General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: What top 5 books would you list when directing a teenager? [View all]Hekate
(90,683 posts)I just read The Hobbit to my 8 y.o. grandson and naturally picked up LOTR again for the first time in years. For me, not for him just yet.
Yes, I do think "a bookish 14 year old" might find LOTR (the books, not the movies) life-changing in a very positive way. I read it to my son when he was about 10, and both he and his older sister ended up loving it. She listened to the tapes of the book until they wore out. Neither one of them tried pointy ears, either.
My belief is that LOTR contains a treasure-trove of wonderful and beautiful language -- English, not Elvish -- and demonstrations of great courage, kindness, compassion, ethical behavior, and sacrifice, all wrapped up in a great adventure without a single speck of preaching.
Atlas Shrugged -- not so much!