Middle-earth Journeys

Has everybody stopped reading?

When I read this chapter I was so impressed by Fatty Bolger's bravety. What a hobbit...the kind old Bilbo told Frodo about. I think it was at this point I realized that is was perfectly sensible to think Frodo was up to the task. If his countryman could over come his sense of fear to rouse the town against the Black Riders Frodo could indeed make a good go at the inevitable.

And I love the tying of loose ends even this close to the beginning of the saga. The flashes in the sky seen by Frodo and Strider linked to Gandalf's unseen battle on Weathertop left me with a sense of awe of Galdalf's power as yet to be seen.

This is one of my favorite chapters. It has Tolkien's wonderful descriptive imagery of the land they travel through, plus we meet Bill the pony. And Sam's (partial) recitation of the Fall of Gil-Galad, which is still one of my favorite bits of poetry in the book. (Like the hobbits, I wish I could have heard the whole thing.) Strider's tale of Beren and Luthien, and the description of him as he tells it. Who knew at this point how much that story truly meant to him?

It's funny, but when I first read the books I passed over most of the longer poetry--I was impatient. On subsequent readings I slowly absorbed the lengthier pieces--all part of the 'unfolding' of the story for me.

Has anyone else noticed the wounding of the hero from which he would never fully heal repeated in the Lord of the Rings? This chapter is a wonderful tapastry of the three ages into one scene. The lay of Beren and Luthien, Gilgalad, and the deadly might of the Nine Walkers on Amon Sul. Tolkien actually saw his beloved Edith dancing in an open field and was immediatly smitten by her grace and lovelieness. This motif often is repeated in several stories. Is not also classic Tolkien to have Strider explain that the lay was in a form of Elvish that didn't readily translate into the common tongue, and called his rendition of it, a mere echo?
I always enjoy Sam's comment about the midges, not at him, but his wit, what do hey eat when they can't get Hobbit? Its is also of note how flies accompany dire peril and how the Nazgul are afeared of the classic elements, this time fire, and as we see later of water.

Francoise wrote:Strider's tale of Beren and Luthien, and the description of him as he tells it. Who knew at this point how much that story truly meant to him?

The one poem I never skipped while reading... It's hypnotic, but am still afraid I must go back to the Strider thread and post again, what I haven't been able to post for these last two weeks of toil in the wilderness.

Yes, Francoise and bruce the telling of ancient tales did so much for me when I first read this chapter. This particular chapter had me hooked to learn more about the Elves.

bruce wrote:

Its is also of note how flies accompany dire peril and how the Nazgul are afeared of the classic elements, this time fire, and as we see later of water.

I had completely forgotten about the elements and the Nazgul's aversion to them. Perhaps another parable to modern worlds aversion to worshiping the ancient respect of the elements? Far fetched? I don't know I'm just thinking out loud.

I have similar thoughts on this, Philipa: I think it's one of Tolkien's ways of showing us just how unnatural the Nazgul are, these dark undead.

Just a side thought: I've read LOTR so many times that having the characters call the Ringwraiths 'black men' doesn't faze me as politically incorrect any more. But what about some of you more recent readers? Is Tolkien being racist?

Merry wrote: Just a side thought: I've read LOTR so many times that having the characters call the Ringwraiths 'black men' doesn't faze me as politically incorrect any more. But what about some of you more recent readers? Is Tolkien being racist?

Nah, not being a racist although when I tell my children who these 'bad ghosts' are I tell them they are called 'black riders' because they wear black. I also intertwine Nazgul so they know they have more then one name.

Shall we move on to the next chapter?