A few months ago, we got the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings movies, and the extras and production notes gave me great insight into what a masterful piece of cinematic art this is. I never read the books, and I saw the films when they first came out, enjoyed them, but this time I watched the movies with a greater understanding and appreciation. They are indeed a masterpiece.

So I decided to read the series, I polished off the Hobbitt (the annotated edition). It was amusing, but it was basically a kid’s book. Then I plunged into the main event, Fellowship of the Ring. It was magnificent. I couldn’t wait to start on Two Towers, but I soon started to experience my first twinges of Ring fatigue. Still, I got through that. It was as equally well crafted as the first volume, but somehow it didn’t captivate me as much.

Finally, I started Return of the King. I just now decided to give up on it. I just can’t go on any more, I have OD’d on Middle Earth. I can’t take it any more.

After a mere 64 pages, I have given up. I simply don’t care. No, I don’t think its because of any decline of quality in the third volume, I think I am just saturated with the whole universe, and perhaps I am too immersed in it, or am having trouble subconsciously separating and reconciling the differences between the films and the books. I don’t know. But I’ve had enough.

I’ve never particularly cared for fantasy, preferring even hard science-fiction to the more speculative types, but I thought I got over that with the Rings Trilogy. But I am going to bid goodbye to Middle Earth for a while.

Maybe some day I’ll come back to it and finish the trilogy. But for now, its going back on the shelf for an indefinite period. I hate to quit an important series like this in the middle, but I can’t bring myself to read any more.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?