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Hobbit Tales, or Never There And Back Again...The reason J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings was that his readers wanted to read more about hobbits. When first told this by his publishers, Tolkien replied, "I cannot think of anything more to say about hobbits. Mr. Baggins seems to have exhibited so fully both the Took and the Baggins side of their nature" (Tolkien, "The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien", p. 24).In the end he produced a great epic not only about Hobbits but also about Elves, Dwarves, Ents, and Men. But Tolkien didn't stop there. He wrote so much...

A discussion of Bree's significance and probable history in the Third Age. [ Published prior to the first Lord Of The Rings movie ] Strange as news from Bree...Word has it that we won't see much of Bree in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" movies. Bree is the little village east of the Shire where Frodo and his companions meet up with Aragorn (who is known there as Strider). I expect most of the Bree scenes will deal with how the Hobbits come to travel with the Ranger, and the movie will just move on. Will we even see...

Want to forget about terrorism and all those distracting rumors of war? Need to ignore the economy for a while? Got the holiday blues? Our culture has a sure fire cure -- the traditional spate of post-Thanksgiving movies. This year, despite a clamor over the latest Harry Potter film, much of the attention is going to another fantasy called The Two Towers -- part two in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Will it succeed in distracting us for a while, conveying audiences to a world that is at once more beautiful and stirring than humdrum modern life? Naturally, I...

LOS ANGELES - "Catch Me If You Can" couldn't catch up with "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers." The "Lord of the Rings" sequel took in $48.9 million during its second weekend for a 12-day gross of $200.1 million, becoming one of the speediest films ever to cross the $200 million mark, according to studio estimates Sunday. Its weekend average of $13,508 per theater had "Two Towers" fulfilling predictions that it would outperform its predecessor, last year's "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring." "This film is the story of the holiday season," said Paul...

All About Sam Most people think Frodo is the true hero of The Lord of the Rings. To put it another way: It is accepted by nearly all readers that the novel is about Frodo. It’s his quest, his burden, he’s the focus. The little blurbs in magazines that are designed for the non-initiate read like this: "The story of a hobbit, Frodo Baggins, who is sent to destroy an evil Ring of power…" Sound like a good pitch? Not quite. The main character is really Samwise Gamgee, though you may not know it. I’m telling you now, it’s all...

~A Bit of Light~Visions and Transformations of the Ring Quest Author: Cara J. Loup Then as he had kept watch Sam had noticed that at times a light seemed to be shining faintly within; but now the light was even clearer and stronger. Frodo's face was peaceful, the marks of fear and care had left it; but it looked old, old and beautiful, as if the chiselling of the shaping years was now revealed in many fine lines that had before been hidden, though the identity of the face was not changed. Not that Sam Gamgee put it that way...

In response to the Unity in the Spirit of America service program, in support of which Sean Astin will be appearing in Washington DC on the morning of September 11, 2002, BitofEarth.net would like to announce Project Elanor. With the tear-stained excavations of Ground Zero now turning toward talk of memorial parks and rebuilding, and with the Pentagon scarred but standing, it is time for rebuilding, for planting, for new life and togetherness. As a fan community ostensibly organized in honour of a gardener, a father, a comrade, a companion, a servant, and a community, leader we see this call...

Youth of America Answer The President's Call For a "September of Service" Emcee at "United Day of Service" Closing Ceremony in Washington, D.C. Will Be Actor Sean Astin of "Lord of the Rings" and "Rudy" WASHINGTON D.C. - September 5, 2002 -- Youth nationwide are declaring September 11th as the "United Day of Service" in response to President Bush's call for all young Americans to volunteer. The President is encouraging more Americans to respond to the terrorist attacks with acts of good, and suggesting that they engage in volunteer service as a way of honoring the victims of the terrorist...

Just so you won't have to see the postage-stamp-sized version any more....