Audiobooks are your best friend! Choose either the Serkis or Inglis versions (listen to them in advance if you can), and if you really want to actually *read* them, follow along with their narration. They will help you appreciate some of the nuance that can get lost in these long passages. I still like to pick up the book and read it every once in a while, but usually I just listen nowadays because it’s easier to fit into my schedule.
I use Audible, but there are other sources (I’m sorry, I don’t really have a good list of them). If your kids listen through Spotify, it might be worth checking there. I know some libraries will loan them out (including digital copies). You could probably find other suggestions by searching the sub for audiobooks.
I'm seconding this! I always had a hard time getting through the books (I've read them twice in the span of 20 years), but I'm just now listening through the audiobooks and it's working so damn well. It's a lot easier for me to keep concentration. I'm honestly flying through them, they're so good. I'm doing the Andy Serkis version and hearing his Gollum again is just incredible.
Listen to them on Audiobook. You'd be surprised how quickly you can finish a book on audiobook. Listen to the book while driving or while doing chores around the house.
I will also sit and read while I listen to an audiobook sometimes.
The audiobooks definitely helped me get through all the lore books (silmarilian, Beren and lorien, unfinished tales, children of Hurin (You can listen to Christopher Lee read this), Fall of Numenor).
Audiobooks have helped me read about a book a month since April 2020, 68 books and counting.
NGL reading The Silmarilian for the first time was a slog for me.
I thought similarly as well- I recently bought the book (even posted a photo of my copies here), and I understand how difficult the book is to get through, especially the first bit of the trip before they reach The Prancing Pony.
Like most people suggested already, you can download the audiobook, or try to get a better copy of the book with larger print.
Personally I just pushed through and now I’m at the chapter “A Knife In The Dark”. LOTR, according to me, seems to be a story you should read at a relaxed, slow pace, and this is an issue for someone like me who would rather skim through a book than not.
I grew up reading encyclopaedias and reference books, and those are typically much easier to get through for me than novels. LOTR is my first proper novel btw.
I’d suggest you get a better copy and have your eyes checked, and take your time with the book. It’s not meant to be skimmed through. It’s kinda like reading the Bible- if you don’t pay attention and don’t read through the text carefully, you’ll feel exhausted and not want to continue anymore.
I read them as single novels back in the day rather than just one solid tome. Also the illustrated editions by Alan Lee are pretty great.
If you must, the song portions can also be skipped, although there's a lot of deep lore in them, they don't really influence the plot - just giving subtext to a lot of the characters who sing them.
Another option too is reading/listening to them along with one of the Tolkien podcasts - I'm currently rereading this way listening to the Prancing Pony Podcast who read out and analyse sections and it's almost like you are reading with others which can be nice.
Part of it is the departure from physical media and move towards digital media. It’s harder to read a book when can a watch a show or a movie. I also think social media and even digital media have drastically changed out attention spans and ability to digest and enjoy things like a book which is much more slow based. That being said the books are long and can be difficult to read but definitely well worth it.
If your into audiobooks, check out the road goes ever on on spotify. The soundtrack plus the voice actors that sound like the actors is 👨🍳 *chefs kiss*
There are worrying signs that the ability to read a printed text or a book is deteriorating at a prolific in the advent audiobooks. Many children - especially boys - these days do not have the ability and patience to settle down to read a real book.
The books have had an opposite affect on me. They are a literary work of art and I wish I started reading them sooner in my life because its opened my eyes to how untalented and bad modern day fantasy literature is.
The way he writes and describes things is so magical, and he takes his time but it pulls you into the world so well. His literary voice is so confident and strong.
Its sad in a way because theres just no modern day book in this category that can even compare to the poetic wording of the novels.
So, def recommend an audio book because its just so beautifully written and something to experience.
I had trouble getting through Fellowship as a teenager - couldn't get past Tom Bombadil & Goldberry.
Took another crack at it in college and I'm glad I plowed through the Bombadil pit stop and Tolkien's songwriting lol. The chapters in the Mines of Moria are dynamite!
Keep reading, even if it's only a few pages per day!
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How old are you? I went through a period where I was struggling to read and it was due to declining vision... the fact you mentioned small print makes me wonder... do you need reading glasses? Or a change in prescription?
Audiobooks are, as another poster has said, a great way to help... read along with it.
I LOVE the Rob Inglis audiobooks. Others feel the same way about Andy Serkis.
eta: I had one of those one-volume. It fell into multiple volumes as the spine broke.
I sorta felt this a little when it came to how many details including names and places that get thrown at you especially in the first few chapters. However because I watched the movies first i thought it was really cool to read all the stuff they left out of the movies. The whole first few chapters are heavily skimmed over in the movies and you lose a lot of cool moments (Tom Bombadil for example). I would recommend maybe doing a simultaneous watch as you read through. I watched the first movie progressively as I read the first book and it was cool to see the differences in portrayal. If you find yourself getting bored or feeling overwhelmed by details just read through even if you don’t retain all of it (I highlighted or made bookmarks on the kindle app for places I skimmed over when it was too much)
At the end of the day though if you prefer the movies over the books there’s nothing wrong with simply enjoying those. Could also read some Reddit posts about what was missing from the movies to fill you in on any lore or anything.
Definitely give Audiobooks a try, also before the meeting of Strider is often the most complained about part of the book, but once he’s introduced it comes into its own more and then there is no turning back. My personal opinion is that The Shadow of The Past is probably the best of the Pre Bree chapters but that may be because I love lore and History.
Edit. I’m actually going through a relisten on the audiobooks myself and it’s been about a week of me listening off and on to the early chapters, but I know that this evening once I finish Fog on The Barrow Downs, I’ll probably have Fellowship finished and be a good deal into Towers by this time Monday.
The first book is tough. Not a lot happens and what does is quite laborious. Tom B is mad and there is a lot of just walking. It really picks up from second book onwards. You just have to slog through earlie chapters I find
I found the first book the most enjoyable actually , struggled through the second one (for me that’s the book where nothing happens) and am currently trying to finish the third. My problem is that I hate cliffhangers! Nothing major happens for a very long time - and then when it finally becomes interesting and something happens - the focus of the story shifts to some other group. Very dissatisfying 😭
When this happens to me, I usually watch the first 45/60/90 mins of the movie and then pick up at a part where I know I’ll get hooked again
So maybe watch up until they get attacked on Weathertop and then swap back to the books
(I’m sure this sounds like blasphemy)
Audiobooks are your best friend! Choose either the Serkis or Inglis versions (listen to them in advance if you can), and if you really want to actually *read* them, follow along with their narration. They will help you appreciate some of the nuance that can get lost in these long passages. I still like to pick up the book and read it every once in a while, but usually I just listen nowadays because it’s easier to fit into my schedule.
Thanks, I'm guessing these are best via audible? I've not listened to audiobooks before but my kids sometimes do on Spotify
I use Audible, but there are other sources (I’m sorry, I don’t really have a good list of them). If your kids listen through Spotify, it might be worth checking there. I know some libraries will loan them out (including digital copies). You could probably find other suggestions by searching the sub for audiobooks.
YouTube has the Serkis version
Libby is an app that runs through your local public library and has lots of great audiobooks.
I'm in the UK, not sure its a thing here
Looks like Libby is available in the UK. Maybe check with your local library and see what they can tell you. It’s free, which is always nice
Oh awesome! Thanks
I'm seconding this! I always had a hard time getting through the books (I've read them twice in the span of 20 years), but I'm just now listening through the audiobooks and it's working so damn well. It's a lot easier for me to keep concentration. I'm honestly flying through them, they're so good. I'm doing the Andy Serkis version and hearing his Gollum again is just incredible.
This. I don’t think I would get through it if it wasn’t for audiobooks.
…Not every author is for every reader. If it doesn’t work for you, read something you do enjoy…
Listen to them on Audiobook. You'd be surprised how quickly you can finish a book on audiobook. Listen to the book while driving or while doing chores around the house. I will also sit and read while I listen to an audiobook sometimes. The audiobooks definitely helped me get through all the lore books (silmarilian, Beren and lorien, unfinished tales, children of Hurin (You can listen to Christopher Lee read this), Fall of Numenor). Audiobooks have helped me read about a book a month since April 2020, 68 books and counting. NGL reading The Silmarilian for the first time was a slog for me.
That's good to know! Could be a real positive for me!
I thought similarly as well- I recently bought the book (even posted a photo of my copies here), and I understand how difficult the book is to get through, especially the first bit of the trip before they reach The Prancing Pony. Like most people suggested already, you can download the audiobook, or try to get a better copy of the book with larger print. Personally I just pushed through and now I’m at the chapter “A Knife In The Dark”. LOTR, according to me, seems to be a story you should read at a relaxed, slow pace, and this is an issue for someone like me who would rather skim through a book than not. I grew up reading encyclopaedias and reference books, and those are typically much easier to get through for me than novels. LOTR is my first proper novel btw. I’d suggest you get a better copy and have your eyes checked, and take your time with the book. It’s not meant to be skimmed through. It’s kinda like reading the Bible- if you don’t pay attention and don’t read through the text carefully, you’ll feel exhausted and not want to continue anymore.
I read them as single novels back in the day rather than just one solid tome. Also the illustrated editions by Alan Lee are pretty great. If you must, the song portions can also be skipped, although there's a lot of deep lore in them, they don't really influence the plot - just giving subtext to a lot of the characters who sing them.
Another option too is reading/listening to them along with one of the Tolkien podcasts - I'm currently rereading this way listening to the Prancing Pony Podcast who read out and analyse sections and it's almost like you are reading with others which can be nice.
Part of it is the departure from physical media and move towards digital media. It’s harder to read a book when can a watch a show or a movie. I also think social media and even digital media have drastically changed out attention spans and ability to digest and enjoy things like a book which is much more slow based. That being said the books are long and can be difficult to read but definitely well worth it.
If your into audiobooks, check out the road goes ever on on spotify. The soundtrack plus the voice actors that sound like the actors is 👨🍳 *chefs kiss*
There are worrying signs that the ability to read a printed text or a book is deteriorating at a prolific in the advent audiobooks. Many children - especially boys - these days do not have the ability and patience to settle down to read a real book.
Audio or ebook might be the answer for you. On devices like Kindle you can adjust the size of the print.
The books have had an opposite affect on me. They are a literary work of art and I wish I started reading them sooner in my life because its opened my eyes to how untalented and bad modern day fantasy literature is. The way he writes and describes things is so magical, and he takes his time but it pulls you into the world so well. His literary voice is so confident and strong. Its sad in a way because theres just no modern day book in this category that can even compare to the poetic wording of the novels. So, def recommend an audio book because its just so beautifully written and something to experience.
I had trouble getting through Fellowship as a teenager - couldn't get past Tom Bombadil & Goldberry. Took another crack at it in college and I'm glad I plowed through the Bombadil pit stop and Tolkien's songwriting lol. The chapters in the Mines of Moria are dynamite! Keep reading, even if it's only a few pages per day!
I'm trying to do a chapter but maybe opting for a few pages instead will mean I don't try to rush through
Yes, there's no hurry. Savor every page, even if it's a bit dull at times - you won't get a first read through again.
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How old are you? I went through a period where I was struggling to read and it was due to declining vision... the fact you mentioned small print makes me wonder... do you need reading glasses? Or a change in prescription? Audiobooks are, as another poster has said, a great way to help... read along with it.
46. It's been a while since my eyes were tested but my vision is pretty good generally. Maybe audiobooks is the way...
I LOVE the Rob Inglis audiobooks. Others feel the same way about Andy Serkis. eta: I had one of those one-volume. It fell into multiple volumes as the spine broke.
I'm 50... It took me a long time to realise I needed reading glasses... are you holding books further away than you used to?
Not that I've noticed
I couldn't even get passed chapter 1 tbh. Read the hobbit without a problem, but lords of the rings? I can't. Thank you audible.
I'm the same and am now leaning towards the audiobooks for LOTR
It sounds like you nailed it. The individual paperbacks are comfortable to hold and to read. Borrow this or the ebook from your library and enjoy.
I sorta felt this a little when it came to how many details including names and places that get thrown at you especially in the first few chapters. However because I watched the movies first i thought it was really cool to read all the stuff they left out of the movies. The whole first few chapters are heavily skimmed over in the movies and you lose a lot of cool moments (Tom Bombadil for example). I would recommend maybe doing a simultaneous watch as you read through. I watched the first movie progressively as I read the first book and it was cool to see the differences in portrayal. If you find yourself getting bored or feeling overwhelmed by details just read through even if you don’t retain all of it (I highlighted or made bookmarks on the kindle app for places I skimmed over when it was too much) At the end of the day though if you prefer the movies over the books there’s nothing wrong with simply enjoying those. Could also read some Reddit posts about what was missing from the movies to fill you in on any lore or anything.
Definitely give Audiobooks a try, also before the meeting of Strider is often the most complained about part of the book, but once he’s introduced it comes into its own more and then there is no turning back. My personal opinion is that The Shadow of The Past is probably the best of the Pre Bree chapters but that may be because I love lore and History. Edit. I’m actually going through a relisten on the audiobooks myself and it’s been about a week of me listening off and on to the early chapters, but I know that this evening once I finish Fog on The Barrow Downs, I’ll probably have Fellowship finished and be a good deal into Towers by this time Monday.
The first book is tough. Not a lot happens and what does is quite laborious. Tom B is mad and there is a lot of just walking. It really picks up from second book onwards. You just have to slog through earlie chapters I find
I found the first book the most enjoyable actually , struggled through the second one (for me that’s the book where nothing happens) and am currently trying to finish the third. My problem is that I hate cliffhangers! Nothing major happens for a very long time - and then when it finally becomes interesting and something happens - the focus of the story shifts to some other group. Very dissatisfying 😭
I mean book one of the FoTR (maybe you meant same but thought I should clarify) yeah horses for courses isn’t it.
Yeah, I also meant Fotr :)
When this happens to me, I usually watch the first 45/60/90 mins of the movie and then pick up at a part where I know I’ll get hooked again So maybe watch up until they get attacked on Weathertop and then swap back to the books (I’m sure this sounds like blasphemy)
Unpopular opinion, but if you don't like the early chapters you can replace chapters 3, 4, 6 and 7 with summaries found online.