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A Tolkien Virgin: Of the Flight of the Noldorby Mark-Edmond The Journey ContinuesHere we go. Tolkien really does a brilliant job in this chapter. Evil knows not its own face. It's incredible the turns the story takes at this point. That Feanor would be so utterly blind to his own folly and evil deeds because of his hate for Melkor is immensely affecting. In my heart I'm pleading, "don't do it Feanor, don't do it! Can't you see you're becoming the thing you hate most!" At first, Feanor broke my heart, but as his deeds became progressively more evil, I...

A Tolkien Virgin: Of the Darkening of Valinor by Mark Edmond The Journey ContinuesI don't know what I think of Ungoliant. It seems odd to me that she appears out of nowhere and no one knows where she came from. The idea that she could have been "one of those that [Melkor] corrupted to his service," is weak and practically ridiculous. Ungoliant was an elf? She was "corrupted," escaped Melkor and the other Valar and some how transformed into a giant spider? I don't think so. It's a good thing Tolkien has the "some say" introduction to this lame explanation...