Tolkien's story of Middle-Earth is too much focused on LOTR...

[Peter_20]

I've always thought Tolkien's tale is supposed to be about everything that happened in Middle-earth; the Beginning of Days in itself is deep enough on its own, and we also have the Eldar on their journey to Aman, the War of the Jewels, the curse of Túrin and his family, the downfall of Númenor, etc.
All of these stories are magnificent.
Therefore I find it sad that the mainstream audience only know of LOTR, and perhaps a handful of stuff from the end of the Second Age - and nothing more.
The fans of the movies are even worse off: they don't even have much knowledge about the small details explained in the books, it's all about Frodo, hobbits, the Ring, Gandalf, Aragorn and Sauron... and that's it!
To me, LOTR is one of the stories from Middle-earth, not the story.

It's so tragic that everything else has been completely outshadowed.
I actually feel a kind of frustration whenever I hear someone mention "the hobbits and their journey with the Ring", etc etc - they rarely know anything about the first two Ages.

I don't blame them, because most of Tolkien's work are indeed very unknown; but I still wish his "ancient" stories of Middle-earth got more attention, because they so deserve it.

[YayGollum]

Sure, sure. But then, most mere movie-goers aren't much good for conversation even on the subject of the movies. They wish to speak on, "Oh, how awesome were those special effects, yo?" or, "Dude! Cool battle scenes!" I gots to stop pointing out all of the differences between books and movies. *hangs head in shame* oh well. If more movie-goers heard lots about other Middle Earth type stories, I would have lots more to say, but would they care?

Towards the large groups of humans who have merely read The Hobbit and slash or The Lord Of The Rings bookses, though, I would wonder why they haven't jumped on the other stories. I have noticed that most books advertise for others by the same author. Do not all read such suggestions? But then, it seems to me to be that many are intimidated by the other stories. Not very many readily discerned ties between the stories. "Hm? Some large mythology of the world? Sounds like schoolwork, to myself!"

[Jon S.]

The ability to tell a really good story trumps everything else. It's no different in literature than it is in art or music. Whatever else you might say about Tokien's writing, in the Hobbit and the LOTR, you come to love and care about the characters as people (human or otherwise). Personally, while I enjoyed the Simarillion too, nothing about that book has ever made me really care about those characters quite as much as those of the Hobbit and LOTR. You may disagree, that's cool, but I would submit this is the majority view (were it not, you wouldn't have started this thread).

[Mark of Cenla]

Originally Posted by Jon S.

The ability to tell a really good story trumps everything else. It's no different in literature than it is in art or music. Whatever else you might say about Tokien's writing, in the Hobbit and the LOTR, you come to love and care about the characters as people (human or otherwise). Personally, while I enjoyed the Simarillion too, nothing about that book has ever made me really care about those characters quite as much as those of the Hobbit and LOTR. You may disagree, that's cool, but I would submit this is the majority view (were it not, you wouldn't have started this thread).

YEP!

[Ingwe]

If they were to make a motion picture or series on the Silmarillion (there are so many stories within stories in it), it would be so magnificent. There's nothing like imagining you're a character in the book though. I get so involved in the stories that I almost feel the emotions the characters do, and some of it is rather scary of course. The adrenaline of fighting a Balrog or even Morgoth and feeling the satisfaction in being able to wound the one greatest evil there is, and then feeling the disappointment and pain of falling. The feeling of betrayal is strong in many stories, including that of the sacking of Gondolin.

A movie just doesn't really encompass that sort of emotion and imagination because you're seeing it from the third person basically. With a movie it's more like "wow that was certainly disappointing they didn't include that in there" or conversely, "wow that was clearly disappointing that they had to ruin the story with that." And then there's the ever-famous "oh wow, I'm glad that wasn't me." In reading the story, the emotion and pain as well as joy, such as the love between Beren and Luthien which I kinda mirror with my love for my fiance so I can feel what it's like. Feeling overwhelmed when the legions of orcs, trolls, dragons, and Balrogs come to Gondolin, and the reddening of the sky that marks their imminent arrival. I can just imagine myself saying "oh s***" which is basically all I could say in that situation.

But seeing it in movie form would be interesting of course.

[Nautipus]

If they made a cinematic event out of the Silmarilion, it would have to be a mini-series of some kind. I mean, it is such an expansive story. More people may be reached and touched by a movie, but the written word takes something that takes one minute in a movie, and lengthens it over paragraphs, or even pages. So it would be really hard to convey any of Tolkien's works on a motion picture screen, and that includes PJ's versions. These books are able to touch a reader's soul on such an intimate level, it would be almost impossible to project that onto a screen. It somehow makes it less tangible.

That's my two cents, now I'm going to bed. Night!

[Ingwe]

However, it would contain those "cool battle scenes" and "awesome special effects". I'd personally like to see what they could do with a mini-series, but the books are all that is needed. As far as LOTR being the main focus of everything, it's mostly because of the movies that came out in 2001-2003. Most people these days haven't heard of anything unless they heard of it on movies or on TV.

[Nautipus]

Yeah, every one of Tolkien's works are kind of pushed out of the limelight, no thanks to PJ. Dont get me wrong, I loved that they made the movies, but if there was just one thing that I could change about the movies it would have been that scene when their going up the Staircase and Frode shuns Sam. I was livid.

But yes, in my opinion, the books are really all that're needed.

[-elfearz-]

Originally Posted by Jon S.

The ability to tell a really good story trumps everything else. It's no different in literature than it is in art or music. Whatever else you might say about Tokien's writing, in the Hobbit and the LOTR, you come to love and care about the characters as people (human or otherwise). Personally, while I enjoyed the Simarillion too, nothing about that book has ever made me really care about those characters quite as much as those of the Hobbit and LOTR. You may disagree, that's cool, but I would submit this is the majority view (were it not, you wouldn't have started this thread).

Absolutely agree!
Oddly, the emotional distance from the characters is actually what I liked about the Silmarillion (and Unfinished Tales, and HoME) though - to me it feels like reading myth, where the characters have always felt kind of grand and cold and far away. The way they're written makes it feel like a real half-forgotten history - it gives Middle-earth depth and makes it seem so much more tangible...
That said, of all the books, LotR is my favourite, and The Hobbit a close second, for exactly the reason you've stated..