Lord of the rings

[rockfest]

http://gatheringofthefellowship.org/images/logos/Mirvish-LOTR-logo-1.gif
Everyone knows that i'm a fan of LOTR. I saw that there are others who like this movie,book. I was thinking to post in here our favourites characters(favourite pics with them), favourite quotes from the book/movie, elvish quotes,etc.

- I'm still reading the book(part 2 - The Two Towers) and i just love the story. Saw the movies for about x times everyone.
- My favourite char is : Legolas (http://www.boardsnet.com/Legolas.jpg) and this would be my favourite pic . Another char wich i like is Aragorn and Gandalf.
- Favourite quote would be : "Elem sla lumen omentielvo" = "A star will fall at the hour of our meeting". :eek:

[rekinu]

I haven't read the books, I just saw the movies. I'm not a big fun, but I like that world, the characters the legends and the atmosphere... And about the movies I apreciate that they are great quality movies so §respekt from me for the movies. I really like Sam (http://www.wladca.mocny.com/grafika/obsada/sam.jpg). I like his loyalty for Frodo...it is magnific...strong character...:)

[DeadlyArrow]

I read books and I saw movies and I liked them very much, my favourite is first book.

[Godcrusher]

I read all Lotr books, Hobbit, Silmarilion, The lost tales, evrything Tolkien wrote. My fav. char is Sauron (1. part when he's not just an eye), and then the Witch King. My fav. Elf is Fingolfin, fav. human Gil-galad, i love all dwarfs, and my fav. God is Morgoth and half god Gandalf.

[rockfest]

I read all Lotr books, Hobbit, Silmarilion, The lost tales, evrything Tolkien wrote. My fav. char is Sauron (1. part when he's not just an eye), and then the Witch King. My fav. Elf is Fingolfin, fav. human Gil-galad, i love all dwarfs, and my fav. God is Morgoth and half god Gandalf.
Jesus...where did you get all those guys? Especially god Gandalf?? Where can i read his story?

[Sowilo]

I read all books on German and 1 in English. I really can recommend that. If u read the books in English u see that Tolkien enjoy his language and is a kind of poet. The German translation is ok but not so atmospheric like the English original.
I saw the movies (the last with chain of mail and sword in the cinema^^) too and have all 3 DVD's (extended edition) still original packed. Not cause I am collector but I will see the all 3 movies without a stop and didn't had the time till now.

[rekinu]

All three movies in a row ? and the extended edition ? wow , that means ~8 hours ???

[Archibal]

Can't say I'm a fan of Lotr, I've seen the mouvies and I've started reading the first book(but after 50 pages... :D ).

[rockfest]

All three movies in a row ? and the extended edition ? wow , that means ~8 hours ???
Actally about 10 hours maybe more. I have them too.

[Sowilo]

Actally about 10 hours maybe more. I have them too.
I looked part 2 premiere at the cinema in bundle with part 1. That were about 8 hours. All 3 should be 11 + :D

[rockfest]

I looked part 2 premiere at the cinema in bundle with part 1. That were about 8 hours. All 3 should be 11 + :D
Yes...sorry for the bad info. I looked again and it has between 11-12 hours of play.

[Godcrusher]

Jesus...where did you get all those guys? Especially god Gandalf?? Where can i read his story?


Just read Silmarilion ;) Gandalf is not a god just a half god, send to the Middle Earth to find more about the One ;)

[rockfest]

Just read Silmarilion Gandalf is not a god just a half god, send to the Middle Earth to find more about the One

So that's what he was talknig about with his mission... :p .lol, a big spoiler but worth it to know.

[Godcrusher]

if u want more just ask! :D

[rockfest]

if u want more just ask! :D
What do you know about Sauron. Who was he before he claimed power?

[Godcrusher]

What do you know about Sauron. Who was he before he claimed power?



U know before there were people or elfs or anything there were gods and halfgods. The evil god was Morgoth chief of darkness and Sauron(half god) served him. When Morgoth was locked Sauron claimed power.

[rockfest]

:eek: Jees...i have to find that book. I really have to find it. Tonight if i can.

[Godcrusher]

:eek: Jees...i have to find that book. I really have to find it. Tonight if i can.


yes u do. They u realise how little is the story in Lotr :)

[Godcrusher]

so did u get the book?

[rockfest]

so did u get the book?
:( Sadly no. They don't have it at the moment here in the book-shop. I have to wait and who knows how long could it last.

[Yavanna]

Let's see... I read the book "Lord Of The Rings" once, an now I'm reading it for the second time. I also read "Silmarillion" and "The Hobbit" twice :D .
And I saw the movie more then 18 times. I only saw the Extended Edition tree times.
My favorite character is Legolas. Aragorn looks good too :D .

Sauron was just a servant of Morgoth :D . Morgoth is the man :D .
Hihihi... yavanna was a powerfull valar :D .

[rockfest]

Morgoth is the man
Who is heand what powers does he have?

[Godcrusher]

Who is heand what powers does he have?
She controls nature. She created the ents and trees and flowers and evrything. The chief Valar is Manwe master of the winds. OK spoiler big..but i cant resist :D

[rockfest]

She controls nature. She created the ents and trees and flowers and evrything. The chief Valar is Manwe master of the winds. OK spoiler big..but i cant resist :D
So that's why nobody knows how old are the ents. This Morgoth must have lived long ago. A good question that i haven't really managed to asnwer myself is : Why were the rings of power even created in the first place by the elves?

[Yavanna]

So that's why nobody knows how old are the ents. This Morgoth must have lived long ago. A good question that i haven't really managed to asnwer myself is : Why were the rings of power even created in the first place by the elves?

Actually, Sauron came up with the idea. If you watch LOTR carefully, you will see that the place where Galadriel lives, that forest, is under the protection of her ring. That ring has the power to make the nature similar to the one that exists in the land of the valars. And the ring that Ganadalf's ring has the power to give people the courage in front of danger. At least this is what I think.

[Godcrusher]

So that's why nobody knows how old are the ents. This Morgoth must have lived long ago. A good question that i haven't really managed to asnwer myself is : Why were the rings of power even created in the first place by the elves?


Morgoth is a god and it still lives, but he is locked. It was Sauron's idea and he helped to make of them all Exept the elf three. He tought that he choud control them all with the One. More rings are created, the more power grows, and he choud control it all with his ring.

[rockfest]

But why hasn't anybody stoped him? In the time when Sauron was only a servant weren't any heroes who could face Morgoth? The elfs were quite powerfull that time no? Why hasn't anyone of them stoped him and Morgoth?

[Dez]

But why hasn't anybody stoped him? In the time when Sauron was only a servant weren't any heroes who could face Morgoth? The elfs were quite powerfull that time no? Why hasn't anyone of them stoped him and Morgoth?
.
I recommand reading Silmarillion if you'd like to know more about the pre-era of middle of earth.It contains lots of intresting information, but to be honest it is far less entertaining to read through than his more famous works, The LOTR or the Hobbit.

To me Simarillion is like the big encyclopaedia of Middle earth.It answers lots of question, like the one above, but sometimes the huge amount of elven names can really drive you crazy.Aside Tolkien himself never finished silmarillion properly, so his son Christopher had to assemble all his notes and separated ministories in the one book.So because of it, silmarillion might seem a bit unlogical sometimes.

(EDIT: uh sorry should have read the whole thread before posting my advice finding silmarriollion :rolleyes: Anyway have you tried ordering it from online bookstores? )

[rockfest]

Anyway have you tried ordering it from online bookstores
Don't have that much money. And few things come in to our country from outside. Try to look at the shipment options and see that very few(maybe none) have romania in there. They're just to scared and i understand them.

[Godcrusher]

But why hasn't anybody stoped him? In the time when Sauron was only a servant weren't any heroes who could face Morgoth? The elfs were quite powerfull that time no? Why hasn't anyone of them stoped him and Morgoth?


Sauron was with Morgoth in the moment the Gods steped on Era.(balrogs are half gods too). And first Morgoth was nice he just wanted to be all under his control. Manwe(the highest god) disagreed, so Morgoth angerd, went to North and Sauron and Balrogs followed. In that time there was no elfs no humans nothing for gods had to create them. In hte time elf woken, many time past, and they went to live in Valinor(city of the gods in the great sea), but some were left behing, and Morgoth took them, tortured them, so they became orcs. He also took some of the ents, and because of the dark power so great they became trolls.

[one-cool]

Well, you know the Real Life-LotR?
http://unix.rulez.org/~calver/pictures/lord_of_the_oil.jpghttp://unix.rulez.org/~calver/pictures/LordoftheStrings.jpg

well, just kidding :p
LotR is imo one of the most famous books of the world. Well, somehow the people are right, nowhere else you can read such a fantastic world, well-thought of the author, which is so much fun to read.

the only problem, the three books has its lengths. And some of them are really annoying :/. But I really like how he describes everything.

the little hobbit is imo a better book than the Lord of the rings, but imo the best book of Tolkien is Silmarillion. It is imo the best of his books, but it isn't as much in the focus as the other books.

the Film is somehow an action-film with fantasy elements. Well the wars very really cool, Was fun to watch the movies.

[ThorTheViking]

Lord Of the Strings tell me where to get it!!!! :D :D :D

I like LOTR i personaly prefer Rohan warriors because they aren't so fancy like aragorn and whole minas tirith. I hoped that gothic 3 will have horses like they are in Battle For Middle Earth so that you can ride down enemies with a horse.
Since that won't happen soon (maybe in a addon) i hope this will be implemented in ES:Oblivion.

[Godcrusher]

Lord Of the Strings tell me where to get it!!!! :D :D :D

I like LOTR i personaly prefer Rohan warriors because they aren't so fancy like aragorn and whole minas tirith. I hoped that gothic 3 will have horses like they are in Battle For Middle Earth so that you can ride down enemies with a horse.
Since that won't happen soon (maybe in a addon) i hope this will be implemented in ES:Oblivion.


I like dwarfs the most. Long beards, beautifull axes, rotten attitude what more whoud you want :D

[rockfest]

My favourites are and gonna be the elves...imo they have powerfull magic and know how to fight well. Plus that their language is just beautifull.

[WernerTWC]

My favourites are and gonna be the elves...imo they have powerfull magic and know how to fight well. Plus that their language is just beautifull.
Yeah, they are like pure magic, imo!

I had read the little hobbit and the LotR,... both (or should i say 4) are great books,... i also like the movies (I prefer SE also),... i see, many of yours prefer Silmarilion in books, i haven´t read it yet, ... but i think about to read it (in german first ;) ).

[rockfest]

I saw in a movie(Dungeons & Dragons if ican remember well) that the difference between elves and humans at magic is this : humans use magic(spell scrolls, runes) but the elves posses the magic(they just cast from their body). It was said in there(big OT) that dragons are a part of magic, when a dragons is borned for example then a new kind of magic is available and when another dies the magic with him dissapears from the world.

[WernerTWC]

It was said in there(big OT) that dragons are a part of magic, when a dragons is borned for example then a new kind of magic is available and when another dies the magic with him dissapears from the world.
Are you talking about this Silmarilion ? If so,...maybe a big spoiler for me ;).... THIS sounds really interessting for me! ,... is there anything about drangon-pearls maybe? Don´t spoiler me to much, a yes or no would do it! :)

[Dez]

Don't have that much money. And few things come in to our country from outside. Try to look at the shipment options and see that very few(maybe none) have romania in there. They're just to scared and i understand them.

damn, that gotta suck mate :( Hopefully you will find it somewhere. In your case i'd try finding it from some second-hand bookshop, maybe they might have used copy of Silmarrillion gathering dust somewhere. If it doesn't work out, perhaps you could ask if someone in your country is willing to lend his/her silmarillion?

well anyway best luck to your search! :)!

[rockfest]

Are you talking about this Silmarilion ? If so,...maybe a big spoiler for me ;).... THIS sounds really interessting for me! ,... is there anything about drangon-pearls maybe? Don´t spoiler me to much, a yes or no would do it! :)
Actually I'm sorry for telling you this but i was talking about Dungeons & Dragons(wich looks like a second hand movie but is quite nice) and now i saw that D&D 2 appeared. Can't wait to see it. In that movie i saw this theory and i don't believe that it could be somewhere else so they're quite original at this part. For people interested in this subject(elves,dragons,magic) i recomend it.

Best luck with your search
Thanks. I will try harder. There must be somewhere this book.

[basescu]

Ive read the Lotr triology over and over again
It was a time when I knew every name, every detail...

I read the Sillmarilion;Its a great book, you should all read it.
Imagine that Tolkien has even created languages that were to be spoken by the elves.(I know someone who used this languages to copy during tests:D )
The details Tolkien gave us are just amazing sometimes...

@rockfest have you finnaly found the book?
btw:thx rekinu for giving me the link to this thread

[Earendur Surion]

I read all Lotr books, Hobbit, Silmarilion, The lost tales, evrything Tolkien wrote. My fav. char is Sauron (1. part when he's not just an eye), and then the Witch King. My fav. Elf is Fingolfin, fav. human Gil-galad, i love all dwarfs, and my fav. God is Morgoth and half god Gandalf.

Your favorite human is Gil-Galad? Interesting, as Gil-galad is an elf who is FIngolfin's grandson.

[UnionLords]

Who is heand what powers does he have?

She controls nature. She created the ents and trees and flowers and evrything...

Rock is talking about Morgoth, not Yavanna.
Morgoth controls cold, ice and fire.
also he is the master of such different creatures,
include Sauron.

-------------------------------------------------------

I also like LOTR a lot Basescu.
Even my nick name is related to LOTR. :D


Anyway,
my favourite character was Saruman.
And I admit that his voice was very impressive.
I just admire,
Saruman and the Isengard army.
They were not stupid and coward like orcs.
They were Urukhais.
Every one of them looked like a commando.


So that,
my favourite LOTR part is the second one,
The Two Towers.


And also, I like very much,
the Saruman's speech to his army in Isengard that
he orders them to march to HelmsDeep.


And after Saruman,
I also like The Black Commander (WitchKing) and Sauron.


And...
I REALLY don't like Gandalf.
He is so annoying.
Especially when Saruman locked him,
onto the Ortanc Tower,
or
when the avalanche was fallen, on the "ring group" and him, because of Saruman's spell,
or
when he fell from Khazaddum bridge because of Balrog,
into the deep cliff of Moria,
I was happy.


And one more thing...
there are some parts in the story that,
really ridiculous even for "LOTR reality"


Those parts are,
1) Death Army under the mountain (Army of souls)
2) Gandalf's return, like nothing had happened, after he was killed by Balrog...


In real life,
I would hate them all surely.
But in LOTR or movies,
Usually, I like bad guys :p :p :p


((( BTW ---> I saw that, some of us kept saying the "HALF GODS" for Sauron, Gandalf...?
They should be, "MAIA" as far as I know...)))

[Godcrusher]

Your favorite human is Gil-Galad? Interesting, as Gil-galad is an elf who is FIngolfin's grandson.


oww..shit then. maybe i dont know the books as well as i did. will read them again;)


@union lords


yes i know about Morgoth but i think he also asked about Yavanna.

[basescu]

@UnionLords
Gandalf was never killed;I liked the describtion of his fight against the Barlog...
You seem to like more Evil;I am with the humans( NOT with the elves);No doubt about that

Im happy to see you havent lost interest about this thread after all

[Khaled]

I'm with the dwarves..I was disappointed that the dwarves from The lonely mountain and from the Iron Mountains didn't came to help against Sauron

Tenna’ ento lye omenta tolkien fans..:D

[basescu]

The dwarves... Maybe they were too far away but I think there was another reason

Sauron sent his armies in many different places.We know he atacked Lorien in the same time that he atacked Minas Tirith.
It might be possible that he also atacked any other place were the inhabitans were against him ( man he had over a million orks).I havent read he atacked the dwarfs in that period of time but...

[Khaled]

yep...but he had a fortress near Lorien-->Dol Guldur...it's true we don't know..and it's not mentioned if Sauron attacked the dwarves..it was a small mistake maybe of Tolkien..though I don't like to say it..:(

[UnionLords]

yep...but he had a fortress near Lorien-->Dol Guldur...it's true we don't know..and it's not mentioned if Sauron attacked the dwarves..it was a small mistake maybe of Tolkien..though I don't like to say it..:(

I think you forgot something.
We know that, Sauron sent his armies to the Lonely Mountain.
But it was told,
in the BOOKS of LOTR,
not in the film.

Remember what Legolas said.
when Gimli wondered about his brothers...

Gimli --> "Why they (dwarves of mountain) don't come to battle (here)? "
Gimli said something like that. (Not exactly)

Legolas --> "They can't...Because the war is approaching there"
Legolas said something like that. (Not exactly)

Here we can understand that
Sauron's armies is also marching there...
This is MENTIONED, after the Battle of Helmsdeep...
Take a look at the BOOK...You will find... ;)

[Khaled]

I read the 3 books only once..I could have missed this discussion..sorry..:D
So in Silmarillion who do you think was the greatest character??I vote for Fingolfin..:D

[UnionLords]

@UnionLords
...You seem to like more Evil;I am with the humans( NOT with the elves);No doubt about that...

Then, we are ENEMIES... :D :D

Just wait, we will get you... :D :D


It might be possible that he also atacked any other place were the inhabitans were against him ( man he had over a million orks). .

1.000.000 ORC :eek: :eek: :eek:

I think, it was not possible in the end of 3th age. (in LOTR time)
Yes, I know Sauron sent his armies
to the north, to the west,
which were strong at least tens of thousands soldiers.

But,
if you add them all,
which were sent by Sauron,
also add,
which were used by Sauron,
in the LAST BATTLE near the black gates,
and also add which were in Moria,
you can't get more than 250.000 IMO.
MOSTLY 250.000, I guess.

But of course, those numbers of servants were SO MANY anyway.


I read the 3 books only once..I could have missed this discussion..sorry..:D
So in Silmarillion who do you think was the greatest character??I vote for Fingolfin..:D

I have never finished them completely...
I read some parts of the book...
And the dialog I said before, was in one of the part which I read...

About your queston...
My favourite character was Morgoth.
One, against 14 Vala...
And the flying dragons shouldn't be forgotten in the LAST battle...
Also Ungoliant (Maia) was very interesting character...


BTW --> NOT in LOTR but in Silmarillion,
Millions of orcs can be mentioned in the last battle,
which took place near the giant Thangorodhrim Towers (Morgoth's Angband Fortress)

[Khaled]

yep...millions of orcs were only in the 1st age...the golden ages...only Morgoth was available to raise such an army,because at the beginning there weremany elves..and BTW I hate Feanor

Tenna’ ento lye omenta tolkien fans

[Sword guy]

Alright dudes,I have a big question: before Viggo Mortensen,another actor was asked to play the role of Aragorn.But he refused it many times.The actor is kinda old,and he's regarded as one of the most beautiful men in the world.

WHO IS HE???DOES ANYONE KNOW HIS NAME???:confused: :eek: :confused:


I must find out!


EDIT: It's Daniel Day-Lewis . :D I found out in the meantime.Well,he is pretty old now.If he was younger,he was quite good for the role.Well,not as good as Viggo,imo.:D

[Hellbilly]

It's Daniel Day-Lewis . :D I found out in the meantime.Well,he is pretty old now.If he was younger,he was quite good for the role.Well,not as good as Viggo,imo.:D

I agree. The casting for LoTR was pretty much perfect. There's maybe one or two actors I would personally have changed (Elrond being one of them... the Matrix-impressions just are too strong. I always wait for Elron to start saying "Mister Anderson...")

I mean, if they'd have Sean Connery in the movie as was proposed in the beginning... sure, an excellent actor, but I just don't think it would have worked out.

[Khaled]

Did you see that all the characters in the movie have long hair? Interesting

[Hellbilly]

^Not really, when you consider that with many old civilizations it was customary for men to have long hair. For example, among the vikings, only slave men had short hair. And Tolkien knew his history and incorporated many things from actual history into the various races of Middle-Earth. So, for example, Rohan is very much a Viking nation even though they are not seamen in LoTR. But the runes, the equipment, even the very language is Viking and Nordic to the bone, and therefore it only makes sense for them to have long hair.

It is a relatively recent invention, globally, that long hair is feminine and not anything for men.

[Godcrusher]

so rockfest got silmarillion yet?

[Khaled]

yes. Tolkien studied veru much the history of germanic and Vikings are germanic ppl. And note another thing. the mIddle earth map looks somehow like France...the west extermity. Well it's just a stupid statement, but...

edit:@Godcrusher: I have Silmarillion in English in pdf. format

[Godcrusher]

yes. Tolkien studied veru much the history of germanic and Vikings are germanic ppl. And note another thing. the mIddle earth map looks somehow like France...the west extermity. Well it's just a stupid statement, but...

edit:@Godcrusher: I have Silmarillion in English in pdf. format


yeah great but rockfest said some time ago that he needs to get that book so i asked if he got it yet;)

[DeadlyArrow]

I've read Silmarillion some time ago and i must say that I liked story more than LOTR. My fav character... Morgoth probably. From elves I like Galadriel. from humans... dunno.
My fav LOTR part is first one, later it's more battles and politics and so on. Same with the film.

[Khaled]

I'm reading now "The Unfinished Tales"...great book,a pity that it had to be continued by Christopher Tolkien and not by J.R.R. Tolkien.
hmm..fav Vala is Orome and fav Human is Tuor

[rockfest]

so rockfest got silmarillion yet?
Yeah...i got it in english. But i never found enough free time to start reading it. §gnah

[spyke]

I saw the movies and I stopped reading the books at The Two Towers-first 100 pages... I just god bored but I think I will start readin again. I have all of tolkien`s books on english as .pdf`s but I don`t have time to start reading (as rockfest said). I like the story, the world.. the war against the orcs reminds me of Gothic.. Do you know that a lot of rock bands inspired from tolkien`s writings? (Gorgoroth for example)?

[Sibylla]

@spyke:My father stopped reading the books exactly where you stopped now...maybe you got a bit bored because you imagined that the action from The Two towers will be exactly like in the movie,but you see that Peter JAckson has modified a bit much the second part of the trilogy,desiring to make it look more spectacular...but my advice:do not stop reading,if you are a bit dissapointed by The Two Towers,"The return of the king "will surely fascinate you (my favourite part);)
Yes,you're right,and apart from Gorgoroth we can count Morgoth,Rhapsody (more or less) and Arwen.


@Remus: Have you read "A Hobbit's Tale"?Although it's pretty much a story for children,in terms of lenght especially,it is the prologue to Lord of the Rings.BTW,this fall it was said out the movie will come out,and I am pretty sure the majority of us is barely waiting for it.:tanz:

[Hellbilly]

Yes,you're right,and apart from Gorgoroth we can count Morgoth,Rhapsody (more or less) and Arwen.

And... Burzum, Summoning, Battlelore, Hithlum, Blind Guardian, Horna, Amon Amarth, Dark Fortress, all the bands called Sauron, and a couple of thousand bands more. Tolkien is completely over-used in Metal, so much it's becoming very, very tedious.

As for The Two Towers being a disappointment, I think that's partially because especially in that book it's evident that Tolkien was not a storyteller, but a linguist first and foremost. When it comes to explaining in detail the history and people of Middle-Earth, Tolkien is impressive (even though I found Silmarillion rather boring), but when it comes to depicting battles and action, Tolkien wasn't all that good.

I personally wasn't at all disappointed when reading it, maybe partially because the movies hadn't been made by then, and partially because my imagination could more than well fill in the gaps that Tolkien's storytelling left. But my favorite of the three is still the first book.

EDIT:
Regarding Tolkien + Metal, and music in general: http://www.tolkien-music.com/

[rockfest]

@Remus: Have you read "A Hobbit's Tale"?Although it's pretty much a story for children,in terms of lenght especially,it is the prologue to Lord of the Rings.BTW,this fall it was said out the movie will come out,and I am pretty sure the majority of us is barely waiting for it.

Nope. Not really. To be honest i didn't read too much books in my life. Only the ones that really captivated me at the begining. And reading pdf's in english is not so captivating.

As for real books i have a really poor home-library. :(

[Khaled]

As for real books i have a really poor home-library. :(

OMG..If I would live in Iasi for a certain period of time, I would be at the library all day long...here in Radauti we don't have such big libraries. And yes...after the reales of LotR:RotK they said "The Hobbit" movie will be released. Surely Ian McKellen won't play Gandalf's role coz he cut off his beard..:D. If what you say it's true Sybilla then woow..G3 and The Hobbit movie this fall...maan..great!

[rockfest]

OMG..If I would live in Iasi for a certain period of time, I would be at the library all day long
Iasi is not my home-town. I only live there when i study at the university(wich is actually 10 months per year ^^).
And even so i don't have time to read books...studying

@on-topic As for the movie, cool. i really hope they keep the same atmosphere. :)

[Khaled]

well...my english didn't worked well this time..I meant if I would live in a Iasi a for a period of time like you do(while you are at university). I know your Iasi isn't your home-town...and you know I know it.

[Godcrusher]

I've read Silmarillion some time ago and i must say that I liked story more than LOTR. My fav character... Morgoth probably. From elves I like Galadriel. from humans... dunno.
My fav LOTR part is first one, later it's more battles and politics and so on. Same with the film.



yeah morgoth is ok kinda. from elves i like Fingolfin most cause he had guts to fight morgoth, wich only Valars did. and i really like the chapter of the fifth battle for beleriand.;)
agree about the lotr books and movies the first part is the most magical.