Poll: How many people have actually read The Lord of the Rings?

[Oliman43]

Just an errant thought that crossed my mind, as I read it quite recently and I thought it was an epic that should be required reading for all.

 

[Werekettle]

Have read it many times

 

[AndyFromMonday]

I read the entire trilogy and currently trying to get my hands on The Hobbit and The Similarion.

 

[harmypants]

I haven't read any of the books, or watched any of the movies.
I did play The Hobbit on the PS2 and loved it though...

 

[Limie]

I have and I urge anyone who likes the films to read the books. I found that understood the characters more after reading the books, not to mention Tom Bombadil!

 

[Aetera]

I read The Hobbit in third grade, LOTR in fourth, and The Silmarillion a few years after that. I've re-read The Silmarillion seven times, and it's the least-read of Tolkien's works to me. I know a bit of Black Speech, Quenya, and Sindarin. Three of my pets are named after Valar.

So, uh... yeah. I've read it. Y'know, once or twice. xD

EDIT: Oh, I forgot. My copy of The Silmarillion? First edition. It makes me happy. <3

 

[PurePareidolia]

After watching the movies I read all three books twice, plus the Hobbit and the Silmarillion.

 

[justnotcricket]

I ploughed my way through it - I enjoyed the story, but ol' JRR did *not* know the meaning of the word concise ;-) I read the Hobbit more than once though...

 

[Nightmonger]

Ive read the whole trilogy plus the hobbit and some of Tolkiens other works such as Tales from the perilous realms, Unfinished tales and The children of Hurin

Yeah super fantasy nerd ahoy ¬¬

 

[Lieju]

I read it first time when I was 8 or so.

And while the story itself is okay, and not great, Tolkien knew how to build a world. Our edition of the book had timelines and info on the names and languages and history, and that was what I found most interesting.

 

[Amethyst Wind]

I read the entire trilogy and currently trying to get my hands on The Hobbit and The Similarion.

Honestly, while it contains a load of information about the world of Middle-Earth, you're not missing much in terms of entertainment by skipping over the Silmarillion. It isn't a story book, reads more like an encyclopedia. A very dry encyclopedia.

The Hobbit's pretty awesome though.

 

[TheAbominableDan]

I read it before the movies came out and once after. When I was young I enjoyed it. Now I really don't. It makes me feel like I'm reading a guidebook and not a story.

 

[Kaymish]

yea read the hobbit then took 6 weeks of a long tour reading the trilogy and then the first film came out when i was half way through the 2nd book but i liked the hobbit book better than the lord of the rings

 

[TimeLord]

I have read 3 of the 6 books. They are on my iPhone so I can pick them up any time

 

[Vet2501]

Read all of The Lord of the Rings books and The Hobbit. Gave up on The Silmarillion though, it just got too stodgy.

 

[WrongSprite]

Read it before the movies, thought it was alright. The writing is a tad old fashioned, can be a chore to get through some sections. Still, I adore the middle earth and everything to do with it, plus the movies were a triumph.

 

[tzimize]

Read and hated it. Compared to other fantasy novels, or even other novels it is simply not good. Considering Tolkien wrote it to be a mythology for Britain instead of an actual entertaining book that is not strange, but still. Yawnfest. And I love fantasy.

Edit: I guess hate is too strong a word, but it is simply not very good. Compared to epic works like the Thomas Covenant Chronicles, A song of Ice and Fire or even the Wheel of Time...Lotr is pretty awful.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, I read the novelisations, not as good as the movies, I though.

[sub]Kidding, don't hurt me[/sub]

 

[MiracleOfSound]

4 times, cover to cover.

I never even skipped Rivendell

Haven't actually read it since the movie came out though. Must give it another go!

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

I ploughed my way through it - I enjoyed the story, but ol' JRR did *not* know the meaning of the word concise ;-)

Now there's an understatement. I read the whole thing and liked it way back in the day when I was younger, but at some point many years later I tried rereading it after seeing the movies, and holy crap is it tedious at times. Didn't even make it through the first book that time, and I suspect I never will again. I have too much other stuff I've been meaning to read for a while anyway, so maybe it's for the best.