Help! My friend hates LOTR!

[TealDude3]

The title explains it all. I begged my friend to read the book. I knew even before I asked, it was in vain, because he hates reading in genral. He watched the movie, and he said he never watched such a pointless movie. He says that anybody who likes LOTR is a pansy. What should I do to get him to at least appritiate LOTR?

[mordor136]

Well it seems to me you have a choice to make friend or lotr...(just kidding)Well I had it easier than you my friend started reading it but stopped in the middle of Helm's Deep he said the chapter was BORING can you believe it Helm's Deep boring. As for your friend let me tell you what I did I got all of my other friends to read it and they loved it. When you and your friends are talking about it he will feel left out and eventually hop on the bandwagon. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] good luck

[ December 01, 2002: Message edited by: mordor136 ]

[Galadel Vinorel]

I begged my friend to read the book. I knew even before I asked, it was in vain, because he hates reading in genral. He watched the movie, and he said he never watched such a pointless movie. He says that anybody who likes LOTR is a pansy.

I know how you feel, Teal, most of my entire class, girls at least, are TOTALLY think that LOTR is stupid, and they think that I am weird for liking it. I tried to get some of them interested, but it didn't work. I still hang out with those people, though I have made some new friends who LOVE LOTR as much as I do, if that is possible.

Don't stop being his friend just because he doesn't like LOTR. Don't EVER do that. Trust me, big mistake.

I'm not exactely sure how you can get your friend interested in LOTR. All the ways that I have tried don't work....But, just keep on trying (don't drive your friend away, though) and never give up. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] I know how it is. I'm cheerin' for you!! See ya around!! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

[MLD-Grounds-Keeper-Willie]

I'm sorry, but as much as I love LotR, you can't force your friend to like it. You can't force people like things.

All I can say is keep arguing. I always hated reading myself but for some reason, I started to like reading after I read LotR. Try to get your friend to read the book, he might change his mind.

I also think that your friend might like but they just don't want to admit it. If you sit through 3hours of a pointless movie, there had to be something that you liked to make you stay, otherwise you would have just walked out in teh middle of it. Your friend might think that lotr is pu*sy stuff, but he/she just took that side blindly, I don't think that your friend even gave it a chance, which is very sad.

I think it was wrong to say what he said about anybody who likes LotR. What does he/she know anyways?...

Anyways, I hope this reply helped, and keep trying. Your friend might budge sooner or later.

Good Luck [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[ December 01, 2002: Message edited by: MLD-Grounds-Keeper-Willie ]

[-Imrahil-]

Yes. You really can't force someone to like something. Even though he probably would like it if he gave it a chance, if he got past the foolish teenage stage he's in. Many kids, and adults, though kids moreso, go through phases, these vary. Some people will go with whatever the majority is doing, some might go through a phase where they think all books are dumb ect.

You just have to accept it and hope he changes!

[Merri]

As has been said before: one man's treasure is another man's trash.

I agree with those who have said this before, that you can't force someone to do/appreciate things. The most you can do is accept him the way he is, and the fact that he won't like LOTR. No two people are alike- hence, we will always disagree with somebody, but then, we'll always agree with somebody, too.

But remember: Whether he likes LOTR or not is one of the least important qualities of being your friend. There are other things that are ten times more important- don't worry too much about this, though not liking LOTR is a serious fault! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] (JK, of course!!)

[ December 01, 2002: Message edited by: Merri ]

[Guildo]

tell him to read "War and Peace" thats no more more pointless than LOTR

[burrahobbit]

Omigod! That guy is so not even good enough to be your friend! Kick that punk to the curb lol!

[Dorathain_Flamesword]

Hey, I have had a case like this come my way several times. And everyone one of my friends says, quote, "Dude, the Lord of the Rings sucks." And I always reply saying, "Well you know somethin', YOU SUCK!" They always seem to shut up about it and start reading the LotR and they find out they like it. Man, I have the greatest laugh when they deny that they said the LotR sucks.

[the witch king]

Beat him over the head with the book til he agrees to read it!lol

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

I don't mind other people criticising the book because then I can usually get a decent debate going.

However, if someone were to tell me that it sucks (for no good reason) I'm the first to yell "No dude, YOU SUCK!"

Hey! I use immaturity as a comeback against immaturity, and it usually works.

Back of the net!

[busybee]

I tried to get my friend to read it by Christmas but its almost Christmas now and she hasn't even started so its gone down the Drain!!!

[LePetitChoux]

Yes! My two friends actually insult it! They don't just shut up when it is mentionned, and say it is boring. They both got stuck in chapter 1. So I say: "That is the most boring chapter in the whole book", but they just will not listen. The one supposed to read it by christmas just fancies Elijah. Like, one day we (moi et the other lotr fans in my class - yes, there are a few) were discussing whether Frodo 'n' Sam are in any way homosexual, and she saiud the shallowest thing possible:

Of course they are not gay - Frodo is mine!

[img]smilies/mad.gif[/img] [img]smilies/mad.gif[/img] [img]smilies/mad.gif[/img]
Honestly! [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[*Varda*]

You know, does it really matter that he doesn't like it? I don't expect everyone to like everything I like. Accept the difference.

My best friend didnt like it too,but
then i always talked about Lotr
and then she watched the Movie and now she likes it too...
But a friend of doesent like it. he thinks that there is too much war...
But i say is it otherwise in this World???
NO!
Good luck
and don't give up your friend
just because he doesent like LOTR!!
That doesn't matter..

[Merri]

LePetitChoux- maybe your friend was joking? [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[Saurannûn the Wood Elf]

You know what? I deal with that EVERY day. There are very few people in the place I live that love LOTR as much as I do. I can barely get a good conversation going about it. There's only one friend I can talk to about it, and she knows almost d**k all about it. I know a couple of people who were INTERESTED in watching it, but as soon as they were presented the opportunity to do so, they were EMBARRASSED and said no! Another one of my friends loved the movie, but WILL NOT read the books. He says "I don't have the attention span", but if he had enough attention to pay attention to the MOVIE, he should have enough attention left over to read the books!

[TealDude3]

I feel you Saurannûn, but that's why we have The Barrow-Downs.

I think everybody misunderstood me. I don't want him to exactly like LOTR (it would be great, though). I just want him to appretiate it. I mean, he violently verbaly attacks LOTR.

[elsye]

Well, look at it this way. There are plenty of women out there(myself for instance) that would be turned-off by some guy who thinks that LOTR is for pansies!! It just shows that he has little intelligence. but if I find someone who can carry on a conversation about middle earth, i want to be around them. [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

[MLD-Grounds-Keeper-Willie]

I agree wood elf. I have some friends who do the same thing and like it for what I think is the wrong reason. And I definately agree with you meela, that I would be horrified if everyone liked LOTR, and more so that it is nice to have something to yourself. Here's a thread sort of related to this did the movies do the books justice ? In fact, I think that because we can see what makes LotR so great, that makes us special and great in a way. And many people don't like LotR for the wrong reasons. If some other people say that it sucks and its stupid, then the people (who don't like it for the wrong reasons) say they don't like it either. The thing that I hate the most is that some people don't even give it a chance. That's sad.

[Beruthiel]

I know what you mean Saurannûn. My friend was totally interested in the book after reading the first couple of chapters and watching the movie but when I started talking to her about it in front of some other friends she just ignored me and said that is was boring and crap!
I also agree that I wouldn't want everyone to be into lotr, its nice to know that you are different from other people but it would be nice if there were a few people I could talk to about it. At least there's the Barrowdowns to keep me company! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

I share your pain, my boyfriend has no more interest in LOTR then I have in GAA!! You need decent people like us 4 friends!! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[Saurannûn the Wood Elf]

Thanks guys! That's why I keep coming back! And, TealDude, I know what you meant, and I think you missed MY point. I feel the exact same way about everything: I don't necessarily want them all to Love is completely like I do, I just want them to appreciate it. I love the Downs, 'cause people can talk about the Lord of the Rings any way they need to, just to get it out of their system! I luv this place!

[Cherie Centaur]

I soo know how you feel. I'm the only girl in my Lang. Arts Class who's read the books, my teacher hasn't even read them! And there's only three or four boys who do, but they're perverted and are only reading it because of the movies.
I've recently got my friend to read Fellowship because I wouldn't tell her whether Gandalf is truly dead. But she's struggling with the beginning.
(By the way, those boys I mentioned before are either finished with Two Towers and are waiting 'til after they see the movie or are in the middle of it, so they keep asking me 'Does Frodo die at the end?', The Morons! [img]smilies/mad.gif[/img] [img]smilies/mad.gif[/img] [img]smilies/mad.gif[/img] )
Anyway, I don't believe that anyone has the right to force things on other people and Teal, you should tell your "friend" that if they don't stop dissing your hobbies/obsessions you'll start bashing theirs [img]smilies/evil.gif[/img] .

[ December 07, 2002: Message edited by: Cherie Centaur ]

[Arwen_Evenstar]

I'll tell u what you have to do Teal? Give your friend a good hard knock on the head!(jkz) I know how u feel though. One of my friends stopped watching the movie half way through because 'Nothing happened for ages, it was boring!' While my other friend said 'Everything happens too fast, its soo confusing!' Geez! What does PJ have to do to satisfy you non-LotR people?! He worked his but off, Now show a little RESPECT!!!

[MLD-Grounds-Keeper-Willie]

Manquesseiel, you said GAA- do you mean Gaelic Athletic Association? Because I love that too. I also love LotR, of course. I'm not accusing yu of anything so don't get mad, but the way you say GAA, makes it sound like it sucks. And you probably already know this but its kind of hypocritical in a way or sort of reverse. But you said that you share little interest in GAA as he shows little interest in LotrR. I'm not trying to tell you what to do and sorry if you did this already because I didn't know. Anyways, why don't you try to give GAA a chance and maybe he'll give LotR a chance. Try comprimising, it might work. You could make a deal. Maybe if you watch a season of hurling or Gaelic Football, he could read LotR. And make this optional so its not like its a chore or a burden, that way, if he agrees, he'll actually want to do it and maybe he'll like it.

[arelendil]

May i just add my humble opinion that the more you force the more he'll say no. Try to ease him in, like reading the hobbit or something.

Of course you could accept it. I've been looking for ages for a LOTR friend, when you find one, a special person that shares your love of the book it makes the friendship extra special. and besides its more fun to hunt for people, like today my DT teacher noticed my bag(which has tengwar on it) and started to jump around the room madly before telling me about how he loves the book and has read it at least 20 times!

So basically except this one friend and hunt for more!

[ December 12, 2002: Message edited by: arelendil ]

[Cherie Centaur]

Guess what? My friend's reading the book and she said,"this book SUCKS!!!" I was heartbroken. By the way, if you're wondering she at the part where they meet Tom Bombadil, who, to her, is stupid and sings to much,HONESTLY!!

I thought about ditching her, but she's a good friend of mine and she is still reading it(I'm hoping by the time she meets Strider, she'll change her mind), so I won't. Good thing I have the Barrowdowns to discuss my true obsession [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] .

[Demloth of Dol Amroth]

whack him w/something heavy and blunt-he'll forget who he is and then you tell him "dude, you like wanna read this book!! you're life has no other purpose! you also wanna see the movie over and over!! you're name is yrchmellon by the way..." [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] good stuff. my dad was sorta dumb this way. got frustrated cuz the BD part was so long and boring for him-he says the movie is better. alas, he'll never get to know glorfindel (who seemed to have met an untimely end in the movie-Aragorn-"Arwen, whats that wriggling in the bushes?" Arwen-"Um, nothing Aragorn" *delivers swift kick to bush*) i dunno-it seems that a good portion of the earth's population has a penchant for being stupid. my theory is that good ol' Harry Potter comes stumbling onto the pop culture scene, gets labeled fantasy and is associated with small children, then poor LOTR comes in, and gets thrown in the same boat!! [img]smilies/mad.gif[/img] [img]smilies/mad.gif[/img] [img]smilies/mad.gif[/img]

[Cherie Centaur]

Yeah, probably that's what happened. Though I am a Harry Potter fan, but I've been a Tolkien fan longer.

[Noldorin King]

Look, yours is better...my sisters hated the way he wrote...don't mind them, they're probably getting themselves busy with more realistic stuff...i'd say those who don't like fiction think we're just a bunch of twisted loonies stuck in latency period...but we're all literary geniuses because of the great Tolkien

[Finwe]

Go tell your friend to go jump in the Void, and then run after her/him with a sword (or you can make do with a long pointy object) yelling, "ELENDIIIIIIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Then, of course, explain to everyone who is staring at you open-mouthed with shock that, that is what happens when a Tolkien fan is angered!

Believe me, it works!

[kittygirl02]

Word of advice to you: If your friend called you a pansy, tell her/him that flowers are cool.If you like flowers) And if he/she doesn't like LoTR, then that's their opinion, but if you like it, then you should tell your friend not to sqander your interests. Next time he says something like that, just tell him "I like LoTR,but oyu don't have to. but please don't call me a pasny. Ever again."
There. I've been through stuff like this before, and you can't make people like stuff if they show no interest in it.(Maybe you can ask one of your teachers if that can be asigned reading or something)And people also have different opinions than you, so you know, just remember that everyone's not like you are.

[The Only Real Estel]

Don't try to make him like it. If you try to make him like it, he'll only hate it worse. I told my friend about it 3 years ago & let it sit, & he read the books on his own. Now he loves them (although he never hated them before, only ws disinterested)! Just let him be, & maybe he'll let you be... [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

[The Saucepan Man]

When I first met the wonderful woman who has since become my wife, she had no interest in LotR, having been told by her sister when she was a girl that she would not like it. It did not stop us falling in love and marrying (although I am glad to say that, on seeing the first film, she promptly read the book and thoroughly enjoyed it).

Similarly, my brother has no interest whatosever in LotR. He never will and (although he is a Star Wars fan) he is slightly derisive of it. His wife loves the book. This fact did not prevent them marrying. Nor has it driven a wedge between my brother and I. Indeed, I would probably describe him as my best friend.

You do not have to share every interest that you have with those who are close to you, even one as close to your heart as Tolkien's works clearly are to us here. If the bond between you is strong enough, then for every interest that you do not share, you will find a multitude of those which you do.

[Elennar Starfire]

Think of this:

You may have one or two, or more friends at school who dislike LotR to various degrees, but they are far outnumbered by your friends here at the 'downs who love LotR. Unless of course you are extremely popular, but if you were that popular and didn't have one friend who likes LotR, I would be quite surprised.

[Knight of Gondor]

I'd agree, you can't make him (or her) like LotR. Some people just don't care for spell-binding series! But if you need good fellowship about Fellowship, then you've got the Downs! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[ArathorofBarahir]

First off if you know that all of your efforts are going to be in vain then just give up. Just agree to disagree.

[Noxomanus]

All of this makes me feel so glad that of the people I hang out with out only 2 haven't read the books or seen the movies and all others (some 8 people) have seen the movies,all of them liked them and 2 have even read the books or are reading it!

Great thing.

Although you are probably just going to have to agree to disagree, you might try this....

Is your friend into any fantasy stories, movies, games, ect? If so, you might be able to find some good comparisons between the two - i.e. "Well, if you like that, then you might like this too."
Perhaps showing your friend some similarities between things they already like and LOTR will open them up to the idea of checking it out! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]