Stephen Colbert talks D&D and LOTR on Conan O'Brien

[Voadam]

I read the entire Simarillion in third grade.

I don't remember any of it, but I read it.

That's me and War and Peace from High School. Russia, Napoleon. Masons? But I read every word. And later Leviathan in College. State of nature = brutish, nasty, and short. I remember the analysis from the lecture much better.

 

[Snapdragyn]

I read the Silmarillion (& Hobbit & LotR) at least twice, the first time probably in 7th grade. Loved them all.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Beowulf is far more readable than the Simarillion. Maybe Tolkien needs a better translator.

I don't know about Beowulf, but the Silmarillion was never intended to be published. J.R.R. Tolkien played with the thought, thinking the book would have little chance, but then someone corrected him and said that the book had no chance.

So he never made a book out of all the notes.

Only after his death, his son put the notes in order as best as he could and published them. The "book without chance" had somewhat better chances now than before - I don't hink Tolkien ever dreamed that the Lord of the Rings would become that popular, creating not a fan-base, but a veritable cult, who would buy a book with the naughty slogans he wrote in public restrooms if they were compiled and sold. (Really, there's nothing funnier than a naughty peom that covers the whole bathroom wall).