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The New Hobbit Hole

Posted on 03/14/2002 5:07:26 AM PST by HairOfTheDog

Welcome to The New Hobbit Hole

Concerning Hobbits

The New Hobbit Chronicles

This is a continuation of the infamous thread New Zealander Builds Hobbit Hole originally posted on January 26, 2001 by John Farson, who at the time undoubtedly thought he had found a rather obscure article that would elicit a few replies and die out. Without knowing it, he became the founder of the Hobbit Hole. For reasons incomprehensible to some, the thread grew to over 4100 replies. It became the place for hobbits and friends of hobbits to chit chat and share LoTR news and views, hang out, and talk amongst ourselves in the comfort of familiar surroundings.

In keeping with the new posting guidelines, the thread idea is continuing here, as will the Green Dragon Inn, our more structured spin-off thread, as soon as we figure out how to move all the good discussion that has been had there. As for the Hobbit Hole, we will just start fresh, bringing only a few mathoms such as the picture above with us to make it feel like home, and perhaps a walk down memory lane:

Our discussion has been light:

It very well may be that a thread named "New Zealander builds Hobbit hole" will end up being the longest Tolkien thread of them all, with some of the best heartfelt content... Sorry John, but I would have rather it had been one with a more distinguished title!… post 252 - HairOfTheDog

However, I can still celebrate, with quiet dignity, the fact that what started as a laugh about some wacko in New Zealand has mutated and grown into a multifaceted discussion of the art, literature, and philosophy that is Tolkien. And now that I've managed to write the most pompous sentence of my entire life, I agree, Rosie… post 506 - JenB

Hah! I was number 1000!! (Elvish victory dance... wait, no; that would be too flitty) … post 1001 - BibChr

Real men don't have to be afraid of being flitty! Go for it. – post 1011 – HairOfTheDog

Seventeen years to research one mystical object seems a bit excessive… post 1007 - JenB

Okay...who's the wise guy who didn't renew Gandalf's research grant?… post 1024 – Overtaxed

To the very philosophical:

…Judas Iscariot obviously was a good man, or he wouldn't have been chosen to be one of the Apostles. He loved Jesus, like all of the Apostles, but he betrayed him. Yet without his betrayal, the Passion and Crucifixion would never have occurred, and mankind would not have been redeemed. So without his self-destruction infinite good would not have been accomplished. I certainly do not mean this to be irreverant but it seems to me that this describes the character of Gollum, in the scenes so movingly portrayed above… Lucius Cornelius Sulla

To fun but heartfelt debates about the integrity and worth of some of the characters…

…Anyone else notice how Boromir treats the hobbits? He's very fond of them but he seems to think of them as children - ruffling Frodo's hair, calls them all 'little ones'. He likes them, but I don't think he really respects them… post 1536 - JenB

Yes... Tolkien told us not to trust Boromir right off the bat when he began to laugh at Bilbo, until he realized that the Council obviously held this hobbit in high esteem. What a pompous dolt… post 1538 - HairOfTheDog

…I think almost every fault of his can be traced directly back to his blindness to anything spiritual or unseen. He considers the halflings as children, because that is what they look like. He considers the only hope of the ring to be in taking it and using it for a victory in the physical realm. He cannot see what the hobbits are truly made of, he cannot see the unseen hope of what the destruction of the ring might mean--the destruction of Sauron himself, and he cannot see the unseen danger that lies in the use of the ring itself… I just feel sorry for Boromir--he is like a blind but honorable man, trying to take the right path on the road but missing the right path entirely because he simply cannot see it… post 1548 - Penny1

Boromir isn't a jerk, he's a jock… post 2401 – Overtaxed

-----------------------------------------

Oh, I think by the time Frodo reaches the Cracks, he's not even himself anymore! I think he's not only on the brink of a dangerous place physically, he's on the brink of losing himself completely during the exchange with Gollum. But for some reason, the take-over isn't complete till he actually has to throw the Ring in. The person speaking to Gollum is not Frodo, but the "Wheel of Fire" that Sam sees. After the Ring is destroyed, Frodo not only comes back to himself, but comes back with the unbearable (to him) knowledge of what it's like to be completely without compassion. I think that's why it's so important to him to be compassionate in the Shire… post 2506 - 2Jedismom

…Regarding Frodo's compassion... it's a little too much at the end. Even Merry tells him that he's going to have to quit being so darn nice. But you're right. He's learned a lesson about evil that very few ever learn since it wasn't an external lesson but an internal one. (Those kinds of lessons have the greatest impact) Not only did he totally succumb to it, but he was rather ruthless to my little Smeagol… post 2516 - carton253

Well that Frodo was a big mean bully! (to Smeagol)… post 2519 – Overtaxed

So as you can see, everything JRR Tolkien (and Peter Jackson) is welcome here in our New Row, our soon-to-be familiar New Hobbit Hole…; philosophy, opinion, good talk and frequent silliness.


TOPICS: Books/Literature; Chit/Chat; Poetry; TV/Movies; The Hobbit Hole
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To: JenB
Hello! - I am back in taking a break. I take a break in between tanks of gas. Run a tank of gas through the weed-wacker, come in and have a cool drink... I think one more tank of gas is do-able before it is too hot to keep going! [whew]
19,681 posted on 08/17/2002 12:39:22 PM PDT by HairOfTheDog
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To: JenB
We are a quiet hobbit hole on weekends... not making much progress toward the quad-0.

Scott got us going a bit with his Westernesse knife discussion.... That helped us out a bit!
19,682 posted on 08/17/2002 12:44:26 PM PDT by HairOfTheDog
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To: HairOfTheDog
I fancy myself a rather capable weed-whacker, for I must do it behind my fence twice each growing season. Yet it is not something to do for kicks.

Alas, my wife and I did the necessary -- hit the gym for a little lifting -- then we took the dogs on a hike in the woods. The latter made me very popular in my household, particularly with the 4-legged members. A sunny day not wasted. Now I've chowed like a hobbit and am feeling very peaceful.

19,683 posted on 08/17/2002 5:34:50 PM PDT by Scott from the Left Coast
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To: HairOfTheDog
Done weeding yet? I rented a DVD, Ocean's Eleven. It was much better than I thought - I love robbery movies, especially ones with cool villians trying out daring technical plans. When I'm not writing SF or fantasy, it's crime stories... I'm not much good with the gadgets, though.

How are you this evening? And where are our friends?

19,684 posted on 08/17/2002 6:48:34 PM PDT by JenB
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To: JenB
Hello Jen

Let's discuss Card and Busby to the double naughts.

19,685 posted on 08/17/2002 6:55:31 PM PDT by DonnerT
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To: DonnerT
Card I could manage. Who's Busby? I don't recall the name. Ever heard of: Keith Laumer, Cyril Kornbluth, L Sprague de Camp, Lawrence Watt-Evans, Fred Pohl, James Hogan, John Ringo, H Beam Piper? Not all of them are well known but I've enjoyed their works....
19,686 posted on 08/17/2002 7:25:25 PM PDT by JenB
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To: JenB
F.M. Busby wrote a hard Sci-Fi series, Star Rebel, Rebel's Quest, Rebel's Seed in the 80's. I have the first two and have been looking for the third.

I have probably read some of every on of those authors. All the names sound familiar.

19,687 posted on 08/17/2002 7:50:22 PM PDT by DonnerT
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To: DonnerT
Read "Ender's Shadow" while I was in hospital. Tried to find Ender's Game when I got home,, couldn't. Ordered it from the library. Want to read it again.
19,688 posted on 08/17/2002 7:54:16 PM PDT by DonnerT
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To: DonnerT
Oh, right. Haven't read Busby. New Ender book - well, not Ender anymore since he's off on the 3000 year guilt trip - but anyway, there's a new one coming out next week.
19,689 posted on 08/17/2002 7:55:27 PM PDT by JenB
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To: JenB; DonnerT
I liked the Gateway series by Fred Pohl quite a bit (am I right, he wrote those?), but not necessarily his other stuff. Pretty sure I still have those around the house in paperback.
19,690 posted on 08/17/2002 8:01:24 PM PDT by Sam Cree
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To: JenB
Ender's Shadow is a companion to Ender's Game and chronicles the character Bean through the Battleschool. I like it much better than any of the Ender sequels.
19,691 posted on 08/17/2002 8:03:37 PM PDT by DonnerT
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To: DonnerT
"I like it much better than any of the Ender sequels."

Agree with you there, read it recently also. I got a little bored with the last couple sequels.

Good night, All.

19,692 posted on 08/17/2002 8:09:57 PM PDT by Sam Cree
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To: Sam Cree
I have read Phol but couldn't name the books. Gateway sound familiar though.

By the way thank you and Jen for letting me eaves drop on your conversations about SF and authors. I dug through the attic boxes and am enjoying books I read 30 years ago. I seem to have forgotten the endings to most of them so they are like new to me. Much cheaper that way.

19,693 posted on 08/17/2002 8:15:28 PM PDT by DonnerT
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To: Sam Cree
he wrote those?

Yes, he did.

19,694 posted on 08/17/2002 8:17:44 PM PDT by Rocko
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To: Sam Cree; DonnerT
Pohl wrote that series, yes. I didn't really care for that one. I prefer things he wrote with other people - he seems to need a moderating influence, imo.

Donner, I've read all the books in the Ender/Shadow series so far, and anticipate reading the next one shortly. I prefer the original, but the companions are good, too. Maybe it's just nostalgia that makes me think that Game is the best...

19,695 posted on 08/17/2002 8:18:38 PM PDT by JenB
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To: JenB
What is the next one supposed to be about?
19,696 posted on 08/17/2002 8:30:18 PM PDT by DonnerT
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To: DonnerT
Ready to start Sneakin ?
19,697 posted on 08/17/2002 8:34:12 PM PDT by DonnerT
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To: JenB
Sneak.
19,698 posted on 08/17/2002 8:35:11 PM PDT by DonnerT
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To: DonnerT
Go ahead Jen. I don't even want it if no one else does.
19,699 posted on 08/17/2002 8:37:03 PM PDT by DonnerT
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To: JenB
Pohl wrote that series, yes. I didn't really care for that one.

Pohl was a great editor (of the late Galaxy science fiction magazine) and a good author, whose most interesting works were collaborations. He was also a leftist political activist in my part of New Jersey, back around 1970, I had a number of discussions with him at debates where I was a friend of the debator on the other side. He was an intelligent debator, and an old fashioned political liberal, who was civil in debate.

19,700 posted on 08/17/2002 8:37:52 PM PDT by Lucius Cornelius Sulla
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