# Bored of the Rings **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** middle-earth\ **Created:** [February 13, 2020, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888 "2020-02-13T18:40:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/21 "2020-02-13T21:40:56Z")
I still believe they read Fellowship, skimmed Two Towers, and had someone tell them what happened in Return of the King. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/22 "2020-02-13T21:45:41Z")
Mad’s parody was pretty good At Bree: “I’ve got the Ring the others haven’t got, I’ve got the Ring that puts me on the spot, I’ve got the Ring without it there’s no plot, I am Frodo and I’ve got the Ring” ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/23 "2020-02-13T21:57:56Z")
> [@Doyle](#): > > I read it like 45 years ago and didn’t think it was terribly funny then. It was more like 30 years ago for me, but yeah, it failed to make a (positive) impression on me. Good satire is hard and this wasn’t very good. It had a couple of moments (Even I must admit that “A pity I’ve run out of bullets.” is pretty good) but overall…yuk. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/24 "2020-02-13T22:22:33Z")
As Gimlet offers Frito his hand to shake, Frito thinks: _It must be a hand. It’s on the end of his arm._ ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/25 "2020-02-13T22:25:21Z")
I found it hilarious. 40 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/26 "2020-02-13T22:36:18Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Mad’s parody was pretty good > > At Bree: > > “I’ve got the Ring the others haven’t got, > I’ve got the Ring that puts me on the spot, > I’ve got the Ring without it there’s no plot, > I am Frodo and I’ve got the Ring” My favorite: (To the tune of Sounds of Silence) “And the rottenness that was planted in my brain will remain Til I gets back…my precious!” And as to the OP, I started BOTR some years ago, but found it sophomoric and, well, boring, so I only made it about halfway through. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/27 "2020-02-13T23:17:47Z")
> [@steatopygia](#): > > I found it hilarious. 40 years ago. I still found it very funny last time I read it, probably ten years ago. I gave it to Mrs. Plant (v.3.0), Girlfriend (v?) back then, and it inspired her to read Lord of the Rings. _What the hell is this thing about?_ :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/28 "2020-02-13T23:33:02Z")
I found it tedious and juvenile, but I was about 35 when I first read it. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/29 "2020-02-14T03:40:33Z")
I read it in college, back in the 1970’s. I hadn’t read it again until last year, when I read some sections out to my grandson (who enjoyed the LOTR movies and then read the books). I figured it would seem too dated to him, but he was ROFLMAO. He’s 18. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/30 "2020-02-14T05:17:51Z")
Honi soit la vache qui rit. Also, every once in a while I’ll randomly think “Minas Troney in the Soup.” ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/31 "2020-02-14T07:23:32Z")
“This is indeed a queer river,” said Bromosel, as the water lapped at his thighs. * * * “Peoples of the West! The battle before the Black Gate of Sorhed will be one of few against many; but the few are of pure heart and the many are of the filthy. Nevertheless, those of you who wish to cringe and run from the fight may do so to quicken our pace. Those who still ride with the King of Twodor will live forever in song and legend! The rest may go.” It is said that the dust cloud did not settle for many days after. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/32 "2020-02-14T13:02:45Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > As Gimlet offers Frito his hand to shake, Frito thinks: > > _It must be a hand. It’s on the end of his arm._ “May your hemorrhoids shrink without surgery.” ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/33 "2020-02-14T14:04:49Z")
They climbed and climbed for what seemed like an hour. An hour later they reached the top. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2020, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/34 "2020-02-14T15:03:58Z")
Both mrAru and I have read it. Sophomoric in areas, dull and boring in areas and bright sparks of hilarity. You have to be up on the real trilogy and the hobbit, and have a basic understanding of a lot of stuff from the 60s and 70s, and hollywood to get many of the jokes. Not something we would normally recommend people, but for people who are able to understand the jokes, it can be an interesting read. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/35 "2020-02-15T23:26:41Z")
I first read fthis as a teen devastated at reading the end of the trilogy. I’ll always love it for lifting me out of that funk. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/36 "2020-02-15T23:31:09Z")
> [@singular1](#): > > I first read fthis as a teen devastated at reading the end of the trilogy. I’ll always love it for lifting me out of that funk. I was lucky, when I finished LotR, I was talking to my sister & BIL about it and he had the Silmarillion. This was back in 1976. Then I just started pouring through the Fantasy shelves of the school’s library. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2020, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/37 "2020-02-15T23:41:29Z")
The monster was a huge Thesaurus, with long, dangling participles. “Eat,” it said. “See ‘devour’.” “Ref: maim…” (Sorry, that’s only a quote from memory. I have the book here, but couldn’t find the passage.) ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/38 "2020-02-16T00:17:19Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I was lucky, when I finished LotR, I was talking to my sister & BIL about it and he had the Silmarillion. This was back in 1976. Then I just started pouring through the Fantasy shelves of the school’s library. The Silmarillion came out in 1977 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/39 "2020-02-16T00:18:56Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > The Silmarillion came out in 1977 Yep, I got the year wrong, I read the LotR in 1977, not 1976. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2020, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888/40 "2020-02-16T00:19:54Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Yep, I got the year wrong, I read the LotR in 1977, not 1976. Same as me. Inspired by the Rankin-Bass Hobbit in 1977? I was. I read the Hobbit, LOTR, The Silmarillion and The Tolkien Companion [http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The\_Tolkien\_Companion](http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Tolkien_Companion) all in that year. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bored-of-the-rings/847888.md?page=3)