When I turned 13, my aunt, a great lover of literature, gave me my first copy of LOTR. I have read and re-read it many times since then. The most vivid scene I remember from my first reading was when Sam and Frodo saw the Elves departing from Middle Earth as they set out on their own journey. I was entranced..and still am!
Favorite Tolkien character:
This is like trying to choose a favorite book or a favorite piece of music: Impossible!