The Hobbit Hole IV – The Road Goes Ever On…

To: Corin Stormhands

I'm one of the top five, right? Mine should help...

36,041 posted on 10/27/2003 11:22:52 AM PST by RosieCotton

Your certainly top on our list.

36,042 posted on 10/27/2003 11:25:07 AM PST by Corin Stormhands (I came back. Where were you? Back later ~ Godot / www.wardsmythe.com)

Didn't mean to talk about you and not ping you...

36,043 posted on 10/27/2003 11:25:36 AM PST by Corin Stormhands (I came back. Where were you? Back later ~ Godot / www.wardsmythe.com)

To: Corin Stormhands

Awww...isn't that sweet...

36,044 posted on 10/27/2003 11:25:42 AM PST by RosieCotton

sshhhh...don't tell g'nad...

You feelin' any better?

36,045 posted on 10/27/2003 11:26:47 AM PST by Corin Stormhands (I came back. Where were you? Back later ~ Godot / www.wardsmythe.com)

To: Corin Stormhands

Because I could, I took a long nap. That's always nice...

The result of taking that sinus medication seems to be that my eyes and nose are streaming. Prolly a good thing I'm not at work or I'd have to keep explaining that I'm NOT bawling, I just have a cold.

36,046 posted on 10/27/2003 11:29:02 AM PST by RosieCotton

To: Corin Stormhands; Destructor

Can you convert mileage to posts?

I doubt it, fortunately. I don't want that many posts.

We could always ping him to each and every post here.

36,047 posted on 10/27/2003 11:30:55 AM PST by ecurbh (Well... I'm back!)

To: HairOfTheDog; 2Jedismom; Overtaxed; Corin Stormhands; Lucius Cornelius Sulla; Sam Cree; ...

OK, let's see what the Tolkien Virgin thinks of Shelob:

A Tolkien Virgin: The Two Towers - Book IV - Chapter 9 -- The Journey Continues
August 09, 2001 - Thursday
Chapter 9
Shelob's Lair
Woah! Okay, now that was unexpected. And geez, if you've been following my articles you know I've been rooting for Gollum, in hopes of redemption (though I can't say why I pity him in that way), so you can guess that I'm pretty disappointed. After everything, this turns out to be his grand scheme: lead our hobbits to their deaths and retrieve the ring? But, at what point did he make that decision? Certainly not from when he was first captured, since he didn't know that they needed a way into Mordor... or did he? Is Gollum really that clever?
On another note, the events of this chapter, Gollum's treachery, kind of puts the last chapter...and previous chapters in a clearer light. So, maybe Gollum was having second thoughts when he saw Frodo, his kind master, sleeping the night before--then Sam woke up, called him a sneak, and ruined any chance Gollum would have a change of heart. Though I'll say that there was probably as much actual likelyhood of Gollum growing a conscience as there was likelyhood that Saruman would actually come down at the end of the last book, and leave it at that.
Furthermore, the "she" that Gollum refered to during the Slinker/Stinker conversation that Sam overheard, the very reference I had completely forgotten, is also clarified. Shelob. Child of Ungoliant; older than Sauron.
Tolkien surely loves his dreadful spiders. Though they may not be in every book he wrote on Middle-earth, he's got them in the Silmarillion, Hobbit, and now in book IV of the Lord of the Rings (am I forgetting other memorable spider moments?). But, it is an effective image; the thought of such a large spider is pretty terrifying.
With that in mind, I was awed by Frodo's unexpected courage. His advance on Shelob was one of the most skin-tingly moments, one of the most legendary moments of courage to date. After all his moaning and feeling like giving up, here in his darkest of dark moments he finds courage to stand up against, and attack (with light) a horror such as Shelob. Maybe there's hope for Frodo after all...or maybe not.
"oh no." "oh no." I thought to myself as Frodo made his mad dash toward the pass and I read the two lines: "Too little did [Sam] or his master know of the craft of Shelob. She had many exits from her lair." What a sinking feeling in my stomach as I read that. And for Gollum to attack and distract Sam at the moment Frodo needed him the most was supremely frustrating--though, I might add that Sam's escape from Gollum's grasp was also a legendary feat.
As the chapter closes, not good tidings: "He was too late." Not good tidings, at all.
till next time,
keep thinking,
mark-edmond
Kanazawa, Japan
far(out)

I hope Frodo finally gets his moment to shine bravely against Shelob.

I wonder if Tolkien had a bit of Arachnophobia and that's why he put so many spiders into his story?

36,048 posted on 10/27/2003 11:31:53 AM PST by ksen (HHD)

To: Corin Stormhands

Okay, but he doesn't get my frequent flyer miles nor my drink coupon books.

36,049 posted on 10/27/2003 11:31:58 AM PST by Overtaxed

(((((((HUGS)))))))

Long time no see! Howya been?

36,050 posted on 10/27/2003 11:34:26 AM PST by Lil'freeper

Yep, that's pretty much what sinus medicine is s'posed to do. Naps are good too.

36,051 posted on 10/27/2003 11:43:14 AM PST by Corin Stormhands (I came back. Where were you? Back later ~ Godot / www.wardsmythe.com)

'Course not. He just gets the glory and the title. We get to keep all the party gifts.

36,052 posted on 10/27/2003 11:44:38 AM PST by Corin Stormhands (I came back. Where were you? Back later ~ Godot / www.wardsmythe.com)

To: Destructor; Wneighbor

Hey, Dee! If you keep hangin' out here, we're gonna start hoping you'll contribute to the Hobbit Hole Care Packages we send to Iraq! Financial support is welcome...just freepmail Wneighbor.

You can read about our Kandahar care packages here:

http://freeper.the-hobbit-hole.net/chaplain/posts.htm

36,053 posted on 10/27/2003 11:50:47 AM PST by 2Jedismom (...the time draws swiftly to some great conclusion. Storm is coming. Hasten while you may!)

To: 2Jedismom; Destructor

Financial support is welcome...

We will, of course, require two forms of I.D. with a check...

36,054 posted on 10/27/2003 11:57:19 AM PST by Corin Stormhands (I came back. Where were you? Back later ~ Godot / www.wardsmythe.com)

To: Corin Stormhands

I daresay, you kilt the thread!

36,055 posted on 10/27/2003 12:24:05 PM PST by Lil'freeper

Let's jolt some life back into it.

36,056 posted on 10/27/2003 12:29:18 PM PST by Corin Stormhands (I came back. Where were you? Back later ~ Godot / www.wardsmythe.com)

To: Corin Stormhands

Speaking of Jolt.... ecurbh and I have been out fixin' electric fencing! - Couldn't tell why, but it just ain't got the same kick it used to have... so I am just redoing all the connections.

36,057 posted on 10/27/2003 12:42:06 PM PST by HairOfTheDog (Heed no nightly noises!)

To: HairOfTheDog

I hope ya turn that thing off afore he gets the urge to mark his territory...

36,058 posted on 10/27/2003 12:48:16 PM PST by Corin Stormhands (I came back. Where were you? Back later ~ Godot / www.wardsmythe.com)

To: Corin Stormhands

36,059 posted on 10/27/2003 1:19:18 PM PST by Corin Stormhands (I came back. Where were you? Back later ~ Godot / www.wardsmythe.com)

To: Corin Stormhands

Well, at least I'm thorough...

See y'all tonite.

36,060 posted on 10/27/2003 1:51:21 PM PST by Corin Stormhands (I came back. Where were you? Back later ~ Godot / www.wardsmythe.com)

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