The Fellowship of the Ring

           I finished The Fellowship of the Ring!

           Finally. I had borrowed it from the library twice. They wanted it back. So I took a break and read Inkheart. Then I began The Fellowship again at Elrond's Council.

           This group called Writers Write rated The Lord of the Rings as one of the top five classics that are on people's reading lists but are never finished. The Lord of the Rings gets shelved! I believe it. Tolkien's long description breaks in the middle of the action aren't suitable to today's audience. But still. To think that the great Tolkien gets shelved. . .  It's rather humbling.

           Moving along.

                                                                      

 

                                          A fair jaw-cracker dwarf-language must be!
                                                                       Sam Gamgee

           I loved all the different kingdoms and, uh, sorts of people I guess is how you might say it. The elves, the dwarfs, the men, the hobbits/halflings, orcs, the men of the west/ the rangers, the wizards, and I think Tom Bombadil was a sort of person all to himself.

           And elf runes are so interesting. I'm an English major. Why can't I take elf runes as my foreign language? It's relevant. . . in a way. It ought to be allowed.


                                                                              

                                                                  I liked white better.
                                                                           Gandalf

           The epic story of good and evil. That plot line never gets old. Sure, it was dragged down with some description and genealogies. Okay, a lot of description and history. It made me want to edit it into a 'the good parts' version. You know, like Goldman in The Princess Bride did to S. Morgenstern's masterpiece, and then all Morgenstern's relatives were riot anger with him.

           Yeah, maybe that's a bad idea.

           But he was so good at increasing suspense. That ominous part at the door of Moria. With the black water. Where is the door? The gurgling bubbles. Don't throw things in the lake like that! What is the puzzle? Wolves howl. Oo, chills really did run down my back. Such drear and dreaded air. The black water gurgles. Gandalf, the puzzle!


                                                                              

Poor Bill

                             "I will take the Ring," he said, "though I do not know the way."     
                                                                           Frodo

           I loved the characters. Frodo. He had such a heart for his friends. Tolkien really did create the best character to carry the burden of the Ring. Frodo has much discretion. And it's so fun when things surprise him.

           Gandalf. Who doesn't like Gandalf? He's so funny. He has the answer to everything. Well, that's what we like to think, and he's fine to let us believe that. He knows so much. And so wise to keep most of his doings on a need-to-know basis.

           Merry and Pippin. Always good fun. And Sam. I hope I can be as faithful a friend as he. Gimli, what an excellent dwarf. I liked him a lot. I really liked Legolas. You don't hear much of him at first. He's a bit quiet and let's his strengths and abilities take everyone by surprise when the time arises. I'm glad he got to see Lothlorien.

           Saruman is one of the worst villains. He scared me even more than Sauron at times. Mostly because he shows how someone who with such good integrity, who is widely looked up to for his wisdom and good counsel, that even someone who always seeks good and is known for it can so easily fall prey to evil. How easily wisdom can be clouded and looked at wrong. How power hunger one can become. And even though he proposed to defeat Sauron, he would only become a Sauron himself. It was sad. And yet scary and humbling to think how easily and hard we can fall. It didn't help though that I kept confusing them because their names were so similar.

           Sauron was just creepy. When Frodo saw the Eye in the mirror. Aaah! I begged him to look away. When he left the company at the end and could feel the evil under Mordor pulling at him, I begged him to take off the ring. Though I beg him to take off the ring whenever he puts it on. Saruman fell so badly. Not Frodo too, please. Besides one look at that Eye and the Ringwraiths and I'd fear to let that Ring touch my skin again. But hobbits are made of rather stout stuff.

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.

           But my favorite character was Aragorn. Or Strider. Or any of his other names by which you may know him. I liked Strider. But I suppose it isn't a very kingly name for a lost prince. All the same. His wanderings intrigue me. I wish Tolkien had written a book complied of all his wanderings as a Ranger. He's almost like Gandalf. He's wise. And he has a feel for things. For traveling. For what may be trailing behind or looming before. And Moria just gave him more depth. Aragorn. Afraid of something? Aragorn? Are we sure we're speaking of the same person? I wonder what did happen on his first journey through Moria. And then Lothlorien. That grabbed my curiosity too. But those things Tolkien cared not to go on for paragraphs about. Hm, maybe in the next books.

           All the same. If I lived in Middle Earth, I'd be a Ranger. I'd wander wide and far, know every ever corner of every kingdom, mountain, and doom, speak most all languages, battle endlessly against the evil under Mordor, and be a friend of Gandalf's.

           Farewell, and may the blessing of Elves and Men and all Free Folk go with you. May the stars shine upon you faces!               -Elrond


            Have you read the book? Seen the movie? What do you think? What was your favorite character?