do you picture the characters to look like? And those of you who have been fans for a while, do you see them the same as you did from the start? Or do you now see the actors who portray them in the movie?

[afro-elf]

Too tired to write now. I like the question,so I will be back.

[emplynx]

I don't really ever picture people when I read books, I picture things and places but not people.

[Banazir]

I also seldom picture people when I read, but somehow it's different with LotR. When I was reading it, I could visualize some of the characters quite vividly, and I must say that my mental image of them hasn't changed a bit in the last ten years or so since I read the book. And well, the movie was great, but it's completely different from how I see everyone, so I can't possibly imagine these actors as the characters, even if I try.

[Marille]

I also don't really picture people, just places and what not ... but I never pictured Gimli with a beard somehow LoL ..

[ChildofEru]

I find it almost impossible to picture a dwarf without a beard.
And when I do its always shaven off and the dwarf not being very pleased with it. lol

[mirrille]

I don't usually picture people. That's because I read too fast and tend to skip long descriptions, like physical character descriptions. But I do sometimes imagine their voices or speech rhythms. Am I weird or does anyone else do it this way?

[athelas]

The faces of the characters when I first read the books were somewhat fuzzy, they didn't seem to have a "set" face, except the Nazgul I think. Faceless things with black cloaks are easier to picture. Scenery is also easier to picture.

The actors portrayed the characters quite well. None of them left a terrible impression on me. But I do "see" some of their faces when I flip through the book. Not Arwen though, that would be totally out.

[Arathorn]

I agree.

Tolkien generally goes into long drawn out descriptions (up to so many pages) of the places and scenery and not much of the characters (at least that's what I remember when I read the books).

I guess that's why, after a good read, I'm usually in a dream state.

[Laifalasiel]

I have two visions of the characters. One of course is the movie version, AKA the actors from the film. The other is my own mental image, which is what I put on paper (I'm an artist, though not too good) My style has been a little influenced by the film, but not too much.

[Eruviel Greenleaf]

I have sort of a problem with my own images of most of the characters, because I read the books recently enough that there were images of the movie characters already in my mind, from what I had seen. But a few of the characters, I have my own pictures of in my mind.

[Ñólendil]

I'll alert the media afro-elf. :p (that's something that was said to me once)

I'm sort of the opposite of Marille, I picture characters vividly, but I have trouble with the geography. Marille's way of seeing it is probably far more common as Tolkien described the landscapes much more thoroughly than he did the characters. I mean in most other fantasies you're given every detail of what a character looks like: his heighth and build, his hair colour and so forth. No one has any idea what colour beard Gimli had. He's just introduced as Glóin's son! But I guess it doesn't matter.

I don't see the actors when I'm reading the books. Well, I sometimes have trouble with Sam Gamgee; sometimes it's hard for me not to see Ralph Bakshi's short, pudgy, big-toothed, brown-skinned, fluffy haired Hobbit. But otherwise I'm able to form my own picture. If you go to the Lothlórien section on the Trail, into Chad Standlea's gallery you'll see my brother's art. They reflect much more his imagination than mine, but I nagged him over details (not that he didn't ask me for them). Everyone makes mistakes, of course, I told him to give Strider a mask. Anyway some of those are right on the money as far as my imagination goes. Tom Bombadil's portrait is exactly as I pictured him. I think he did great with getting across the ages of the different Hobbits too, and I love his Elves.

The way I picture Elves ... I'm sympathetic to anyone trying to actually depict them. They have to be unbelievably fair. They have to have long hair of exceptional beauty, and flawless skin full of light, and bright eyes, especially High-elves. One has to get the impression of beauty and nobility and ancient knowledge veiled by youth. My Elves aren't actors with pointed ears, if I may say so.

[Marcus]

i read the trilogy 4 years ago and i am in the middle of re reading it
i started it before the movie
i always stopped and pictured the hobbits do whaterver and the fellowship in my own little way.

but


the movie totally ruined it. not to say that i not a fan of the movie or wished that it had never been made
but i cant pop out of my head the characters from the book
very sad

[Starr Polish]

Well, since I saw the movie before reading the books, I'm sure I'll have a picture of the actors in my mind when I read it. Bilbo did look much like I had imagined him from the Hobbit, but older, of course.

I think they did a fair portrayal of elves, although of course not perfect. My own elves in my stories have always had pointed ears, and at least they weren't 'gargantuan' :)

Ah, yes, I am an Orlando Bloom fan heeh.

[FrodoFriend]

to me, gandalf, sam, and frodo look pretty much the same in my mind as they did in the movie. as for the others, when i read the book i still picture them the way i did originally.

Wow, not a capital letter in that! :D

[Aragorn]

Hey, dad! *Waves at Arathorn.* ((Actually, I don't know who Arathorn is, this is a complete joke))

[Arathorn]

Yes, Aragorn, I left Middle Earth after finding out that Arwen has been saying the same sweet nothings for generations of our bloodline. I could not face it. I have succumbed to the envious side of the force and shall move on to a new movie.:cool:

[afro-elf]

When I see the Hobbits I'm stuck with the animated RotK.

Though the Movie version of Of Frodo and Sam are cool with me.


The Dunadain both north and south I think of the following characters because the Prof. mentioned dark hair. The differences begining the Gondorians would clean shaven and rangers a little scruffy.

Alec Baldwin, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Johnathan Frakes. Gabriel Burns, Richard Gere, Harrison Ford, AdrianPaul maybe Russel Crow.

The Rohirrim

Val Kilmer, Rutger Hauer ( in the old days), Sean Bean


Elves are tough becuase of their preternatural beauty

Women

Faith Hill, Shania Twain, Andie Macdowell, Jill Hennessy,Natascha Henstriche(sp)
Would choose ( think) ballaerinas

Men
Brad Pit ( legends of that fall look), The guy who played the British Robin Hood from the 80's. Guy Pierce, the actor who played Sarack's when spock was born in the horrible Star Trek
5)

I'll probably add more when I've time to think it over.