There is really only one answer to the question ‘Name a book that changed your life’:
The Lord Of The Rings by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
Back in 1981 I found three weird looking pockets on a flea market. Nothing special really; the cover art wasn’t exactly thrilling, quite the opposite! Here, take a look at “IN DE BAN VAN DE RING”.
It was my first year at university. I was staying over at my boyfriend’s house because I had an internship in a neighboring village and he lived closer by than I did. Meanwhile I was in the middle of moving to another, better student room.
In that crazy busy week, in between my internship, riding back and forth from one student room to the other, packing and transporting by bike, I took up the first part “De Reisgenoten” (The Fellowship). For eighty pages I wondered what the heck it was all about, used as I was to literature from high school. But after those first pages time slowed and finally stood still.
I read on ’till deep in the night, only to start reading again at first light. This story, so full of imagination and fantasy, so vibrant and alive, adventurous and breathtaking, was unlike anything I had ever seen. I read and read, and when the final page of “The Return Of The King” had been turned, I took a deep breath and finally landed back on earth. This earth, not Middle Earth. I went out and bought The Hobbit. Only to start over again. And it never ever stopped after that. I had found a piece of myself in High Fantasy Land.
Soon I changed to English, because it is my belief that one should read a book in the language it is written in. If possible of course! Translating for example “Silverbeard” to “Zilverbaard”, “Bree” to “De Stee”, it just sounds less real, less exciting. Reading English, at first with two dictionaries at my side, became easier with every book. It prepared me for writing in English, expanding my vocabulary and showing me syntax and grammar.
And I’m always open for suggestions and corrections, so please do not hesitate if you see me writing something incorrect repeatedly. Thank you!
After “The Lord Of The Rings” many other fantasy books followed. “Wizard’s First Rule” and the rest of The Sword Of Truth series by Terry Goodkind is a close second. His creation Gratch the short-tailed gar has stolen my heart. Three quarters of my huge bookcase is filled with fantasy.
And when my back gave up on me, fantasy offered me an escape window into another world where the loss of an active life and sports was less painful. Far worse was done by Sauron than my hernia could ever do. I started writing at a fantasy forum, called The One Ring, where I found new friends, both online and face-to-face in Holland. Which also lead me to gaming. Which lead to even more international friends.
But most of all, John Tolkien with “The Lord Of The Rings” freed my imagination and fantasy. Daring me to explore new horizons, steering my whole life into a new direction. I owe him my books, my friends, my writing, my blogging. In a way, I owe him a big part of my life. And he will always have my everlasting gratitude and respect for that.
~Mar
Figments of a DuTchess 
It actually took me about three tries to get into The Fellowship of the Ring. I don’t know why, because now those early scenes in the Shire are some of my favourite parts of the book.
Once I finally got into the story it hooked me, too. I remember reading it for the first time at the age of seventeen, seated in a rocking chair in a verdant greenhouse with rain on the roof and tea on the table.
I’ve read it a couple of times since, but I do so sparingly as I don’t want to lose the magic.
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Do you think The Lord Of The Rings could ever lose its magic Charlotte? And did you enjoy the movies? Though different, I love them too and have watched them several times.
The circumstances in which you read LotR for the first time were just perfect. I can’t remember how I read it. Perhaps it was upside down, I wouldn’t have noticed 😉
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What more could a writer ask for than to have someone find their writing an inspiration…life altering…magical! 🙂 Best wishes in your own writings! 🙂
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Mr. Tolkien has had such a huge influence through his books, his stories and through him and his followers, also in the gaming industry.
I’m just so very grateful that I ‘found’ him when I did 🙂
Thanks JM, you too!!
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Well, really hard to say… i’ve been reading since i learned to read.
My Parents always gave me books to read or LP’s from comedians for my birthday since i was 8 years old.
Until they got tired of me getting a book and finishing it on the same day i got it 🙂
They made me a member of the library in my hometown so i could read and read and read…..
My greatest love as a child were the books with legends (fantasy indeed)…
when i grew older and had to read books for my education, i alway chose the difficult ones.
On the ‘MBO’ one book captivated me: ‘De Diamant’ from Harry Mulish.
But i think my greatest love came for books written in English on the MBO.
I had to read Catherine Cookson….she swept me of my feet with her stories of England.
I think she awakened in me the love i have for Great Britain.
So, maybe she is responsable for what changed my life through books.
I’m also a great fan of the Lord of the Rings.
I started to read the 3 books on holiday (in Dutch) and in two weeks i finished them ;-).
But that is no surprise because the young girl i once was started with fantasybooks, hahaha.
Have a nice weekend! xxx
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Those were the good old day, able to stay home and read all day and evening long. Piles of books dwindling by the day, especially when you were ill.
The library was a magic place. I even had my own! 😉
Last year I bought ‘De ontdekking van de hemel’ by Harry Mulisch. Is he good? I have never read anything from this author yet.
Catherine Cookson writes romance novels, right? I know how much you love Great Britain and she must have inspired you through and through. Isn’t it wonderful what words, sentences, images and books can do?
xx
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