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[Gunner-Chan]

I tried to read it and could not get past the second book, I was tired of his excessively long winded writing style.

[Shzar]

I've read the whole thing. It's been a while, though. I should dig it out and have another go. The only part I couldn't really stand were the songs and poems, which is not a problem I associate with the LotR specifically; I just don't have a lot of patience for songs in novels. Something about the lack of performance direction baffles my musician's mind. Aside from that, I really liked it. It was long winded and complicated, but it still made a good impression on me. I still remember when I first read the chapters concerning Frodo, Sam, and Gollum's journey through Mordor; I became very aware of my need for good friends and clean water.

I read the Silmarillion, too. Even more difficult to read than the LotR, but still pretty nifty in my mind.

[Bromor Neckbeard]

I have read the whole Lord of the Rings.  The event that first caused me to do this was when my family drove from Utah to California when I was 9.  Insterstate roads through the rocky desert are mostly BORING, so I read the Lord of the Rings instead of looking out the window.  It's a trifle dry (just like the terrain we were driving through), but it IS the father of modern fantasy.

One of my greatest achievements is reading the entire LotR trilogy (minus the poetry and appendices) in a 24-hour period.  I don't expect anybody to believe me, but, yeah.

I have NOT been able to get through the Silmarillion, though.  For that matter, I haven't been able to get through the Brothers Karamazov.

[Emperor_Jonathan]

Yeah, I have the trilogy + the hobbit next to me. Great books.

One of my greatest achievements is reading the entire LotR trilogy (minus the poetry and appendices) in a 24-hour period.  I don't expect anybody to believe me, but, yeah.

I believe you.

[penguinofhonor]

I'm not sure how far I got. There was the city with the walls and the houses on the walls and nothing was happening for like 50 pages. I kept trying to read it, but I only got like half a page more each time before I had to sit it down again so I just stopped eventually.

[Tormy]

Nop, I didn't read the books, but I've seen the movies like 6-7 times already. [I have the Special Extended Edition collection..]
I know that the movie is very different compared to the books [story etc..], but I don't care to be honest...these films are just epic. 

[Bromor Neckbeard]

What?  No, the story's 97% the same.  The only major omission is the "Scouring of the Shire".  Although I agree that the films are epic.  I'm listening to the soundtrack right now.  I think my favorite track is "The Riders of Rohan".

(edit to respond to below comment)  It's not that it's HARD, exactly, it's just that I don't find it enjoyable.  If I'm not enjoying a book and it's not for school, what's the point of reading it?

[Digital Hellhound]

I've read both LOTR and Silmarillion.
Lazy people, how hard can be reading one book?  (Silmarillion I mean.)

[Dwarf]

Read the trilogy and the Hobbit of course.  I only got a few dozen pages into the Silmarillion before I realized I was reading a very dry history appendix of a place that doesn't exist.  Bunch of crap about trees.

My biggest complaint about the trilogy was the way, somewhere around the Battle of Minas Tirith, Tolkien must of forgot he was not in fact writing a sequel to the Bible.  You're an English professor for God's sake, you're not supposed to start every sentence with "And".

In the good tradition of forced detail:
And the mountains were tall, and they were in fact so fucking tall I had to look really far up, and I was blinded by the sun, and the snow somehow seemed to sparkle, and there were glaciers, and they looked slippery"

Wait, it really IS the bible.

[Vugor]

I own LOTR, The Hobbit, Silmarillion, and others

even though i know his writeing style is alittle bland at times i still love every bit of it

I am currently getting myself to finally read the whole LOTR, in the past i have only read the fellowship of the ring because at the time that was the only one i had....

I have read, re-read, and re-re-read The Hobbit, love it so much

I have gotten about 20 pages into the Silmarillion.......but ill wait until i for sure finish LOTR

[Maggarg - Eater of chicke]

I have read LOTR , the silmarillion and Children of Hurin.
I also read Tales from a perilous realm recently.
I read the Hobbit when I was about 5 or 6.
It appears that leet reading skills come at the expense of social skills.

[Org]

What?  No, the story's 97% the same.  The only major omission is the "Scouring of the Shire".  Although I agree that the films are epic.  I'm listening to the soundtrack right now.  I think my favorite track is "The Riders of Rohan".

(edit to respond to below comment)  It's not that it's HARD, exactly, it's just that I don't find it enjoyable.  If I'm not enjoying a book and it's not for school, what's the point of reading it?

Sort of. They also missed the Barrow Wrights, Tom Bombadil, Gollum never made Sam leave....and others I cant think of....

[Lear]

.... the dead only helped Aragorn capture the black ships (not win the whole battle), an orc chieftain skewered Frodo in the mines, and Sam received blessed soil or somesuch from Galadriel not some salt or seasoning. The list goes ever on and on..

..

    

[Org]

Yes. Anduril was reforged at elronds in first book, not ROTK

[Bromor Neckbeard]

Sort of. They also missed the Barrow Wrights, Tom Bombadil, Gollum never made Sam leave....and others I cant think of....

.... the dead only helped Aragorn capture the black ships (not win the whole battle), an orc chieftain skewered Frodo in the mines, and Sam received blessed soil or somesuch from Galadriel not some salt or seasoning. The list goes ever on and on..

I said "major".  Those are nitpicks, minor changes.  The Barrow Wights and Tom, I can get with, but I see why they left them out.  Imagine trying to explain to the moviegoing public who Tom Bombadil was and how he related to the rest of the story, or how the Barrow-Wights were different than the other evil undead dudes.  I just miss the Scouring of the Shire because it showed how those hobbits, who all through the LotR just stood around looking shocked and horrified while their more powerful friends did all the asskicking, had grown and matured and hardened the fuck up, to the point where they could handle a couple of human thugs and their hobbit toadies without any outside help.  Plus it showed the effect of the war even on places that were insulated from the war by geography.