Did you ever notice...
 

Did you ever notice how people have like never heard of LotR, go and see the movie, and then say they are the biggest LotR fan ever? I mean, I am not really one to talk because I didn't read the book until I saw the trailer for it last summer...but I don't think you can be a true LotR fan until you have read the books. Anyone agree with me?

Uhhhh...well I saw the movie first because...wait no too long a story...let's just say I didn't think to highly of it because of the gollum scene in the cartoon version of the Hobbit. But because of the movie, I fell in love with the whole story and for my birthday I received the LOTR hardbound set and am presently in the midst of TTT, which i might add is exciting. I LOVE the movie but I LOVE the books more so far (I usually do since reading and writing are my two main hobbies). So I agree with you but I don't! Sorry for the rambling!
*************************
Laita Ilúvatar!

I read the book before I saw the movie but after I heard about it. Does that count. Yes, I am a true Lord of the Rings fan. Most people who have only seen the movie and called themselves fans are really Orli oriented tenny-boopers.

Yes, I don't see how you can be a fan of any work without ever having studied that work.

My parents read the Hobbit to me when I was 10. I read the books myself when I got to Jr High. Tolkien seems like a part of my life. [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

I read the books and then found out there was going to be a movie, but that was 3 years ago. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] I would say one can be an LOTR-book-fan or an LOTR-movie-fan, or both. I'm both. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] But if someone says they're a Tolkien fan but they've only seen the movie, not read the books, then that is a little off.

Someone said in another thread that the movies are really just visual fan-fiction. That really puts it into perspective for me. And yes Gimli, many of the people I unfortunately have as friends consider themselves fans of LotR when in truth they're just fans of Orli's pretty face [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] .

my thread 'Obsessed' Fans which is also in Novices and Newcomers has a pretty similar theme, i've already voiced my opinions there so i won't bore you with it again lol.

To sum it up - People who only like LotR for Orlando are superficial teenyboppers [img]smilies/mad.gif[/img] *glares at all the teenyboppers and kicks them all out of Middle Earth*

Nimrodel - You took the words out of my mouth! That´s what I think too.
Sure, you can be a Lotr-movie-fan, but you are not "totally a fan" until you´ve read the books, in my opinion..

Thanks [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] Now I know that people actually agree with me on this! Most of my friends who have seen it have not read the book, but loved the movie. That's where I got the idea. I believe only one of my friends (and I) have read the book.

I don't know what you mean by "true fan"

I do agree that one should read the books, though. I don't think you can really appreciate it at its best if you don't read the books. Reading the books will enhance the experience if you've seen the movie...I don't think it works vice versa.

To be a "true" fan, I guess you would have to read the books. I didnt read the books until I saw the movie, but I would of read them earlier, but a friend of mine complained they were dull and boring, so it tunred me off reading them. How wrong is she!