[JoeDetweiler]

Three times I started “Lord of the Rings.” And three times I made it about half way through the third book and then tossed it aside. To this day I don’t know how it ended.

The trouble is....I don’t like Fantasy. I was only reading it because everybody else was reading it.

[latina4dubya]

Three times I started “Lord of the Rings.” And three times I made it about half way through the third book and then tossed it aside. To this day I don’t know how it ended. The trouble is....I don’t like Fantasy. I was only reading it because everybody else was reading it.

oh!!! tears are practically coming to my eyes as i think about Lord of the Rings... the themes of valor and honor, perseverance... catches me right in the throat... but i do like fantasy and scifi...

[Chances Are]

Oh, I love Fantasy, although I agree it often comes down to personal likes and dislikes.

I read the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy when in my early 20s (a long time ago, I'll grant you!).

The Hobbit was kind of slow until the Battle of the Five Armies, upon whence it's pace picked up considerably, leading in to The Fellowship.

I was at the beach when I finished The Two Towers, and once I put it down, I simply had to have Return of the King at that very moment! My mind demanded it!

So a neighbor took me down to the local bookstore and made my vacation the smashing success it eventually turned out to be.

I read a lot of books (too many, thinketh my wife!), but there are books out there whose turgid prose will simply turn me off and not permit me to finish them, they are that bad.

I think it's a defense mechanism of some sort my mind has devised over the years.

CA....

[zeugma]

To this day I don’t know how it ended.

You probably wouldnot want to sit through the movies either. Sadly, the vid left out some really critical development of Merry and Pippin. (The Scourging of the Shire).

[yuleeyahoo]

Well, the world’s in a great commotion,
From the Misty Mountains back to the Shire,
The Hobbits are sneakin’ the One Ring
From the frying pan into the Fire.
“From somewhere we gotta get a hero” —
That’s what the bards all sing,
But they never expected the rockin’ and rollin’ I bring —
It’s the return of the King.

I got a suit of studded black leather,
And my hair stays in place, of course,
I got a re-forged steel electric guitar
And a three-hundred-horsepower horse.
No matter what I ask my Rangers,
They’ll do almost anything,
And the ladies are waitin’ for the chance to dance and sing —
At the return of the King.

Well, everyone said that I was dead,
Or maybe Ara-Goin’ off to hide,
But I just kicked back to get on track,
And wait till I hit my my Stride.

I got my Rangers hoppin’
Down the misty murky Moria Line,
And there ain’t gonna be no stoppin’
Till the Pellenore Fields are mine,
We’ll hold off the trolls and goblins,
And all of the rocks they fling,
Until Sam and Frodo set Gollum’s bells to Ring —
And make me the King.

Now, I’m supposed to marry Arwen, the Fairie
Queen of the Saturday Nights,
But until then, give me Eowyn
And I’ll blow out her Northern Lights.

We’ll have a celebration,
And I’ll take a couple years to rest,
Then I’ll stick around and keep an eye on things
When everybody else heads West,
But I’ll be here if you need me,
Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring,
And everyone in Middle-Earth’ll really rock and swing —
At the Return of the King.
At the Return of the King.
At the Return of the King.

— That’s why they call me the King.
Tom Smith (Use your best Elvis voice to the song “Don’t be cruel”)