I have honestly yet to read all the books.(any totally in fact).in fact the movies are what have gotten me interested in the books. I started reading the book the Silmarillian which is mostly about the elves and Tolkien's idea of how his world started. I admit it is an interesting read and itis amazing how complex he thinks..like explaining down to a tiny detail in some parts. I find it a bit hard though to remember who is who with the unusual names and names of places. What do you all think of his work? Anyone read the Silmarillian? The movies of course have a great cast and some great effects. They make the story seem so easy to follow and make the world come alive. (I can actually remember names of people and places better in them it seems..probably because it is visual.)