|
Hmmm, some valid reasoning for all approaches, but personally I prefer to read the books before seeing the film versions, whatever the subject may be. Once I've seen a film, I generally find myself less likely to read the source material, as the plotline has then been revealed, which bothers me less when seeing a film. Of course I'm a book fiend so this likely comes as no surprise.
For me, there is a certain pleasure in knowing what to expect, but the real joy comes in seeing how well, or how poorly, a geat work has been adapted for the screen. This is particularly true, I find, when dealing with a text that makes use of great language or has a definite narrative style that captures a reader's imagination. While LOTR has a basic quest plot at its centre, the texture of the characters, location, and themes is something that will be hard to completely translate to the screen, so a little advance knowledge of what your heading into can't hurt.
As to whether one should read The Hobbit or The Fellowship of the Ring first, my vote is for The Hobbit, if for no other reason than to get a full picture of how such a thing of power, like the ring, should come to be in the hands of so unlikely a creature as a hobbit. Besides, it is a great book and wonderful, but far gentler, introduction into the world of Middle -Earth than the more demanding text of The Fellowship of the Ring. Mind you, whichever route one chooses to discover Tolkien's works, the reader simply can't lose!
Cheers!
|