My name is Brian Nacov, I’m a sophmore and I major in Drawing and Painting. I’m eager to take this class just because I enjoy LotR and most other fantasy and want to learn more about it and talk to others about it. It’s exciting because when I get into something like a book series or a movie series, I become a fanatic and am obsessed with it to the point of being threatened to be shunned by my friends.
I had never heard of LotR before the films came out, and once they did I enjoyed them. My Mom then tried to persuade me to read the books. However, I’ve never been a very enthusiastic reader so I decided that knowing what happens in the films was good enough for me. My Mom is an avid reader of most things fantasy and I would constantly hear her comment during the movies, “That didn’t happen,” or, “They cut that whole part out!? That’s depressing.”
I read the books finally this summer and I quickly changed my mind and my affinity for the movies. I was enchanted in a manner of speaking. Automatcally I was even more excited for the class. I even looked up a lot of the history of Middle Earth and Arda in general. I love all the mythology involved and what happens in the first and second age. I’m hoping that all of that back story and those events are covered in the class. For example, the awakening of the races, Valinor and the war for the silmarils, and Numenor. I hope these topics are going to be at least touched upon.
Regarding Harry Potter, I read the first three books and stopped halfway through the fourth, and I watch the movies once I’ve realized a new one is on DVD. I’m not a very big fan and honestly loose track of how many movies are out so far. I’m more of an Anne McCaffrey Dragon book fan than Harry Potter.
