If my Amazon Widget thing were working off the right of my page, you would be able to see that I am currently reading The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.  They are, quite simply, great books.  Or I suppose I should say it is one great story, because it really is all one, divided as it may be.  It has taken me a while to move through the work, and I still have a little less than a third to go, but I have enjoyed it thoroughly.

I have, however, run into one problem:  I watched the movies first.

What a mistake this was.  In hindsight, I think I would have been better off locking myself in a room for a few days and completing the entire book before headed out to see the films.  The reason?  Well, because I realize that my imagination has been hampered by watching the films.  Rather than allowing the book to stimulate images within, I keep thinking about Elijah Wood and the guy from Rudy.

This isn’t to say that the movies were bad.  No way.  After finishing my reading, I am going to watch them again.  It’s just to say that they can’t be as good as reading the book and using your imagination.  At least first.  Not to mention, the movie can’t tell the entire story, even when it runs three hours, as the films do.  A good rule of thumb for any classic book made into a movie seems to be:  Make sure you read the book first!

It’s a good rule, one that leads me to a greater appreciation for a good story and the importance of reading good stories.  Even more, it helps me understand why the Bible is such a powerful book, for it is the work of the greatest Storyteller and indeed, when rightly understood and embraced, contains the greatest story every told.  No film can capture that entire work, only bits and pieces, so we better make sure to read that one first.