# Lord of the Rings: Book or Movies First? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 5, 2016, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799 "2016-08-05T02:13:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/41 "2016-08-06T04:49:55Z")
If you’re a true geek, it won’t matter which you read/watch first since you’ll re-watch and re-read them both several times! 😃 I’d say read the books first, if you are pretty sure you are going to read them eventually. I loved the experience of seeing PJ bring the books to life. He did a fantastic job, and you might miss that if you watch the films first. After being so often disappointed with film adaptations of books, it was so nice to be pleasantly surprised for once. Purists will tell PJ altered the books to much, but none of his pertains bothered me at all. Even Elves and Helms Deep. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/42 "2016-08-06T10:21:55Z")
At my daughter’s wedding last month, she had a poem read from the Fellowship (_I sit beside the fire and think…_). It was a lovely sentiment – except that all I could think of was the Bored of the Rings version (_I sit on the floor and pick my nose…_) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/43 "2016-08-06T10:29:01Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Book. Then read _Bored of the Rings_. > [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Don’t read _Bored of the Rings_ unless you like really terrible, witless, massively dated parodies. I concur with the **Baron** here. As the name suggests, _Bored of the Rings_ was boring. I threw it away after about 10 pages. ---
**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:** [August 6, 2016, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/44 "2016-08-06T12:59:34Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I concur with the **Baron** here. As the name suggests, _Bored of the Rings_ was boring. I threw it away after about 10 pages. Northern Piper’s right about Baron being right. Not just dull, it would take a complete rewrite to rise to the level of juvenile. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/45 "2016-08-06T13:45:50Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Northern Piper’s right about Baron being right. Not just dull, it would take a complete rewrite to rise to the level of juvenile. Mr. Kenney, is that you? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/46 "2016-08-06T14:54:23Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > Usually, when I watch a movie based on a book with a fairly complex plot, I wonder how anyone who hasn’t read the book could possibly know what’s going on. The books are told almost entirely from the perspective of hobbits, little people who haven’t been out of their corner of the world and don’t know much about what’s going on until they learn it or experience it along with the reader, so I think they’re pretty easy to follow. The movies start by showing some back story that the books only explain later, which works pretty well; but I’m not a fan of starting a work of fiction with a Prologue. On the other hand, the books start out slowly; it takes a while before the action really gets going. In fact, if you want constant action and forward movement, the books may frustrate you: they alternate periods of exciting action with periods of rest and recuperation or preparation or discussion or relatively uneventful travelling through scenery. Which is like life; it’s all a realistic part of what the book describes and its characters experience. Tolkien has the difficult task of letting you, the reader, feel the passage of time and the length of the journey without boring you, and IMHO he succeeds much better than many authors could, but still, there are plenty of places where you could get bogged down. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > If you’re a true geek, it won’t matter which you read/watch first since you’ll re-watch and re-read them both several times! 😃 > > I’d say read the books first, if you are pretty sure you are going to read them eventually. I loved the experience of seeing PJ bring the books to life. He did a fantastic job, and you might miss that if you watch the films first. After being so often disappointed with film adaptations of books, it was so nice to be pleasantly surprised for once. I pretty much agree with this. Read the books, then see them brought to life. Oh, and as for Jackson’s _Hobbit_ movies: take the advice to avoid them with a grain of salt. They’re not essential viewing; they’re not a faithful rendering of the book; and they certainly shouldn’t be your introduction to Middle Earth. But they (especially the first one) have a lot of good things in them—as well as a lot of faults and justified criticisms and complaints. And many of these (the good things and the flaws) come from how much effort and ambition got put into making them. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/47 "2016-08-06T14:54:49Z")
If you get to the point where you’ve read and re-read _Lord of the Rings_ about five or ten times, _then_ read _Bored of the Rings_. For anyone other than hardcore fans, though, it won’t be very funny. And one of the things that made the movies so good was that Jackson included a lot of tiny, blink-and-you’ll-miss-them details that only the hardcore fans would even notice. So you’ll get a lot more out of the movies if you’re already at that stage. Though realistically, it’s probably not fair to expect a newcomer to read enough to reach that stage (at least _The Silmarillion_ and _Unfinished Tales_) before watching the movies. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/48 "2016-08-06T15:03:03Z")
I was dragged tot he first Hobbit movie, and was actually pleasantly surprised: It was OK. I expected it to be a disaster, but it was OK. The other two were almost unwatchable. Read _The Hobbit_ if you must, but forget about the movies. Just keep in mind that \*The Hobbit \*is really, really, really written as a Children’s book. If you have any appreciation for linguistics, you’ll really enjoy _LorR_. The author was, at his core, a linguist. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/49 "2016-08-06T15:14:57Z")
I read the book out loud as bedtime reading when my son was seven. He loved listening to it. He came away with his own mental images of the scenes and characters, which Hollywood could never match. He could even draw vivid pictures from the story. ---
**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:** [August 6, 2016, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/50 "2016-08-06T18:49:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > If you get to the point where you’ve read and re-read _Lord of the Rings_ about five or ten times, _then_ read _Bored of the Rings_. For anyone other than hardcore fans, though, it won’t be very funny. I introduced my Wife to _Bored of the Rings._ That made her want to read \*Lord of the Rings. \* ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/51 "2016-08-06T19:18:29Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I introduced my Wife to _Bored of the Rings._ That’s grounds for divorce in most states! ---
**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:** [August 6, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/52 "2016-08-06T19:27:21Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > That’s grounds for divorce in most states! Rather, she married me anyway. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/53 "2016-08-06T21:14:59Z")
I would say watch the movies first, in almost every case; movies often disappoint readers by what they leave out, while books offer new insights and elaborations to the tale. [The longest thread I ever created was my asking whether I’d like the films if I hadn’t read the books](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=516168). I got some fantastic answers, and down the line it turned into a watch-and-discuss topic, but there are big red spoiler warnings, so you should be able to avoid getting accidentally splashed by plot revelations. 🙂 And for goodness’ sake, watch the Extended Editions!! P.S. Just noticed that in that thread, I mentioned I’m not a fantasy fan. A year later I wrote my first fantasy novel. My new career is thanks to these films! ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/54 "2016-08-06T21:21:02Z")
P.P.S. Re-reading the responses I received, almost everyone was enthusiastic and encouraging about my watching the films without having yet read the books. Interesting the difference in advice between these two threads! ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/55 "2016-08-06T21:34:25Z")
ACK. Damn it, sorry for triple posting, but I want to say, if you do read the thread I linked to: **DON’T READ PAST POST #48!** Because once I see it, I start asking a fuckton of questions about things I wasn’t clear about (I’m rather embarrassed how poorly I understood the first film) and it’s spoilers ahoy. Sorry about that! As a shallow note, it’s amusing though that at the beginning I thought I wouldn’t find any of the guys attractive. Because once the second film introduced a certain character, I was well and truly infatuated (still am) by the actor _and_ the character. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/56 "2016-08-06T21:39:26Z")
> [@choie](#): > > Interesting the difference in advice between these two threads! They posed different questions for different circumstances. Yours asked, “I’ve never read LOTR. Will I like the movie(s)?” and stipulated, “I’m not motivated enough to read the books.” This one asks, “Assuming I read the books eventually … would people who have enjoyed both the books and the movies recommend that I read the books first, or watch the movies first?” ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/57 "2016-08-07T00:04:59Z")
> [@Trinopus](#): > > Hash boo Valvoline! I’ll see that, and raise you a _Slushfund tietack kierkegaard!_ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/58 "2016-08-07T04:40:18Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > They posed different questions for different circumstances. Yours asked, “I’ve never read LOTR. Will I like the movie(s)?” and stipulated, “I’m not motivated enough to read the books.” This one asks, “Assuming I read the books eventually … would people who have enjoyed both the books and the movies recommend that I read the books first, or watch the movies first?” True, the threads came at it from different angles, but my thread drifted soon after my OP. (I don’t _think_ I said I never planned on reading the books, did I come across that way? At the time I was just itchy to see the films so I could join the 21st century zeitgeist already.) Still, the majority of responses were basically saying they’d recommend I see the movies first, it’d be easier to enjoy them as their own entity and then read the books for the full impact. Many said reading the books first led to their being irked by what Jackson left out. (One person said that s/he’d started to read the books, got confused and stopped. Then s/he saw the films and was able to return to the books able to distinguish the characters and other names much more clearly. So the films actually helped clarify stuff for a reader who’d given up.) That’s what I took from those recommendations, anyway. If you’re going to do both, see the films, then read the book. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/59 "2016-08-07T05:00:51Z")
Years ago I practically had _Bored of the Rings_ memorized. After a while, I started reading the Hobbit and intended to continue reading the entire trilogy. But I couldn’t take the originals seriously after BotR, so I lost interest in the series. I sort of got dragged into seeing the 2nd movie once, but I wasn’t interested in it. And I think I caught the beginning of the 1st movie on TV once. I didn’t stick around to see the whole movie. So, I can’t speak for LotR specifically, but I will say that whenever I’ve read the book BEFORE I see the movie, I end up pretty disappointed in the movie. Because there’s no way you can put a 400 page paperback novel in a 90-120 minute film without omitting a LOT. On the other hand, if I see the movie first and then read the book, since I know how it ends, I tend to take my time and enjoy the stuff the movie left out. Trust me, if you’ve read _Dune_, you will regret watching the movie. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2016, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799/60 "2016-08-07T09:50:39Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > They posed different questions for different circumstances. Yours asked, “I’ve never read LOTR. Will I like the movie(s)?” and stipulated, “I’m not motivated enough to read the books.” This one asks, “Assuming I read the books eventually … would people who have enjoyed both the books and the movies recommend that I read the books first, or watch the movies first?” > [@choie](#): > > True, the threads came at it from different angles, but my thread drifted soon after my OP. (I don’t _think_ I said I never planned on reading the books, did I come across that way? At the time I was just itchy to see the films so I could join the 21st century zeitgeist already.) You said: “I’m not motivated enough to read the books”, as **Peremensoe** said. It was direct quote. > [@](#): > > Still, the majority of responses were basically saying they’d recommend I see the movies first, it’d be easier to enjoy them as their own entity and then read the books for the full impact. Many said reading the books first led to their being irked by what Jackson left out. > > (One person said that s/he’d started to read the books, got confused and stopped. Then s/he saw the films and was able to return to the books able to distinguish the characters and other names much more clearly. So the films actually helped clarify stuff for a reader who’d given up.) > > That’s what I took from those recommendations, anyway. If you’re going to do both, see the films, then read the book. The way you posed the question is likely to bias the number or responses towards those who did not read the books, since they are more likely to know if you can enjoy the movie without reading the books. So, I’m with **Peremensoe** – it was a different question and elicited different responses. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lord-of-the-rings-book-or-movies-first/761799.md?page=4)