I'm someone who grew up with the films, and I only first read the books about a couple of years ago. I can say I like the books significantly more than the film adaptations! I was surprised at how much I loved the books.
You wax rhapsodic! And rightly so. Yes, it's true. They were viewed as...eccentric and not worth the time of a serious reader back in the 60s. And I heard many say the characters were too 'nice'. But the more people read the books, the higher they go up the classic must-read list. As to the length? Many many people who come to the end weep because they want it to go on and on. We are so invested and in love with the characters that we dont want to part with them. Thank you for this heartfelt, honest video on one of the most beloved of all books in print today.
The Silver Jubilee edition was my dad's first (the one who introduced me when the movies came out when I was 4; saw all of them in theaters). I recently bought him a pristine box set just like yours because I read his abusively as a kid after watching the movies. I can't tell you how much Tolkien has shaped my life; he is the reason I took up writing at 11. To say it is essential is an understatement; it is the finest story ever told. I also recommend the Children of Hurin, my favorite Tolkien book.
I read the Gormenghast Books, and then The Lord of the Rings, in fairly quick succession, at the end of the year 1999. This was a bookworm way of celebrating the turning of the millennium. I probably put a few Mystery novels in between Gormenghast and LotR, but of course I don't recall those, whereas I do recall that, I'm sure you're not surprised, reading two monumental Fantasy epics one after the other created an experience I'll never forget. I feel like The Lord of the Rings is where the reader, and Frodo, meet every sort of person one could meet in one's life. I guess this ties a little bit into what you were saying - it's a book full of ordinary, and identifiable people. I go one step further, and say Frodo meets every personality type, every sort of person, one could encounter while walking the adventure of life. The Lord of the Rings features...everyone, if that's not too strange to say. Besides that - well, what a story! It was great fun to finally read what all the excitement was about...and I have a hard time with multi-book Fantasy series now. I almost feel like they're all just doing Lord of the Rings over again. I'm not one for series anyway, generally - and all these trilogies, and quests, and rightful heirs that need justice, and maps and battles. I'm not trying to diss the whole genre, but often I just feel we have been treated to unlimited of LotR variations. I should consider a re-read.
I’m a little jealous of those who were able to read the books prior to seeing the films 🥹 I watched the films in the theater as they were released, immediately fell in love with them. Now as an adult, I finally read the books for the first time. Fell even more in love with them! The books are definitely better than the movies 🤭🙌🏼 I’m just not sure anything can compare to those books or Tolkien’s world building, characters, writing style, gahhh I could go on and on! 😂 I’m just going to forever be rereading these books on a loop…literally for the rest of my life so I never have to leave the world 😂
I saw the movies first and barely got through the first book. I really enjoyed the movies but there was some thing missing in the book that made it feel like the story was dragging.
@@stephennootens916 the books are definitely much slower paced so that’s completely understandable! I think in this fast paced world, that’s what I appreciated most though. Maybe one day you can come back and give them another go! 😊
@@Old_Scot I love that 😍 I’m hoping to pass the books down to my two little boys! I’ve annotated my copies & will continue to do so, I hope they appreciate my marks in them!
Ha ha! I feel the same. I'm a few years older than Michael and yet I somehow never heard of these books growing up. I MUST have seen them or heard of them somewhere. I just have no memory of it. So I was not keeping up with the hype when the movies were coming along. I don't remember the release of Fellowship. It was only when TTT was about to release that I remember hearing about it everywhere. Even though I am a strict "read the book first" person, I went to see TTT before even watching Fellowship. There was SO MUCH HYPE that I felt like I was going to miss out on something amazing if I didn't. (I would have been right!) Long story short, I was mesmerized. My goal was to read all three books before The Return of the King released. I didn't quite make it. I think I got about 3/4 of the way through Return, before the movie came out. I saw that thing in the theater 10 times. TEN. I've NEVER done that before or since. My record had been 8, with Braveheart and with Titanic (don't judge!) I've seen all 3 LOTR movies endlessly, and reread the books as well. It's my favorite story of all time. I still get the worse hangover when I get to the end. Your last line is mine as well. I never want to leave that world.
Love it. And totally agree. Absolutely essential. In my own personal library I have 1 entire 7’ shelf unit filled top to bottom with Tolkien books only. From multiple copies of The Hobbit, LOTR, and the Silmarillion, to all of the histories and individual tomes that have come later. I first read The Hobbit when I found it in the school library when I was in 4th grade. Read LOTR immediately after and have always and forever been devoted to the work. Middle-earth led me to Narnia, which led me to Donaldson’s The Land, and it was Tolkien and Donaldson, specifically, that made me want to become a writer. I had that very same box set you showed! Mine long since fell apart from continued reading. I’m sad that original box no longer lives in my collection. I guess I just loved it too much. As for the cartoons, I still have those little mini records that come with a book, the ones that played the chimes to tell you when to turn the pages, for The Hobbit and The Return of the King. No adaptation on the screen lives up to the books. Not even close. But I do love the LOTR films Jackson made. He honored the sensibilities of the author and despite the changes (some of which I hate) he delivered an excellent representation of the novel. The Hobbit, not so much. As a fun aside, when I ran the Fantasy section in our local Barnes & Noble for 13 years, I enjoyed slipping the one volume leather bound LOTR onto the Bibles shelf in the Religion section. And it always sold. 😂 Love the vid, Michael!
Lovely! I consider these essential, too. I first read them in the 70s, "Frodo lives!" was often found on bathroom walls at my university. I've read them off and on ever since, and in fact, I just started reading Fellowship again this week. My son wasn't a great reader, but for his 11th birthday he asked for his own hardback copies, so we got him the big boxed set. He read them right away and still reads them now. I like that fantasy has become more diverse, but these books still deserve their top place in the pantheon, I believe
I remember reading the LotR in middle school with a couple friends and discussing them together every morning and afternoon on the bus. Great times. And I also have the extremely beat up volumes that I carried with me back and forth from school everyday. Just such a cool world to dive into. I remember finishing the Fellowship of the Ring about an hour before my family went and saw the movie in theaters. We were almost late because I insisted I had to finish the book before I saw the movie lol. The trilogy, along with Harry Potter, and comics, cemented me as a reader as a kid!
On X (formerly Twitter), I have been beset upon by Tolkien haters, who consider the Professor a "mid" author. My hope for humanity is in tatters. The Lord of the Rings is a work that I feel in my soul. I love it more than words can express.
Many online only to post to get clicks. Talking down gets more attention. I ignore them or ask them what they feel is better. The answers are laughable.
I think 'X' is best avoided. I had an account but never came across anything on Twitter, as was, I thought was worthwhile. If you only have 140 characters I can't see how any point you try and make has any depth
It's hard to fathom a Tolkien hater. Maybe Tolkien is not their thing. But to actively hate on such an accomplished work of art? It's like interacting with a Leonardo DaVinci hater. WTF?
@@buckocean7616 Right?! I can understand not liking something. But to say he's a mediocre author?! The problem is that these days, people (both young & old) can't distinguish between subjective and objective. Just because you personally (subjectively) like something, doesn't necessarily mean it's objectively good in quality. Just because you personally dislike something doesn't mean it's objectively poor in quality. People do not, CANNOT seem to grasp this distinction. It drives me absolutely nuts.
I introduced LOTR to one of my nephews one summer up at the lake and I remember him reading a substantial section of Fellowship aloud during the five-hour drive when I was bringing him back home. One of my favorite "audiobook" moments ever. 😃
I also read LTR when I was a teenager, but let me tell you, it was the 1960s and everyone in the counterculture was reading it. I was so absorbed by the book that I assumed the identity of one of the minor characters, as did all of my friends (who weren't friends unless they had read the book). I have no idea what edition I read, but it didn't matter at the time. Surprisingly, I have not re-read it in the 50+ years since, although I recently bought a copy that I intend to read. I'm not really happy with the edition I bought which is the William Morrow Deluxe Pocket Boxed Set, and to my horror the typeset is so small that my aging eyes can hardly discern the sacred text. If all else fails, I will buy a different edition because I do want to re-live those glorious days of my youth. And unlike those days, I have the money to do so!
This was lovely, thank you. I didn’t read LOTR until early adulthood. I now read it every one or two years and it’s like coming home. There is something so moral, so “right” about it. It’s like a touchstone.
I had a similar experience to you, though about a decade later. I was so enthused by the series I had to remind myself that it was fiction and not real life. Movies can really change the way you see a book. I saw The Maltese Falcon and The Big Sleep movies before I read the books. So I tend to picture Spade and Marlow as Humphrey Bogart even though they are not described as looking anything like Bogart. I have gotten to the point where I see Marlowe as described by Chandler, but not Spade. For the Lord of the Rings movies I think Viggo Mortensen was so iconic as Aragorn that I tend to see him, even though I read the books years before the movies. The other characters I see as I always did, though.
Great video and beautiful edition of Lord of The Rings. We have what we consider to be rather "special" editions and they will never leave our bookshelves. I think the books are incredible but that Peter Jackson did a mind-blowing job with the movies.
It is amazing how much book covers can influence our experience. I came to Tolkien about ten years before the movies and can honestly say Alan Lee is Middle Earth to me. His art influenced everything my mind was able to conjure. Lee has been illustrating Tolkien since 1984 so my whole reading life and he was one of two concept artists on the movies which is why I think they did such a great job not so much because of Peter Jackson (sorry Pete). Some of those scenes seemed shot for shot with Alan’s art and that made me happy.
The films better than the books? Who dares to utter such blasphemy? As always, this is an excellent video my friend! And an absolute essential for my shelf, too!
Michael, I loved hearing your personal history with these treasures. My history is similar, only I’m quite a bit older. I first read The Hobbit when I was 10 in a copy that a cousin gave me. When I was 13, my oldest brother gave me the box set of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. My set was similar to yours, but the covers were different in the 1970’s. My brother would die very young, and so these books took on an even greater meaning in my life. Thank you for sharing your story. It did my heart such good. 😊
Oh, man, that edition of Tolkien takes me back. If only I still had mine. I couldn't agree more--there's a difference in perception, pre- and post- films, of the books. I also agree that the books would not have their power if Bilbo and Frodo were muscle-bound Conan types. Oh, how I wanted a house like Bilbo's. And then there's the mysterious Tom Bombadil. Does anyone really know who or what he really is?
I am happy to hear that you like the Sweet covers. Covers deserve love just like books. And I just never cared for them; when I heard George R.R. Martin describe Sweet’s work as showing “accountants at a Renfair”, I laughed and nodded along. So you, or someone, will have to love them extra on my behalf. :)
What is little known about the Hobbits is that Merry and Pippen made a mint off selling beer and wine made with the water from the Entwash, ( the location of which they kept secret ) and "heightening" became all the rage in the Shire and amongst Hobbits everywhere. And as the Hobbits got taller and taller, their feet became less hairy and their ears more man like, and Hobbits passed out of existence and memory.
You raised a good point that you and other LotR readers envisioned the book differently, well before the films. I was a mere infant when the extended versions of Peter Jackson's adaptations were released and read the books in my teens, imagining the world and characters from the movies. The books are definitely far superior, as much as I think the films are epic (one of my favourite films of all time too, mind you). Thank you for this video! I am well overdue for a pending reread.
I have some books that have sentimental value to me, books that I would not part part with unless I absolutely had to, namely a couple my grandfather (a WWII vet) had before he died. However, I think I will always keep copies of these 3 books: Agatha Christie And Then There Were None, James Clavell's Shogun, and the Bible. If I lost all my books for some reason, these would be the ones I would immediately replace.
I read the trilogy only just before the release of The Fellowship. I was living in Wellington NZ at the time, so it was a thing. Thought, okay, I should read the Rings. Great read. Drags in parts, punctuates at others, but, absorbing throughout. I remember the books being far more than the films, which is not a criticism. I saw them in theatre. I've watched the extended versions since, end to end, twice. They are a well wrought tribute, but the books are the thing because ones imagination rebuilds some part of another's (Tolkein's) without mediation. ' We couldn't imagine the kind of special effects once CGI took off '. Yeah, well, we probably could have, given means and time as the makers had at the time just as we all do when we read. The addition is, to be reductive, opportunity, money and will. I love cinema, but have come to find CGI oppressive and I knew I would , not with the Rings per se, but with Star Wars, the MCU, and frankly ... et al. Give me a story. Give me interesting writing. Tell me something new or old, not only well wrought and well written, but otherwise unconceivable. Incidentally, 'The killer Thing' and 'The King in Yellow' - just the ticket. Unfilmable, but if someone did attempt a film of them, I'd rent that seat for a dollar.
Love to see you with a book from the 1970s Ballantine Adult Fantasy series. Lin Carter, as editor, made an enormous contribution to the field of fantasy literature by republishing so many pioneering works.
I'm reading through the books for the first time right now. Having seen the movies first it is hard to separate the two, but I'm glad it sounds like the books are even better. Looking forward to getting through them.
I read LOTR at least 20 years before you did and I really like the original covers. Like you, I had an image of Middle Earth and the people in that world. The way some of them looked like I wanted them to in Peter Jackson's films. Not all of them, but a lot of them. None of it got in the way of my enjoyment of the Lord of the Rings books. I agree with most of what you had to say about The Hobbit - the book sometimes gets overlooked.
My exposure to The Lord of the Rings was thankfully before the movies. In my mind's eye I do see it in the old illustrated style. However, my Bilbo and Gollum are styled much like the paperback cover from the maligned 50th anniversary edition. That's the version my school library had.
My late father was born in 1937, so he was a teenager when LOTR came out. When I was young, he was always trying to get me to read The Hobbit, which I didn't like. But when I was a teenager in the early 1980s, I read LOTR for the first time and absolutely loved the trilogy! I could literally lose myself in it and forget what was going on around me. My dad didn't like the movies, because his Frodo wasn't such a whinger. That part of the movies is very much of its time - the tortured hero, anguishing over what he's doing. (C.f Spiderman & Batman). It is funny, though, that in the 70s, the books became part of hippy/heavy metal culture. I had forgotten that. It's odd to me to see younger folk whose sole point of reference is the movies. And people who complain the books are "too long" are the same idiots who complain on TripAdvisor that Ben Nevis is "too high". They just have to denigrate something because they can't deal with it.
Back when a collector’s set could fit back into its box without having to squish the books or simply give up on ever using the box again - ahh the good ole days!
I also first read those editions of LotR. Probably started them when I was 12 and finished about 14 which would have been 1982-83. Tolkien really blew my mind at the time.
I agree 100%. As a child, Darrell K. Sweet's vision of Tolkien's world was my template for all fantasy. Later I would add the Bros Hildebrandt, but first (for me) was Darrell K. Sweet
I avoided LOTR most of my life. It was brought to my attention in 1966 or 67. (I was 12 or 13.) People tried to get me into it later and when I got married in 1982, my long-time friend-now-husband tried to get me into it. I rebelled until our son and grandson got into the movies, then I went to the books. Are the different, and somewhat inferior? Yes, but as you said, many of us got into the books because of the movies. I love them both. The books are another world and I was just telling a 23-year-old woman today that although she knows the movies and loves them, to read the books. They are heavier, but also richer. And they are essential.
My first exposure to LOTR was through the very first pirated American editions. I found The Fellowship of the Ring in my local drug store, and then The Two Towers. And then -- nothing! I was left hanging with "Frodo was alive, but taken by the enemy." It took a year or so for the situation over American editions to be hammered out with the British publisher. But I finally did get an authorized version of The Return of the King. The Hobbit didn't get authorized until after LOTR. It was very strange to read it in that order. I avoided seeing the movies because I had already created the world in my imagination and they could not match it.
I love this story SO much. (Both the books and the films.) What I don't understand is, even though I'm a few years older than Michael, I have no memory of them when I was growing up. I never read them until the movies began coming out. (I never heard of the animated version until that time either. Which is weird, because I watched WAY too much TV as a kid.) I don't even have memory of seeing the books in the library. But I was in the library all the time, so I must have seen them. I've always loved fantasy stories, so it's bizarre to think I may have seen them but not picked them up to read the back cover and see what they were about. Well, better late than never!
Currently reading LOTR for the first time, I’m about halfway through with Return Of The King. I am having a rough go of it thus far. It’s been a painful read to my surprise. What you said in the video about seeing the movies first does play a factor. I was obsessed with the movies when they came out. Saw them over and over. At 42 I’m finally getting around to read the books and was really wanting to enjoy them. Maybe Tolkien’s style isn’t my flavor I don’t know. But I did enjoy the Hobbit so don’t beat me up too bad !
My wife was a bus driver to the hobbit film set in Matamata New Zealand. As a perk, she got to take me along on a location tour for free. I got chauffeured in a moke.
Those were the same editions that I read when I was 13, except that I bought them one at a time instead of as a boxed set. (And yes, I still have them.) I've been conditioned to believe that that's the way epic fantasy series are supposed to look: the same basic cover design for each volume, but with a different color border and a different cover painting. Other fantasy series of that era followed the same pattern (Thomas Covenant, Belgariad, Dragonlance), and I'm kind of sad that fantasy books aren't published that way any more.
One of the clones you speak of is Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I read this way before I heard of LoTR. It's really pretty good. It can be dark and then it can be comical. Many personalities in the group.
I read The Hobbit and The LotR around 12 or so. First attempt I want mature enough to get through it. Second time fell in love with it. Ended up reading it again for eighth grade English class. She was a cool teacher. And Michael. You need to visit Urth. It will definitely leave its mark on you.
I remember trying to read the series back in the sixties. I'm not sure why I passed on them after trying one. Maybe I should give it a try once again. Would it be better to start with The Hobbit or begin with Fellowship of the Rings?
They are very different both in length and tone. LOTR is much slower. There's a lot of traveling/walking. And singing/poetry. (I know, I know. You'll learn to love it! Or... not. People have very different opinions about the songs/poetry.) The Hobbit is more simple and straightforward in plot, language, and style. It really depends on your preferences. If you read The Hobbit first, you may find LOTR too slow in comparison. But it does give a basic introduction to the world and to what Hobbits are like, as people. If you're entirely unfamiliar with the story / haven't seen the movies, that can be helpful. LOTR also has some of the most beautiful language I've ever read. And it puts the EPIC in "epic fantasy." I greatly prefer LOTR to The Hobbit. That said, I actually had a bit of a hard time when I read LOTR the first time. It took about until the middle of Return of the King for the language to fully "click" for me. It's not difficult or confusing, like maybe Shakespeare would be. But it has a melody, a rhythm to it that I was not accustomed to at that time. Once my (mental) ears and brain locked into it, I was in love for life. I don't know if that's helpful at all, but there you go.
Lotr is a classic. That is from my perspective, and I mostly read so cold "serious " books. Of course, always look for contemporary classics. Lotr is far better than the movies, but they also have a real significance. Tolkien is so original.
I’ve always been a fan of the paperback format for LotR. I have deluxe limited hardcover versions and I will never read them. It’s just easier to grab the PB and throw it in your bag and it doesn’t take up any space and you don’t care what happens to it
I had the small, fake leather boxed set from Barnes & Noble. They were wonderful to take along in a bag/purse! Alas, the print is a bit small. The last time I read them, I could feel my eyes were straining a bit. I'm guessing it will be worse each time from now on. I need to find a good home for them. Sigh.
Hey off subject, but I wanna be a nosy bastard and ask you about that red Planet of The Apes edition behind you on your shelf. I've been looking for a good hardcover.
The LOTR films were good, albeit with smatterings of cringe here and there, let's be honest. The Hobbit films, on the other hand, were cringey throughout.
I'm someone who grew up with the films, and I only first read the books about a couple of years ago. I can say I like the books significantly more than the film adaptations! I was surprised at how much I loved the books.
You wax rhapsodic! And rightly so. Yes, it's true. They were viewed as...eccentric and not worth the time of a serious reader back in the 60s. And I heard many say the characters were too 'nice'. But the more people read the books, the higher they go up the classic must-read list. As to the length? Many many people who come to the end weep because they want it to go on and on. We are so invested and in love with the characters that we dont want to part with them. Thank you for this heartfelt, honest video on one of the most beloved of all books in print today.
The Silver Jubilee edition was my dad's first (the one who introduced me when the movies came out when I was 4; saw all of them in theaters). I recently bought him a pristine box set just like yours because I read his abusively as a kid after watching the movies. I can't tell you how much Tolkien has shaped my life; he is the reason I took up writing at 11. To say it is essential is an understatement; it is the finest story ever told. I also recommend the Children of Hurin, my favorite Tolkien book.
Those are really cool book covers, glad to see someone keeping hold of a much loved edition.
I read the Gormenghast Books, and then The Lord of the Rings, in fairly quick succession, at the end of the year 1999. This was a bookworm way of celebrating the turning of the millennium. I probably put a few Mystery novels in between Gormenghast and LotR, but of course I don't recall those, whereas I do recall that, I'm sure you're not surprised, reading two monumental Fantasy epics one after the other created an experience I'll never forget.
I feel like The Lord of the Rings is where the reader, and Frodo, meet every sort of person one could meet in one's life. I guess this ties a little bit into what you were saying - it's a book full of ordinary, and identifiable people. I go one step further, and say Frodo meets every personality type, every sort of person, one could encounter while walking the adventure of life. The Lord of the Rings features...everyone, if that's not too strange to say. Besides that - well, what a story! It was great fun to finally read what all the excitement was about...and I have a hard time with multi-book Fantasy series now. I almost feel like they're all just doing Lord of the Rings over again. I'm not one for series anyway, generally - and all these trilogies, and quests, and rightful heirs that need justice, and maps and battles. I'm not trying to diss the whole genre, but often I just feel we have been treated to unlimited of LotR variations. I should consider a re-read.
I’m a little jealous of those who were able to read the books prior to seeing the films 🥹 I watched the films in the theater as they were released, immediately fell in love with them. Now as an adult, I finally read the books for the first time. Fell even more in love with them! The books are definitely better than the movies 🤭🙌🏼 I’m just not sure anything can compare to those books or Tolkien’s world building, characters, writing style, gahhh I could go on and on! 😂 I’m just going to forever be rereading these books on a loop…literally for the rest of my life so I never have to leave the world 😂
Christopher Lee said he read them every year. My dad read them regularly over his life. Lots of folk love those books so much!
I saw the movies first and barely got through the first book. I really enjoyed the movies but there was some thing missing in the book that made it feel like the story was dragging.
@@stephennootens916 the books are definitely much slower paced so that’s completely understandable! I think in this fast paced world, that’s what I appreciated most though. Maybe one day you can come back and give them another go! 😊
@@Old_Scot I love that 😍 I’m hoping to pass the books down to my two little boys! I’ve annotated my copies & will continue to do so, I hope they appreciate my marks in them!
Ha ha! I feel the same. I'm a few years older than Michael and yet I somehow never heard of these books growing up. I MUST have seen them or heard of them somewhere. I just have no memory of it. So I was not keeping up with the hype when the movies were coming along. I don't remember the release of Fellowship. It was only when TTT was about to release that I remember hearing about it everywhere. Even though I am a strict "read the book first" person, I went to see TTT before even watching Fellowship. There was SO MUCH HYPE that I felt like I was going to miss out on something amazing if I didn't. (I would have been right!)
Long story short, I was mesmerized. My goal was to read all three books before The Return of the King released. I didn't quite make it. I think I got about 3/4 of the way through Return, before the movie came out. I saw that thing in the theater 10 times. TEN. I've NEVER done that before or since. My record had been 8, with Braveheart and with Titanic (don't judge!) I've seen all 3 LOTR movies endlessly, and reread the books as well. It's my favorite story of all time. I still get the worse hangover when I get to the end. Your last line is mine as well. I never want to leave that world.
Love it. And totally agree. Absolutely essential. In my own personal library I have 1 entire 7’ shelf unit filled top to bottom with Tolkien books only. From multiple copies of The Hobbit, LOTR, and the Silmarillion, to all of the histories and individual tomes that have come later. I first read The Hobbit when I found it in the school library when I was in 4th grade. Read LOTR immediately after and have always and forever been devoted to the work. Middle-earth led me to Narnia, which led me to Donaldson’s The Land, and it was Tolkien and Donaldson, specifically, that made me want to become a writer. I had that very same box set you showed! Mine long since fell apart from continued reading. I’m sad that original box no longer lives in my collection. I guess I just loved it too much. As for the cartoons, I still have those little mini records that come with a book, the ones that played the chimes to tell you when to turn the pages, for The Hobbit and The Return of the King. No adaptation on the screen lives up to the books. Not even close. But I do love the LOTR films Jackson made. He honored the sensibilities of the author and despite the changes (some of which I hate) he delivered an excellent representation of the novel. The Hobbit, not so much.
As a fun aside, when I ran the Fantasy section in our local Barnes & Noble for 13 years, I enjoyed slipping the one volume leather bound LOTR onto the Bibles shelf in the Religion section. And it always sold. 😂
Love the vid, Michael!
Lovely! I consider these essential, too. I first read them in the 70s, "Frodo lives!" was often found on bathroom walls at my university. I've read them off and on ever since, and in fact, I just started reading Fellowship again this week.
My son wasn't a great reader, but for his 11th birthday he asked for his own hardback copies, so we got him the big boxed set. He read them right away and still reads them now.
I like that fantasy has become more diverse, but these books still deserve their top place in the pantheon, I believe
I remember reading the LotR in middle school with a couple friends and discussing them together every morning and afternoon on the bus. Great times. And I also have the extremely beat up volumes that I carried with me back and forth from school everyday. Just such a cool world to dive into. I remember finishing the Fellowship of the Ring about an hour before my family went and saw the movie in theaters. We were almost late because I insisted I had to finish the book before I saw the movie lol. The trilogy, along with Harry Potter, and comics, cemented me as a reader as a kid!
On X (formerly Twitter), I have been beset upon by Tolkien haters, who consider the Professor a "mid" author. My hope for humanity is in tatters. The Lord of the Rings is a work that I feel in my soul. I love it more than words can express.
Many online only to post to get clicks. Talking down gets more attention. I ignore them or ask them what they feel is better. The answers are laughable.
That's why I don't watch young booktubers. They have no life experience and just haven't read very much.
I think 'X' is best avoided. I had an account but never came across anything on Twitter, as was, I thought was worthwhile. If you only have 140 characters I can't see how any point you try and make has any depth
It's hard to fathom a Tolkien hater. Maybe Tolkien is not their thing. But to actively hate on such an accomplished work of art? It's like interacting with a Leonardo DaVinci hater. WTF?
@@buckocean7616 Right?! I can understand not liking something. But to say he's a mediocre author?! The problem is that these days, people (both young & old) can't distinguish between subjective and objective. Just because you personally (subjectively) like something, doesn't necessarily mean it's objectively good in quality. Just because you personally dislike something doesn't mean it's objectively poor in quality. People do not, CANNOT seem to grasp this distinction. It drives me absolutely nuts.
I introduced LOTR to one of my nephews one summer up at the lake and I remember him reading a substantial section of Fellowship aloud during the five-hour drive when I was bringing him back home. One of my favorite "audiobook" moments ever. 😃
That is adorable! What a precious memory to have!
That really is a wonderful experience. Thanks for sharing it.
That’s awesome!
I also read LTR when I was a teenager, but let me tell you, it was the 1960s and everyone in the counterculture was reading it. I was so absorbed by the book that I assumed the identity of one of the minor characters, as did all of my friends (who weren't friends unless they had read the book). I have no idea what edition I read, but it didn't matter at the time. Surprisingly, I have not re-read it in the 50+ years since, although I recently bought a copy that I intend to read. I'm not really happy with the edition I bought which is the William Morrow Deluxe Pocket Boxed Set, and to my horror the typeset is so small that my aging eyes can hardly discern the sacred text. If all else fails, I will buy a different edition because I do want to re-live those glorious days of my youth. And unlike those days, I have the money to do so!
This was lovely, thank you. I didn’t read LOTR until early adulthood. I now read it every one or two years and it’s like coming home. There is something so moral, so “right” about it. It’s like a touchstone.
I had a similar experience to you, though about a decade later. I was so enthused by the series I had to remind myself that it was fiction and not real life.
Movies can really change the way you see a book. I saw The Maltese Falcon and The Big Sleep movies before I read the books. So I tend to picture Spade and Marlow as Humphrey Bogart even though they are not described as looking anything like Bogart. I have gotten to the point where I see Marlowe as described by Chandler, but not Spade.
For the Lord of the Rings movies I think Viggo Mortensen was so iconic as Aragorn that I tend to see him, even though I read the books years before the movies. The other characters I see as I always did, though.
Great video and beautiful edition of Lord of The Rings. We have what we consider to be rather "special" editions and they will never leave our bookshelves. I think the books are incredible but that Peter Jackson did a mind-blowing job with the movies.
Indeed he did. Each one a masterpiece of a beloved book.
It is amazing how much book covers can influence our experience. I came to Tolkien about ten years before the movies and can honestly say Alan Lee is Middle Earth to me. His art influenced everything my mind was able to conjure. Lee has been illustrating Tolkien since 1984 so my whole reading life and he was one of two concept artists on the movies which is why I think they did such a great job not so much because of Peter Jackson (sorry Pete). Some of those scenes seemed shot for shot with Alan’s art and that made me happy.
Your edition just looks well loved! The LOTR is on my spring/summer tbr this year. Love it.
The films better than the books? Who dares to utter such blasphemy? As always, this is an excellent video my friend! And an absolute essential for my shelf, too!
Michael, I loved hearing your personal history with these treasures. My history is similar, only I’m quite a bit older. I first read The Hobbit when I was 10 in a copy that a cousin gave me. When I was 13, my oldest brother gave me the box set of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. My set was similar to yours, but the covers were different in the 1970’s. My brother would die very young, and so these books took on an even greater meaning in my life. Thank you for sharing your story. It did my heart such good. 😊
Oh, man, that edition of Tolkien takes me back. If only I still had mine. I couldn't agree more--there's a difference in perception, pre- and post- films, of the books. I also agree that the books would not have their power if Bilbo and Frodo were muscle-bound Conan types. Oh, how I wanted a house like Bilbo's. And then there's the mysterious Tom Bombadil. Does anyone really know who or what he really is?
I am happy to hear that you like the Sweet covers. Covers deserve love just like books. And I just never cared for them; when I heard George R.R. Martin describe Sweet’s work as showing “accountants at a Renfair”, I laughed and nodded along. So you, or someone, will have to love them extra on my behalf. :)
What is little known about the Hobbits is that Merry and Pippen made a mint off selling beer and wine made with the water from the Entwash, ( the location of which they kept secret ) and "heightening" became all the rage in the Shire and amongst Hobbits everywhere. And as the Hobbits got taller and taller, their feet became less hairy and their ears more man like, and Hobbits passed out of existence and memory.
😢😢😢😢😢😢
@@carenome1 Well, you don't see any Hobbits today. There has to be an explanation.
This is my most anticipated read of 2024
Oh, I hope you enjoy it!
You raised a good point that you and other LotR readers envisioned the book differently, well before the films. I was a mere infant when the extended versions of Peter Jackson's adaptations were released and read the books in my teens, imagining the world and characters from the movies. The books are definitely far superior, as much as I think the films are epic (one of my favourite films of all time too, mind you). Thank you for this video! I am well overdue for a pending reread.
I have some books that have sentimental value to me, books that I would not part part with unless I absolutely had to, namely a couple my grandfather (a WWII vet) had before he died. However, I think I will always keep copies of these 3 books: Agatha Christie And Then There Were None, James Clavell's Shogun, and the Bible. If I lost all my books for some reason, these would be the ones I would immediately replace.
7:50 I like Hobbits immensely. Conan is fine and people are silly.
I read the trilogy only just before the release of The Fellowship. I was living in Wellington NZ at the time, so it was a thing. Thought, okay, I should read the Rings. Great read. Drags in parts, punctuates at others, but, absorbing throughout. I remember the books being far more than the films, which is not a criticism. I saw them in theatre. I've watched the extended versions since, end to end, twice. They are a well wrought tribute, but the books are the thing because ones imagination rebuilds some part of another's (Tolkein's) without mediation. ' We couldn't imagine the kind of special effects once CGI took off '. Yeah, well, we probably could have, given means and time as the makers had at the time just as we all do when we read. The addition is, to be reductive, opportunity, money and will. I love cinema, but have come to find CGI oppressive and I knew I would , not with the Rings per se, but with Star Wars, the MCU, and frankly ... et al. Give me a story. Give me interesting writing. Tell me something new or old, not only well wrought and well written, but otherwise unconceivable. Incidentally, 'The killer Thing' and 'The King in Yellow' - just the ticket. Unfilmable, but if someone did attempt a film of them, I'd rent that seat for a dollar.
Love to see you with a book from the 1970s Ballantine Adult Fantasy series. Lin Carter, as editor, made an enormous contribution to the field of fantasy literature by republishing so many pioneering works.
I'm reading through the books for the first time right now. Having seen the movies first it is hard to separate the two, but I'm glad it sounds like the books are even better. Looking forward to getting through them.
I read LOTR at least 20 years before you did and I really like the original covers. Like you, I had an image of Middle Earth and the people in that world. The way some of them looked like I wanted them to in Peter Jackson's films. Not all of them, but a lot of them. None of it got in the way of my enjoyment of the Lord of the Rings books.
I agree with most of what you had to say about The Hobbit - the book sometimes gets overlooked.
The Father of Fantasy indeed !!!!
My exposure to The Lord of the Rings was thankfully before the movies. In my mind's eye I do see it in the old illustrated style. However, my Bilbo and Gollum are styled much like the paperback cover from the maligned 50th anniversary edition. That's the version my school library had.
Oh man, I remember those covers.
My late father was born in 1937, so he was a teenager when LOTR came out. When I was young, he was always trying to get me to read The Hobbit, which I didn't like. But when I was a teenager in the early 1980s, I read LOTR for the first time and absolutely loved the trilogy! I could literally lose myself in it and forget what was going on around me.
My dad didn't like the movies, because his Frodo wasn't such a whinger. That part of the movies is very much of its time - the tortured hero, anguishing over what he's doing. (C.f Spiderman & Batman).
It is funny, though, that in the 70s, the books became part of hippy/heavy metal culture. I had forgotten that.
It's odd to me to see younger folk whose sole point of reference is the movies.
And people who complain the books are "too long" are the same idiots who complain on TripAdvisor that Ben Nevis is "too high". They just have to denigrate something because they can't deal with it.
Back when a collector’s set could fit back into its box without having to squish the books or simply give up on ever using the box again - ahh the good ole days!
I also first read those editions of LotR. Probably started them when I was 12 and finished about 14 which would have been 1982-83.
Tolkien really blew my mind at the time.
Linguistic Science Fiction is another appellation of this literary genre according to Professor Gerrard Gauthier
I'm not sure what that is, but I want it!
I agree 100%. As a child, Darrell K. Sweet's vision of Tolkien's world was my template for all fantasy. Later I would add the Bros Hildebrandt, but first (for me) was Darrell K. Sweet
I avoided LOTR most of my life. It was brought to my attention in 1966 or 67. (I was 12 or 13.) People tried to get me into it later and when I got married in 1982, my long-time friend-now-husband tried to get me into it. I rebelled until our son and grandson got into the movies, then I went to the books. Are the different, and somewhat inferior? Yes, but as you said, many of us got into the books because of the movies. I love them both. The books are another world and I was just telling a 23-year-old woman today that although she knows the movies and loves them, to read the books.
They are heavier, but also richer. And they are essential.
Wonderful video Michael.. love the Lord of the rings books
My first exposure to LOTR was through the very first pirated American editions. I found The Fellowship of the Ring in my local drug store, and then The Two Towers. And then -- nothing! I was left hanging with "Frodo was alive, but taken by the enemy." It took a year or so for the situation over American editions to be hammered out with the British publisher. But I finally did get an authorized version of The Return of the King. The Hobbit didn't get authorized until after LOTR. It was very strange to read it in that order.
I avoided seeing the movies because I had already created the world in my imagination and they could not match it.
The authorized version of The Hobbit came out after LOTR. It was very strange to read it in that order.
I love this story SO much. (Both the books and the films.) What I don't understand is, even though I'm a few years older than Michael, I have no memory of them when I was growing up. I never read them until the movies began coming out. (I never heard of the animated version until that time either. Which is weird, because I watched WAY too much TV as a kid.) I don't even have memory of seeing the books in the library. But I was in the library all the time, so I must have seen them. I've always loved fantasy stories, so it's bizarre to think I may have seen them but not picked them up to read the back cover and see what they were about. Well, better late than never!
My ideas of the world are colored a bit by the films. But mostly not. I did read the books first, and I’m so glad I did. Great video.
-T
Currently reading LOTR for the first time, I’m about halfway through with Return Of The King. I am having a rough go of it thus far. It’s been a painful read to my surprise. What you said in the video about seeing the movies first does play a factor. I was obsessed with the movies when they came out. Saw them over and over. At 42 I’m finally getting around to read the books and was really wanting to enjoy them. Maybe Tolkien’s style isn’t my flavor I don’t know. But I did enjoy the Hobbit so don’t beat me up too bad !
My wife was a bus driver to the hobbit film set in Matamata New Zealand.
As a perk, she got to take me along on a location tour for free. I got chauffeured in a moke.
Those were the same editions that I read when I was 13, except that I bought them one at a time instead of as a boxed set. (And yes, I still have them.) I've been conditioned to believe that that's the way epic fantasy series are supposed to look: the same basic cover design for each volume, but with a different color border and a different cover painting. Other fantasy series of that era followed the same pattern (Thomas Covenant, Belgariad, Dragonlance), and I'm kind of sad that fantasy books aren't published that way any more.
One of the clones you speak of is Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I read this way before I heard of LoTR. It's really pretty good. It can be dark and then it can be comical. Many personalities in the group.
I still have my original copies from the 80s (though they predate me by about 15 years). I love Larry Elmore's artwork for the covers
Love your book reviews
I read The Hobbit and The LotR around 12 or so. First attempt I want mature enough to get through it. Second time fell in love with it. Ended up reading it again for eighth grade English class. She was a cool teacher.
And Michael. You need to visit Urth. It will definitely leave its mark on you.
I remember trying to read the series back in the sixties. I'm not sure why I passed on them after trying one. Maybe I should give it a try once again. Would it be better to start with The Hobbit or begin with Fellowship of the Rings?
They are very different both in length and tone. LOTR is much slower. There's a lot of traveling/walking. And singing/poetry. (I know, I know. You'll learn to love it! Or... not. People have very different opinions about the songs/poetry.) The Hobbit is more simple and straightforward in plot, language, and style. It really depends on your preferences. If you read The Hobbit first, you may find LOTR too slow in comparison. But it does give a basic introduction to the world and to what Hobbits are like, as people. If you're entirely unfamiliar with the story / haven't seen the movies, that can be helpful. LOTR also has some of the most beautiful language I've ever read. And it puts the EPIC in "epic fantasy."
I greatly prefer LOTR to The Hobbit. That said, I actually had a bit of a hard time when I read LOTR the first time. It took about until the middle of Return of the King for the language to fully "click" for me. It's not difficult or confusing, like maybe Shakespeare would be. But it has a melody, a rhythm to it that I was not accustomed to at that time. Once my (mental) ears and brain locked into it, I was in love for life.
I don't know if that's helpful at all, but there you go.
@@Yesica1993Thank you. That was very useful information. Knowing my reading habits I'll probably start with The Hobbit.
@@StevenEverett7 You're welcome. Enjoy!
Lotr is a classic. That is from my perspective, and I mostly read so cold "serious " books. Of course, always look for contemporary classics. Lotr is far better than the movies, but they also have a real significance. Tolkien is so original.
I loved hearing your Lord of the Rings experience! I have one of the books in that edition. 🧝🏼♀️
I’ve always been a fan of the paperback format for LotR. I have deluxe limited hardcover versions and I will never read them. It’s just easier to grab the PB and throw it in your bag and it doesn’t take up any space and you don’t care what happens to it
I had the small, fake leather boxed set from Barnes & Noble. They were wonderful to take along in a bag/purse! Alas, the print is a bit small. The last time I read them, I could feel my eyes were straining a bit. I'm guessing it will be worse each time from now on. I need to find a good home for them. Sigh.
Great stuff Michael! Now I need to go pull out all my LoTRs books! Do you know who the artist was who painted those great covers on your box set?
Hey!!!! I have those volumes too!!!!
I like the books, but to me, the movies are more enjoyable. This is rare for me.
Hey off subject, but I wanna be a nosy bastard and ask you about that red Planet of The Apes edition behind you on your shelf. I've been looking for a good hardcover.
Yes I'll sign on as being one of those complainants, and yes the films were better. 🤭
The LOTR films were good, albeit with smatterings of cringe here and there, let's be honest. The Hobbit films, on the other hand, were cringey throughout.