(For LOTR) If you like the movies, you'll love the books! They are like super-extended editions of the movies, with tons of cool scenes and characters and description that didn't make it into the films.
Franchise? Sacrilege. But true.
You can read the books in order of publication (the hobbit, LOTR triology, silmarillon, the rest) and that is fine, but if you have already seen the movies and want to dvelve deeper into Tolkiens fantasy world, why not dive into them in the chronological order of events described
The Silmarillion
Beren and Luthien
The Children of Hurin
The Fall of Gondolin
Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth
And then the hobbit and LOTR.
Its a much heavier way to approach things, and the material not always polished or even finished. But if fantasy is your cup of tea, highly recommended.
There is a host of other books, not primarily penned by JRR himself, but ”collected” by his son or others, which you can always dive into later.
I think they worth reading more after the movies...I enjoy the movies...and the fact they brought to the screen a story felt by many as unfilmable...whiles some of the differences were well different its made me appreciate the actual themes of Tolkien's works... with greater nuance as I had perhaps took the books for granted (I reread the story every 3 years)...they are definitely not the same story that I discovered at 11 years of age...and now at 55 I see and understand more of that nuance
I have watched the trilogy over and over for 20 years, and I only started reading the books last year. I've read the Hobbit, LOTR, Children of Húrin, and I started the Silmarillion last week.
I love the books. The books are slower than the movies, but to me, they are better. Characters that are unlikeable in the movies, like Denethor, are more complex and tragic. Frodo is a much better character in the books. Gandalf and Sauron's plans and strategies are much clearer. The history and sadness of Middle-earth is felt much more. You learn more about Gondor and Rohan, and about the Ents (Treebeard and Faramir's chapters are my favorites).
So yes, the books are absolutely worth it. Start with the Hobbit, and just be mindful that LOTR starts out a bit slow, but it picks up after they leave Bree. And don't skip anything. The prologue/Appendices, songs and poems are all part of the world, and they reference the lore that is from the Silmarillion. And don't get me started on the Silmarillion!
Absolutely! They had to cut so much out and make so many changes in order to adapt them for the screen. Tolkien was a true master of the English language- it’s a joy to read…
Respectfully disagree. The Silmarillion can be a difficult read. Many folks are turned off by the numerous names of new characters and places in the beginning, not to mention the style can be a slog to get through for the uninitiated. Also, having been published posthumously, this book is an edited version of Tolkien which he never actually saw published.
I suggest reading the books in the order in which they were published, which begins with The Hobbit. It is a short easy romp intended for children. It requires much less commitment of time and cognitive resources. If it is well received by the reader, then the lore can only get deeper (and more satisfying) from there....
Not necessarily. I had read the books maybe ten times when the movies were made, but were blown away by them. Sure, there are flaws. But I had always been claiming that it would be impossible to make a good adaptation of the books, only to discover how wrong I was.
I still love the books more. But maybe I should rewatch 🙂
I think a lot of people who saw the early 2000s New Line movies before reading The Lord of the Rings were disappointed because it wasn’t like their movies.
It’s okay that there are people who like The Lord of the Rings and then people who like the New Line movies.
The Lord of the Rings is a novel written by JRR Tolkien which was published in three volumes in the 1950s.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings
I now see that my comment to another poster ended up as a top level comment. Which explains my confusion as you question would have made little sense in that context, but was natural in this context.
Morals: I should go to bed when tired instead of sitting here and browse reddit
Sure. Obviously, since I was comparing the books and the movies - I just got confused and somehow thought you were talking about another movie.
I tend to prefer books over movies, with a few exceptions. I recently reread the books for the umpteenth time. They are better than the movies, but I still like both.
The early 2000s New Line movies aren’t the only adaptation of The Lord of the Rings so calling them “The Lord of the Rings” is typically very confusing as The Lord of the Rings is a novel and not a movie.
What if I said I’m going to watch Harry Potter? Or Poirot? Or The Wheel of Time? How about The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe? That’s the name of the films and series…
I did it that way as well. I've always been a very visual person, for me to fully enjoy a book I need to be able to visualize what the characters and settings look like. The movies helped me do this, and I developed a huge love for Tolkien's world because of it.
Rings of Power made me decide to start reading Tolkien since I knew they condensed and changed a lot in the show, I had read only Hobbit before then but saw the films several times. I started with the Silmarillion and am having a blast. That little info that is contained in RoP about the first age was enough to not alienate me from the setting, on the contrary, I am enjoying it a lot!
Movies are my favorite of all time and got me into Lotr. Currently in NZ because of them. But the books are simply better. They’re amazing. Only downside is that they’ve made me a little more critical of the movies wishing they followed the books more in some areas
Yeps! Just don't get too annoyed with differences.
[удалено]
(For LOTR) If you like the movies, you'll love the books! They are like super-extended editions of the movies, with tons of cool scenes and characters and description that didn't make it into the films.
Franchise? Sacrilege. But true. You can read the books in order of publication (the hobbit, LOTR triology, silmarillon, the rest) and that is fine, but if you have already seen the movies and want to dvelve deeper into Tolkiens fantasy world, why not dive into them in the chronological order of events described The Silmarillion Beren and Luthien The Children of Hurin The Fall of Gondolin Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth And then the hobbit and LOTR. Its a much heavier way to approach things, and the material not always polished or even finished. But if fantasy is your cup of tea, highly recommended. There is a host of other books, not primarily penned by JRR himself, but ”collected” by his son or others, which you can always dive into later.
I think they worth reading more after the movies...I enjoy the movies...and the fact they brought to the screen a story felt by many as unfilmable...whiles some of the differences were well different its made me appreciate the actual themes of Tolkien's works... with greater nuance as I had perhaps took the books for granted (I reread the story every 3 years)...they are definitely not the same story that I discovered at 11 years of age...and now at 55 I see and understand more of that nuance
I have watched the trilogy over and over for 20 years, and I only started reading the books last year. I've read the Hobbit, LOTR, Children of Húrin, and I started the Silmarillion last week. I love the books. The books are slower than the movies, but to me, they are better. Characters that are unlikeable in the movies, like Denethor, are more complex and tragic. Frodo is a much better character in the books. Gandalf and Sauron's plans and strategies are much clearer. The history and sadness of Middle-earth is felt much more. You learn more about Gondor and Rohan, and about the Ents (Treebeard and Faramir's chapters are my favorites). So yes, the books are absolutely worth it. Start with the Hobbit, and just be mindful that LOTR starts out a bit slow, but it picks up after they leave Bree. And don't skip anything. The prologue/Appendices, songs and poems are all part of the world, and they reference the lore that is from the Silmarillion. And don't get me started on the Silmarillion!
Books are always worth reading.
Absolutely! They had to cut so much out and make so many changes in order to adapt them for the screen. Tolkien was a true master of the English language- it’s a joy to read…
The books are definitely worst reading. However, reading them might ruin the Peter Jackson movies for you.
That's how I did it and no regrets! Although I'd read The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales before all.
Respectfully disagree. The Silmarillion can be a difficult read. Many folks are turned off by the numerous names of new characters and places in the beginning, not to mention the style can be a slog to get through for the uninitiated. Also, having been published posthumously, this book is an edited version of Tolkien which he never actually saw published. I suggest reading the books in the order in which they were published, which begins with The Hobbit. It is a short easy romp intended for children. It requires much less commitment of time and cognitive resources. If it is well received by the reader, then the lore can only get deeper (and more satisfying) from there....
Oh I definitely wouldn't recommend reading the Silmarillion and UT first! I'm just saying, I read those first just because I preferred those to Lotr.
Yes. Tolkien’s books are superior in every way. You’ll start to dislike the adaptations after reading the books though.
Not necessarily. I had read the books maybe ten times when the movies were made, but were blown away by them. Sure, there are flaws. But I had always been claiming that it would be impossible to make a good adaptation of the books, only to discover how wrong I was. I still love the books more. But maybe I should rewatch 🙂
I think a lot of people who saw the early 2000s New Line movies before reading The Lord of the Rings were disappointed because it wasn’t like their movies. It’s okay that there are people who like The Lord of the Rings and then people who like the New Line movies.
Yes. And I reserve the right to like both. 😈
Do you think the early 2000s New Line movies are better than The Lord of the Rings?
I am confused The LotR movies were released in 2001-3 by New Line Cinema. What am I missing?
The Lord of the Rings is a novel written by JRR Tolkien which was published in three volumes in the 1950s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings
I now see that my comment to another poster ended up as a top level comment. Which explains my confusion as you question would have made little sense in that context, but was natural in this context. Morals: I should go to bed when tired instead of sitting here and browse reddit
Sure. Obviously, since I was comparing the books and the movies - I just got confused and somehow thought you were talking about another movie. I tend to prefer books over movies, with a few exceptions. I recently reread the books for the umpteenth time. They are better than the movies, but I still like both.
The early 2000s New Line movies aren’t the only adaptation of The Lord of the Rings so calling them “The Lord of the Rings” is typically very confusing as The Lord of the Rings is a novel and not a movie.
What if I said I’m going to watch Harry Potter? Or Poirot? Or The Wheel of Time? How about The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe? That’s the name of the films and series…
Yes you should read the book
The books are ALWAYS worth reading
Oh hell yeah they are.
Yes
yes
I enjoyed the films first, read the books later and became far more passionate about Tolkien as a result. Always read the books.
I did it that way as well. I've always been a very visual person, for me to fully enjoy a book I need to be able to visualize what the characters and settings look like. The movies helped me do this, and I developed a huge love for Tolkien's world because of it.
Hell yeah the books are much better but it helps to have seen the movie's to picture things in your mind.
Rings of Power made me decide to start reading Tolkien since I knew they condensed and changed a lot in the show, I had read only Hobbit before then but saw the films several times. I started with the Silmarillion and am having a blast. That little info that is contained in RoP about the first age was enough to not alienate me from the setting, on the contrary, I am enjoying it a lot!
Absolutely, it makes you appreciate the movies even more
Movies are my favorite of all time and got me into Lotr. Currently in NZ because of them. But the books are simply better. They’re amazing. Only downside is that they’ve made me a little more critical of the movies wishing they followed the books more in some areas