The Lord of the Rings....

[dtango]

My latest reading of LOTR was almost exactly a year ago.  Before that it was 19 years ago that I last read it.  I think it took me 4-6 weeks or something- just before and through the first few weeks of our 1st child being born.  It's like reading the Bible for me in the sense that each time I read it I find a new gem, or new angle or thought on something that I didn't see before.  19 years was too long to wait.  I'll probably cycle through it every couple of years now.

This last version I bought was the paperback that consists of all three books and and a few appendices that covered language and timelines and short stories on the history of Middle-Earth.  I really enjoyed reading through appendices on history and finding about the stories before and after the LOTR story arc.

The story certainly captures my imagination too.  The scenes that are painted are certainly majestic and sweeping.  I think the theme that I enjoy most about LOTR (and there are many in LOTR that really captivate me!) is the camaradre, loyalty and sense of "fellowship" or whatever you want to call it among the characters.  LOTR is certainly a very beautiful and sweeping story.  

I think that it is certainly a classic that I hope many others will enjoy into the future.  I think that it's too bad that for many the average reader that may not take to the "fantasy" / "mythical" genre have missed a wonderful book by putting LOTR in that class and have missed a truly wonderful book.

Tango, 1st Lt.
412th FS Braunco Mustangs

[Pongo]

Tah Gut.
If your on this message board..95 % of the population thinks your a geek allready. Enjoying the best book written in the english language in the 20th century isnt going to hurt your rep at all...Nor is being able to keep the Charecters straight.
"well ahh. I read the lord of the rings once..but I dont remember it...so Im still cool right?"
lol

[midnight Target]

Tah Gut.
If your on this message board..95 % of the population thinks your a geek allready.  

LOL, I guess that 95% can join my kids in the "Think Tahguts a Geek" club. Aaaaaaahh well, I used to be cool, I swear! It's almost imposssible to convince teenagers that you once actually were part of the "in crowd".

Thanks for cheering me up Pongo  

[Dune]

Just spent $50 on the Fellowship of the Rings on CD.  With a 45 minute drive to work, I might be able to listen to the whole thing before I get a chance to see it  

[dtango]

Dune:

Did you get the BBC adaptation or the NPR adaptation?

Tango, 1st Lt.
412th FS Braunco Mustangs

[Gunthr]

I read the books long ago, and I still think about the Ents, waybread, the Nazgul and such, from time to time. I also remember some of the vivid descriptions. The Hobbits are a good metaphore for people in general... at times petty and venal, pleasure loving creatures, but mostly good.
I would have liked to meet the old boy who wrote these.

Can't wait for the movie, although I don't expect it to measure up...

[Ghosth]

Read the Hobbit then the LR Trilegy back in 1968, since then I've revisted them at least once every 5 years or so. Very much hope this movie can do the books justice.

Hangtime, I see we have quite similar tastes in SF.  

However I dare any of you to top this.

Anyone else ever gone to a Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention as a Ferengi in full costume? Ohh and won first prize in costume contest to top it off  

[AKIron]

Bet my neice a buck that LOTR will have a bigger first weekend than Harry Potter.

[midnight Target]

Anyone else ever gone to a Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention as a Ferengi in full costume? Ohh and won first prize in costume contest to top it off

 

All Hail the Alpha Nerd <Bows out of the room humbled and in awe>  

[Hangtime]

LOL Ghosth..

I share Heinliens view of SF, and writing..

Its like sex, best done behind closed doors, and most entertaining if approached with enthusiasm.

Not ONE SF movie has ever been half as entertaining as the book that inspired it.

If you guys that have never read the Trilogy (Lord of the Rings coined that phrase, BTW)like the movie; imagine how good a read you've missed.  

[Dune]

When it comes to good SF writers, there are many, but the best to me is H. Beam Piper.  His life was short and his books are out of print, but if you can find them, they're fantastic.

Of course, I wouldn't turn down Heinlein, Dickerson, Norton, Drake, Pournelle, or Lamaur.

Oh, btw, I like Frank Herbert too.  

[Qnm]

and Dick, Asimov, etc?

[Hangtime]

H. Beam Piper...

(scrathes head)   AHH!

The Pensylvania State Trooper; time shifted... awsome stuff... Conan-ish; as I recall; bringing gunpowder technology to a seiged civilization.

Author committed suicide; work largely unsucessful at the time; late 60's?? Been so long...

Or it could be I got him confused with somebody else.  

How about Spider Robinson?? Hehehhe... I actually looking for Calahans.. somehwere out on Route 25 here on Long Island; first thing when I moved here 20 years ago.   Spider eventualy sold out; and went to Nova Scotia as I recall.

Damn, my nerd hat is glowing again.  

[Dune]

Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen!

Exactly Hang!  Started the Paratime series.

His best was the Uller Uprising.  He used the Sepoy Uprisings in India as a basis for a novel set in space.  Damn good.

[Dune]

BTW, thought you all might be intersted in this pic  

 

PS, dtango, I'll have to check which version it is.  All I know is it's 12 hours long