[HairOfTheDog]

Definately read the books. If you love them, you will like the film. If you dont love them, you will at least know more about it than you did before. Begin with the Hobbit though... not the Fellowship.

[B Knotts]

Begin with the Hobbit though... not the Fellowship.

I agree! The Hobbit is the proper starting point. After reading it, you really care about Hobbits. And you need to care about Hobbits to care whether their peaceful world is destroyed. If you just jump into FOTR, you don't fully appreciate how unlikely a hero a Hobbit is.