Old Favorites - Lord of the Rings

You know of whom I speak.

J.R.R. Tolkien. The Hobbit. Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King). Classics from any standpoint.

My copy of The Hobbit, a story that was first introduced to me by my 5th grade teacher, Mr. Sharon (we secretly thought he resembled a hobbit), was published somewhere in the 60's. There are so many dates, copyrights, and editions, I can't figure out which date to go with. A beautiful book.

The Lord of the Rings, of course, encompassing three books (by the way - peoples - who has borrowed my Fellowship of the Rings???), has had much ado made about it with the excellent movies. Old favorites, becoming new favorites, both in print and in media.

Now. The Hobbit. My, they are taking liberties, aren't they? We just saw The Hobbit (The Desolation of Smaug) at the theater. Dramatic. Beautiful. Wonderful characters (thank you, Mr. Tolkien). But new characters? Changes in who is when, where, and doing what? Budding romances not mentioned in the books. Like many, I love the old favorites. Why are they so changed?

But still. Alas. They are still favorites. I will go see the last installment when it comes out. There is one change that would be ok with me. Concerning Thorin Oakenshield. Perhaps you know what I am thinking.