I admit it. I have an incurable obsession with any and all that is J.R.R. Tolkien’s THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Above all else this work inspired me to put pen to paper as a writer. It gave me permission to build fantastical worlds, set forth on adventures, and create swoonworthy heroes (Aragorn, not Frodo).
Confessions of a LORD OF THE RINGS addict:
- I immerse myself in the story every year by either reading the trilogy, listening to the audiobooks (appendices included – you haven’t lived until you’ve experienced the full story of Aragorn and Arwen), or watching the extended versions of all three films.
- I read the entire trilogy aloud to my children. (My Gimli ROCKS)
- I own a cardboard standee of Aragorn (Thank you Peter Jackson for casting Viggo Mortensen.)
- I still have nightmares about the Nazgul (Sauron I can deal with, but those nine riders FREAK ME OUT.)
- I play the LORD OF THE RINGS slot machines (I’m up to the Shards of Narsil bonus.)
- I attended Trilogy Tuesday, December 16, 2003, and watched all three movies back to back in the theatre the day RETURN OF THE KING debuted (That’s a lot of popcorn. I’m on the left in the pic.)
All kidding aside, I revere this story. It continues to set a literary bar that I will never achieve, but always strive for.
Tolkien permeates my teaching as well.
“All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost” – is a fabulous writing prompt.
“War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend…” – this works as a Patriot POV on the Revolutionary War.
Are you a Tolkien devotee? What piece of literature continues to glitter the gold of inspiration to your writing?
Middle Earth Fans: Check out Peter Jackson’s Video blog for THE HOBBIT
I always enjoy watching Lord of the Rings (mainly because of the swoonworthy heroes...). :)
ReplyDeleteWhat? You're telling me Frodo didn't make you swoon? OMG!!!!
ReplyDeleteI watched the first one while breastfeeding baby # 2 (we didn't have cable at the time). I decided if we had another baby boy (not that we were going to have more babies), I wanted to name him Viggo.
My husband wasn't so keen on the plan (Hmmm, you think me drooling over the actor had something to do with that?). Fortunately for him, #3 was a girl. ;)
@Lee - You mean watching it again, and again, and again... Boromir, Faramir, and Eomer aren't hard on the eyes either. May I suggest a standee.
ReplyDelete@Stina - LOL. Vigga didn't fly?
I am a Tolkien fan for life. I read his books for the first time at ten years old with a dictionary by my side. I looked up every word I didn't know - a painstaking process for a kid - because I knew there was magic in those pages. :D
ReplyDeleteHey, I've seen that standee! Hellloooooo Viggo :D
ReplyDeleteYou'll want to hit me over the head with a club, because I have not read these books NOR seen the movies *ducks tomatoes*. BUT, I appreciate the world he created.
I'm a huge sucker, HUGE, for Price and Prejudice. Whenever I watch it (again) my sons say, "Isn't that the same movie you've seen a hundred times?" Um, yes, a bit Darcy crazed.
Oh YEAH! Agreed. And we must teach Julie the ways of the hobbits.
ReplyDeleteLOVE Tolkien!!!! Not enough to read the Trilogy aloud to my youngest quite yet...but then again, if I start now with a few pages a week, maybe I'll finish by the time she graduates from high school :) I love the quotes you included. LOTR is a timeless piece of literature!
ReplyDeleteI am an equally devoted Harry Potter fan. I am obsessed with HP - the films in particular. Every time a new film comes out, I pull out all my DVDS and have a "Harry Potter Fest" and watch all the movies back to back prior to seeing the new one. I bought Deathly Hallows the day it released last week. I am so excited for the final installment I can hardly stand it!
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who is a Twilight-addict. She's read the books umpteenth times, got a license plate (the plate, not the frame) that says Twylyt, sells a line of denim jackets with Twilight pics on the back, and sits in line on opening night for hours and hours and hours - something I refuse to do even for dear old Harry.
@ Tina -Didn't the orc scare the beejeepers out of you at 10? I first read them at 12, and I swore their were orcs and Uru Kai under my bed and in my closet.
ReplyDelete@ Julie - Lisa and I will develop a detailed plan to get you acquainted with Middle Earth. As Lisa suggests, we will start with Hobbits.
@Jess - Tolkien gets into your blood stream doesn't it?
@Laurie - LOL. I have to admit, I'm on GOBLET OF FIRE in my "watch all the Harry Potters again before I watch DEALTHY HALLOWS. They are such BABIES in the first one. Hmmm? LOTR denim jacket. I love it.
@ Tina - I meant THERE were orcs and Uru Kai under my bed. See I was so frightened, I used the wrong their/there/they're.
ReplyDeleteCount me in! When I first discovered Lord of the Rings at age 14, I re-read it immediately, and then journal about it for nearly a year. I studied all the elvin words - yes those appendices are amazing! I don't re-read it every year now, but definitely ever two or three years. And I so wish I had dressed up as Eowyn at the Two Towers opening. I kick myself for chickening out on that!
ReplyDeleteHmm, Margo, we may have to go to Comic Con together one year and dress up. I LOVE Eowyn. Talk about gumption.
ReplyDeleteOh I loved the movies! But I must admit... I didn't read the books. Maybe I'll sit with your kids and you read aloud to all of us tonight? ;D
ReplyDelete@ Monica - You HAVE TO read the books. Okay,maybe not aloud. I read them to the kids before the first movie came out. My voice is still recovering.
ReplyDelete