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.
My favorite extended parts were: 1)Lorien (especially the "smile" ;^)) 2) Hobbiton and the Hobbits - Bilbo's opening narration, Green Dragon etc... and 3) the increased "fleshing out" of Boromir and Aragorn, which made the Boromir death scene all the more poignant.
Now think how much more "fleshing out" TTT is going to give us! I can't wait!
And all this time we've been ragging on Elrond and his precious Rivendell when Celeborn does the same with Lothlorien. All of Middle Earth is in danger and the only thing these elves think of is their property values!
It's a good thing we didn't go to Mirkwood, then we'd have to hear the same crap from Thranduil (sp?)
In my short reading of Lord of the Rings, Tolkien is telling two stories... Frodo and Aragorn. But, Aragorn's is the most unsatisfying in the book because he is stern and cold. But, when you meet Aragorn in the Appendixes and find that he has Merry and Pippin buried with him, then you realize what a fine man he was.
I didn't really like Aragorn of the book. I like Aragorn of the movie. I especially like Aragorn of the SE. Now, if I was the director, I would have taken out the scene where he says he doesn't want to be king. As OT pointed out, that is the exact opposite of the book.
Yet, without that relunctance, there will be no pay off when he assumes his role. Which, you see him doing in the SE as opposed to the movie.
You are right... Legalos didn't smile. He was intense and serious. The only time he smiled in the orginial was when Aragorn said, "let's hunt some orc."
The major improvement is to the Hobbits. How nice to see them be an active part of the Fellowship. Merry, Pippin, and Boromir fighting together in the last scene was perfect. Don't get too near the boys, them Hobbits can throw rocks.
I agree with the Galadriel "halloween scene". I guess PJ was trying to be consist with the perversion of Smeagol by the ring. It is replayed in Rivendell with Bilbo. After seeing the new, I feel very cheated with the original Lothlorien scenes.
Been busy today. I'll be in and out all week. Hopefully, I'll have more time to post tomorrow! :)
Thanks... I try hard. I have a great sense of humor online but in RL my jokes fall flat.
Wife and Jr. are gone to pick up the dog from the kennel, and I've got water heating for pasta for dinner...mmm...pasta.
Thank you all for your prayers and words of support for the family. It was a difficult weekend, but things went well. The service was a wonderful tribute. And, he was buried with full military honors. It was pouring down rain, but everyone chose to walk behind the casket that was carried on a horse drawn carriage. Ft. Bragg sent three soldiers to perform the honors.
From here, life goes on. My mother-in-law is probably moving in with us after the first of the year. We all agree that we don't need to rush.
My wife was incredible. She handled the one major flare-up with her siblings with grace and style and a "back off of that crap or get the heck out attitude."
And, in spite of all our trials with Jr., he was a champ. This was hard and we saw him show that some. But he stood with his cousins and greeted guests all evening long and he was brave and strong at the service. With all the people in the house the trash had to go out about five times a day and he never complained. We'll get back to work on those grades tomorrow...
I was the good brother-in-law and arranged for my wife's brothers and the brothers-in-law to go out for pints and wings. We'd never done that before. We went to one of those...um....(cough)...uh...um..."Pints and Wings" places...
I gotta go. Don't know when I'll be around. I have a rehearsal tonite and will need to get caught up on lots.
I'm not going to read back through the posts, since I assume that if it was important, we'll eventually bring it up again. I'm also definitely throwing in the towel on NaNoWriMo. I just don't have the time.
Take care. I'll be in and out.
Corin
Check back in when you can...no rush, though you ARE missed.
Got the tune, 2J! Thanks! Hopefully I can get it printed out and start learning it over the next week or so.
It's seven o'clock and I haven't written a single word yet today. Think I can write a few thousand in the next couple of hours? Guess I gotta try.
Last week was mostly about the SE. Please feel free to post new elfbashes. :)
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