Honestly it's like you have voiced something I have been wrangling with for years. Love me some fantasy. Been years trying to get into these books and just can't, keep re-reading the same pages over and over. Been blaming my age and potential pre-menopausal brain fog! It's alarming how little retention I have on books now! On a side note pretty please show us the books on the top of your shelf. I have Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein (Gorgeous!) And also have Lovely - Ladies of Animation (also gorgeous!) so am thinking you might have a few more there I would love to add to my own shelves.
So glad I’m not alone in my feelings about these books! 😄 I feel you, I just end up reading the same page over and over again until it’s all just a mess of words lol And good eye! Those are indeed some of my books. I might do a little tour in the future. Thanks for stopping by 😄
@@hellomrforrest there's good and bad judgement, I don't knock anyone if they don't like something. I found your criticisms just subpar though. I'm a tolkien fan, and what he has done for fantasy has more relevance to literature as oppose to pop culture. There are elements of song, poetry, along with all the world building aspects that I admire. If you find that too dense, then I'm afraid you haven't read enough novels. Trying reading Joyce you want to talk dense that is harder than stone. again you're not the only one who don't like Tolkien. Some people have legit criticisms that borders on facism that I can see or agree with. you want to talk about a bad novel series, Wheel of time. I hate wheel of time.
Absolutely no hate from me, someone who loves the Lord of the Rings books. Like you said, people have different taste and it's not for everyone. You gave it a fair shot and found it wasn't for you, you're not hating on something you haven't tried just because you didn't like a premiss or something. And I understand, I watched the movies when I was about 8 or 9 and tried reading the books the year I turned 10. First time I didn't make it through the prologue, and eventuially my dad read me the first one, but I didn't take much in and we never kept going to the second one. Then I tried again for myself about a year later and made it about 5 or 6 chapters on my own. Abut then I switched to the audiobooks, and listened to all three books, and it was much easier, I could follow the story, but also turn my 10 year old mind off if the writing got a bit complex or long winded for me. I did like the story enough to re-listen to them several times, probably more than 20 in the past 17 years since I was that 10 year old kid (I've listen to them 5 or 6 times this past 3 years alone), and when I eventually picked a paper copy back up when I was 19, I loved reading it and finished all three in a couple of weeks and found so many details my ears had just blocked out over the years and found it amazing. Now, I don't suggest that you go listen to the audiobooks 20 times. I'm not even gonna say listen to them once or try again in a few years, you tried, it wasn't for you, and I respect that and that you stand for that. Plenty of stuff other people love I don't fancy very much, like The Godfather or most of the Cohen Brother's films. We need to be allowed to have differing opinions about art and media and have civil conversations about it without people telling us we're wrong or we're stupid. It would be a boring world where everyones opinions were exactly the same, or where we don't dare to speak our minds for fear of being targeted.
Thank you for such a thoughtful comment! I agree, I think it should be ok to have differing opinions on “staple media stories” (I’m also not a Cohen brothers fan 😅). There are endless stories out in the world and not every story will speak to every person. And it’s disheartening to have people judge each other for not liking certain things Anyway, thanks again for sharing your thoughts and for watching! 😊
Honestly i can agree with some criticisms. Tolkien really is an aquired taste and while Lotr is one of my favorites, it still has flaws. Fellowship is honestly imo the worst thing he has written, I dont think Tolkien really knew what he was writing until book 2 of Fellowship starts. Book 1 goes through so many tonal shifts that are abrupt and dont work (tom bombodil being the perfect example of that) I think at the beginning he wanted to write something more akin to a bigger Hobbit, with equal parts whimsy and danger, then figured out that its more of an adult oriented story afterwards and found his stride by the time Moria happens. I think the writing style works best in the more mysterious places in the books. I wouldnt call it dry, but it is obsessed with environmental details and lore, and it doesnt hit the same in some british ass forest like it does in an age old city or ruin. The characters and poetry point I'll have to disagree on. Yes some characters are complete archetypes but there is moments where they do get to shine. Sam, Gimli, Faramir, Denethor and Boromir are all interesting characters who feel more human than the rest of the cast which I think is purposeful, and Gimlis poetry in particular is very sad and shows how introspective and lost he and his people feel. Aragorn is pretty much a superhuman raised by elves, Legolas IS an elf and Frodo is pretty much the embodiment of bravery and self sacrifice you think is the everyman until you remember he has a servant who is equally as brave as he is and possibly more atuned to carrying the ring without being corrupted than he is. They're not very relatable, but they are supposed to show humanity at its best in Tolkiens point of view. Merry and Pippin are bleh though and the female characters aren't well written either.
That’s very fair, and definitely added some new perspective for me. I really do want to give this a try on audiobook instead, because I really can see why it’s beloved and maybe I just need a change of format to experience it!
I greatly appreciate Tolkien, but it has to be said that while he wrote probably the most pioneering fantasy books of his time, the books themselves are fairly unengaging nowadays. Tolkien did a fantastic job with the hobbit (the battle at the end should’ve been left out though) but lotr is a slog despite a good bit of entertainment value throughout. HOWEVER - the movies are probably the best of all time 😊
Totally agree, like I mentioned in the video he created one of the greatest fantasy epics that still inspires generations to this day, and that can never be taken from him!
I also don't really like Tolkein and after many tries, can't finish LOTR. I was alright with the Hobbit! But dear lord the lore and the constant distractions from the plot, omg. No pitchfork, I'll subscribe instead.
My friend thought the Silmarillion was so boring and slow that she said she would rather read the Bible (because while also lots of boring ancestry, it at least has cultural impact/ references, etc) - leading someone to think she was hardcore Christian. 😂
Tolkien is my favorite author but i do have to be in a certain mood to read him... if you want to hear about the lore and stories, Tolkien Untangled is such a wonderful “interpreter”!!
I also dislike Tolkien. Back in the 90s, I tried to get through Fellowship of the Ring like 3 times, but I would just get SOOOO BOOOORED with all the Hobbiton and Tom Bombadil bullshit. Yes I get it Tolkien, you have a fetish for "idyllic British agriculture lifestyle", can we move on to something more interesting plea.....and now there's a prancing and babbling nitwit applying the brakes to the story AGAIN.....*sigh* I literally had to be tripping on acid to find the book interesting enough to finish. I finished the trilogy, and enjoyed parts of it but, overall, meh. I've never read them again, and have zero desire to.
This speaks to me so much 😂 His style is definitely not for everyone, and that’s ok! Part of me did feel like I was stupid for not enjoying it or “getting it” so it’s nice to hear people also have similar thoughts!
@@hellomrforrest yeah i was definitely more enraptured with the animated versions of his work. There was that Rankin/Bass version of The Hobbit, and I grew up LOVING that as a kid, but when I got older and decided to actually read LotR, I was....less than impressed. 🤣 And I was an avid fantasy reader as a kid. Straight up D&D nerd as a kid, so I was reading large books even in elementary school. I think the largest one I read while really young, was The Sword of Shannarra by Terry Brooks. Which definitely was inspired by Tolkien, but I dunno, I found that book way more interesting than the entire LotR series. So yeah, definitely not my cup of tea. Just like I appreciate that not everyone loves the way Frank Herbert writes (I love it though).
You’re allowed to dislike Tolkien. You’re not allowed to insult and denigrate him and his work. Calling it “bullshit” or claiming he has some kind of “a fetish” is extremely rude and uncalled for. Learn to be more respectful with your criticism and maybe it would be seen as legitimate, instead of being overtly judgmental and insulting.
@@happyninja42 I also loved the old animated version, I had it on VHS. It was really well done, the story and visual style fit the book perfectly. They don't make 'em like this anymore.
if you're just getting into tolkien read the hobbit first, it's more digestible. I loved the hobbit more than LOTR. LOTR isn't for everyone, it has a lot of adult themes and was written in the 40s and 50s. The language is dense especially when Tolkien was a professor of language.
Were you like me, and just got tired of chapter after chapter after chapter, front loaded in the book, about how idyllic Hobbiton life was? And finding that it just numbed your brain to any interest in the story? And then finally when they start to leave and go on their adventure, and you think "Ok it's going to get good now!" they pull the emergency brake with that Tom Bombadill derailment, further slowing down the story for a completely pointless scene? Because that was my hurdle that took forever to get over. I mentioned in a different post here, that I literally had to be tripping on acid, to read that book, and find it compelling enough to get through it. I was coming down off a trip, and needed something to focus on to keep my brain from spiraling into a bad place, and it was the only book I had in my dorm room at the time. So I was like "meh...what the hell, I'll give it a try" And apparently with LSD flowing in my veins, I found that book enjoyable 🤣 But sober, not so much!
Saw the title and grabbed my pitchfork
Noooooo! 🙈😅
Honestly it's like you have voiced something I have been wrangling with for years. Love me some fantasy. Been years trying to get into these books and just can't, keep re-reading the same pages over and over. Been blaming my age and potential pre-menopausal brain fog! It's alarming how little retention I have on books now! On a side note pretty please show us the books on the top of your shelf. I have Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein (Gorgeous!) And also have Lovely - Ladies of Animation (also gorgeous!) so am thinking you might have a few more there I would love to add to my own shelves.
So glad I’m not alone in my feelings about these books! 😄 I feel you, I just end up reading the same page over and over again until it’s all just a mess of words lol
And good eye! Those are indeed some of my books. I might do a little tour in the future. Thanks for stopping by 😄
this video should be called "why I want clout"
Ooooorrr maybe I just wanted to make a silly video about something that was on my mind? lol Thanks for watching! 😄
@@hellomrforrest there's good and bad judgement, I don't knock anyone if they don't like something. I found your criticisms just subpar though. I'm a tolkien fan, and what he has done for fantasy has more relevance to literature as oppose to pop culture.
There are elements of song, poetry, along with all the world building aspects that I admire.
If you find that too dense, then I'm afraid you haven't read enough novels. Trying reading Joyce you want to talk dense that is harder than stone.
again you're not the only one who don't like Tolkien. Some people have legit criticisms that borders on facism that I can see or agree with.
you want to talk about a bad novel series, Wheel of time. I hate wheel of time.
What's funny is that I loved the books and still agreed with a lot of what you said 🤣🤣
I love that! I feel very validated 😄
Absolutely no hate from me, someone who loves the Lord of the Rings books. Like you said, people have different taste and it's not for everyone. You gave it a fair shot and found it wasn't for you, you're not hating on something you haven't tried just because you didn't like a premiss or something. And I understand, I watched the movies when I was about 8 or 9 and tried reading the books the year I turned 10. First time I didn't make it through the prologue, and eventuially my dad read me the first one, but I didn't take much in and we never kept going to the second one. Then I tried again for myself about a year later and made it about 5 or 6 chapters on my own. Abut then I switched to the audiobooks, and listened to all three books, and it was much easier, I could follow the story, but also turn my 10 year old mind off if the writing got a bit complex or long winded for me. I did like the story enough to re-listen to them several times, probably more than 20 in the past 17 years since I was that 10 year old kid (I've listen to them 5 or 6 times this past 3 years alone), and when I eventually picked a paper copy back up when I was 19, I loved reading it and finished all three in a couple of weeks and found so many details my ears had just blocked out over the years and found it amazing.
Now, I don't suggest that you go listen to the audiobooks 20 times. I'm not even gonna say listen to them once or try again in a few years, you tried, it wasn't for you, and I respect that and that you stand for that. Plenty of stuff other people love I don't fancy very much, like The Godfather or most of the Cohen Brother's films. We need to be allowed to have differing opinions about art and media and have civil conversations about it without people telling us we're wrong or we're stupid. It would be a boring world where everyones opinions were exactly the same, or where we don't dare to speak our minds for fear of being targeted.
Thank you for such a thoughtful comment! I agree, I think it should be ok to have differing opinions on “staple media stories” (I’m also not a Cohen brothers fan 😅). There are endless stories out in the world and not every story will speak to every person. And it’s disheartening to have people judge each other for not liking certain things
Anyway, thanks again for sharing your thoughts and for watching! 😊
Honestly i can agree with some criticisms. Tolkien really is an aquired taste and while Lotr is one of my favorites, it still has flaws. Fellowship is honestly imo the worst thing he has written, I dont think Tolkien really knew what he was writing until book 2 of Fellowship starts. Book 1 goes through so many tonal shifts that are abrupt and dont work (tom bombodil being the perfect example of that) I think at the beginning he wanted to write something more akin to a bigger Hobbit, with equal parts whimsy and danger, then figured out that its more of an adult oriented story afterwards and found his stride by the time Moria happens. I think the writing style works best in the more mysterious places in the books. I wouldnt call it dry, but it is obsessed with environmental details and lore, and it doesnt hit the same in some british ass forest like it does in an age old city or ruin.
The characters and poetry point I'll have to disagree on. Yes some characters are complete archetypes but there is moments where they do get to shine. Sam, Gimli, Faramir, Denethor and Boromir are all interesting characters who feel more human than the rest of the cast which I think is purposeful, and Gimlis poetry in particular is very sad and shows how introspective and lost he and his people feel. Aragorn is pretty much a superhuman raised by elves, Legolas IS an elf and Frodo is pretty much the embodiment of bravery and self sacrifice you think is the everyman until you remember he has a servant who is equally as brave as he is and possibly more atuned to carrying the ring without being corrupted than he is. They're not very relatable, but they are supposed to show humanity at its best in Tolkiens point of view. Merry and Pippin are bleh though and the female characters aren't well written either.
That’s very fair, and definitely added some new perspective for me. I really do want to give this a try on audiobook instead, because I really can see why it’s beloved and maybe I just need a change of format to experience it!
I greatly appreciate Tolkien, but it has to be said that while he wrote probably the most pioneering fantasy books of his time, the books themselves are fairly unengaging nowadays. Tolkien did a fantastic job with the hobbit (the battle at the end should’ve been left out though) but lotr is a slog despite a good bit of entertainment value throughout. HOWEVER - the movies are probably the best of all time 😊
Totally agree, like I mentioned in the video he created one of the greatest fantasy epics that still inspires generations to this day, and that can never be taken from him!
bahahahahaha I love how much dialogue this video is stirring up. LET'S 👏GO 👏 ALGORITHM👏DADDY 👏 NEEDS TO👏 EAT👏
I also don't really like Tolkein and after many tries, can't finish LOTR. I was alright with the Hobbit! But dear lord the lore and the constant distractions from the plot, omg. No pitchfork, I'll subscribe instead.
Welcome to the fold, my friend 😊 thanks for stopping by!
My friend thought the Silmarillion was so boring and slow that she said she would rather read the Bible (because while also lots of boring ancestry, it at least has cultural impact/ references, etc) - leading someone to think she was hardcore Christian. 😂
That’s so funny, my friend said almost the exact same thing to me today 😂
Tolkien is my favorite author but i do have to be in a certain mood to read him... if you want to hear about the lore and stories, Tolkien Untangled is such a wonderful “interpreter”!!
Oooo, thank you for the idea! I might check them out 😊
I couldn't get past the first three pages. And I don't care.
Honestly same!
I’m glad I’m not alone! 😄
I also dislike Tolkien. Back in the 90s, I tried to get through Fellowship of the Ring like 3 times, but I would just get SOOOO BOOOORED with all the Hobbiton and Tom Bombadil bullshit. Yes I get it Tolkien, you have a fetish for "idyllic British agriculture lifestyle", can we move on to something more interesting plea.....and now there's a prancing and babbling nitwit applying the brakes to the story AGAIN.....*sigh* I literally had to be tripping on acid to find the book interesting enough to finish. I finished the trilogy, and enjoyed parts of it but, overall, meh. I've never read them again, and have zero desire to.
This speaks to me so much 😂 His style is definitely not for everyone, and that’s ok! Part of me did feel like I was stupid for not enjoying it or “getting it” so it’s nice to hear people also have similar thoughts!
@@hellomrforrest yeah i was definitely more enraptured with the animated versions of his work. There was that Rankin/Bass version of The Hobbit, and I grew up LOVING that as a kid, but when I got older and decided to actually read LotR, I was....less than impressed. 🤣 And I was an avid fantasy reader as a kid. Straight up D&D nerd as a kid, so I was reading large books even in elementary school. I think the largest one I read while really young, was The Sword of Shannarra by Terry Brooks. Which definitely was inspired by Tolkien, but I dunno, I found that book way more interesting than the entire LotR series. So yeah, definitely not my cup of tea. Just like I appreciate that not everyone loves the way Frank Herbert writes (I love it though).
You’re allowed to dislike Tolkien. You’re not allowed to insult and denigrate him and his work. Calling it “bullshit” or claiming he has some kind of “a fetish” is extremely rude and uncalled for. Learn to be more respectful with your criticism and maybe it would be seen as legitimate, instead of being overtly judgmental and insulting.
@@happyninja42 I also loved the old animated version, I had it on VHS. It was really well done, the story and visual style fit the book perfectly. They don't make 'em like this anymore.
It's just a boring book lol
It's not that great.
!00% this. I'm impressed you finished the first one. I tried repeatedly and just couldn't.
if you're just getting into tolkien read the hobbit first, it's more digestible. I loved the hobbit more than LOTR. LOTR isn't for everyone, it has a lot of adult themes and was written in the 40s and 50s. The language is dense especially when Tolkien was a professor of language.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who found it difficult! 😅
Were you like me, and just got tired of chapter after chapter after chapter, front loaded in the book, about how idyllic Hobbiton life was? And finding that it just numbed your brain to any interest in the story? And then finally when they start to leave and go on their adventure, and you think "Ok it's going to get good now!" they pull the emergency brake with that Tom Bombadill derailment, further slowing down the story for a completely pointless scene? Because that was my hurdle that took forever to get over. I mentioned in a different post here, that I literally had to be tripping on acid, to read that book, and find it compelling enough to get through it. I was coming down off a trip, and needed something to focus on to keep my brain from spiraling into a bad place, and it was the only book I had in my dorm room at the time. So I was like "meh...what the hell, I'll give it a try" And apparently with LSD flowing in my veins, I found that book enjoyable 🤣 But sober, not so much!
@@zodlord5669then there is no hope for me since I also couldn't make it through the hobbit! 🤭
If it weren’t for the movies, no one would know what LOTR even is now 😅