Welcoming New Tolkien Seekers and Enthusiasts

[Halasían]

This is a nice positive thread! Good to see! Has there been a statistical bump of registrations and active participation since Rongs of Power debuted?

Dune comes pretty close man.

If you are referring to the latest movie, yes.

 

[MilkyWayMercy]

Are we ready? Are we prepared?

Though there has been, and continues to be, a good deal of 'negativity' directed at the new RoP, this much is certain...
There WILL be new people attracted to Tolkien's works because of it - and while possibly specifically to Silmarillion, yet maybe also to ALL the 'older' lore.

While PJ's Hobbit and LoTR may have attracted some to those works, still, getting into the 'deeper/earlier things' may have been daunting for them.
RoP opens up that world for their viewing just a bit.

If anything, I would suspect all the negativity against it would do more harm to those who are viewing it, than any misunderstandings the work will present.
The misunderstandings are correctable. The harm of the negativity is not.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not suggesting we not say anything negative about RoP. But I do think for the benefit of anyone who may be attracted to "come in" and "go deeper", the 'how we say it' is incredibly important - as is whether we're just issuing a 'complete condemnation', or dealing with some specific points rationally and well - which can be inviting rather than off-putting.

So back to the beginning:
- Are we ready to receive those who come?
- Are we prepared to help them deal with, and ultimately dwell in, the new world being opened?
- Have we our "best behaviors" and "teaching skillset" armament in place, ready to be employed?

RoP Exists. It cannot 'unexist'. And it is what it is. It cannot be otherwise.

Thus, it becomes a tremendous opportunity for the 'true Tolkienist' who wants Tolkien and his works front and center. May we see and handle it as such.

If our desire is to 'battle against error', that's great. The only question is, what is the best armor and skillset for us put on to win the war for the truth..!

Well, are you, my friend? I'm very new. I've only seen the first two movies and it's been many years since I saw the third one. Only read a few pages of the books. Never seen the hobit, I really just want a friend to teach me all about the LOTR universe. I'll listen. I don't care if you exposition dump fifteen pages of text to me.

 

[CheriptheRipper]

If you are referring to the latest movie, yes.

I am yes, I have not watched Lynch's attempt or the tv series with James McAvoy.
Though I would assume you have, how did you like those?

On another note, after finally having read the first dune book about two weeks back I do hope the upcoming Dune movie will be great as well despite my belief it won't be as interesting as the 2021 movie.

Spoiler

Because of the time skip, rather short story and lots of exposition left they've skipped on in the first one.
Also the hazey scenes I don't think would translate well, but still I'm interested in seeing how Villeneuve is planning to do those.

 

[Ent]

Well, are you, my friend?

We can certainly discuss this.

I really just want a friend to teach me all about the LOTR universe

A true friend will invite you to read the universe, and discuss it with you as you go. (Not watch the movies... nor try to teach you... but help you along the way.)

My recommendation is you start reading The Hobbit, and ask me any questions you may have along the way. Then we'll go to The Lord of the Rings, then the Silmarillion. After that, things will really get fun..!

Of course, research all the questions and thoughts on this site as well. Look at our Wiki for information and answers as well. There's a great deal of information and answers already at hand for you.

And a whole family ready to assist.

Ent is at your service. But you'll get far more out of it by having Tolkien himself tell you all about his universe, than having Ent or someone else just 'tell you what they think Tolkien said.'

Welcome to a huge, new, exciting universe.

 

[MilkyWayMercy]

We can certainly discuss this.

A true friend will invite you to read the universe, and discuss it with you as you go. (Not watch the movies... nor try to teach you... but help you along the way.)

My recommendation is you start reading The Hobbit, and ask me any questions you may have along the way. Then we'll go to The Lord of the Rings, then the Silmarillion. After that, things will really get fun..!

Of course, research all the questions and thoughts on this site as well. Look at our Wiki for information and answers as well. There's a great deal of information and answers already at hand for you.

And a whole family ready to assist.

Ent is at your service. But you'll get far more out of it by having Tolkien himself tell you all about his universe, than having Ent or someone else just 'tell you what they think Tolkien said.'

Welcome to a huge, new, exciting universe.

I messaged you. I'm excited to join this journey

 

[Ent]

I messaged you.

I answered you. Happy to see you moving forward.

 

[Halasían]

It's nice to welcome people here who come to know Tolkien via Rings of Power.

It appears the promotional material for season two is being kept close to the chest for season 2.

 

[Ent]

It appears the promotional material for season two is being kept close to the chest for season 2.

I do believe if I were they I would make the same decision/choice.

 

[Duguay]

I love this thread! It's one of the things about the ROP streaming show that I like, that potential for drawing in new fans. I also like how it can draw back dormant Tolkien enthusiasts like myself, and make some of the hidden aspects of Tolkien's world more of a curiosity, make the hunt for obscure lore more accessible.

Since the ROP finished it's first season, I've filled the last couple of years between seasons going further into Tolkien that ever before. I wasn't entirely sure I would ever re-read The Silmarillion, and now that's already done. I didn't think I would delve into TLotR appendices beyond the audiobook recording of Appendix A, I'm now more comfortable with them than I ever thought I would.

I always wondering if I would ever comfortable navigating through The Unfinished Tales and The History of Middle-earth, and now I'm surprised to know that how to find what I'm looking for in them, and have been able to read large sections and selections out of them. I even finally was able to enjoy the hardcover edition of The Children of Hurin, which I bought on it's first release, but has sat on my bookshelf for many years.

It's been great to go beyond The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, even to the point of a rudimentary understanding of how the published Silmarillion was assembled from Tolkien's different drafts. In the intervening years between seasons of ROP, I've been able to enjoy my own mind's-eye's conjuring of a "streaming show" from what my imagination conjures up while reading the deeper lore.

 

[Maedhros_Nelyafinwë]

I love this thread too. It's so important to be welcoming to new fans, because we were all new fans at one point. And in fact, people being elitist and belligerent with me as a 15 year old, when I was first starting to watch the PJ movies and read the books, kept me away from the Tolkien fandom for nearly 10 years. I thought Sam was "the real hero" of LotR when I first watched the movies, and when I expressed that to a friend of mine who was super into Tolkien, she went off on me. I had similar experiences with fans online. I said, wow, if Tolkien fans are this obnoxious to anybody who doesn't share their Sacred Opinion, I don't want to be part of this fandom! The other reason why I gave up on Tolkien for a while was because I was struggling to understand the books, but I probably would have overcome that if the fans I interacted with were more encouraging and welcoming. It was only because I listened to the LotR audiobooks narrated by Andy Serkis a few years ago that my interest in Tolkien was rekindled. I was still wary of the fandom, though, and I still am in many ways (especially since I'm a Fëanorian fan and we're often demonized), but that's why I like TTF so much. It's a much more positive, welcoming community than so many other places on the Internet. Let's keep it that way as RoP S2 comes out!

RoP isn't my cup of tea personally, but if it sparks an interest in Tolkien for anyone and it causes them to read the books (especially the Silmarillion), I'm happy about that!

 

[Vardarianna]

I can say I had mixed feelings on Rings of Power when it was first coming to start. the huge wave of negativity was a bit depressing, but i went in with a clear mind, and .... it wasn't that bad. Sure, there were weak moments in the writing and dialogue, and some things I'd have preferred being done differently, but overall, I quite enjoy the series!

 

[Ent]

I can say I had mixed feelings on Rings of Power when it was first coming to start. the huge wave of negativity was a bit depressing, but i went in with a clear mind, and .... it wasn't that bad. Sure, there were weak moments in the writing and dialogue, and some things I'd have preferred being done differently, but overall, I quite enjoy the series!

Hark the Herald....
Another who is able to both "administer comparative analysis" and "accept things that are."

(Again note - NEITHER of the above is said to indicate we are required to "enjoy them" for what they are. Comparative analysis can lead to either acceptance or rejection - enjoyment or lack thereof - based on our personal predilection. But the issue of "accepting something that is, as what it is" is entirely different than "accepting it as it is" on a personal level.)

It is well for us to be able to deliver on many fronts as we approach any thing existing. The issue is, it exists whether we want it to or not.

I'll shut up now. Old platform, oft discussed, rarely understood.

 

[Vardarianna]

Having rewatched season 1 and 2 recently, I noted quite a bit that I missed earlier. Not going to get into it here, but will say I'm liking the series more and am looking forward to season 3 coming in November!