wow...this forum is lonely now

[ringbearer]

used to have a lot of posters...where did everyone go?

[The last sane person]

Facebook, twitter, instagram, take your pick. That and most that were here for Tolkien stuff debated the life out of just about all the texts and topics.

[Rían]

Most boards, from what I've heard, have their heyday and then just naturally peter out. This board had a glorious heyday, and I'll always remember it, and the many people I met, very fondly. JRRT's works changed my life, and it was an amazing experience to be able to share them with people from all over the world.

[The last sane person]

It was a damn good run, wasn't it?

[Alcuin]

I’m not willing to give up yet. There’s more stuff under the rocks, there are big pictures we haven’t completed, and there are lots of new readers who might be interested.

Runs come in waves, like traffic on a road: sometimes it’s thin, sometimes it’s heavy.

Movie interest influences traffic, too. I understand that while box office receipts rose through the three Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings films, it fell through the three Hobbit films. I think I count as a pretty die-hard Tolkien fan. I went to the theater to see the first LotR film, then watched the other two at home (while wincing). I kinda watched the first Hobbit film on Netflix, but really have no interest in the other two. I really think the further cinema wanders from the books, the less traction it gets. I think has a strong influence on Tolkien boards, too.

[Nerwen]

It would be nice to have some new posters, but I am having fun.

Susie

[Attalus]

Suze, you have fun no matter what you are doing, no?

[Snowdog]

I still drop in every once in a while.

[Earniel]

Still here, but less than I used to because I'm busy with getting a house empty between work and social responsibilities and it's eating my internet time.

[Mari]

Same here. Busy with work and studies. Oh and a social life for as much as I have one

[Nerwen]

My social life is Attalus and that is plenty. I post from work as often as I have a lull, here and elsewhere

Susie

[Rían]

Originally Posted by The last sane person

It was a damn good run, wasn't it?

Sure was!!!


(and I still write in Tengwar )

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

I just stumbled back, partly by accident and partly out of curiosity over whether the 'moot was still here! for my part I ended up with too much going on out in the real world (good and bad), although I definitely enjoyed the time that I was here

[Rían]

Wow! LCOU, long time! I hope things are going well with you! Nice to see you

[Nerwen]

Welcome back, LCoU!

[Midge]

I'm not quite ready to give up on it either. Who else am I going to talk to about my LOTR-related things (to be fair, though, I haven't read the books in a while and I never really get into the deep conversations...)?

I definitely want to read more on the histories, though.

[The last sane person]

LCOU! Now there's a name I haven't seen here in a very long time! How're you doing?

[Alcuin]

Originally Posted by Midge

I definitely want to read more on the histories, though.

Midge, if you read History of Middle-earth, you might want to start with the last volume, Peoples of Middle-earth, and work backwards. The further back you go, the further the immediacy of the stories you’re familiar with. I would suggest starting with Peoples of Middle-earth, then back one volume to War of the Jewels, then Morgoth’s Ring, and so on to the volumes covering Tolkien’s writing LotR, and finally the first five volumes covering the formation and early versions of the tales that became Silmarillion.

[Nerwen]

Atalus has all those, but I haven't been able to get very far into them. I do love Unfinished Tales and wish the Histories were more like them

[Midge]

Originally Posted by Alcuin

Midge, if you read History of Middle-earth, you might want to start with the last volume, Peoples of Middle-earth, and work backwards. The further back you go, the further the immediacy of the stories you’re familiar with. I would suggest starting with Peoples of Middle-earth, then back one volume to War of the Jewels, then Morgoth’s Ring, and so on to the volumes covering Tolkien’s writing LotR, and finally the first five volumes covering the formation and early versions of the tales that became Silmarillion.

That's actually really good to know. I used to be quite an avid reader (I'm trying to get back into the habit again, but when I was a girl, we didn't have smartphones... and I didn't have any children then either ) so I tend to read things in order and STRICTLY in order.

It would make sense though, to start with things that I would have more interest in and work backwards, instead of starting at the beginning hoping to eventually arrive at the parts I would be interested in.