Wanting to try LotRs, but I is scared-ed

[Ray McCarthy]

But there are huge sections of the OT where the narrative just goes and goes... and that is how The Silmarillion is like the OT.

No, we probably agree, I just didn't explain clearly. Of course really only two books have the lists of laws?
Yes, a bit like Judges and a couple of the Apocrypha. There are bits like bits of Ezekiel, Genesis, Jeremiah, Daniel and Kings.
It's not the same as OT, just reminds one of it if you are very familiar with it.
Also of course old English, Germanic, Scandinavian, but not so much Celtic.

 

[BAYLOR]

Even if you've seen the films, Read the books.

 

[Boaz]

Right, Ray. I find the political history of Israel and Judah contained in Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles to be fascinating. Even the winners suffered from the hands of the righteous chroniclers. And the almost continuous narrative of Genesis through the first half of Exodus just sucks me in. But the apocryphal bits of Daniel reveal where Agatha Christie got her source material.

Back on topic, the Ainulindale section of The Silmarillion is Tolkien's imagining of the first six days of creation.

 

[Narkalui]

I may be a little late, but when attempting TLotR for the first time I would advise you aim to reach page 100 in the first sitting, then you will find coming back to it much easier.

With regard to the book to film narrative alterations, there is 1, just 1, place where Jackson knew better than JR: "I would have followed you my brother, my Captain. My King!" Amazing line, really well teed up with the whole "Gondor needs no king" friction.

 

[Siberian]

While I like Jackson's Boromir (or maybe it's just Sean Bean's charisma) but "Gondor needs no king" is a ridiculous line considering he's coming from a long line of Stewards of Gondor whose main task was keeping the kingdom of Gondor whole for the return of the king. We also know from Faramir's words that Boromir had always chafed at the fact that he couldn't become King despite all his valiant deeds.