AGe of LOTR Fans

[Olorin]

I noticed that most LOTR fans used to be older more mature people but there were the few like me (i'm 15) who were raised with Tolkien's works and therefore are automatic fans but when i talk to kids at school i get the whole "I tried to read the hobbit in 4th grade but i got bored" but with the movie coming out it has pulled in a younger audience, sometimes too young, is this a good thing or a bad thing. What do you think

[Mirkgirl]

Well this is not a thread about the book itself... I'm moving it to the Pony where it'll be a more open discussion.

Well I read LotR when I was very little, 9 or 10, but I can never be used as a norm ;) anyway I'm the only one in the family who's really into the books.

I think the younger audience in most cases don't get into the Tolkien ideas, but into the visions (elves etc) but I hope that even they benefit something... Tolkien has strong subconscious influences which are even in the movie IMO. And if they read the book... what better?

[Cuiel Rilwen]

so right you are, raising kids is for a great deal being a good example to follow and providing good "external"rolemodels as well...a lot of the stuff has to be subconcious cuz kids don't necessarily understand it, we just need for them to accept what we're trying to teach them . Even if they do read Tolkien for the exiting stuff only, we can always hope that the moral standards sink in as well, rising to the task when called upon! LotR has indeed good heroes, better than any comicbook I've read...and I love comics! The movies has opened up this world to those who can't force themselves through the book!

[Bonos-Girl]

i read the hobbit when i was about 9...i was in france and was staying with a french family.....not too good for someone who couldn't speak french at all!! i ended up reading it about 8 times in 2 weeks along with other books...

[Keverzwijn]

I was quite young when I read Lotr, 11 or 12 years old or so.Hey Olorin, nice sig. What's your job here?

[Bonos-Girl]

i read LOTR when i was 12 or 13....i was kinda obssessed with the hobbit for ages...then i discovered LOTR! lol

[Olorin]

oh... i'm going to be working on the books section

[Little Devil]

I read it just only a year ago, fresh after the movie. ;)

[A! Elbereth]

I've only known about LOTR for two years, and in those years I've read the book more than twice. I am younger, but I appreciate the book far more than the movie. I have great respect for The Professor and his works, and what lies in the words on any page of his.

I think there are many young people out there who only enjoy LOTR because they saw the movie and became love-sick with one of the characters. I have many firends my age who hasn't read the books, and when I ask them to they reply, "It's too long." If they do not want to read the book, they do not like the story as much as they may think, in my honest opinion.

But age does not matter if the fan really understands and loves it. No fooling around about saying you love it when you can't even understand it, or don't even know the entire story. :o