# can i still like LORD OF THE RINGS if I haven't read the books or seen the movies?



## st0rmb0rn (Nov 19, 2018)

can i still be a fan of lord of the rings without reading or watching the movies. Cause when I was in 8th grade I almost finished the Hobbit. But that was a bad year for me. So can I still be a fan if I read the story off the wiki?


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## Squint-eyed Southerner (Nov 19, 2018)

Umm. . .

Assuming you're not joking, yes, you can be a fan.

But why aren't you reading it?


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## st0rmb0rn (Nov 19, 2018)

I had a very bad 8th grade. My gran died, i was bullied, a lot of stuff happened. So ..., yeah. And was going to read it before my brother's wedding since his bride is wearing a dress like Arwen.


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## Alcuin (Nov 20, 2018)

Of course you can be a fan, but it’s a lot more fun to read the books than just read the wikis. That’s like skipping the book and testing on the Cliff Notes. Besides, the reason people (like us) like the books is that they’re really good, and you actually learn something about life and even about yourself by reading them. You can choose to finish _The Hobbit_ or not: it’s worth finishing. (Bilbo makes a pretty funny joke with Gandalf and Balin in the very last paragraph.) But if you prefer, there’s no reason you cannot skip the end of _The Hobbit_, though it does help make sense of _The Lord of the Rings_.

Wouldn’t it make sense to be familiar with the whole story if you’re going to be a fan? You might find the story enjoyable can take your attention from some of life’s unpleasantries. You might even find something to your profit.


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## BountyHunter (Nov 20, 2018)

Read them. That's all I have to say.

Edit: I lied. Watch the movies too.


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## Eebounnie (Nov 21, 2018)

I think you can like it without reading the books and watching the films but the books are essential for the comprehension of Tolkien lore's.
For me to be a "fan" the books should be read But as always we all have different sensibilities and opinions.


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## Elaini (Nov 21, 2018)

You can still get exposed to Middle-Earth materials without reading the books or seeing the movies because there is plenty of indie material (fan art, music etc) and memes about it. There are also wikis. Mostly I use Tolkien Gateway for quick checking since it's more reliable for canon info than most.

However, for a better picture I still recommend reading the books, to separate fan fiction headcanons and AUs from how Tolkien actually meant it.


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