The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien | The Good and the Bad

Mike heads to Middle-Earth to discuss the good and the bad of The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien.
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[@RFazor]

“Every time I read it I feel like I’m coming home.” Beautifully said

[@RTH140]

Tolkien’s prose is a part of the magic of LOTR. He was a linguist. NOBODY uses language like he did. You FEEL the oppressive darkness of Moria. You FEEL the healing magic of Lothlorien. Sure, there are plenty of moments that are less action-packed, but when you approach the book(s) with an eye not only for plot and character but for beauty and wonder, it’s like a salve for the soul. Nothing like it. I love LOTR so much!

[@ImperialAssassi4U]

How do you feel these things? When I was reading I saw the descriptions and just thought “meh” or “alright”. I don’t know if I’m reading it incorrectly if that’s even possible, but I feel so left out when people praise the mastery of his language and I can’t necessarily see it. A lot of the times when I’m reading the trilogy, I find that a lot of unnecessary details keep the book longer more than it should be. Do you have any advice on how to enjoy the books?

[@ptannous27]

I read nothing but horror when I was younger. The movie came out and I went to see it in theaters and I was completely obsessed saw it like 4x. I didn’t wanna wait to find out what happened so I picked up the books. Been my favorite series until ASOIF. Also read 90% fantasy now.

[@nightmarishcompositions4536]

For me it was the complete opposite lol. I used to be really into fantasy and thought horror was just decent when I was a kid, now I dislike most fantasy but am totally obsessed with horror.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

That's right, Mike -- "Most of what glitters is gold" -- at least in this case! Thank you for this video, which I was looking forward to and did not disappoint.

[@beyonddaylight5556]

Although I know there is no allegory, I think Tolkiens First World War experiences do seep through in some of the arcs and I think the story is all the more powerful for it. Also great timing for this video, I'm halfway through a re-read.

[@Paromita_M]

Lord of the Rings is one of the greatest works in all literature for me and Grandpa Tolkien is the GOAT. I am thankful to have read and reread it and hope to reread and get more out of it each time. A great video. 🙏🏽

[@aclark903]

Goat? Tolkien is great but greatest of all time? You should probably treat yourself to a good production of #Macbeth, or read #CrimeandPunishment or #WarandPeace...

[@DrDraco]

I read the Hobbit when I was 10. Tried LotR after, and couldn’t get into it. A couple years later, my Uncle left me some fantasy books while he was on leave. One of those was the Dragonlance Chronicles. I devoured that series, and I credit it for keeping me reading long enough to eventually try the Lord of the Rings again when I was in high school. That time I read through it and loved it. Then I read them a second time after the movies came out when I was in college. Definitely a great series.

[@SalvadoporGracia]

Dude, The Dragonlance Chronicles are an awesome read. Very underrated as I hardly ever hear people talk about them.

[@Indigo_snakes]

Beautiful video, Mike! I just finished reading the trilogy after having loved the movies for all my childhood, and it was a magical experience. Like you said, I was transported to a whole new world, and I can’t wait to learn more about Middle-Earth in the Silmarillion and the rest of Tolkien’s backlist’!

[@-Adam.Z]

Some might say “Do we really need another review of LOTR?” And my answer to that is “Well, yeah, sure - why not?” Bravo Mike! Excellent job with a very even-handed, honest review of what might be the most important novel of the last 100 years.

[@girth_goblin]

This book is incredible, it made me cry numerous times. Me, a grown man with a full beard, weeping tears of joy for a gardeners bravery against a giant spider

[@IrishTechnicalThinker]

"All that is Gold does not glitter and not all those who wander are lost." J.R.R Tolkien was a brilliant writer and his descriptions in action are excellent too.

[@juanmorales9738]

You’re right about the allegory aspect, but like many writers his environment, circumstances and beliefs will influence him.

[@puzzlingread]

I dnf'd LotR in my late teens. Then the movies came out and I watched them a gazillion times, plus I'd read The Hobbit a few times. I finally read LotR last winter and it was comforting and epic and beautiful.

[@authornorbert]

Wonderful video Mike! I just rewatched the 3 movies in cinema, it’s still breathtaking. LotR is feeling, nothing else can compare to it. I guess it’s time for another reread! 😌

[@dailycarolina.]

For me, the bad is people keep saying that The Lord of the Rings is a trilogy, is NOT. Just because it's sold as three installments, since it's long, doesn't make it a trilogy. It's ONE story divided into 6 books, plus the appendices.

[@Griffnix]

I just finished this last week along with The Hobbit and I very much enjoyed it. The Hobbit was a nice adventure and The Lord of the Rings was this epic quest to save the world. If there is one thing I have to say that I didn't like about it was how much Tolkien spends on the lore and history and how much people talk about everything. When people meet up they sit down and talk about what happened to them in detail and when some lore comes up he spends pages and pages on things. It came to a head for me with the Ent chapter with Pippen and Merry. I was listening to the audiobook and I just put it on 2x speed to get though it. I like the lore and the history of Middle Earth but it can be a bit much at times when I do want the story to move. Overall, it's a great story and top world-building. Now I'm ready to read those books that were heavily inspired by LOTR.

[@jaecubed592]

I'm sold. As soon as I'm done reading the Dark Tower series. I'll be getting into this.

[@TCO1216]

Did you Dive in yet?

[@FacelessBookReviews]

@@TCO1216 I have not. I kind of got side tracked starting my own channel and haven't thought to add this to a TBR yet. LOL It's still out there to read tho...

[@PhoenixBlade]

I was very happy I got, and read both the hobbit and LOTR last Christmas. It felt like a march to get through all of it, because I had never read a book series like this. But the story and the world are sooo good!

[@Kev_Cos]

I really recommend going more in-depth with the Silmarillion. You know Middle-Earth from the LOTR and Tge Hobbit but then you read about the stories that happened in the First and Second Age and your mind is just blown. It adds incredible depth to the whole world and enhances your experience with the LOTR imo.

[@puzzlingread]

I've never read The Silmarillion. Really looking forward to it one day!

[@PhoenixBlade]

@mKyoutube145 I'm already half way through the silmarillion, but it's a bit of a slog for me.

[@Kev_Cos]

@PhoenixBlade My first tien reading I stopped, then gave it a second read years later and loved it. Yes, it's not very narrative driven, except for some stories. Much more a 'Histories' so not for everyone

[@GholaMuadDib]

I love The Hobbit and LOTR. Especially with The Hobbit. There’s something about it, that when I finish the book, I just feel good. I first read them in 1994, after reading through the Conan Ace paperbacks. I just needed something different but still fantasy. I loved the animated Hobbit, LOTR, and Return of the King movies. So I got them at a used book store on Newbury Street in Boston. I’ve been rereading them just about once a year ever since.

[@greblaksnew]

I think maybe because people read so much allegory into LotR is actually a sign of greatness in the work. And it happened fast, 'cause JRRT tried to nip it in the bud in the forward to the 2nd Ed. Sometimes I wonder if he wasn't speaking directly to C.S. Lewis there ;) Great video. Thanks for the content!

[@EricMcLuen]

Have read them and the Sil several times so it is hard to separate them. But Tom is a lot more interesting knowing his back story. But LotR is like a childhood teddy bear. Sure it's fur is worn and is missing an eye but in your eyes these are badges of love and it is beautiful and nothing can change that. Even though you may wonder why not even a guard or maybe a locked door at Mount Doom.

[@MattonBooks]

I’ve thought about that one too, Eric, and I’ve decided that, for me, it totally makes sense. From Sauron’s POV, it’s absolutely *inconceivable* that anyone could have the Ring and not want to use it to destroy & control, let alone that anyone could even conceive of destroying it. If they’d gone straight at Sauron himself, they’d have found hundreds of guards and locked doors, because an attack is exactly what he expects. But why would he guard something he can’t even imagine anyone would ever want to get to?

[@Laurelin70]

@@MattonBooks "Inconceivable!" "You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means." 😁

[@MattonBooks]

@@Laurelin70 😆

[@heidi6281]

For the future maybe a spoiler video discussion to discuss all the greatest moments like you did with Lonesome Dove!! Those videos are my favorite, a true old fashioned book club discussion!! Maybe with Professor Chase? I bet if you invite one of the hobbits they will join you as they were all recently making the rounds at all those comic cons. I bet you can now use your 100k award to get those kind of guests!

[@giants8585]

I come from a different camp. Never watched movies, never read the books. Didnt read Lord of the Rings till last year for the first time and I still havent seen the movies. I really liked the books but they are far from my top 5. I love my characters to have more grey. But I absolutely appreciated the world and the prose of Mr. Tolkien. Great vid Mike.

[@justaguy2365]

I've been reading these books every year for over 20 years. I have a 3 in 1 copy I bought just before the movies came out. Its now falling apart and has a honored spot on my shelf. Funny story, I was hitch hiking once when I was 17 on a gorgeous fall day, and was in the middle of nowhere when the urge to squat behind a bush hit me. So I ran into the woods, did my business, then realized the only thing I had in my backpack was clothes, and the aforementioned copy of LOTR. The book has been missing the first few pages ever since. Edit, I know what you mean about that coming home feeling. I call it a visit from an old and close friend. And I bought that special edition book when it was first released. I don't think I'll ever actually read from it. It's too pretty hahaha.

[@praetorxyn]

I didn't read LOTR until last year after I'd read 30 or 40 other series. While I rated each book 5 stars out of respect for the influence they've had and how meticulously they were crafted (e.g., Tolkien literally planned out the moon phases so they'd match the passage of time), I found it somewhat boring, and in terms of "fun and enjoyment" it probably wouldn't even crack my top 20. The tropes and black / white characters and such don't bother me at all; Wheel of Time is my favorite series. I just feel like very little happens in a fuckton of pages. I don't think it's a matter of aging out; I think it's a matter of whether LOTR is a foundational read to you or not. Everyone I've met for whom LOTR is one of their very early reads loves the hell out of it. Everyone I've met who - like me - read a ton of newer stuff first, thinks it's "OK."

[@currangill430]

This is a great point to whether or not you'll enjoy the trilogy. If you grew up reading it you'll love it, if like us didn't it'll be fairly forgettable

[@MagusMarquillin]

@@currangill430 It's hardly a sure thing. Murphy Napier read it as an adult, didn't like the prose style and pacing it at first, but loved it by the Two Towers, and has reread it at least twice over since. As for me, I was 12-ish when I loved Fellowship from start to finish (the radio-play helped), but still had hang ups with passages in book 2 that made me stop for years, until I tried again and loved nearly everything. Maybe it's fairly reliable there's a hurdle to get over if a new reader hasn't read widely into older styles of writing, or are accustomed to plot shifts or action happening more frequently, but I know there's amazing things in this writing that isn't simply reliant on childhood familiarity, and new people, young and old, find it all the time.

[@currangill430]

@@MagusMarquillinTrue. I'm only talking for myself and op. But I've read it (well tried) and hated every time I tried. I also disliked the movies so 🤷‍♂️ It might have to do that I'm just not into the "old school fantasy."

[@MagusMarquillin]

@@currangill430 Yeah, that could have something to do with it. lol. It sounded like an absolute statement, echoing the OP's experience with people who like/dislike it. It is probably true that it was somewhat easier to fall for it back when it's style wasn't quite as old and a good bulk of the alternatives were trying to ape that style.

[@nightmarishcompositions4536]

Yup. I actually enjoyed The Belgariad more than Lord of the Rings which I'm sure many people would say is blasphemous lol. I just feel like the world and characters were so much more active, alive and engaging in that series.

[@Olphas]

I really should do a re-read next year. I have read it 5 or 6 times, from my teens through my twenties and thirties. But it has been a while ... I think it is time again.

[@mosselyn5081]

I read these books as a teenager, back in the 1970s, and I liked them then, but not in an "omg, best books ever!" sort of way. I have tried to re-read them multiple times since, but just couldn't get into them. I think my expectations have been changed by changes in the genre, so LotR is too slow a burn for me now. However...I think everyone who is a fantasy fan should read them at least once, for all the reasons you said. This is where it modern fantasy started.

[@sweetlolitaChii]

I listened to the Lord of the Rings at 27/28. Took me a hot minute, and it's a decent read. Wish there were more, or any, three dimensional female characters and more distinctive personalities between the fellowship characters but it's a wonderful lore heavy story and there are so many great lines and good environment building.

[@jpr0328]

I think there are morally grey characters. Like Boramir and Frodo who are affected by the ring.

[@JohnEsplana-k5t]

What I like about the LOTR is that even though there's not a lot of women in the story, SHE was so represented well that you actually won't mind. Women in the story are strong yet gentle. Firm but kind. A wise leader and a damn badass.

[@doylejodi7502]

LOVE LOTR’s. Love knowing Christopher Lee read it every year until his death. ❤️ I’m in my 50’s. Never read the book. Grew up with reading Stephen King and horror genre. I tend to think that guys would tend to read this more than women. I’d like to read it though. :)

[@windwhisper0234]

I like the notion that LOTR is post-apocalyptic. And it does feel so compared to the grand ages depicted in the Silmarillion.

[@Furniture121]

I couldn't get through Two Towers, I found his writing style just wasn't for me. I know what forests, swamps, hills, trees, and grass look like, I don't need them described in excruciating detail... I pushed through Fellowship, and half way through Two Towers I realized that there was no point reading a story I didn't enjoy reading. The movies are more than enough to keep me happy.

[@geauxreadbooks]

This is a great video Mike! I just reread the trilogy over the summer and Eowyn really stood out to me as a great female character as well.

[@philippburnett6045]

She’s also got friendzoned lol

[@geauxreadbooks]

Not by Faramir. Ha

[@philippburnett6045]

@@geauxreadbooks a chance for Faramir to prove his worth haha

[@thord9055]

Do not forget two awesome adaptations as audiobooks. Both John Inglis and Andy Serkis are great! I would recommend Andy Serkis adaptation to connect the books to the movies

[@chimmey7741]

LOTR... Epic.. Awesome loved it...

[@jackiesliterarycorner]

I loved the movie but was resistant to the book(s), because it's length. The last few years I have been very inspired and have started collecting and read his works, not just Lord of Rings.

[@leahandchad9882]

I read Lord of the Rings when I was about 13 and it was fantastic. I remember reading it in the summer and a fair amount outside. Nature seemed very prominent to me in that book(s). Thanks for the great video!

[@courtneyclarke654]

The LOTR movies are my favorite movies of all time. I just could not get into the books until last year when a new version of the audiobooks were narrated by Andy Serkis ( played Gollum in the movies) . The way he narrates the books brings the story to life and I listened to the whole series. I am currently listening to the Hobbit ( also narrated by Andy Serkis).

[@rodhamm8484]

I consider The Hobbit as part of the story. I loved that book and Fellowship Of The Ring was even better. But The Two Towers was a struggle for me to get through, it took me over 3 years to finish it, I was so bored and uninterested in it. I never read Return Of The King, but I did watch Peter Jackson's movies, and thought they were incredible, ironic that I liked The Two Towers the most. I did not like the second half of the movie Return Of The King however, it reminded me of my experience of reading Two Towers. I'm so glad I never tried to read the book! Lord Of The Rings, as books, was hit and miss for me, it started out very strong, but ran out of gas and died.

[@ianfrye7900]

“People always want these things to mean more […]”. I would say that, if it were a 1 to 1 allegory, it would actually make it mean less. Allowing for the reader to apply the themes of the story to his life instead of forcing an interpretation through allegory increases the potential depth of meaning. I’m pretty sure you agree just wanted to add my two cents.

[@MattonBooks]

“This is not a hostage video.” 😆 Your genuine love of the books gushes out of every frame here Mike. Anyone who thinks you’re talking about it because you somehow “have to” is totally not paying attention.

[@robmccoy5207]

The best part about the story is that it is meant to be read aloud, because he was writing down after-the-fact the bedtime stories he was telling his children, and his children helped to create the world. Everybody should read Beowulf and then Hobbit/LotR combo, then Chronicles.

[@KelsonGeorge-jw4rn]

I grew up on the Lord of the Rings books. And a lot of those older, classic fantasy books with similar writing styles. So when people say that Lord of the Rings is hard to read, I inwardly roll my eyes and think “No, it’s not that it’s hard to read, it’s that fantasy books today are written to simply”. But I was also one of those kids who read the dictionary for fun, so my opinion may not be valid.😉

[@puzzlingread]

OMG! I used to read the dictionary for fun as a kid, too! Your opinion is valid 😜

[@nightmarishcompositions4536]

A lot of modern fantasy is filled with too much cringy modern slang, characters that talk like modern day normal people and a reliance on style over substance. They focus too much on excessive explosive fight scenes and overexplained magic systems instead of actually making me feel connected with the world and the story like a lot of classic fantasy series did.

[@juliannewarren5466]

OK, so I'm not the only weird one, who has been reading explanatory dictionaries for entertainment. And I love classic literature and 19th and early 20th century literature. It seems this is a good template for a life-long Tolkien reader.

[@harrietimoukhuede3019]

The fact that he created a whole world and even a new language that people in real life actually study and want to speak. The most quotable dialogue (thanks to the films too) that I can remember from any book series.

[@dinocollins720]

100 years ago!!! How's it so good???

[@asfaloth12]

I never get tired of LOTR videos. I agree that it's "damn near perfect". Thanks for sharing!

[@clarkkentnaruto4322]

Hey Mike. How are you doing? I love listening to the audiobooks of the Lord of the Rings. I too have listened to them a few times. It's ironic that you would choose to make a video about that right now, when just this past Monday, after about a week to two weeks of listening, I finished listening to the Fall of Numenor and Other Tales from the Second Age of Middle Earth by J R. R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien. It was really good despite the fact that there were times when it looked like I was listening to a chronology rather than an actual story. Slowly but surely, I am going to try and listen to the Book of Lost Tales books 1 and 2, the Fall of Gondolin, Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle Earth, and the Beowolf poem as well as the newly recorded versions of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings that Andy Serkis recorded. I have also started listening to the Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson. I'm hoping that I can start the Hero of Ages in November.

[@Ariana.333]

I read LOTRs this summer for the first time and loved it. LOTRs got me out of a reading slump after 4 years of not reading. Also re read the Hobit and loved it even more the second time around.

[@31LaschG]

Reading Frodo’s journey me into a pascifist!

[@mediabunny4016]

I loved LOTR as a kid and reread it a lot, though l was sad there were only 2 major female characters (Galadriel and Eowyn), with Goldberry as a side character. I wouldn't consider Arwen as a character in the books 😅. I loved Faramir and was so mad at what they did to him in the movies, though l did enjoy them overall.

[@2ZH]

I have the same special edition Mike has, yet I haven't read it yet. If I'm honest I'm pretty new to reading fantasy (I'm 30) and I read kinda slow and I don't want to ruin the experience of LotR for myself because of it

[@puzzlingread]

As a slow reader myself, I understand what you mean. I'd say take your time. Read little chunks at a time and take breaks so that you find yourself missing Middle Earth and wanting to read the next little chunk. It's worth it 😊

[@Yesica1993]

LOTR is perfect for "slow" readers! The pacing can be slow at times. And parts are so beautiful that you will want to linger over them. My first read was as an adult, probably older than you. I only came to them when the movies came along. It took me until Return for the language/style to really click for me. Now it's my favorite story (I consider it all one book, not a series) of all time. Slow readers... unite!

[@Yesica1993]

I never want it to end! Even after several re-reads, I still have the worst book hangover afterwards. I never want to leave that world. I think it's perfect for "slow" readers!@@puzzlingread

[@2ZH]

@@puzzlingread yeah that's good thinking, I find myself really wanting to read it, and I know I'll like it. But doing chunks is good thinking

[@2ZH]

@@Yesica1993 thanks for the insight. I don't mind slow pacing as long as it's meaningful. Which I know it is, even if it's to just explain a tree or a hill. Just you know, it's long and it takes me 3 or so months just to get through something like Guards! Guards! But thank you for the encouragement!!

[@bradleymier2167]

Great video! I agree with pretty much everything you said from the good and the bad. Personally, I didn’t love the books but I’m glad I read them once - I’m more of a fan of the movies. I might reread them at some point later in life, but at this point I have no burning desire to do so.

[@shaywarren]

I'm a huge LOTR fan. I've got aragorn, nazgul sauron and the tree of Gondor tattoos. However I've never finished the books. Number one is great but number two the hobbit trek just drains me so much. Maybe I'll finish it one of these days.

[@sourisvoleur4854]

Other things that people have complained about: Walking. There's a lot of walking, and a lot of pages where nothing exciting happens. Description: I've heard people complain about too much description. Trees, waterfalls, herbs in the spring, they don't want to hear about these things. This seems again to stem from a desire for exciting, splashy things happening all the time.

[@malafakka8530]

Could comment on almost anything you said. Despite the fact that I really like fantasy and sci-fi, I haven't read of too muchbof either because I have the impression that many or most of them aren't written with a high standard, but I really like how Tolkien wrote. I think you said it perfectly rhat it feels like coming home, no matter where I find myself in the story. I described it sometimes as if you were still a child and one of your parents or grandparents tells you this story. I also love The Silmarillion which, to my surprise, quite a few people find difficult to read/get through. I think his style works wonderfully well with the lore aspects of everything he wrote about Middle-Earth. I could comment on more things, but time is running. Let me just say that because of your videos I bought the first books of The Dark Tower and The First Law. It's probably a pity that I didn't read much from Stephen King, but I really didn't want to read dozens of books first (we all aren't getting any younger 😉). I am liking The Gunslinger so far and don't find it as dry as people say.

[@nathaneichenberger9332]

My first reading of the Lord of The Rings was when I was 10 or 11 and I loved it. I've been wanting to read it again,but I get distracted by other books. What are your thoughts on the reboot of the movies?

[@ADAMAkhi2024]

I am reading my FOTR, I loved it from page 1. It is slow paced very slow paced. However the epic moments is 🔥🔥. So if you're a fantasy person but like fast pace, Action. Don't read it.❤ Do read fantasy that you enjoy. For me it's LOTR as my Fav.

[@Ulmo90]

Awesome video, haven't read Lord of The Rings for a while now, about 10 years ago, I really should go home to them soon

[@nizwanmarzuki]

English is my 2nd language and my profiency is around 5-6 out of 10. Tried read a couple of sentence from LOTR but seems like sir Tolkien language is classical english. Should i continue? Big fan of the movie.

[@michaelkibble740]

There is one big death in LofR I won't mention it here in case someone is new I don't want to spoil it for them.

[@ksiazkowisko]

Eowyn is awesome :) She was my inspiration while growing up.

[@alvinmarcus5780]

When I first read it was back in the early 70's and did so because I heard the hippies loved it. Great call hippie folk.

[@Verlopil]

Frodo lives!

[@jenniferwood144]

Very well done Mike

[@WarMaker160]

Yay first comment. Always get excited for a new video from Mike!

[@spiciest-pepper]

I love the movies. I just read The Hobbit a few months ago. I loved it. Then I tried to read LOTR but man, the beginning is excruciatingly slow. Does it pick up? I put it on hold months ago after getting about 35% through The Fellowship of the Ring. Ended up switching to Red Rising and read the first 2 books of that, and still haven’t gone back to LOTR. Any suggestions on getting back into it? I want to love the books so bad.

[@JackSte]

I still haven’t read any of the books. Is it recommended to start with the Hobbit book or not?

[@antiseabearcircle3360]

I would read The Hobbit first because it sets up the story. Keep in mind that the writing style isn't exactly the same though.

[@SciFiScavenger]

Hey Mike, i love LOTR, its on my "once a decade" re read list. Not much death!? Battle of Helms Deep? Boromir? The final battle? Tonnes of NPCs and orcs bite the dust. The things that i find a yawn are the elven poetry, i always skip over that, Tom Bombadil is a bit meh, and man but Frodo is such a downer! I want to give him a good shake. There's also the weird bit at the end where they go back to the Shire and it's all gone a bit Nazi. Still, the redt of it is awesome. Aragorn is probably my favourite character. 👍🧙‍♂️🧝‍♂️

[@luisfilipecaldeira]

How does this differ from the "Why you should read" series?

[@kuba70834]

Will You talk about "History of Middle-Earth" someday? :)

[@mnbgfdsa]

I loved the movies, but I'm afraid to try the books.

[@Vradica]

I love lord of the rings, and I respect it for what it have done for the genre, but I no longer think it's as perfect as you and others make it out to be.. Not because of the writing or anything like that, mostly because I think there are much more interesting worlds out there.. It's still pretty good tho, and if not my top10, it would definitly hit my top20 :)

[@maxt5319]

Have you read ALL of Dune 13 times, or Dune as in the first book 13 times?

[@keithhealing1115]

I am deeply happy that LotR exists. Nothing compares with Tolkien's world-building. But - I have never managed to finish reading it. The writing style simply does not work for me - I find it stilted and uninvolving. I re-read Titus Groan over Christmas, and adored every single syllable. Maybe my love of Gormenghast is the reason why I just don't gel with Tolkien.

[@coreydinardo5525]

Authorial intent does not matter. Once the story is written and published, readers make the meaning.

[@mikesbookreviews]

LOL okay

[@coreydinardo5525]

Is this a new concept to you? Have you never read Roland Barthes or Michel Foucault?

[@asdfasdf5695]

​@@coreydinardo5525 What a moronically simple take. Without authorial intent, there is no work of art. You clearly need to get educated.

[@Luai93]

Nothing bad about it 🌚🌚🌚 Just kidding 😂 All art are subjective

[@elisabethprice4697]

oh my gosh yes I totally agree with everything here! Tolkien is the absolute best! altho I disagree with the thought on the movies! I don't like them!

[@RedFuryBooks]

The Good: everything. The Bad: nothing lol. Seriously, though, you addressed the potential bad really well here. I've read LOTR 4 times and get something different every time, and have a greater appreciation each time I revisit it.

[@v.lighting3530]

I dont think lacking female character is counted as negative.

[@Michael_L_Morrison]

I've read the actual books, as well as listen to the audio multiple times. This may be controversial, but the only thing I did not like was Tom Bombadil. I just did not like that character.

[@PsilocybeJedi]

I read them for the first time having never watched the movies in June. The narration just didn't leave me wanting to keep reading it. The dated narration and language really turned me off. Still finished and watched the movies, yup, enjoyed the movies more lol.

[@31LaschG]

Turned me

[@rhahnabunaid]

We cannot just ignore the fact that Tolkien was a devout Christian and that TLotR is filled with Christian themes. The same goes for C.S. Lewis's Narnia.

[@Verlopil]

I can ignore that because I don't see that that's true for LOTR. What are the Christian themes that LOTR is filled with? Not the Silmarillion. Not any of his other books. LOTR.

[@rhahnabunaid]

@@Verlopil First of all, I hope that it's obvious that a devout Christian, such as Tolkien was, isn't just going to invest 12 years of his life into writing a completely secular book. Second, he himself described it as a "fundamentally religious and Catholic work" that is "rich in Christian symbolism". Yes, he indeed insisted it was not an allegory, but admitted it still contained numerous Christian themes: - The battle of good versus evil - The victory of humility over pride - Death versus immortality - Perseverance and the victory of faith and hope in the face of hardship, by displaying the Christian attitudes of mercy, repentance and self-sacrifice - Fighting temptation (Frodo and the Ring) - The activity of grace in characters (such as Frodo pitying Golem) - Resurrection (Gandalf) - The Light as a symbol of Divine creation to ward off evil (Gandalf after his resurrection, Frodo's phial of Earendil) - Gandalf, Frodo and Aragorn exemplify the three asepcts of Christ: prophetic, priestly and kingly And even more subtle things, such as Gandalf expressly saying that suicide is forbidden and "heathen". So when you say "ignore", you're doing exactly that: you're ignoring it because you prefer not to acknowledge it. It's also rather nonsensical to, on the one hand, admit that the Silmarillion, which forms the basis for all of Middle Earth, is obviously Christian in nature, while claiming, on the other hand, that TLOTR is completely devoid of any Christian themes. That just doesn't follow.

[@Verlopil]

@@rhahnabunaid No, it's not obvious that devout Christian could only spend 12 years on a religious story. He spent his entire adult life studying a non-Christian culture's non-Christian literature, quite passionately. As for your examples, none of those is exclusively Christian. I'd call them exclusively human. Every one of your examples is used as a virtue or teaching in other religions, including Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, and Norse and Greek paganism. None are used in a pointedly Christian way in LOTR. All of them are minor incidents in the book and not themes. You're really reaching with your examples and you know it. It's also not the least nonsensical to say that the Silmarillion is not LOTR and as such it doesn't matter what themes it contains when talking about how he wrote the other book. If you can only point to another book as your main proof, you have no proof at all.

[@rhahnabunaid]

@@Verlopil Do I need to remind you that the book was written by a Christian, or do you prefer to continue to ignore it? I just told you that the author himself expressly said that the book is fundamentally religious and Catholic, so why do you even bother to attempt to refute my point?

[@laurenduke300]

It’s literally a series about walking. Completely overrated.

[@currangill430]

Walk, walk, walk, talking about walking and more walking 😂

[@nightmarishcompositions4536]

Honestly perfectly fair lol. I can totally understand why it can be enjoyable and relaxing for a lot of people, but I'll never understand why so many people praise it as the greatest work of literature to ever exist. It's just okay with a couple good moments here and there.

[@angelaholmes8888]

I tried reading lord of the rings when I was 11 years old I ended up dnfing it

[@Yesica1993]

I would encourage another try now that you're older. I didn't read it until I was an adult, when 2nd movie was coming out. It took me until Return for the style/language to really click for me. (And I am an experienced fantasy and long book reader.) Then I fell in love and have never lost that love.

[@currangill430]

If you liked the movies it might be worth reading if you didn't not worth your time imo just because it's foundational piece of fantasy

[@angelaholmes8888]

@@currangill430 thanks for the advice

[@lockdowntechie3122]

No bad

[@csd8204]

Tried but (to me) this is the most overrated series ever. Slow, exposition heavy and dated. I'm about two decades older than you, and a lot is contributed to Tolkien that began with others, but he gets credited for. Just a thought. I just reread and could've done without ii. Same with the Dark Tower series, both just aren't for me.

[@the_milkgod9134]

There is no bad lol

[@philippburnett6045]

Tom bombadil is really useless character. Sort of village idiot who didn’t care for the ring. He’s way too overhyped for whatever reasons and so glad they cut him from movies. There are plenty of characters who don’t want the ring. That’s the only eh part I have

[@currangill430]

Actually, as a writer, I wasn't interested in reading Tolkien, my first fantasy book was Harry Potter actually. Then I read Eragon by Christopher Paolini, Redwall by Brian Jacques, CS Lewis (much hatred for that series), A Wrinkle in Time, Inkheart and finally I read but dnfed Phillip Paulman (I plan on revisiting him at some point though). I didn't read Tolkien until I was in my teens or young adult age. I didn't like his style at all. I didn't find his characters that...great. When lotr was on it was a great time for me to take a nap.... I respect Tolkien’s evocative landscape descriptions, but I hate his classism and sexism. I can’t enjoy his books. In other words, I respect what Tolkien brought to the fantasy genre but him as a writer...no. He has very minor influence on my writing if any. If you find any Tolkien in my writing it's because of the authors who I love who WERE influenced by him not the other way around. Sorry he's not my dude.

[@nightmarishcompositions4536]

His books didn't do much for me either. I enjoyed a lot of other classic fantasy series much more.

[@asdfasdf5695]

As much as I love LOTR, I'm probably one of the only people who actually prefers The Silmarilion out of Tolkien's whole body of work. It's one of the most beautiful pieces of writing I've ever encountered.

[@evanmiller4502]

youd be surprised at how many people's favorite tolkien work is the silmarillion