The New Hobbit Hole

[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

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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.

[2Jedismom]

Well, I'm back in the computer room on my PC, the boys are watching AOTC and I have only a few minutes before Steve gets in.

I like the Extended better. Far better. It' long and it's a bit exhausting, but it's better than the regular length.

What is going on at TORN, I wonder?

[Sam Cree]

So what will we name the new thread, do you think?

[2Jedismom]

I vote for just plain old "The Hobbit Hole".

[HairOfTheDog]

You have any ideas? I like "The New Hobbit Chronicles"! - or "Hobbit Hole - The Two Towers Edition"? We can toss it about!

[Sam Cree]

I suck at coming up with names. What did the hobbits rename at the end of the book, after the battle at Bywater, or whatever it was, when it was discussed how hobbits liked simple sensible names?

[HairOfTheDog]

They renamed Bag End "New Row" or "Sharkey's End".... I don't like either of them very well...

[HairOfTheDog]

OK - I am watching for the third time now... Have PJ and Fran's commentary on. I like these commentaries... Gandalf coming to the door was Ian's first scene.

They said Gandalf hitting his head was an accident - not in the script! - And that he just kept acting!

[Sam Cree]

Have a nice time watching. I'm not getting it quite yet, but will soon.

Did you like the head hitting incident...I didn't mind, but could have done without it...even so, the guy's a great actor.

[HairOfTheDog]

Fran and PJ's son, little Billy Jackson (the cutest little hobbit child) was the only hobbit at the party that did not have to wear a wig to have good hobbit hair!

[HairOfTheDog]

I did like it... it was good to start the film with comedy!

[Sam Cree]

Going out for awhile...very exciting hearing about the new dvd. See you later.

[HairOfTheDog]

I am gonna log off for a while too.... My rear is tired of this chair.

[HairOfTheDog]

You know... the thing that amazes me most right now as I listen to this commentary is the grand scale and money and time and resources that went into this movie... Two complete Bag Ends in different sizes... Two complete Green Dragon Inns in different sizes... Imagine someone assigning you to do that.

Finding the right tree for them to hide under when the black rider comes, but cutting it down and MOVING it and reconstructing it in another place. I think of the huge projects of building the cities of Minus Tirith and Edoras, and Hobbiton, and Rivendell, but EVERY LITTLE THING was hard! I just can't imagine having the money and the moxy to call up the National Army to come and build a road for me...

[ican'tbelieveit]

I went to rent the dvd....and they were all out. I read all of these wonderful posts today, and was all set to see all of these new scenes. I am distraught.

[HairOfTheDog]

Oh dear! How horrible! Someone is watching it within a mile of you right now! - If you could only find them!

[Overtaxed]

I vote for just plain old "The Hobbit Hole".

Yes. I guess Jim will have to change the link on the front page. :)

[irishtenor]

Any that have the following saying... "Would you like fries with that..."

[ican'tbelieveit]

Oh yeah, I will be Bilbo and slip in and take it. Oh wait, you probably just wanted me to slip in and ask if I could watch it with them.

[irishtenor]

How about "Hobbit Forming"? "Hobbittrails"? "Frodo Freep"? "Gandalf's Gang"? "Precious Little To Do"? "One Ring Circus"?

[HairOfTheDog]

Heh.... Thanks, but none of those really work for me... I don't want to be in Gandalf's gang, and I think it would attract trolls. "Precious Little To Do" makes me snicker though.