Lord of the Rings

[mazza]

Two of my boys are nine and seven.

My seven yr old is complaining that other little kids in his class play 'Lord of the Rings' games in the playground and he feels left out cos we have nothing LOTR at all in our house so he doesn't know any characters etc. :(

I have no clue even what it's all about!! :rolleyes:

But, when I asked him if his little pals have told him what it's all about, he says they don't even know! :blink:

I don't think it's my kinda thing - I don't like dark looking films and fantasy - or am I wrong on my prejudged opinion?

I also get the impression it's a bit too complicated for the kids.

So what do you think - is it time to shell out for a DVD or not?

Help!!

Mazza :)

[hollygolightly]

I'm not really the right person to be answering this - everyone will know how I voted :lol:

I read the Hobbit when I was seven. Some of the characters in the Hobbit appear in the Lord of the Rings, and I think that the Hobbit being a smaller book is a good starting place. I still enjoy the book even now. :)

Get them that book, see how they go.

Then get them the LOTR trilogy set to read.

When they've read a book, you'll treat them to the DVD(s) - although having said that seven and nine might be a bit young to watch those films, the Orcs can be pretty scary :o .

:D

[freakyfun]

Personally I think the films are great (but then I'm a Tolkien/Fantasy genre nut)

Some scenes are a bit scary (and sad - I still get a tear when Gandalf plunges into the abyss and the others exit out onto the mountain)

The book is definately adults only - I mean, I'm an avid reader, and can get through most books in a day - but Tolkiens style is a bit heavy on the brain, it took me a week to finish the trilogy.

The Hobbit is a better starting point, as Tolkien wrote it as a childrens book anyway.

FF

[Beth]

yeah get th hobbit in book form, I read it at about 7 too, my dad helped me with the big words!

I thought the books were a bit confusing....but good, still havent finshed reading them though, I also got confused about the films......where were those two towers??????? :lol:

[freakyfun]

I thought the books were a bit confusing....but good, still havent finshed reading them though, I also got confused about the films......where were those two towers???????

Read one of my old posts Beth:

http://www.nfh.org.uk/forums/index.php?sho...indpost&p=27890 (http://www.nfh.org.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=2752&view=findpost&p=27890)

FF

[Blue Cow]

Hi Mazza,

My teacher first introduced our class to The Hobbit when I was 8, and a year later my next teacher read Lord of the Rings to us, and also showed us the animated version mentioned before. (I find LOTR quite heavy going as a book - purely down to it's size).

I read The Hobbit for myself for the first time when I ws eleven and loved it (all over again).

Some of the creatures are very scary looking in the new LOTR films, but it's always hard to gauge whether your children will find them so. I think that most will see them in context as "bad guys" and won't find them particularly frightening.

The Hobbit book is all about Bilbo Baggins going on his first adventure, and is right up most children's street, so I would give this a go first.

:book:

I think for most children, once you start - it's easy to get hooked.

Blue Cow

[Ogre]

Oh dear.

I'm going to risk sticking my size 12 boot in here and say.

Hey, do family things.. Get yourselves a reasonable Role Playing Game like (ducks out of reflex) Dungeons & Dragons :sorcerer:(but not the boardgame). Freeform fantasy, where they can be the Hero's. Magic stuff. Any good hobby shop will help you. (Though do stay away from Games Workshop shops - thats more wargames than FRP )

My daughter (now 15) used to love saving her fave toys from the baddies, with a well placed spell.

Have fun

Ogre

[Ogre]

Good for him.

From past experiences I find that those who've 'made their saving throws' are generally more . . . . . mature?/open minded?/tolerant?/intelligent? help me out here !! Than their peers.

Ogre

[mazza]

Thanks guys - :)

I do think I'll take the advice and see how they go with the Hobbit. My OH also read The Hobbit when he was quite young and said he thought it was great. I never read it cos it looked too dauntingly long (I was more into comics when I was little :lol: ).

I'll prob give Lord of the Rings a Miss just now and won't bow to playground peer pressure :lol: (esp since the little darlings don't seem to know anything about it all apart from battling...? :blink: )

Ooh, Dungeons and Dragons... I kind of remember some old pals used to play and it involved strange shaped dice..? I never thought of that, I shall investigate :D . I think my boys would like that :thumbs: .

:notworthy:

[Annabel]

Mazza, I have read the first LOTR book and I think its too complicated for your boys.
the plot is very detailed and like you say, quite 'dark' and sinister in places. i never bothered seeing the film at the cinema because of this, but i have wondered about getting the DVD, as so many people have told me its absolutely great.

the dvd might be more suitable for your boys, perhaps a kind aunty/uncle/other relative might get them it for xmas???? ;) :lol:

i am going to buy a couple of phillip pullman books, i wonder if they are as good as people say... :rolleyes:

[Ogre]

20 sided dice?**

Is that right Ogre?

Depends on the system, 4 sided, 6 sided, 8, 10 and 20 sided. You can even get 100 sided but they take an age to stop rolling.

I tend to specialise in running/writing Modern Horror adventures with a supernatual spin these days, my players call me 'The Twisted One' :P

Ogre