Reception of J. R. R. Tolkien legendarium which includes "The Hobbit", "The Lord of the Rings", and "The Silmarillion". Tolkien's "The Hobbit", a children's book, was first published in 1937, and it proved popular. However, "The Lord of the Rings", first published in 1954 through 1955, would give rise to the fandom as a cultural phenomenon. Bootleg paperbacks published by Ace Books eventually found their way into colleges in the US in the 1960s. In response, a revised, authorized edition was published by Ballantine Books. The "hippie" following latched onto the book, giving its own spin to the work's interpretation, such as the Dark Lord Sauron
Reception of J. R. R. Tolkien Rings" followed from 1973 to 1975 ("Tiden Norsk Forlag"). Both translations were harshly criticized for errors and inconsistencies and complaints resulted in a new translation of "LotR", published in 1980/81. By the late 1980s, Tolkien's works were well known to the Norwegian public. A translation of the "Silmarillion" appeared in 1994. The unsatisfactory "Hobbit" translation was replaced only in 1997. By the mid-1990s, the popularity of Tolkien had risen to a level that made viable translations of his minor works. Arthedain - The Tolkien Society of Norway was founded in 1981. The Finnish Tolkien Society Kontu ("Suomen Tolkien-seura Kontu ry"