I have seen the three Lord of the Rings movies. Now I want to read the book because I loved the movies so much. However, I am afraid that I wrecked my ability to enjoy the books because I saw the movie first. Can I still have the wonderful experience reading the books as most do if I have already seen the movies?
2007-06-07 15:00:53 · 13 answers · asked by ihaveissues 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Yes, there is SOOOO much more in the books its gonna be great, but make sure you read the HOBBIT first. the books go soo much deeper with soo much more story lines too, if you like the movies, you'll love the books. i did
2007-06-07 15:05:30 · answer #1 · answered by picklestra 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a LOTR junkie. I saw the first movie and was hooked! I bought the combined volume of the LOTR to read while I waited for the Two Towers to come out on DVD...You will NOT be disappointed!!! I hope you have had an opportunity to watch the extended versions of the movies.
To be honest LOTR is not an "easy" read. And you will notice where the movie takes some liberties and has moved some important scenes. You realize as you read the moves were necessary to the movies. There is alot more to the book. I have read it several times since Return of the King came out and have found something new each time. It is a book you will never grow tired with no matter how many times you read it.
The best part of the movie & books that when Return of the King came out in theaters I remember gasping at the first sight of Minas Tirith...it was just as I had imagined it when I read the book! Enjoy
2007-06-07 16:45:12 · answer #2 · answered by Barbiq 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
After having "seen" Middle Earth in the movies it actually makes reading the books so much better. There are people and events in the books that just couldn't fit into the movies, but make the story a lot more enjoyable. I saw Fellowship before I read all three books and had a much better grasp of the landscape and people that I was reading about. Personally nothing can beat a good book, at least he movies did the books justice. So please read the books and enjoy them as much as other people have been for a very long time.
2007-06-07 15:15:44 · answer #3 · answered by Lostlove 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, don't worry about the books. They're really just a far longer telling of a story that could have been resolved in a matter of days if not a matter of mere minutes. The writing is dated (obviously) and there are far more interesting fantasy series out there with more character depth than Tolkien could have ever envisioned.
Sure I'll probably get flamed for this opinion, but it's only my opinion. However, you will quickly find out why Peter Jackson removed useless and utterly annoying characters like Tom Bombadil. And many of the supporting characters, especially elves are written as cheery idiots, bordering on being lackwits, that are so generic you won't be able to tell one from another unless you are told which ones are speaking at every turn. Save your money and your time, you won't regret either decision.
2007-06-09 00:28:26 · answer #4 · answered by rhonethesilver 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As with most movies made from books,the film lacks the details found in the books. The film also underwent several rewrites that differ from the novels. I recommend reading the books even if you've seen the movie. Tolkien wrote beautifully not just the story, but the poetry and created a functional language and alphabet as well. Start with The Hobbit and then read the trilogy. I promise you won't regret it
2007-06-07 20:24:43 · answer #5 · answered by charliecizarny 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh yea, please go ahead and read those books. First read The Hobbit though. It is far different and much lighter then the trilogy but you'll get more out of them by reading that one first. They just celebrated the 70 anniversary of it also. Seeing the movies will do nothing as the books are much more detailed and go further into some of the parts so when you see the movies again you'll understand them even more.
2007-06-07 15:12:23 · answer #6 · answered by S.B. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To be honest if i had tried to read the books before watching the films i would have been so confused about who's who and what's what. Thanks to the film i can now place a name to a face, this doesn't spoil the books because as the films miss out at least half of the books stuff you can always imagine how these new things might look.
I love reading it now that i know more about it and can't wait until something new pops up :)
2007-06-11 03:44:53 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Read the Silmarillon first, the Hobbit, then the three books of Lord of the Rings. If that's not enough, Unfinished Tales will make you stay in Tokien's world for awhile. Enjoy.
2007-06-07 15:12:51 · answer #8 · answered by Fred 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you can definitely read the books and enjoy yourself! In my opinion the books have way more details than the movie, which makes it even better!
2007-06-07 15:10:08 · answer #9 · answered by Cutiebubbleboo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I enjoyed the movies a lot, but found myself having a difficult time with the books. I like books that are character-driven... with a lot about a character's emotions and reactions and from a character's point of view.
Lord of the Rings is more history-driven, story-driven, and location-driven. You can tell that J.R.R. Tolkein loved language and history because it's so richly described... unfortunately, the characters aren't described so eloquently, in my opinion.
I, of course, am not the definitive resource... the best bet is to try it out yourself and see if you enjoy the writing style. I'd suggest borrowing from the library, so as to not potentially waste money if you don't end up enjoying them as much as you'd like.
Hope that helps!
2007-06-07 15:11:20 · answer #10 · answered by HP Wombat 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋