fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #6405 ]

[ SECRET POST #6405 ]

⌈ Secret Post #6405 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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07. [SPOILERS for House of the Dragon]

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08. [SPOILERS for Centaurworld]

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09. [WARNING for discussion of both real life and fictional rape/sexual assault]

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10. [WARNING for discussion of Neil Gaiman/sexual assault allegations]

Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 00 pages, 00 secrets from Secret Submission Post #915.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

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I’ve never been able to enjoy reading Tolkien. I’ve tried and I always give up around 100 pages into his works. Sorry. I know I’m not the only person in the world to feel this way but I always feel bad because the stories themselves are amazing!

I liked the LotR movies a lot but haven’t seen them since shortly after the extended cuts were released on DVD.

But I want to do the LotR challenges on Conqueror so I’ve just downloaded the audiobooks narrated by Andy Serkis. If I want those finisher medals, I HAVE to finish the books. And listening to them while exercising will motivate me even more (I hope).

My mother LOVES Tolkien. Like, she re-reads at least one book every year. She incorporates his works into her passwords. She has seen all the movie adaptations, including the animated stuff. She tried to get me into it as a kid by giving me The Hobbit. I was bored out of my skull, couldn't get past five pages. She tried to get me into it as an adult by taking me to see the first LotR movie in the theater. I legit fell asleep. Thankfully, she loves me anyway.

Yeah his writing style is very polarizing I think. I would read anything as a kid and I was bored to death by The Hobbit. I was also bored by the animated movie of it, it just looked so weird and wasn’t interesting to me.

Hahaha. This was my dad when we were kids. And then at some point I became the fan. He never read the Silmarillion, so the last few years I was the one who knew more than him. But we loved nerding about Tolkien together.

Re: Confession

philstar22 - 2024-07-20 01:24 (UTC) - Expand

My mom has a double-sided jigsaw puzzle of Hobbit cover art on the 'front' and a map of Middle-Earth on the back, and I have assembled more of that puzzle than I have been able to get through pages of that book. On the plus side, presumably I inherited my neurodivergence from her and she had moved on to a different hyperfixation by the time I was old enough to read, so she didn't really care that I didn't care.

Also yes, that puzzle is as hard as it sounds, even at only ~500 pieces. I never finished it.

What book did you start with? When I was a kid, I was given the books and told, very seriously, to start with The Hobbit as it serves as a gateway into the writing style and is less dense. I've found that to be good advice even now that I'm an adult. When I reread, I always start with The Hobbit because it's the easier book to read and, somehow, makes reading the rest of them easier.

But yeah, audio books are a great way to get through them if that works better for you! I hope you enjoy them however you consume them!

DA

I'm like another anon and started with The Jobbit. I was quite bored and gave up.

OP
IIRC, on page 85 or close to it, you’re still reading a description of Bilbo’s home and have been for a very long time.

LOL at Jobbit

Re: Confession

(Anonymous) - 2024-07-20 05:37 (UTC) - Expand

I’ve tried to read The Hobbit many times in my life, first as a child and then in my early 20s. Then again when the PJ made the book into way too many movies, and then again during lockdown. I’m skipping it this time and just starting with Fellowship. I have the earlier audiobooks but they’re not very good and I DNF those, too. But the samples of the Andy Serkis ones sound engaging! Which is why I’m really missing with Tolkien’s work. There’s just so much description that my eyes glaze over when I read it.

I wonder... it's not part of the Middle-Earth Legendarium, but would Farmer Giles of Ham or Smith of Wootton Major be good starts? They're quite short and Giles is pretty darn funny to boot.

This is excellent advice.

Re: Confession

(Anonymous) - 2024-07-20 02:26 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Confession

(Anonymous) - 2024-07-20 02:53 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Confession

(Anonymous) - 2024-07-20 04:07 (UTC) - Expand

I have not either. I gave up halfway through the first one. Granted, I just really don't enjoy reading fantasy period. Just not the genre for me.

I love reading fantasy so it’s tough talking books with anyone because it’s like a rule that you have to love Tolkien to love fantasy. I love his ideas, his characters, his world building, but can’t stand his writing style. I think I found a way to get around that though :)

Nothing to feel bad about. His writing style isn't for everyone. I didn't like it as a kid. Something switched and now he's my favorite. But I get why others don't like him.

Also, I know for a lot of people audiobooks are the way they enjoy him.

For some reason this is the one thing that I feel like A Bad Fan about. I think because I love fantasy in general and everything I love to read exists because of Tolkien.
The Serkis audiobooks sound very engaging in the samples though! I’m really looking forward to this now <3

Is this meant to be a confession thread, or just your confession?

I've never been able to get into Tolkien, either.

I was going to do it as a general confessions thread but then thought no one would reply because anytime I try to make a thread it gets ignored LOL But definitely feel free to drop yours in anyway!

I didn't mind the books (still have the Return of the King to read, but have been putting it off for about 5 years lol), but they were a lot of work for me to get through.
Not because they're bad necessarily, but the first one is really wordy and I found that unlike my other books that I can read anywhere - I need to be in a quiet place to be able to focus on reading Tolkien's books. With that said, I also have a mild form of dyslexia and have small print versions of the books so that might also be another reason for my struggling tbh.

I think you’ve identified one of my issues, the needing to be in a quiet place free from distractions and interruptions. I don’t need that for other books and it’s also a situation that just has never been possible in my life.

I never connected with them, either, until the LotR movies came out around the same time I got into slash. That's what motivated me to give it another try, lol.

LOL I love that! I’m a slash fan but never got into any of the ships because the fandom at the time was book heavy and I felt like I didn’t belong. So that’s another thing to look forward to: I get to dive into decades of fic once I finish these!

Honestly i am very glad audiobooks have gotten more popular, even if i love to read

I’ve always loved audiobooks precisely because I love to read! I can’t read when I’m driving or working out or doing housework or a million other little tasks. But I can still enjoy the stories thanks to audiobooks :)

Re: Confession

(Anonymous) - 2024-07-20 06:42 (UTC) - Expand

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