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 Post subject: Attempting to read Fellowship again.
PostPosted: January 25th, 2014, 12:00 pm 
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I started to read it a few years ago, and got as far as Bree. I found it really heavy going, with the amount of detail put into it. At the time I prefered the movies.

So here I am trying again to at least make it to Rivendell before I give up. (LOL, just joking.)

Does anyone else find this book really heavy going?

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 Post subject: Re: Attempting to read Fellowship again.
PostPosted: January 26th, 2014, 5:48 am 
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No, I think that FoTR is very easy but the end of TTT and RoTK is very hard to finish.

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 Post subject: Re: Attempting to read Fellowship again.
PostPosted: January 26th, 2014, 2:19 pm 
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Yes, the first part of the Fellowship is very dense in detail, while not much is happening storywise! Yet it's also one of my favorite parts, because it gives such a good background for the rest of the story. The book is more about Hobbits than the movie, so I always like reading about the lives and habits they had before going on that immense adventure.

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 Post subject: Re: Attempting to read Fellowship again.
PostPosted: January 26th, 2014, 5:34 pm 
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^I'm the same. FotR is my favorite book because we get so much background and the whole Frodo leaving the Shire is a lot more detailed than in the movie. But I agree with you, Erin, it was hard to read it the first time after having seen the movies. The pacing in the book is a lot slower. Some people have suggested skipping the first part of FotR and jump straight to Bree when the book sort of picks up on the movie plot.
Happy reading :-)

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 Post subject: Re: Attempting to read Fellowship again.
PostPosted: January 26th, 2014, 9:29 pm 
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Having read the books long before any movie was ever considered, I found it overall quite an interesting read. I did find the songs and poetry a bit of a bore and skipped most of it, and the whole Fangorn bit was a hard go, and some parts with Sam & Frodo in Mordor a bit sluggish. But subsequent readings had me take in more of the songs and poetry, and I was more detail-orientated.

I hope you give the whole series an honest go Erin Vanya!

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 Post subject: Re: Attempting to read Fellowship again.
PostPosted: January 27th, 2014, 10:09 am 
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I'm glad that I'm not the only one.

I am very much interested in seeing what the movie left out. Though, I am going to be realistic with it. Like, just reading Fellowship. If I do get massively into the book side, then read Two Towers and so on.

May things to capture my curiosity. Like how Boromir was effected by the ring. If that played out differently. Gimli's love for Galadriel. I think what really caught my interest, was that I read somewhere that it wasn't Arwen that took Frodo to Rivendell. I want to see what this character is like.

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 Post subject: Re: Attempting to read Fellowship again.
PostPosted: January 27th, 2014, 12:57 pm 
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^^ Do you mean Glorfindel..?

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 Post subject: Re: Attempting to read Fellowship again.
PostPosted: January 27th, 2014, 1:20 pm 
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I think so. I havengot that far yet.

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 Post subject: Re: Attempting to read Fellowship again.
PostPosted: January 29th, 2014, 9:46 pm 
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The first few chapters are the hardest to read, but the most important. They explain a lot of backstory, that help a lot later on.
By the time you get to the Council of Elrond, it will speed up a lot :)

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 Post subject: Re: Attempting to read Fellowship again.
PostPosted: February 1st, 2014, 9:38 am 
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Sadly, that isn't the case. I made it to Council of Elrond, and I am so bored. The whole tell not show style, is making it really hard for me to stay focused. I dislike how during action scenes, Frodo falls unconscious and remembers no more, then having to wait until someone tells him what happened.

This chapter is seriously dragging on, with everyone telling tales of what happened. I keep wondering why Tolkien didn't take advantage of the third person narative, and show some of these parts while it happened. Or instead of someone telling it, actually briefly switch to their memory in italics or something. Far too much emphasis is put on their surroundings, than what the characters are actually doing.

Also with Glorfindel, the whole part is boring. His horse did all the work, getting Frodo to safety. At least Arwen was in the midst of the action.

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 Post subject: Re: Attempting to read Fellowship again.
PostPosted: February 1st, 2014, 10:16 am 
Dunedain Ranger of Arnor
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I guess it would be tough getting into it with one's head filled with Peter Jackson's fanfic movie. I'm sorry the book doesn't hold your attention.

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 Post subject: Re: Attempting to read Fellowship again.
PostPosted: February 2nd, 2014, 9:08 am 
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I've read a little further, and made it to the end of The Ring Goes South, and I have realised what the problem is.

With the style of naration, it assumes that the reader knows everything there is to know about Middle Earth, and all of it's history. We are told that these characters are great heros of some kind, but no proof to back it up. I mean, why should I care about this random character? Show me why through their behavior or skills.

In the case of Glorfindel, he is supposed to be some great elf lord, from the first age. Prove it. He puts Frodo on his horse, then does nothing. Turns up at the counsel of Elrond, and has a nice chat. Does not compute.

With other characters;
Aragorn, great ranger with some good magical skills. Great knowledge of Middle Earth. Prove it.
Aragorn leads them quite safely to weather top. Saves them from a few dark riders. Shows great knowledge of the lands. Delays the poison from the blade that stabbed Frodo. Manages to create a trail so complex, that even someone actively seeking them has a difficult job doing so. Acknowledged.

Boromir, supposed to be very strong, to endure over a hundred days of travelling to Rivendell. Prove it. He punches through thick magical snow, then is able to carry the hobbits through the tunnel he created. Acknowledged.

Legolas, due to his elven heratige, is supposed to be agile and quick. Runs across the snow like it is nothing at all, to scout ahead. Acknowledged.

Gimli, supposed to be a strong fighter. Yet to prove it, but I'm sure it's coming.

It might be the author in me, that sees that the reader should be shown something, not just told it. It is practically the first thing that an aspiring author is told to do. It has nothing to do with the fact that I saw the films first. Not once have I said that the story is bad. If I didn't like the story, I wouldn't even try to read it.

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 Post subject: Re: Attempting to read Fellowship again.
PostPosted: February 3rd, 2014, 11:11 am 
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It's okay, Erin. If you don't like the narrating, then you don't.

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 Post subject: Re: Attempting to read Fellowship again.
PostPosted: February 3rd, 2014, 9:47 pm 
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I see what you mean, Erin. The book is so different from the movie, so it's probably hard to read, remembering what is in the movie versus the book.
I myself want to see Glorfy in the movie, but understand why PJ did what he did.
Keep going! It's worth it, and by the time you read RotK (you might want to avoid the appendices if you don't like the narration)
RotK is probably my favorite, it's pretty epic!

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 Post subject: Re: Attempting to read Fellowship again.
PostPosted: February 5th, 2014, 5:27 pm 
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I'm at the part, where they are trying to solve the riddle to enter Moria. It has picked up in pace a lot. I guess by the time I get to RotK, I will probably be used to the style of narration.

It's not that saw the movie first at all. I do believe, that even if it had have been the other way around, book first then movie, I would still think the same.

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Last edited by Erin Lunaire on February 6th, 2014, 12:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Attempting to read Fellowship again.
PostPosted: February 6th, 2014, 4:09 am 
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Yea, I didn't like the narrating at first, but I get used to it, and now, 5 years later, I love the style of the narration.

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