[Suzerain of Sheol]

Oh, you don't want to use my opinion as a guideline on that, Nanka. I have an almost irrational hatred of the movies. A lot of people love them, though. The book is slower and goes into a lot more detail about things, and the way it's written isn't all that exciting.

I'd say watch the movies first, and if you like them enough, give the books a shot.

@Quiet, that's very sound and sensible (as your points usually are), the only thing I'd raise in counter to it is that in the beginning of the Silm., before Morgoth steals the Silmmarils and Ungoliant kills the Trees of Light, the elves are all happy and enjoying making beautiful things like you mentioned above, and they still don't act like that.