While I respect Tolkien for creating the Fantasy Genre, his books are some of the most boring ever written... I know I’ll get flamed for it, but its my opinion and nothing is going to convince me otherwise.
The taking of “The Hobbit” probably the least painful reading of all his works and turning it into 3 2+-3 hour long movies makes for movies that are just as dry and boring as most of his writings.
So, go ahead and flame away, but that’s the way I see it. You read Tolkien if you enjoy fantasy like a history lesson, its academic, not remotely entertaining.
LOL Love history and so did Tolkien so that could be the issue. I remember reading “The Tell” and loved it. Gave sci-fi up (and most reading except the Bible and FR) a looooong time ago. History channel is ok but current events are not unlike reading about wars and rumors of wars so that could be why I don’t have to read fiction. Read the Hobbit and LOTR in the fall of 7 consecutive years back in the late 70’s early 80’s.