Yeah, LOTR is a great read, but every 30-40 pages or so comes "and then they sang" or "and so he recited a poem of old" and right there is an automatic SKIP UNTIL THERE IS NO MORE ITALIC TEXT.

this is the only way to finish the Lord of the Rings books and retain a pleasant memory of the experience

But you have to appreciate that kind of effort.

That picture always reminds me of some old joke title I read somewhere that was, "Tom Bombadil's Adventures in the Forest of Faggotry" or something.

In terms of Lord of the Rings... WHAT an awkward, out-of-place character. Beginning - drudging, leading to dark and deadly. Middle to end, save the meeting at Elrond's house - dark and deadly. And then you've got the oddness of Bombadil right smack halfway through the first book...

That picture is the easy response to any Tolkien die-hard who gets all pissed off over why Bombadil wasn't included in Jackson's films.