The two most depressing words...

[Nariel Starfire]

Yes, it's true. I have discovered the most depressing phrase in the world. What is it, you ask? Well, as I was sitting in my dentist's waiting room reading RotK and weeping at the deaprture of Frodo, I came across these two words:

The End

I wept. I cried out "NO!" but alas! The book was over, and I can now say that I have completed what is undoubtedly the most amazing literary saga in all of history.

[Play Girl]

Hurrah!
Good for you! Now go back to the start and read it again now that you know whats coming. I was amazed how many things I missed first time around.
luv
Play Girl
xxx

PS I cried at the end too (and mostly all the Sam and Frodo bits form Shelob) *sniff*

[Arathorn]

That's ok. Congrats. Try the Silmarillion. If you've done that try Unfinished Tales or one of those History of Middle Earth books for the detail notes.

If that's not you're cup of cappuccino, you can read it again like Play Gril says. It's got more details than 7 viewings of the movie (umm, which I had).

[Nameless]

Congratulations! It sounds like you found the journey as amazing as I did. :)

I agree with Arathorn, read the Silmarillion next. Or at least try to read it. Reading the Silmarillion adds even more depth to all the characters and places in Middle Earth. It is more 'dry' than LotR. But once you get used to the writing style, I think it is very interesting and most enjoyable.

Another good book to read is the Unfinished Tales (which I'm about half way through and REALLY enjoying).

But Play Girl is right. You should re-read LotR. No matter how many times you read it, you will always learn something new each time!

[emplynx]

I would recommend not diving right into another Middle-Earth book right away. Take a Tolkien break and read something non-fantasy.

Don't hit me guys, I think this is important to keep people from getting worn out.

[Starr Polish]

I agree with Emplynx. Getting burned out on fantasy can almost ruin it for you (along the lines of getting sick frome ating too much of your favorite food)

I left my version of ROTK at school....NOOOOOOOOOOO! Even if Aragorn does have some weird Pegasus/Mercury helmet, I want to read it...sob sob.

[Arathorn]

I guess. I was just suggesting some stuff to fill the void... Maybe one round a year, at the maximum.

[orald]

Nariel,have you read the hobbit?

[cameronkendrick]

I agree with orald-try reading the hobbit again (if you've read it at all). Though it is a little simple, or child-orienated compared to LOTR. I have a college coarse this semester devoted entirely to Tolkien. For the class I read the Hobbit for the third time (my second reading as an adult). Actually I did a paper on the subject of The Hobbit as being both adult/childrens literature. My professor says he's on something like his 40th reading of The Hobbit and still loves it everytime he reads it.

As already suggested you could begin LOTR again. The beauty of that is you don't have to read the whole 1000+/- pages at once. You can break it down into books or volumes and take breaks from it if you want and not lose anything in your reading now. My advice to you is not to force yourself to read it again. To get burnt out on Tolkien is a tragedy.

[Nariel Starfire]

I got kind of tired of the Hobbit at Bilbo's party, but I'm trying. I'm also working on the Silmarillion (spending more time in the index of name elements, though) and reading a Star Trek book, plus school work and regular work, and EC activities (can we say burnout?)

[Earniel]

The end, indeed seldom read more depressing words. Some things just shouldn't end, they should ent...:)

[Sister Golden Hair]

I would say that if you are terribly hungry for more, then the Silmarillion would be the next book to go for. I know that I never took a break between books on my first time around cause I did want more. I broke away after I finished everything, and I am sorry to say that I stayed away from Tolkien's work for many years. By the time my interest returned, I had forgotten so much. It worked out though, cause every time I have read the books including the Sil, and U.T., it was a pleasure.

[Haegondwen]

what axactly are the unfinished tales? i have never heard of them? and are any of those books finished by his son any good?

[KGamgee]

Originally posted by emplynx
I would recommend not diving right into another Middle-Earth book right away. Take a Tolkien break and read something non-fantasy.

Don't hit me guys, I think this is important to keep people from getting worn out.

I have to agree....reading it like 12 times none stop probably takes something away from it.
But, I've read the chapter The Grey Havans at least 30 times. I still sob EVERY time....it seriously breaks my heart....where Gandalf talks about how the time of the Rings and the Fellowship of Middle Earth is coming to an end.....AAA!
I'm crying again.
~KGamgee~

[Sister Golden Hair]

Originally posted by Haegondwen
what axactly are the unfinished tales? i have never heard of them? and are any of those books finished by his son any good? Unfinished Tales is a collection of stories that have appeared in the Silmarillion, but U.T. elaborates on them, and fills in a lot of gaps. The other books I believe you are refering to are the Histories of Middle-earth. Christopher Tolkien put these works together. It is J.R.R's. work, consisting of some stories, and notes along with commentaries from Christopher. I have only read a small amount of the HoMe, although I have five volumes, but what I have read was very good.

[Nameless]

Haegondwen, the UT are literally just Unfinished Tales that Tolkien wrote. They are kind of 'drafts' for the background history to ME. Christopher Tolkien has collected them together and collated an index for each one.

I haven't read all of UT. So far I've picked at different stories. I especially like the stories about how Gandalf came to choose Bilbo to go with the dwarves to steal Smaug's treasure.

I would recommend that you try to read the Silmarillion first, as some of the stories in UT are related to events that occur in this book.

Anyway, the Unfinished Tales are cool, however (like me) you may be disappointed that they are literally unfinished tales!! :D

[Arathorn]

Silmarillion is about those stories and songs they sing about in LotR where you go: "Duh, what are these elves and hobbits talking about?". Unfinished tales is like "I'll tell what really happenned when I when we did so and so but they took my part out".

[Haegondwen]

thanks for the info, guys, i really appreciate it -H

[Nariel Starfire]

Silmarillion has so much stuff in it, from the creation of the Valar, to Ea, to Stories of the first age. It's so jam packed, that I can't read a whole lot in one sitting. Anyway, I'm trying to get started on THe adventures of Tom Bombadil

[Arathorn]

I've got "The Tolkien Reader" it's got many of JRR's poems, essays and short stories. I'm back to reading Farmer Giles of Ham.

[cameronkendrick]

I've also recently started the Silmarillion. It reads kinda like the Bible. I recommend that it be read after LOTR or you'll quickly lose interest in what Tolkien considered his greatest work (which he actually intended to be read first). A must for any true Tolkien fan.

Cam

[Renille]

A word of advice for reading the more "advanced" books...buy it if you don't think you'll be able to read the whole thing in a few weeks. I made the mistake of checking the Silmarillion out from the library, and I succeeded in never finding a moment to read it! It took me the better part of a year to get through the thing, because I never had it long enough to finish.I always ended up starting over, because I was too busy to sit down and read for an hour or more, and I would forget my place. So learn from my stupidity and buy the book unless you're alot smarter than me...:p

[athelas]

Sigh...I bought the Silmarillion 2 months ago and I am still reading it. Not that it's extremely boring though, it's just filled with so many tales, characters and places that it makes it hard to absorb it all in a short time, and now im rather busy, so there is not much time to sit for hours reading it. Ive just got through the chapter on the Nirnaeth Arnoediad.

Wow KGamgee!!! You read LotR 12 times in a row??? Amazing!!!:eek:

[Earenya]

Where does one find a copy of these 'Unfinished Tales'? Lately it seems as though the only Tolkien books I can find are FotR, TTT, TRotK- complete with their movie photos plastered on the cover (not that I didnt love the movie- I went 5 times- I just hate it when a good thing is ruined by too much commercialism).

Btw, The Hobbit is still one of my top 5 favorite books of all time. :)

[Earniel]

I've just finished the Unfinished Tales, well not exactly finished as I'm still flipping through the index..It took me quite a while frankly. Longer than it took me to read the silmarillion, mainly I think because the UT requires more than just a basic knowledge of ME. I think I'll read something differently at the moment. I've run out of Tolkienbooks anyway. Have to do some shopping in the near future.

[Renille]

I was able to find UT at Wal-Mart! I had to search a little, but I was downright elated to find it! :D I lost it though, so now I have to find it yet again before I can finish it!:rolleyes:
So I imagine it's in other,better bookstores too...you just have to look really, really hard!(Fun!:D )

[cameronkendrick]

There is a book/movie/music store where I presently go to college called Hastings. I don't know if it is wide spread but they have almost every Tolkien book in stock and any that they lack they'll order for you ASAP. I recommend everyone finds a good bookstore to purchase any literature from. Make sure it's a dependable one.

Cam

[Menelvagor]

I just bought the last copy of UT Waldenbooks had down here. (that's our only book store of any worth) but I haven't started it yet. I really have to concentrate on it, and I just don't have time right now. Hm, I need some energy, I'm going to go over to the lembas thread now...

[Earenya]

Walmart! Im quite impressed, I will have to search more to find this treasure....

[cameronkendrick]

Wal-Mart works well to a limited basis. I bought my original FOTR at Wal-Mart but was unable to find TT or ROTK. They usually have the hobbit in stock and at times I have seen UT, but just the first one. Though you may have to go to numerous stores to succeed in the task, you can keep the Tolkien rolling in and for quite a while dodge the "the end." we so fear. If you run out of Tolkien books, go to reading books wrote about Tolkien by other authors. You'll be surprised by the number of such books that are out there. One I recommend is The Tolkien Letters. It is around 200 letters Tolkien wrote as he was writing the Hobbit, LOTR, and most of his other books. A great source for understanding the mind of JRRT.

Cam

[Lalaith]

... discovered an old thread ....
Yup, you are right. THE END are really two depressing words.

[Radagast The Brown]

Neh, they're not. They could've been, if The Silmarillion wasn't existed, and other books Tolkien wrote... when you finish a series of books you liked, you usually get depressed when you find out there is not continuation. But when there is - you shouldn't get depressed, really, becuase there are more many things to read.

[Lalaith]

Originally posted by Radagast The Brown
Neh, they're not. They could've been, if The Silmarillion wasn't existed, and other books Tolkien wrote... when you finish a series of books you liked, you usually get depressed when you find out there is not continuation. But when there is - you shouldn't get depressed, really, becuase there are more many things to read.
But you will never live the excitement again, that you had when you first read LotR.
(Yah, I know, when you read it more often you discover more and more new things)

[Radagast The Brown]

Originally posted by Lalaith
But you will never live the excitement again, that you had when you first read LotR.
(Yah, I know, when you read it more often you discover more and more new things) You will. I actaully enjoed the Sil more then LOTR. :rolleyes:

Whe you read LOTR again, after reading the Sil and other books, you understsnd that Tolkien thought about the other books when he was writing LOTR. But no, it's not the same... and it gets pretty boring after a while to read again, and again and again...

[Finrod Felagund]

Nononono...read the Silmarillion and then re-read the LotR! It makes it so fascinating!

[FoolofaTook]

Originally posted by Finrod Felagund
read the Silmarillion and then re-read the LotR! It makes it so fascinating!

I agree. I just finished reading LotR again(it only took me 2 weeks).....after I read Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, and I enjoyed it even more.

[Gæwan]

just an fyi, EVERYONE IN THE WORLD WHO READ THAT BOOK CRIED THEIR A$$ OFF WHEN IT WAS OVER!!!!!!!!!!!! I think the difference between really apreciating it and reading it so u can say you'v read it is this: those who really apreciate will continue to read the remainder of the seires such as Return of the Shadow, Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and will go as far to buy a Middle Earth atlas. Others will read the series boks 1-3 and stop. they loved it but aren't willing to go through another six months of speaking in old-english-style speech and head aches from such long wordy sentences. i fully understand, but if i am only thirteen and i'v read seven of Tolkien's works and other adults stopped because it has been too confusing, i find a problem. i am no severely gifted child. IM NORMAL!!! but i suggest you read the rest because once you get into it, ur hooked.

[Gæwan]

I fully agree with Finrod Fellagund! Once you read the other histories you see TONS of things in the stories that you never saw before and you can only begin to see how intriate of a web he wove.

[Tuor of Gondolin]

And two points:

1) Christopher Lee is said to read LOTR once a year (I believe he wanted to play Gandalf in a movie version in the past)

2) A related Middle Earth book, which seems to have reliable information with good explanatory maps, is "The Atlas Of Middle-Earth, by Karen Wynn Fonstad.

[Anadriewen]

I almost cried too. I've read it lots of times and I still almost crie at the end. :( My friend who used to say that LOTR was weird acutally watched it. She loved the part in ttt where gollum argues with himself.

[Percy Weasley]

read the Silmarillion and then re-read the LotR! It makes it so fascinating!

Brilliant words, Finrod! I read LotR then The Silmarillion, then read LotR again, and it just seemed to have so much more depth, because I understood the history of the land and the people so much more.

As for difficulty with reading The Silmarillion, I would suggest reading it through once, and not worrying if you can keep everyone straight, or knowing exactly what is going on. I suggest that you just read it, and get the feel of it - the beauty of the language. The Silmarillion is prose poetry, and it saddens me a great deal when people concentrate so much on details that they miss the forest for the trees.

You may have finished LotR, but I assure you, your journeys in Middle Earth (and Arda) have just begun.

Happy trails,
~Percy