C.S.Lewis (who I don't think was as good as JRR) was a friend of Tolkien and an Anglican. I think that comes through much more in his fantasy writing than Tolkien's Catholicism. At least it's more overt.
If you Like The LOTR Books you Will Love and be able to grock ( because it is not a lightweight ) this ! Probably my Favorite Book http://youtu.be/KEiOMQM0A5I
I doubt the original TC will read this, but perhaps someone will still appreciate this post. I’m going to be the odd man out on this one and say there are many significantly better fantasy series out there. I thought LotR was pretty bad. If I could go back and do it again, I would have just watched the movies. Harry Potter is ok, but it really starts to go downhill after the fourth book. Here’s why: in the first four, there are subtle hints that can help you predict the endings, so it has mystery elements. In the last three books, they trade that for action sequences. Now, in a video game or a movie, action and combat is better. But in a book, I think mystery elements is better. Does anyone else agree with me, or can at least understand my reasoning?
I'm gonna go out on a limb ans suggest the skyrim main storyline is more entertaining than LOTR. Hobbits are whack as fuck anyway with hairy feet errh.
I’ve read LoTR and not the HP series, so I’m biased. I say LoTR. But my friends who have read HP have loved it!
you could just read them both? I read HP, but never got into LOTR, I found the writing style in LOTR to be too much for me to be able to get into the flow.
Read Harry Potter first. It’s far more accessible and arguably more entertaining. Once you get past the first book, they are also written extremely well. The Lord of the Rings is a totally different kind of story. It’s a very rewarding book to get into, but slower and not as good an introduction to fantasy. I think of it more as a retelling of an ancient saga than a modern novel. The prose and pace is closer to the style of 19th century adventure writers than Rowling’s (comparatively) modern voice (and that’s not as complimentary a statement as you might think). I don’t mean to downplay Tolkien’s huge accomplishment or imply that I don’t like the books - I love them - but they have to be taken on their own terms and if you want an introduction to fantasy I don’t think they’re a great place to start.
I tried reading Harry Potter, but couldn’t take the fifth-grader style of writing. The story is good so just watch the movie. Both the story and the writing is good in Lord of the Rings. The best writer I have ever read is Stephen King, but his stories scare the crap out of me.
My bet is on Harry for the better book. I've read Lord of the Rings. There are 3 or 4 books in the main story. It was a long time ago, but anyway they're classics. I tried reading some of Tolkien's other books too with limited success. He lost me at "The Silmarillion". Edit: I shouldn't provide such a scathing review. Tolkien is brilliant to be sure. But Potter might prove the lighter read.
Stephen King is overrated. I really enjoyed “Misery”? but every other book of his I read was garbage.
I've read The Silmarillion more than ten times... Fantastic story and it's the back history for the other books. (The Hobbit, and Lord Of The Rings)
I'd say Harry Potter first if you're not much of a reader, and/or if English is not your first language but would like to read in English. Harry Potter books is easier to read, fast-paced, and quite many find the story to be very entertaining. Lord of the Rings is a more challenging read, but it's got some serious stuff inside. So I'd say build your strength with HP first and then tackle LOTR. Mind you, I haven't even finished reading all of HP due to some personal trauma of sorts, and I quickly put down LOTR for the aforementioned reasons, but that's my case, lol.
For me:- Harry Potter is more a coming of age - from a Child to a Magician, with a few back stories that come together in the end LOTR (Hobbit (and perhaps the Silmarillion?)) is more a Collection of stories from/of various back stories of which many could stand in their own right as story/films - which though may not culminate, never the less are integral to the ending ... of witch the stories seems never-ending I guess it's a matter of if one wants to follow an individual's journey, or where one (hobbit) is only one sum of many parts