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
-----------------------------------------
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.
Agree. Now that's done, got to get to work.
That’s true. When Expatriate mentioned skipping down a path spouting poetry, Williams immediately came to my mind.
How about Farmer GreenJeans? ;^)
-ksen
-ksen
Do you have any good book suggestions for someone of the [fundamental] Christian persuasion? What do you think of Lawhead?
Well, I really enjoy Lawhead, personally. His Pendragon cycle is one of the best Arthurian series I've ever read, and I've read a lot. Two reasons: one, the Christianity is there and seems very real, and two, no Lancelot. Also it's a more Celtic than Roman Arthur; Arthur the warleader, and his knights fights Saxons, not giants. Defintely if you like Arthurian stuff, read it. His other stuff is good, too. Byzantium is an incredible story, not fantasy but historical fiction about a Celtic monk journeying to Constantinople during the days of the Muslim advances. Some of Lawhead's other stuff can be weird, but rewarding. The Celtic Crusades set that he's writing now is very good, though I'm not entirely sure where he's going with it, and it's a little - how should I say this? Catholic? for me, but I can overlook that.
Otherwise there are very few Christian writers out there, or even writers who don't blatantly attack Christianity. I disagree with you about Harry Potter, as I find it harmlesss, but that's ok; I read a lot of stuff that isn't Christian at all. Usually as long as the heroes are fairly heroic, and the story doesn't directly attack Christianity, I will read it.
One author I have enjoyed is Connie Willis. I'm not sure if she's a Christian - some of her stuff could be read that way - but I would recommend without reservation Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog. Both are time-travel stories, the first set mostly in the 1300s, in England (Black Death time), the second skips all over the place but is set mostly in the Victorian Era, again England. To Say Nothing... is comedy, very funny; the other is definitely not. I understand some of Connie Willis' other stuff is questionable, but those two novels are excellent.
Hope this helps a little...
Not all that good a picture, though
I guess it was a rant. Next time I will try to remember to put the < /rant > when I’m done. ;^)
There is very little Christian science fiction or fantasy these days. The surest way I know to get upset is to visit a Christian bookstore and look at the hundreds of identical prairie romances, westerns, and "Left Behind" novels. Are Christians really that lousy in our reading tastes? But I knew it was the bookstore's fault when I discovered that to find anything by C. S. Lewis other than "Narnia" or "Mere Christianity", it was necessary to visit Borders.
I know how you feel. If someone were to judge the tastes of the modern day Christian by looking in a “Christian” bookstore they would come away thinking that we only like pap. It irks me that people think that all they have to do in order to sell stuff of dubious quality is to slap a “Christian” label on it. < /rant > (how was that? ;^) )
As far as the “Left Behind” books go, I’ve read them. When I pick up a new one and start reading it, for some reason I don’t put it down until I’m finished. I don’t know why I do that, the writing isn’t all that great, there isn’t any real character development per se, and many of the things that happen plotwise are entirely implausible. Maybe it’s like driving by a car wreck, you don’t want to look, but you just have to.
Well, I really enjoy Lawhead, personally. His Pendragon cycle is one of the best Arthurian series I've ever read, and I've read a lot. Two reasons: one, the Christianity is there and seems very real, and two, no Lancelot. Also it's a more Celtic than Roman Arthur; Arthur the warleader, and his knights fights Saxons, not giants. Defintely if you like Arthurian stuff, read it. His other stuff is good, too. Byzantium is an incredible story, not fantasy but historical fiction about a Celtic monk journeying to Constantinople during the days of the Muslim advances. Some of Lawhead's other stuff can be weird, but rewarding. The Celtic Crusades set that he's writing now is very good, though I'm not entirely sure where he's going with it, and it's a little - how should I say this? Catholic? for me, but I can overlook that.
Thank you for your reviews of Lawhead’s work. Those sound like books that I would enjoy reading. I know what you mean about the Catholic thing, me being a Baptist, but as long as it’s a good story I would be ok with that.
Otherwise there are very few Christian writers out there, or even writers who don't blatantly attack Christianity. I disagree with you about Harry Potter, as I find it harmlesss, but that's ok; I read a lot of stuff that isn't Christian at all. Usually as long as the heroes are fairly heroic, and the story doesn't directly attack Christianity, I will read it.
I agree with your observations here, other than HP. Although I have not actually read Rawlings stuff, I may sit down one day and read the first one to see if it is as bad as I’ve been told. Until then I will steer my kids towards books that I KNOW are alright.
My oldest is 11 years old. We are reading through LOTR together. Right now we are on Chapter 3 of Book 4, “The Gates of Mordor” I think is the name of the chapter. Frodo, Sam, and Gollum have just come out of the marshes. She loves these books and that makes me a happy pappy. ;^)
One author I have enjoyed is Connie Willis. I'm not sure if she's a Christian - some of her stuff could be read that way - but I would recommend without reservation Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog. Both are time-travel stories, the first set mostly in the 1300s, in England (Black Death time), the second skips all over the place but is set mostly in the Victorian Era, again England. To Say Nothing... is comedy, very funny; the other is definitely not. I understand some of Connie Willis' other stuff is questionable, but those two novels are excellent.
I have never head of Willis, I will check her books out one of these days. Thanks again for taking the time to help me out on this.
Hope this helps a little...
It does, a lot. Thanks.
-ksen
But I believe I found found a credible Old Man Willow:
The already turned-to-stone variety:
Just to give us something to go on, here's the description given of Tom Bombadil in FOTR:
...there appeared above the reeds an old battered hat with a tall crown and a long blue feather stuck in the band. With another hop and a bound there came into view a man, or so it seemed. At any rate he was too large and heavy for a hobbit, if not quite tall enough for one of the Big People, though he made noise enough for one, stumping along with great yellow boots on his thick legs, and charging through grass and rushes like a cow going down to drink. He had a blue coat and a long brown beard; his eyes were blue and bright, and his face was red as a ripe apple, but creased into a hundred wrinkles of laughter.
Plausible.
I was thinking Nathan Lane.
Or....don't laugh....Kelsey Grammer.
Danny DeVito.;^)
At least when he played Sigfried Farnon in All Creatures Great and Small he was a cheerful character with a merry twinkle in his eye.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.