Elen Sila Lumenn' Omentielvo

"A Star Shines on the Hour of our Meeting"

I am a long time fan of The Lord of the Rings. In fact, it was twenty years ago today that I received The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring for Christmas. Not knowing anything about them at the time, I decided to tackle Fellowship first, simply because it was longer - I had never read anything that long before - not realizing that Fellowship was actually the sequel to The Hobbit.

To quote that oft overused phrase "and the rest, as they say, is history."

I read through Fellowship fairly ravenously, and I remember, among other things, being gripped by the tension of the journey through the Mines of Moria. I also remember that, upon reaching the end of the first book, that I didn't want to wait to have to read the other two. It seemed like it would be forever until I was able to get them. My parents had to tell me that they'd already gotten the other two books or I'd have gone out and gotten them by myself. So I tided myself over by reading The Silmarillion (which, while slow to get into, I nevertheless ended up adoring as well) and, I think, pretty much every other Tolkien book I could get from the local library.

Of course, when I finally did get The Two Towers and The Return of the King (after what seemed like an eternity as a child) I enjoyed them as well, including the appendices. I even taught myself to write using Tolkien's Tengwar letters (his Elvish script), though slightly adapted for the english alphabet.

I have continued to read and enjoy The Lord of the Rings from time to time throughout the years and started another read through of it today to commemorate the 20th anniversary of my first journey to Middle-Earth. I still have my original paperbacks, though Fellowship is in rough shape, having some loose pages, so I'm reading a newer edition. I might go back to my originals for the 2nd and 3rd books if they seem like they're in good enough condition.

There are relatively few things that have had as large or as lasting an impact on me as The Lord of the Rings. The fact that I enjoy it and still return to it 20 years later speaks to that. Among the things that I enjoy in The Lord of the Rings is the sense of history, the languages and the sense of hope against all odds - and many other things, besides.

Anyway, I could no doubt was on in much more detail than I have here, but I think it suffices to say that The Lord of the Rings is something which has had, and will likely continue to have, a profound impact on me.

Namarie,
-TFitC