How to Become a Lord of the Rings Fan

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Lord Of The Rings (LOTR) is one of the quintessential fantasy stories of our age. This is a brief guide on how to become a part of the LOTR fandom.

Steps

1. Read all four books. They are:
   • The Hobbit
   • The Fellowship of the Ring
   • The Two Towers
   • The Return of the King
2. Watch all the movies and preferably the extended editions. Take notes--on paper or in your head--of the similarities and differences of the books and movies. Ask yourself why they may have left certain parts out or embellished upon an aspect of the story, such as Liv Tyler's character Arwen.
3. Get into an aspect of the LOTR merchandise - action figures, miniatures, prop replicas, costumes, video games, etc. This is an optional step since some people view it as creepy. It's up to you to decide if "merch" collecting is a big part of fandom.
4. Join one of the many online LotR fan clubs and forums. A forum is an excellent way to communicate with others about your feelings on a particular the book. Discuss them and try to get inside J.R.R. Tolkien's head as you read. If it helps, draw a simple map after reading through the book a second time. Try to follow Frodo's journey to rid the Middle Earth of "The One Ring".
5. Read the book that brought Middle Earth to life: The Hobbit. It is Bilbo Baggin's story 60 years before TFotR takes place. It is in The Hobbit that Bilbo acquires the Ring.
6. Read The Silmarillion. It is the history of Middle-earth, written by J.R.R. and Christopher Tolkien.
7. Read The History of Middle-Earth. It is a twelve volume series of the history of the development of the world of Middle-earth, written by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Related wikiHows

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• How to Be a Collector Without Being a Pack Rat
• How to Start a Fan Club

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