This is one in a series of posts where the content is provided by a guest who has graciously answered five questions about their experience as a Tolkien reader. I am very humbled that anyone volunteers to spend time in this busy world to answer questions for my blog, and so I give my sincerest thanks to Artnoose and the other participants for this.

To see the idea behind this project, check out this page

I want to thank Donato Giancola for allowing me to use his stunning portrait of J.R.R Tolkien as the featured image for this project. If you would like to purchase a print of this painting, they are available on his website!

If you would like to contribute your own experience, you can do so by using the form on the contact page, or by emailing me directly.

Now, on to Artnoose’s responses:

How were you introduced to Tolkien’s work?

As a child (maybe around age 7), I watched the Rankin Bass animated movie of The Hobbit. Either I saw it several times, or else the Gollum scene really made an impression on me, but I remember playing Gollum tag with my sister and cousin, where were would take turns chasing each other while saying, “Precioussss… my precioussss…” I never ended up reading any of the books until adulthood, when the LotR movies started coming out. I had just gone through a difficult break-up and wanted to immerse myself in escapist fantasy fiction. I figured that four books full of hobbits and elves would do the trick, and I was right! At the time, my housemate Jenn was in the terminal stage of cancer, and I would talk to her about what I was reading. I remember complaining about how much singing people did and that I just kind of breezed through the poetry. Jenn would chide me, “Artnoose! Don’t skip the poems!!” Even today, my copy of The Silmarillion is the one I got from her when she died.

2. What is your favorite part of Tolkien’s work?

I was asked this question recently by a nine-year-old, and I had to think about it for a minute because I had never really thought about what specifically I liked. I decided that for me the biggest draw is the extensive world-building Tolkien did. The thing about Tolkien is that you can delve as deeply or shallowly as you like. There are people who can read just The Hobbit and LotR trilogy and leave it at that, maybe even reading those works many times over their lifetime. While that’s completely fine, other people can dive into The Silmarillion and learn the many back stories that inform the major works. What I found is that once I got that far in, I learned (primarily through the Tolkien Professor podcasts by this point) that if I wanted, I could explore even further because of all the work Tolkien did on the languages and histories of the people of Middle-earth. The wealth of information that Tolkien left behind (and that Christopher Tolkien has sifted through) can enrich the readings of the main texts, and yet even still, there are mysteries (such as the fate of the Entwives) that invite further wondering.

3. What is your fondest experience of Tolkien’s work?

One fond experience I can think of is listening to the LotR audiobook during my pregnancy. I was determined to finish before the baby came, and I was doing pretty well until I decided to be a full completist and listen to the appendices, too. I hit a “nesting” point where my due date was approaching and my sister was getting ready to fly into town. I was cleaning my living room while listening to the long family trees of Dwarves and Hobbits. My kid was late, wouldn’t you know, and I did manage to finish the audiobook.

4. Has the way you approach Tolkien’s work changed over time?

My reading of Tolkien’s works outside of the canonical novels has greatly enriched my experience. When I think back of my preliminary reading of the trilogy, my main takeaways were the bonds of the Fellowship and the intensity of Frodo’s suffering. After having read The Silmarillion several times and shuffling through the History of Middle Earth series, I am more aware of greater themes present in the works, such as sacrifice, hope, and chance. It is completely valid to be the kind of Tolkien fan who reads the main books frequently without bothering with any of the auxiliary texts, but I have found that even reading things like Leaf By Niggle or The Father Christmas Letters have yielded small bits of understanding that only make my subsequent readings of The Hobbit and LotR even more profound. What began as a literary escape from difficult times transitioned into a lens with which I view my passage through this life.

5. Would you ever recommend Tolkien’s work? Why/Why not?

I understand that Tolkien isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and I have learned to not take it personally if someone hates or is disinterested in his work. I tend to recommend it only if someone is vaguely interested in a Medievalist form of fantasy fiction to begin with. I struggle sometimes with wanting to recommend Tolkien to my son, who currently is six years old. I think he knows by now that Tolkien is kind of my thing, so he resists it somewhat. He also thinks that it’s going to be scary. I showed him the Rankin Bass animated Hobbit, and while he liked it and didn’t think it was too scary, he also doesn’t really talk about it or ask to watch it again. Sometimes he says he would be okay with me reading him The Hobbit, and other times he says he’s not interested. I did read him Roverandom, and again, he liked it but did not talk about it afterward or refer to it like he does with books he really enjoys. I got him a bunch of Medievalist fantasy children’s books at the library, and he has already torn through a few different series. I suspect that we will read The Hobbit at some point, and if he ever wants to read the trilogy, he knows where to find it.

Artnoose published Ker-bloom! a great letterpress zine!

This is one in a series of posts where the content is provided by a guest who has graciously answered five questions about their experience as a Tolkien reader. I am very humbled that anyone volunteers to spend time in this busy world to answer questions for my blog, and so I give my sincerest thanks to Becky and the other participants for this.

To see the idea behind this project, check out this page

I want to thank Donato Giancola for allowing me to use his stunning portrait of J.R.R Tolkien as the featured image for this project. If you would like to purchase a print of this painting, they are available on his website!

If you would like to contribute your own experience, you can do so by using the form on the contact page, or by emailing me directly.

Now, on to Becky Dillon’s responses:

1. How were you introduced to Tolkien’s work?

“Read this,” she said as we brushed shoulder-to-shoulder in the exchange of classes back in 1965, and she pushed a strangely covered book under my nose.
“What? More unicorns and dragons and fairies? Please, Kathy, no!”
“This is different. Trust me!” I was sceptical, but I took the book from her anyway as she turned on her heel and sped away to her next class.
“Hmmm. The Two Towers. It doesn’t sound promising; more like Rapunzel…”

Of course, I was wrong.

It seemed that Kathy’s boyfriend had stumbled on this series of three books that he thought were cool and insisted that Kathy read them so they could discuss them. Kathy, in her need for support, was sharing the set with others, including me, and I got the second book because the first one was already lent out to a mutual friend who was keen to read this ‘new’ view of fantasy. Kathy, herself, was finishing the third.

Yes, I eventually got to read them in the correct order, and have been doing so every couple of years since then – albeit in one volume!

2. What is your favorite part of Tolkien’s work?

 My favourite part of Tolkien’s work is the imaginative children’s works; specifically Smith of Wootton Major, with Roverandom a close second. Tolkien’s love of story for the sake of story shows in his attention to detail and great sense of humour. Who else but Tolkien would invest so much time in the creation of the ‘Father Christmas Letters’ or the Girabbit in Mr Bliss’ garden? And, all of it is tied together with his own artwork. Although much of the published titles use the work of others (ie.:Pauline Baynes), Tolkien still had his own sense of art communicating the story as much as the words, and for a children’s book, pictures were a necessity.

3. What is your fondest experience of Tolkien’s work?

As existential as it may sound, the first time I got off the train in Oxford and walked up the street to the Magdalen Martyr’s Memorial and onto St. Giles and the Eagle and Child. I knew then that I would never have a better experience with Tolkien as my reference; almost as if I was ‘reading’ Oxford for the first time.

4. Has the way you approach Tolkien’s work changed over time?

Absolutely. Even after some 20+ reads of ‘Lord of the Rings,’ I have found that the more I read and discuss the more depth I find.
I am a member of an on-line reader’s group called the Grey Havens Palantír, and we are again reading LotR; being on Chapter VII, ‘In the House of Tom Bombadil.’ The previous chapter has opened up new insights, as re-reads always do, and I am always excited about new finds and new perceptions. The Story, for sake of the Story, will always intrigue me, but finding new details and new direction in the well-read text is always exciting.

5. Would you ever recommend Tolkien’s work? Why/Why not?

It would depend on the person involved. There are some who would not enjoy/appreciate Tolkien, and I would like to think that I should be able to discern those characters. I have found that it takes a special character to enjoy the work and the ideals put forth, and it is that which I would need to consider before any recommendation.

For more Tolkien, follow the page that Becky Dillon contributes to on Facebook: International Tolkien Fellowship-News & Publications!

This is one in a series of posts where the content is provided by a guest who has graciously answered five questions about their experience as a Tolkien reader. I am very humbled that anyone volunteers to spend time in this busy world to answer questions for my blog, and so I give my sincerest thanks to William and the other participants for this.

To see the idea behind this project, check out this page

I want to thank Donato Giancola for allowing me to use his stunning portrait of J.R.R Tolkien as the featured image for this project. If you would like to purchase a print of this painting, they are available on his website!

If you would like to contribute your own experience, you can do so by using the form on the contact page, or by emailing me directly.

Now, on to William J. Meyer’s responses:

1. How were you introduced to Tolkien’s work?

I was first introduced to Tolkien’s work when my older brother-in-law Brendon gave me a box set of paperbacks which included The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. These editions were the ones with the Darrell K. Sweet covers. The cardboard box was just as much a part of the reading experience as Tolkien’s words, and I would look at that art for hours. In particular, the giant eagle in its nest on the cover of The Hobbit held my rapt attention.

2. What is your favorite part of Tolkien’s work?

My favorite part would be the sense of one age ending and another one beginning. Especially in the final pages of Return of the King. But my favorite single moment would have to be Éowyn slaying the Witch-King.

3. What is your fondest experience of Tolkien’s work?

I was re-reading The Lord of the Rings in college and happened to be visiting my parents. I stopped at Appendix B, where, we are told, Legolas and Gimli sail over the sea and leave Middle-earth together after the deaths of Aragorn, Merry, and Pippin. The final line is, “And when that ship passed an end was come in Middle-earth of the Fellowship of the Ring.” I felt this wave of emotion and burst into tears. Can’t really articulate why, though I reckon it felt like a dissolution of friendship, and the end of an heroic age, sure. Anyway, I was crying and my step-dad asked me to explain why. I tried to explain, but he didn’t like fantasy or sci-fi, and had no idea about Tolkien, so it was kind of a funny moment in retrospect because he was like, “What is happening?”

4. Has the way you approach Tolkien’s work changed over time?

I’m sure it has, but I’m not self-aware enough to describe how.

5. Would you ever recommend Tolkien’s work? Why/Why not?

Yes, I would recommend it, because I feel like a lot of classic literature, it transcends the pop culture image we have of it. And beyond all the resonant themes of mythology, it’s just plain fun!

To hear more from William J. Meyer, you can follow him on Twitter!

This is one in a series of posts where the content is provided by a guest who has graciously answered five questions about their experience as a Tolkien reader. I am very humbled that anyone volunteers to spend time in this busy world to answer questions for my blog, and so I give my sincerest thanks to Putri and the other participants for this.

To see the idea behind this project, check out this page

I want to thank Donato Giancola for allowing me to use his stunning portrait of J.R.R Tolkien as the featured image for this project. If you would like to purchase a print of this painting, they are available on his website!

If you would like to contribute your own experience, you can do so by using the form on the contact page, or by emailing me directly.

Now, on to Putri Prihatini’s responses:

1. How were you introduced to Tolkien’s work?

In 2002. That year, the hype for LOTR movies was high, and I went to the book store after finding out that they had been adapted from books. The Indonesian editions of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King, and The Hobbit had just hit the shelves. I purchased FOTR without thinking. Later, I remember laying still on my bed late at night, thinking “Wow, what did I just read?” I later went back to the store and purchased the others. The rest is history.

2. What is your favorite part of Tolkien’s work?

Lots of things, but mainly how layered and sophisticated his world-building aspects are. When I was still a beginner reader, I felt like his stories were not something that happened in a fantasy world, but could have happened at some points in the past. I also love how nuanced his characters and stories are. They are not as “black and white” as some people might accuse.

Finally, I love the way Tolkien obscured many references when his characters mention history, characters, and stories from the past. He was supposedly the “know it all” in his world, but he restrained himself from revealing too much to the readers. This makes me feel the sense of mystery and wonder for the past, which results in some serious digging if I want to know more. When reading LOTR, for example, I only know as much as what the characters know, which makes me feel connected to them.

3. What is your fondest experience of Tolkien’s work?

Reading The Silmarillion for the first time in 2005. I felt like everything that was mentioned vaguely in LOTR finally came to life, with all the tragedies, conflicts, and larger-than-life characters. Also, it was the first Tolkien’s book that I read in English. My English reading skill was still below average at that time, and it took me one year to finish the book. It was so rewarding, and my reading skill improved greatly.

More recent example was when my paper was presented at Tolkien Society Seminar 2018, by none other than Nelson Goering. While I was unable to visit due to financial reasons, I was touched because people whom I never met went out of their way to help my paper to be presented. As a person who did not have literature, Classic, linguistic, or other Tolkien-related academic backgrounds, it felt like an acknowledgment from the community.

4. Has the way you approach Tolkien’s work changed over time?

Yes. The first time I read Tolkien, I was intrigued by the stories and adventures, and how it was connected with the movies I had watched, nothing more. Later, I started to notice new layers and understanding when rereading the books. When my experiences and knowledge grew, I saw more nuanced insight and new understanding about many aspects of the stories. These things prompted me to start buying more books that could help me see more behind these new layers, even outside the recommended biographies, History of Middle-earth, and Tolkien’s letter collections. In short, I grew with his books, and his books “grew” with me.

5. Would you ever recommend Tolkien’s work? Why/Why not?

Yes! I will always recommend it when someone asks me about good fantasy fiction books. Tolkien’s work provides good examples of detailed world-building, powerful characters, and nuanced stories that require you to look deeper, even into the words his characters use when speaking. I would also recommend Tolkien’s non Middle-earth books, especially for new readers who just found out about Tolkien from movies.

For more thoughts on Tolkien’s life and works from Putri Prihatini, visit The Lore Master: Blog Tolkien Indonesia!