Posted on 03/14/2002 5:07:26 AM PST by HairOfTheDog
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
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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.
Thanks.
Sorry to hear about the poodle. Glad you and the boys got the chance to say goodbye and that she went gently.
Moving on to catch up on posts for Hair's entertainment...
[sitting at the edge of my chair!]
We saw at least two on the side of the road on our trip to SW Virginia.
Didn't see a lot of fall color like we thought. Saw a little more on the drive back coming across Afton Mountain near Charlottesville. (that's for Sam)
Did see a lot of Orange and Maroon for Virginia Tech's Homecoming...
Well.... it was that... and the belching!
Thanks for the update...I was wondering how things were going. Good to know she passed peacefully.
Me neither. I've only done short stories before. I'm going to try doing chapter synopses. I have to know where the story is going in general before I start.
It's still pretty warm and humid here. The so-called experts are looking for good color this year whenever the leaves decide to turn.
...and the smell...
Sorry to bore you Hair, seems I'm all caught up...
Same here. This is just very late for the trees to still be green.
Some sinister Elvish plot....I can feel it.
This is what I've started doing. I THINK it's the way to go, but I haven't finished the whole story in synopses format...I have a brief synopsis of the whole story written, and then ideas for about the first half a dozen chapters. I have to do some thinking about the rest of the chapters. I don't know if I can do this! And my chapters sound really lame...but I guess the whole point is to try, not to write the next best seller, so who cares?
Are we allowed to write an outline / synopsis before the thing begins?
Our leaves are turning brown or just plain falling out now. Almost winter!
We had snow this morning, enough to stay for a short time on some surfaces. I had to brush my car off. I need to figure out if my snow tires will work one more season...
Hmmm... sounds awful suspicious to me too... did you see the deed? Is it on the gamefilm?
When I was in school, a guy ike that was cruisin for an injury too... everybody'd be goin' out of there way to take a whack at a dirty player...
I played center with a lengtwise fracture of my right thumb, two boken ribs, a seperated shoulder and a knee brace... dumb... I'm payin' the price today...at his age, I don't recommend letting Corin Jr do more damage with that kinda break...
Hey! the stinkin green cloud of suspicion comin' off'n me wuz nuthin' compared to the Lutefisk... s'there!
Are we allowed to write an outline / synopsis before the thing begins?
I think outlines/synopses are allowed. Re-writes start in December so this is rough draft only. ...and my rough drafts usually suck swamp water.
Thanks Hair... I can always count on you to say something supportive...
What do we do with the re-writes? I need to go back and read the rules, I guess...
Speaking of sinister plots. Supposedly the Richmond police have pulled over a van. Just getting partial reports, but heard about 15 minutes ago that there was a lot of police activity at one of the major intersections in the West End...
Dunno. If they had a schedule for December, I didn't see it.
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