# How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book?



## Sammyboy (Sep 11, 2006)

Please excuse the slightly trivial nature of this thread, just curious as to how many times you have read Tolkien's works, especially the 'big 3' - The Hobbit, Lord of The Rings, and The Silmarillion.

I'm just wondering what I'm up against, as I've just finished reading The Hobbit for the third time in as many years, and just started Lord of The Rings for the third time. Will be reading the Sil for the second time hopefully after that! I'm guessing that a lot of you have read these books many many times more than I have  

I've stuck a little poll on too, I've only included LoTR as I imagine a lot of you will have read one book more than the others, just using LoTR to get a kind of 'benchmark'.

Also, just out of interest, what's the quickest time you've read each of those three books? It's just taken me a week to read The Hobbit, but that's with work and home life in between (and spending too much time on the internet!). I'd probably get all the way through it in less than a day if I had one spare.


----------



## Barliman Butterbur (Sep 12, 2006)

Sammyboy said:


> Please excuse the slightly trivial nature of this thread, just curious as to how many times you have read Tolkien's works, especially the 'big 3' - The Hobbit, Lord of The Rings, and The Silmarillion.



I've been at it off and on since 1964, ever since I discovered LOTR on the book rack in the student store at California State University, Los Angeles.

Barley


----------



## Sammyboy (Sep 12, 2006)

I have to admit I'm a recent convert to Tolkien's works, and although I knew of their existence before, I hold my hands up and admit it was the films that got me interested! Saw the first film and loved it, then read the whole book and was blown away!

So I've only been a fan since about 2001/2002 so not had much 'reading time' to get as up to speed as a lot of people here are! I'll be an adventure reaching that point though 

So, what's the quickest that you've read LoTR?


----------



## Sammyboy (Sep 12, 2006)

Don't know if one's been started at all, if not I might start a thread on how people 'discovered' JRRT's works, and what it was that attracted them to his books. Be interesting to see how everyone got into Tolkien and where they first encountered his works


----------



## DGoeij (Sep 13, 2006)

I'm sure I told my story here on TTF before, so there must be a thread for it somewhere.

I must have been twelve or thirteen when I read anything I could get my hands on. I left the local library with three or four books at a time. Earlier my mother (once a librarian) pointed new books out to me, but in those days I could find my own way around pretty well. During the summer holidays you could take more books that ususal and since my family planned to stay in the ardennes for a few weeks, I sniffed around fro some sizeable books to bring. Although we planned to use our bikes a lot during the day, you can never really trust the weather there, so I was advised to bring someting to read. My dad accompanied me that time and he bumped into a dutch copy of the fellowship. He remembered reading it when he was younger and thought I might like it. I don't think I fully appreciated it at the time, but it was good enough for me to finish it. The two towers wasn't available at my next visit and I was very much invlved in Alitair Maclean at the time, so I kind of forgot about it for a few years. Then one day, some neighbour was clearing up his house and asked if I was interested in some of the books he was planning to get rid of. In there was also a copy of the hobbit, and LOTR, again in dutch. So I was finally able to finish the story and read the Hobbit with it as well. 
By the time I was 16-17 years old, I discovered I really enjoyed reading in english and I found LOTR to be on the list of books that were allowed to be read for my english classes in school. You had to read for at least 21 points and the three books which made up LOTR counted for 3,5 points each. This would be around 1996-'97. Later on, I also read the hobbit in english, just for the fun of it and I really became somewhat of a fan. Off course, by the time the movies came out, I was a self-proclaimed expert among my friends and they jokingly ordered me to shut up about it, they just wanted to enjoy a movie with monsters and swords. Not be bothered by lectures on the different races and languages of ME. 

I've re-read the Hobbit and LOTR several times, the latter not only as a whole but in sections as well. As a whole, simply because I really enjoy the story, in sections because I wished to freshen up my memory. Especially after watching the movies, of which I sometimes felt they portrayed a serious lack of understanding of the true story. (a whole different story).

The Sil I've read perhaps three times and I've read the Unfinished Tales twice. The History of Middle Earth is known to me, but I haven't read anything from it as of yet. I've also read the biography of professor Tolkien by Humphrey Carpenter. I do posses a copy of the Letters (letter written by Tolkien over the years of his life), but mine's in Dutch and that doesn't work very well with the english I prefer to read.


----------



## Sammyboy (Sep 13, 2006)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's introduced you to him?*

Great story there DG, bit better than mine! You sound like you have always been into books - I have too, to a greater or lesser extent over the years. 

Let's hear some more stories on how you first discovered Tolkien!


----------



## Varokhâr (Sep 13, 2006)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*

Overall, I'd say 5 - 10 times, but cover-to-cover only once. I can't read a book cover-to-cover a second time once I've done it once already. I will reread interesting parts or whole chapters as the mood strikes me, but out of sequence. After I know what's happening in a story, re-reading cover-to-cover is pretty much impossible for me.

The quickest I've ever read a book is abut a day and a half (maybe less), and that was Randall Frakes and Bill Wisher's novelized adaptation of _The Terminator_. It was the first book I ever sat down to read willingly, and my young teenage mind got seriously engrossed in it. They used a unique style that influenced how I looked at writing for years to come. I know I also read Christie Golden's _Seven of Nine_ (Book 16 in the _Star Trek: Voyager_ series) in about the same span of time.


----------



## Barliman Butterbur (Sep 13, 2006)

Thanks for that wonderful narrative, DG!  

Europeans have a depth of education, and a nonchalance about learning English which is wonderful. Here in the US, our educational system (and our attitude about learning) is in terrible trouble.

Barley


----------



## DGoeij (Sep 13, 2006)

Don't get too emotional. The cries of havoc about the decline of our educational system are not unlike those in your own country, I guess. One of the variants of 'kids these days, they've got no.....' (add your own virtue )

And the European grasp of english is mainly thanks to the popular culture originating from your own poorly educated country I'm afraid. Although increased english courses in schools do help, I believe. Even the french youngsters are getting some these days. 

But I was lucky with my parents and especially my mother (librarian). By reading to me (and my brother) before bedtime, they increased our interest in stories in the first place and showing us small and fun books at first, made reading in itself fun. I know of dozens of kids who, by their willing but somewhat ignorant parents, were forced to try and read the famous kids books with over 300 pages. Great stories, yes, but the size was monstrous to anyone only vaguely interested in reading. Only after I read through 50 page books in a matter of a single day my mother went for the 'higly praised childrens literature'. My brother was more active, but liked the small books about a young and talented soccer player. So for him, she stuck to those.

And she never bothered us about reading comic books either. Reading is reading in (pun alert) her book.

I am a bit too much into books sometimes, it's hardly fun if some only last for a week, but luckily I do like to re-read from cover to cover.

The biggest nuisance I found out recently, since my ex-girlfriend (I think the first time I called her that) and I broke up. I had to remove my things from her home and it became quite a few boxes of books as well, some of which simply don't fit in my old room anymore.


----------



## Neumy (Sep 13, 2006)

I would include myself in the 5-10 (but I'm getting close to the 10th time now). Most books I can't be bothered to re-read, but with Tolkien, there's always something new to get out of the books. 

Receintly, I took a look at the first chapters again (just planning to read chapters 1-5 ish) I finished the entire LotR a week later. 

Unfortunately, I have never re-read the Sil. I have read the entire HoME series, and there's so much repetition in there that re-reading the Sil is just too much.


----------



## Sagan369 (Sep 13, 2006)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*

It took u 7 days to read the, what 1100 page behemouth? Cover to cover took me all of June and July, and I thought that was fast! Since 1990 ive read it like 10 times. The Sil, on the other hand, reads so much easier, that I can do in like 7 days im pretty sure.


----------



## Sammyboy (Sep 13, 2006)

It's taken me a while to read through LoTR, and that's reading quickly, typically a month or so. If I had a week or two to myself, no work or other commitments I'd probably get through it in a week or 10 days I'm sure!

@Varokhâr, interesting that you 'dip in' to certain chapters or sections of a book after reading them, but I can see why as you know what's happened after reading a book though. I've got a mate whose similar with films, he doesn't own a huge amount of DVDs as he says there isn't much point in watching the film again and again once you know what's going to happen.

I do still like re-reading a book cover to cover, re-live it all over again! Again, it seems to be only certain books I can do that with, like Tolkien's books and the Harry Potter series, not really found much else that I can re-read.


----------



## VictumAnimus (Sep 13, 2006)

I've read LOTR (whole trilogy) front-to-back 6 times over a period of about 5 years. Before that I had read the Hobbit, and I've read it about 3 times. Silmarillion only once. I've also read Unfinished Tales, Tales from the Perilous Realm, Roverandom...


----------



## Barliman Butterbur (Sep 13, 2006)

DGoeij said:


> The biggest nuisance I found out recently, since my ex-girlfriend (I think the first time I called her that) and I broke up. I had to remove my things from her home and it became quite a few boxes of books as well, some of which simply don't fit in my old room anymore.



About the break-up — I remember what it was like when I was in my twenties to have to go through that, and it was hell. But I can also remember what it was like to find, after a proper time of healing and regrouping, someone else even better suited! _Excelsior; ad astra per aspera_ sir!  

Barley


----------



## Alcuin (Sep 13, 2006)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*



Barliman Butterbur said:


> About the break-up — I remember what it was like when I was in my twenties to have to go through that, and it was hell.


Yeah, I know what you mean. 

How ever did you get your stuff to another “pad” while dodging all those dinosaurs?  Were the UCLA grad students living in the cheap digs over near the La Brea tar pits yet? 

I can see you in the ’60s – BB Cool:


----------



## Starbrow (Sep 14, 2006)

I've lost track of how many times I've read LOTR, but it's well over 10 times. I used to read it at least once a year BK (before kids). In my younger days I once read the whole LOTR in 3 days, but I wouldn't really recommend that approach. I was just doing it to say I could, but I didn't really enjoy the story as well the speed reading way. It's much better to savor it and stretch it out.


----------



## Alcuin (Sep 14, 2006)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*

I am called Alcuin, and I am a Tolkien addict. I have read _LotR_ at least once a year for over 30 years, often twice or three times, and sometimes four times or more. My office has every text of Tolkien’s work so far scattered around my chair. I have five copies of _LotR_, four copies of _Hobbit_, three copies of _Sil_, and two copies of _Tolkien Reader_; all of _HoME_, and I’ve been found digging frantically in my attic and basement several times over the past several years for my missing copy of _Road Goes Ever On_. My kids smile at me and my addiction; my wife just shakes her head. It usually takes me 3 weeks to read _LotR_ from start to finish. My most recent copy (I prefer the single volume version) is five years old, covered in marginal notes (many pages have no more room for notes; I am going to have to resort to inserts - should I use tape or staples?), references, and cross-references, and it is falling apart, which can mean only one thing: _it’s time to get another one!_


----------



## Barliman Butterbur (Sep 14, 2006)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*



Alcuin said:


> ...My most recent copy ... (many pages have no more room for notes; I am going to have to resort to inserts - should I use tape or staples?)



I have found that roofing nails serve admirably, or, in a pinch, railroad spikes.

Barley


----------



## DGoeij (Sep 14, 2006)

McGyver beats enitre armies with his swiss army knife and a roll of duct tape.

But for my own books in which I wish to place references or notes, I tend to use several different systems, usually because of the lack of anything else every time I think of making notes. I haven't found a perfect solution yet. 

Post-its work ok, they tend to stay in place, you can keep moving them around a bit and they don't fill up the book too excessively. But there's not much room to write on them, if you have some serious thoughts.

Robert Fosters _Complete Guide to Middle Earth_ works quite good as a reference guide and beats my personal notes every time. I tend to use it a lot to fresh up my memory everytime one of you lot makes an obscure remark about some character I can't recall.


The breaking up part did hurt, but I could see her point and had to agree we messed up a bit (not too exciting, but stupidly misunderstanding eachother for several months). But after six years you don't expect someone to be able to start afresh within three weeks after the breakup and within a week after I removed the last of my things. I shouldn't bother you with it, but some things tend to shock you quite a bit.


----------



## YayGollum (Sep 14, 2006)

I don't keep track of such things. I haven't read any of those Tolkien type books more than five times, though, I am pretty sure. Maybe that The Lord Of The Rings story. Definitely that The Hobbit book. I read The Silmarillion only a few times, and Unfinished Tales and the few The History Of Middle Earth books that I can find only once. I have a good memory. No reason to re-read everything every two days.

As to how I happened upon Tolkien type writings, my evil parents were large Tolkien geeks. I owe my life to the guy, since he was one of the reasons for why they enjoyed each other's company for a while. I had The Hobbit read to me at least once and got several key scenes from other books spoiled for me by my evil father. Mayhaps that is why I have some crazy ideas about a few characters? oh well. 

I almost read that The Lord Of The Rings story out of order when I was in middle school. Although my evil parents were large fans of the story, I didn't know very much about it and wasn't very interested. But I happened upon The Two Towers while browsing, wasn't reading anything else at the moment, thought that I remembered the name as part of some really cool trilogy, and started reading. I hadn't gotten very far and was a bit annoyed at all of the stuff that the book seemed to figure that I already knew. My evil mom lady got especially angry at me and ordered me to stop reading and take the book back. 

That did not inspire me to seek out The Fellowship Of The Ring, so my education was delayed a while longer. Once rumors started getting pretty achingly large that the story would be turned into a movie, I started on the correct book, just so that I could be one of those snooty people who enjoy pointing out all of the mistakes that the movie people made.  Every Tolkien story that I have read since came as quickly as I could get it to, since I had to become an expert. As soon as I find the rest of those books, my mission will be complete, and I will probably lose interest.  *hides*

I have employed the speed brand of reading on that The Lord Of The Rings story before and read it in three days. I could have been faster, but I decided to go with a book a day. Like the Starbrow person, just to say that I could. Without the speed brand of reading, it would normally take me about a week, depending on what else I'm doing. I get into a groove with reading, usually with a pretty fast pace. What? Savoring the things? It is possible to enjoy a quickly read story. Why waste so much time reading one book? Get it over with, then move to the next one. Wouldn't the experience stagnate if you drew it out too long? oh well.

Also, Ack! Why write in books? Any notes that I feel like making for myself are always done on separate pieces of paper which are stuck with the book ever after. Ugh. Crazy humans.


----------



## Barliman Butterbur (Sep 14, 2006)

DGoeij said:


> The breaking up part did hurt...after six years you don't expect someone to be able to start afresh within three weeks after the breakup...



Speaking as an ex-family therapist — such breakups are quite literally deaths. It was the death of a long relationship, and it will need grieving over (to say nothing of raging over) and lots of time for healing and thinking about, and eventually regrouping. Hang in! 

Barley


----------



## Sammyboy (Sep 15, 2006)

@YayGollum - so it was your parents' influence that got you into Tolkien then? Anyone else influenced by their parents, siblings, relatives, friends?

@alcuin - that's quite an addiction you've got there!  

I have to admit I've not got to the stage of making notes, I think if I did I'd put inserts in rather than write on the book itself, or maybe do something on the PC, referencing the note with the page no., paragraph, etc. then print it out if I want it with the book. That way if I lose the loose notes or something happens to them I've still got a copy on the PC I can print out


----------



## YayGollum (Sep 19, 2006)

It was me wishing to be one of those snooty people who point out all of the mistakes the movie people make that got me to read the books, not the influence of any relative of mine. Hm. Well, maybe my evil mom lady was the one who told me that the story was definitely going to be turned into some movies. I don't know. Reading Tolkien type books seemed to me to be a given for living in my family, even though I don't think that either of my evil sisters ever read the whole thing. They were sure that I would do it, they didn't push me too hard, I would have gotten to it eventually, anyways.


----------



## chrysophalax (Sep 20, 2006)

Interesting, Yay. I don't remember being angry at you about reading The Two Towers, I just figured you should read LotR in order. 

As for me, I first read the Hobbit when I was 15 (during Health class) I thought it was pretty good, so I went on the read all JRRT's other stuff. At last count, I've read the trilogy 23 times.


----------



## Narsil (Sep 20, 2006)

Well, I'm in the middle of reading _Lord of the Rings_ for the 3rd time. Maybe the 4th? I forget.  I would say I've read it 3 times cover to cover and have picked through it a number of times. Same with _The Hobbit_. Right now I'm in the middle of _The Two Towers_ and it amazes me how many new things I still pick up. I've read _The Silmarillion_ once but it's on the list to be reread this winter. One reading of UT. HOME is on my list. Maybe it'll be under the Christmas tree this year.  

I've also read Tolkien's biography by Humphrey Carpenter. It gives excellent insight into Tolkien. I'd like to pick up his _Letters_ as well. 

I tend to reread books fairly frequently in any case. I don't tend to rush them because IMO a good book is like a fine wine and isn't meant to be gulped down. I also don't have much time for sitting for hours at a time day after day and reading. I have to do it when I can.

How did I start reading Tolkien? Well, I watched the first two movies and was clueless as to what was going on and then received _The Hobbit_ one year for Christmas and then started on LOTR. I finished the first time right before the movie version of _The Return of the King_ came out and it made watching that movie much enjoyable. I've always liked fantasy and loved the Oz books and _Chronicles of Narnia_ as a child. I've recently read the Earthsea and Harry Potter books. 

And yes, I still think that Tolkien has 'em all beat.


----------



## Sammyboy (Sep 21, 2006)

Yes, I'm now reading LoTR for the third time, and I'm still picking up on details I missed on previous readings, and will probably continue to do so for the next few re-readings! There's so much detail in the books that it must take at least 3-4 readings before you've gotten all the details out of it, and even then I imagine to get the most out of these new details you'll have to have read the Sil, Hobbit, etc.

I'm hoping to pick up some more details and understand the Sil a bit more once I re-read that after I've read LoTR, then perhaps tackle Lost Tales again, which I gave up trying to read just after starting it last time.


----------



## Barliman Butterbur (Sep 21, 2006)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*



Alcuin said:


> Yeah, I know what you mean.
> 
> How ever did you get your stuff to another “pad” while dodging all those dinosaurs?  Were the UCLA grad students living in the cheap digs over near the La Brea tar pits yet?
> 
> I can see you in the ’60s – BB Cool:



Good lord, how did I ever miss this incredible insult???!!! I guess I don't read your posts much...whippersnapper...   But you're right about one thing: I _was *totally*_ cool in the 60s! Actually, my time started in the middle to late 50s during the end of the Beatnik era.

Once I got out of the Air Force and began Los Angeles City College as a music major (UCLA came later), I met up with an old high school buddy, and he and I and another guy formed a "jazz pantomime troupe." We played at coffeehouses all over the city and became mildly famous and known (everwhere we went we'd be showered with free booze and pot and all the glory we could handle). My friend would do pantomime to jazz (I played flute, the other guy percussion), and read wacky beat poetry. I began to get into the Flower Power scene but then I met the woman who was to become my first wife and had to dial back a bit...but there was a time when the three of us were a force to be reckoned with on the L.A. hip scene!  

And when I began to teach in the public schools, I sported a full beard, and wore Indian shirts and handmade leather sandals which were made especially for me (I stood on a piece of cardboard barefoot while the cobbler drew the outline of my foot). And of course I joined the AFT, the American Federation of Teachers, all wild-eyed radical libs!

Barley


----------



## Alcuin (Sep 21, 2006)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*



Barliman Butterbur said:


> ...there was a time when the three of us were a force to be reckoned with on the L.A. hip scene!


I can see you as beatnik, Barley! Updated beatnik now, sporting that Diet Coke: what do you superstars get for endorsements these days?

Seriously, though, what was the name of the pantomime group?


----------



## Lindir (Sep 22, 2006)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*



Alcuin said:


> I am called Alcuin, and I am a Tolkien addict. I have read _LotR_ at least once a year for over 30 years, often twice or three times, and sometimes four times or more.


My story is very similar, although my addiction is now only about 25 years old and I would estimate that I have read the book at least 40 times by now. I have yet to read it this year, but there is still plenty of time to do that, I'm a very fast reader. I have now only two copies (recently had four) of The Lord of the Rings and one single copy of The Hobbit (had to throw out one very battered copy) and I think it will be enough for a bit. It wasn't easy to get rid of my oldest copy, but it was read and loved to death and sentimentality is not a very good thing when running out of bookshelf space.


----------



## Ravenna (Oct 3, 2006)

I have read LoTR at least once a year for at least 25 years often more. The Hobbit and Sil not so often, maybe every 2-3 years. as for the rest, I tend to read bits of HoME and UT, but seldom cover to cover.

I found Tolkien by accident really. An aged relative of mine, can't remember exactly who now, gave me a copy of Farmer Giles of Ham when I was about 11, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Then a couple of years later, I was prowling the school library for something new to read when I saw Tolkien on the spine of Fellowship and decided I had nothing to lose by trying it. Too late, I realised I was addicted and haven't been able to stop reading him since 

I have read LoTR in 4 days when VERY bored during a long hot summer holiday, but usually about a week is normal depending on other demands on my time.


----------



## Noldor_returned (Oct 3, 2006)

I try and read LOTR once a year (including Hobbit, Sil and UT), and once I read LOTR, UT, Sil and Hobbit within a month. Man, that was when I actually had time to spare. Blast this busy life!


----------



## Barliman Butterbur (Oct 4, 2006)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*



Alcuin said:


> I can see you as beatnik, Barley! Updated beatnik now, sporting that Diet Coke: what do you superstars get for endorsements these days?
> 
> Seriously, though, what was the name of the pantomime group?



Actually, the diet Coke thing was absolutely unintentional. I happened to be drinking it at the moment, and that's what happened.

What was the name of the pantomime group??? Hmmm — I think it was something like _The Elliot Fayad Jazz Pantomime Troupe,_ or something like that. Elliot was an old high school pal. He was originally from Lebanon. Family was very poor. He used to come to school with what he called "Elliot sandwiches:" hollowed-out half-loafs of long bread filled with cottage cheese and jelly.

Even though he was completely tone-deaf and couldn't carry a tune in a bathtub, he played tuba in our football band, simply because the band director needed two tubas for symmetry in band half-time formations. But he had an incredible talent for pantomime, which I discovered when I re-made his acquaintance upon entering junior college. I happened to see one of his flyers on a bulletin board, and voila! Made the contact. The rest was minor history. But alas, that whole scene eventually went out of vogue, and he lost his health working as a laborer. He became extremely down on his luck, poor chap, and he eventually faded out of my life. I dare not think of what may have become of him.

Barley


----------



## greypilgrim (Oct 28, 2006)

Sammyboy said:


> Please excuse the slightly trivial nature of this thread, just curious as to how many times you have read Tolkien's works, especially the 'big 3' - The Hobbit, Lord of The Rings, and The Silmarillion.
> 
> I'm just wondering what I'm up against, as I've just finished reading The Hobbit for the third time in as many years, and just started Lord of The Rings for the third time. Will be reading the Sil for the second time hopefully after that! I'm guessing that a lot of you have read these books many many times more than I have
> 
> ...


I read the LoTR about once a year, the Silmaril about once every two years, and the Hobbit, well, probabaly won't be reading that until the Hobbit movie comes out (The Gods know when...) sparking up that old nostalgia.

Time-wise, I'm reading LoTR year-round, always flipping to old favorite chapters, and the stories in the Appendix are cool too.


----------



## Erestor Arcamen (Oct 30, 2006)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*

at least 5 times and it took me like 3 months because i read slowly and reread some parts sometimes


----------



## Sammyboy (Oct 31, 2006)

I've just finished my third re-read of LoTR and it's probably take me about 3 months this time, what with work and other things I've not had chance to read, finally finished the last couple of chapters yesterday afternoon! 

Going to re-read the Silmarillion for the second time next hopefully, think that will take a couple of re-reads to fully absorb everything that's in it, I struggled the first time around!


----------



## Richard (Nov 12, 2006)

at least 2 times a year since 1978


----------



## Helcaraxë (Nov 23, 2006)

Probably six. That's including parts read disjointedly.


----------



## Eledhwen (Nov 24, 2006)

I have no idea how many times I've read The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. I'm not a numbers person, and as well as reading them several times to myself, I read them out loud to my children. I've read the whole of the Silmarillion about three times, but some of the stories more times than that. Same for UT and BoLT 1 and 2. I haven't finished reading the rest of HoME.


----------



## Arvedui (Nov 26, 2006)

Oh dear! I have no idea on how many times I have read the different books. I know that I have read "The Lord of the Rings" at least once a year since I was 16 or 17, which makes it more than 20...
And I know that I have had to replace "The Silmarillion" once, but the number of times that I have read that one, or "The Hobbit," is impossible to guess at. The others I have read more or less twice, including "Letters" and "Biography."

Nevertheless, it isn't the numbers that count. And it ain't a competition. It is just about the magical experience of opening the door to a far country. Strange, but yet somewhat familiar. Long gone, but still near.


----------



## Eledhwen (Nov 28, 2006)

Arvedui said:


> It ain't a competition. It is just about the magical experience of opening the door to a far country. Strange, but yet somewhat familiar. Long gone, but still near.


Amen!

On the second question asked: "What's the quickest you've read a book?", I think most people will answer the same: the cliff hanger at the end of The Two Towers had Frodo taken by the enemy and Sam stranded on the edge of Mordor. The first time I read the trilogy, I threw The Two Towers aside and snatched up The Return of the King, only to find the story returned to Gandalf and Pippin. Speed read? I could have broken records in my hurry to find out what happened next at Cirith Ungol.


----------



## Sammyboy (Nov 28, 2006)

Don't worry, I started this thread just out of interest to see how many times people on average on this board had read the books, to see really how much experience with Tolkien's world others had, and how much 'catching up' I need to do! I often feel a bit overawed with the level of experience some people have compared to me.

Very true though about it being a magical experience, I don't try to read the books as fast as I can, I love the immersion you get in the books, the feeling of 'being there' and pure escapism that JRRT's books give you. I do find though I get through quite a few chapters in one sitting if I have a good couple of hours spare, and don't want to put the book down if I can help it!  It has made me a bit scared of trying any other authors, as I have a feeling I won't get that same depth in any other fantasy book/series.


----------



## Eledhwen (Dec 1, 2006)

Sammyboy said:


> It has made me a bit scared of trying any other authors, as I have a feeling I won't get that same depth in any other fantasy book/series.


No, you probably won't. But nonetheless, there are some good reads out there. It's a bit like panning for gold: there's also an awful lot of dross!

Why not try something that's still fantasy, but radically different like James Patterson's Maximum Ride series (it will make it to a trilogy if he gets the third one finished) or Magyk (Septimus Heap) by Angie Sage? You might not like them, but you will have read them and can then make an informed comparison.


----------



## Mike (Dec 5, 2006)

The fastest I read it was three days--but I was sick and had nothing better to do.

I've read it, I think, 10 times, at which point I decided to stop. That was when I was 16, I believe. Haven't picked it up since.

But it's still great talking about it, eh?


----------



## Ar-Feiniel (Dec 7, 2006)

For the past four years every November I start reading all the Tolkien that I've got (I'm hoping by the time I'm done with my old stuff I'll have new books as Christmas presents). And I'm even anal enough to have a specific order in which I read them, or at least I was, until I got Unfinished Tales at the end of October. I start out with HoME 1-5, the The Silmarillion, appendix A and B from The Return of the King come next, then The Hobbit, The lord of the Rings, The Tolkien Reader, and Farmer Giles of Ham/Smith of Wooton Major. As for the fastest read it was definitely Unfinished Tales cos I'd heard so much about it. Now if I could only decide if it should come before or after The Silmarillion...


----------



## Willow Took (Jan 3, 2007)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*

I just picked up LoTR for another read through, and figure it must be at least a dozen times now, maybe as much as fifteen times. I've been reading it since I was in my mid-teens, in the 1970s. I've gone through phases where it's been years between readings, and phases where I've picked it up almost every year (this latest re-read is the fourth time since the first movie came out).

I had read the Hobbit, and then the Lord of the Rings series was re-released in paperback when the Simarillion was first published, making it once again widely available to the reading public, with our often meager pocketbooks. As a teen (16? 17?), I joined a reading group of college students and professors who were exploring the books together. It was over my head and none-the-less completely absorbing. I was hooked, and have been ever since. My only regret is that I've never really had the focus to completely explore the earlier works (that is, HoME etc.).

I've read the Hobbit around four or five times, have picked up the Simarillion, which I bought a first edition hardback of when it was first released in the U.S., three times and each time make it farther, but have never completed it. I pick through a few of the HoME volumes from time to time, skipping around, teaching myself more about the hints that the Hobbit and LoTR leave.

Sometimes I return to the series because of some inspiration like seeing part of one of the movies on tv, or hearing a friend rave about it. Other times (now for instance) I return to it for the familiarity, for the story of ethics and honor and perseverence for the Good Fight, which I need when times are rough (many family deaths, career changes, etc.). During these times in particular, I think it is Tolkien's deft mixture of ordinary people, extraordinary events, and surprising abilities to rise to the occasion (surprising sometimes even to those who do the rising). I am somehow soothed and set right by reading these stories.

Plus, they're just really, really cool.


----------



## Ingwë (Jan 3, 2007)

I've read The Lord of the Rings from the beginning to the last chapter only once  I've never have a chance to finidh it again though I love reading certain chapters and passages of the book. I started reading by English edition 2 years ago, I read "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" and I stopped reading because I was too busy. And when you stop reading book like LotR you must start from the beginning... So I started reading my English edition 3 weeks ago 
I've read The Silmarilion more than 20 times because it is my favourite book... I really think it is great!
I've read The Hobbit more than 10 times. It is funny and easy to read.
Unfinished Tales - more than 10 times


----------



## Hobbit-GalRosie (Feb 4, 2007)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*

I've read LotR twice (FotR thrice), the Hobbit twice (the second time Spanish and English at the same time to try to get me to learn a little, not because I particularly wanted to reread it), the Sil twice, UT twice, BoLT I and II twice, and all the rest of HoME once. Also once for The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Farmer Giles of Ham, Smith of Wooten Major, Leaf by Niggle, Roverandom, and several essays. Once for Carpenter's biography, and twice for the Letters.

I've never gone through LotR quickly, even if I do breeze along at first I will always reach a point where I feel like my mind badly needs a rest before I can continue, and I will turn to other things. The second read I finished it just within the nine week period I was allowed with a library copy, and the previous time I took about that much time per volume of the "trilogy."

I came to LotR through the first movie, though I'd _meant_ to pick it up for some time before then. I just somehow hadn't realized it would come to be my definition of "art" until then.


----------



## Meselyn (Apr 10, 2007)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*

I read them every summer or whenever I don't have anything to read. They're just so much fun to read and an easy way to kill 2 or 3 hours.


----------



## Annaheru (Apr 10, 2007)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*

I put myself down in the 10-20 category though it could be more than that. . . I've read them pretty often (it was my current re-read that got me to log back into TTF).

My mom owned the Hobbit and LotR in the Ballantine boxed paperback set and she introduced me to the Hobbit during the summer between 2nd and 3rd grade. I read through LotR over the next two years and introduced myself to the Sil around 6th grade.

I've read LotR in a 14hr marathon one summer (8th grade maybe?). Back then reading and sports were pretty much all I did--now reading is about getting away , so I take my time with "old friends" (though I still read through a new and interesting book fast).


----------



## Grond (Apr 17, 2007)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*

I think I've answered this somewhere in the archives as well but... here goes again.

I have read the works over 50 times. Works includes the Hobbit, LOTR, and Sil. I've read UT, Farmer Giles, Smith of WM, and the HoME series at least 10 times each.

The lure began in the middle. As a freshman pole-vaulter in a small Louisiana college in 1973, we were in the bus on the way to Memphis State for an Autumn practice meet when I started reading The Two Towers after a friend had finished it. I became enthralled. Thanksgiving break was a week away. I went to the campus book store and bought The Hobbit and The LOTR. When I got home, I spent all of the holiday on the couch pouring over the books. I read and reread them over six times by the time I graduated in 1976. I read all of them (Hob - LOTR - Sil) at least once a year (sometime twice) and read parts of UT and HoME at least every year. 

Many here won't know me, but I was quite active here a few years ago.

P.S. I am also a fanatic reader of Frank Herbert's Dune seres and think it is the only work I've found that approaches the universe created by JRRT. 

Cheers,

grond


----------



## Gothmog (Apr 18, 2007)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*



Grond said:


> Many here won't know me, but I was quite active here a few years ago.
> 
> P.S. I am also a fanatic reader of Frank Herbert's Dune seres and think it is the only work I've found that approaches the universe created by JRRT.
> 
> ...



But those who do remember do so with fondness and a hope of your return.  

And yes, Dune is a wonderful series (that also seems to suffer greatly in any attempt to put it on screen.  )


----------



## Barliman Butterbur (Apr 18, 2007)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*



Alcuin said:


> Yeah, I know what you mean.
> 
> How ever did you get your stuff to another “pad” while dodging all those dinosaurs?  Were the UCLA grad students living in the cheap digs over near the La Brea tar pits yet?
> 
> I can see you in the ’60s – BB Cool:



How did I ever miss this post — have some respect for your elders, you cheeky brat!   

Barley


----------



## Luke Sineath (Apr 18, 2007)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*

I honestly have no idea how many times I've read _The Lord of the Rings_. Many, many times. But it's been a while since I read it. at this point.


----------



## Ermundo (Apr 27, 2007)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*

My case is the same as Luke's. I do read the book, and everyday too, about 20 or so pages before I hit the bunk. But I read only the parts I feel like reading. For example, I might one day read about Frodo and co.'s stay at the Prancing Pony, but the next day I'll be crying over the death of Theoden. 
So, to tell the truth, I can't answer the question truthfully.


----------



## Snaga (May 21, 2007)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*

A few years ago I estimated that I'd read LotR about 50 times. Since then, I've got into it a bit more, so who now can measure the depths of my obsession?

One copy of TT I have is so well thumbed the spine broke. 

I have a set of LotR and the Sil, hardback with fold out maps, which is a 1974 impression of the 1954 edition. I got it in Spitalfields Market in London for a song, and it smells like that antique paper smell.


----------



## yhwh1st (Jul 12, 2007)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*

Oh gosh! I never really keep count.
I think I've read LOTR 20+ easy (can read FOTR, TTF, ROTK each in a day or two. I guess closer to three days.) The first time I read LOTR, I finished the book and immediately turned back to the beginning! 
The Hobbit: 20+ times and read in one day easy.
The Sil: once  I need to read it again, though.

I simply don't have as much time for reading anymore.


----------



## yhwh1st (Jul 12, 2007)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*



Annaheru said:


> now reading is about getting away , so I take my time with "old friends" (though I still read through a new and interesting book fast).


Yeow! Seeing you say that...for a minute there I thought I had written that! j/k but that's exactly what's happened to me.


----------



## Bucky (Dec 20, 2007)

*Re: How often have you read JRRT's books - and what's the quickest you've read a book*

I probably responded already, but......

I've read the 5 books 25-30 times starting in 1977 at age 15 after seeing The Hobbit cartoon on NBC at age 15 & 1/2.....

I recently read The Chilren of Hurin in about a week - And found NOTHING new in it that wasn't available if you look through The Silmarillion, Unfinished tales, UT's footnotes & HoME. 

I'm currently reading The Hobbit to my ten year old son who has Autism, complete with different voices for each character. He held his hands over his ears when Gollum spoke.


----------

