I wonder sometimes about the impact that books make as a function of age. I read LotR in my 20s, and while I recognize Tolkien’s qualities as a scholar and as a storyteller (I adore his archaic usages of certain words–one that stands out is right after the Council of Elrond, when the Fellowship is assembled and listed off, and the book says something like, “so ends the Tale of the fellowship,”, and I was confused until I thought about it, and realized he meant “tale” as in “count” or “tally.” The book has such a flavor in its writing that I have encountered very rarely elsewhere), I can’t say it’s life-changing for me the way it is for others. Aragorn, Frodo, etc. are fine heroes, the philosophical discussions are elegant, the style is unique, but for some reason it never clicked for me the way it does for others. Maybe it’s because I had passed the age where a book can make that kind of impact on me–there are others I read around 12 that shaped my personality profoundly.