Nine? gee! Isn't there an hypothesis out there according to which kids are getting increasingly smarter with time passing but we're not necessarily sure exactly why. Of course here, I should toss in a "daughter of an academic" fixed effect ;-)

Also, I discovered that as a new daddy I always tend to discuss with other people things that my baby girl makes me proud about... But since the economy rewards specialization and rare talents, it should be all good...

I'm not a LOTR fanatic, but isn't luxuriating in the detail of an "alternate universe" one of the essential pleasures of fantasy?

And even if we are accepting Hollywood standards for plotting, page 168 represents something like twelve percent of the story gone, right? How far into Star Wars are we before Luke meets Han Solo? I bet it's (proportionately) later than that.

I put off reading LOTR for years as a kid, both because I had thought The Hobbit seemed a bit juvenile, though pleasing, when I read it when I was seven, and because my mother suggested I try LOTR, given my obsession with sf/fantasy (along with history, biographies, science books, horse and dog stories, encyclopedias, dictionaries, and pretty much all books and information sources).

So I didn't get to the trilogy until I was, I forget, ten or so.

But (and it might be nice to give yer nine-year-old a designation or nom-de-plume here for us to refer to she or he here, though it is, of course, your call) I'd suggest to the fresher DeLong that it can be lovely to get to know people, their habits, and characters, before we find them plunged into fear, strife, and problem-solving.

I love the movie, so far, but I love the books far more, because I know everyone from the books so much better, and I feel so much closer to them, and thus it all means so much more to me.

And that's without even getting into the incredibly rich background of history and language and detail given in the Appendices and later books.

The movies are a great skim, but they only touch the surface of the richness of Middle-Earth, and the tale of the beginning of the Third Age and the tale of the defeat of Sauron and the age of Aragorn and Arwen.

I would love to experience it all over again for the first time.

(Oh, yeah, and my favorite First Almost Tolkien Encounter Story is of my friend Patrick Nielsen Hayden, who went looking for The Hobbit at the library, as a child, and mistakenly took home Babbit instead. Confusion ensued.)

The joy of reading is in reading slowly and trying to live in what you read. Learned that from beloved Richard Niebuhr at Harvard. So so true.

Read slowly when you can....

I read somewhere, (I forget where,) that J.R.R. initially intended the LoTR as a sequel to the Hobbit, i.e. he wanted to write a book for smaller children, but soon got carried away and the outcome turned out to be something else.
This would explain the slow start and different style of the beginning of LoTR from the rest of the book.

Greetings!

You are invited to the only O*F*F*I*C*I*A*L East Coast movie release party for New Line Cinema's "Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers". ZENWARP Productions (www.zenwarp.com) will host this epic event at Webster Hall in NYC. The Grand Ballroom of Webster Hall, including all the adjoining rooms, will be decorated to resemble various "Middle Earth" locations. Features of this event include:
1. Open Bar from 11pm to Midnight
2. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres served
3. T*O*N*S of FREE official collectors LOTR merchandise given away
4. A vast array of LOTR inspired performances on the main stage
5. $1000.00 1st prize for the best LOTR inspired costume (various 2nd & 3rd place prizes also)
6. 3 completely separate DJ areas with 3 different dance floors
7. Live musicians, fortunetellers and other ambient performers roaming about
8. A merchants bazaar with lot's of unique custom crafts and artifacts for sale
9. Strict dress code enforced, NO EXCEPTIONS!!!
10. FREE ADMISSION ALL NIGHT FOR ALL LADIES

* Most of the official cast members have received formal invitations to this event but confirmations of their attendance will not be openly confirmed or denied for various security reasons.

* The legendary horror film director Lloyd Kaufman of Troma Films (www.troma.com) is the CONFIRMED celebrity judge for the costume contest.

* Arena Productions (The Black & Blue Ball NYC) will enhance the evening with an abundant supply of sophisticated visual decadence. (theblackandblueball.com).

* Tom Denier is a multifaceted Emmy nominated visual artist who will be directing and designing the set for the main stage. The set will be based on a scene at"Helm's Deep" from the movie "The Two Towers". Tom has created a myriad of special effects and costumes for many major motion pictures and TV shows (Saturday Night Live, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Ben Affleck & Matt Damon's armor in Dogma, Star Trek 5, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, Queen Of The Damned and so on).

*Dress code: Anything fantasy inspired! For example; wizards, goblins, elves, orcs, demons, monsters, Renaissance/ historical attire, etc. If having a theatrical appearance is not your preference, then you may also choose to wear head to-toe black. Absolutely NO sneakers, Timberlands, Khakis or blue jeans permitted, otherwise you will not be granted entry into the party.

*All press inquiries should be directed to info@zenwarp.com. You will not be permitted to take "professional" pictures or videotape without prior clearance and credentials.

When: December 19, 2002
Where: Webster Hall (www.websterhall.com)
125 E.11th St. (between 3rd & 4th aves)
New York City
Time: Doors open at 10pm./ dancing until 4am
Admission: FREE for Ladies * $15 (in advance) for
Gentlemen ($20 @ door)

*18 to enter/ 21 to drink with proper ID

For more info: Webster Hall NYC (212) 353-1600 *