Well, now. This series hit me completely out of the blue. IGN had an interview with Grant Morrison about some series called Joe the Barbarian, which did not sound like a Morrison book. I think I may have seen the name elsewhere but had no reason to look into it until I knew Morrison was attached. So then I read the interview and was quickly compelled to keep my eye open for the series.
They keep throwing around the hook that the series is like Home Alone meets The Lord of the Rings. I actually think that tag does it a grave injustice. It does not capture the tone of the book nor does it represent the proper fantasy setting. Morrison himself says he was looking to revise the take of fantasy which is most famously represented in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Wizard of Oz, which is a different beast than The Lord of the Rings. And Home Alone just kind gives you an idea of the setting. It again, completely confuses your sense of tone and character. But they just want to throw something out there that attracts attention. If I actually thought that was a true description of Joe I probably would let it pass, not counting that whole Grant Morrison writing thing.
So first I thought, I'd just keep my eye open for the series. Maybe if there was good reaction, or reaction that fit my criteria for sounding like it would be good by my personal tastes, I'd pick up the trade. I also was not certain if it was a limited series or not. If it was ongoing that would greatly cull my intrigue. But I happened to see the first issue on a shelf... somewhere... accidentally... completely normal... umm... anyways, and two things were noticed. The first issue was $1 and the series was 8 issues. Still, I let it pass. For a week. Then I picked it up.
The day I picked it up, before getting a chance to read it, I read a terribly scathing review of Joe the Barbarian #1. Did this make me regret my purchase? No. I was actually greatly amused by the reviewer because everything they hated about the first issue sounded fantastic. It helped that I already knew enough about the first issue and the purpose of the first issue that I could follow along pretty well and know the criticism was ridiculous.
The fellow who so utterly despised this comic had his serious issue with the major decompression of this first issue. He whined on and on about five straight pages of no dialogue and what he felt was nothing going on. Well from the interview with Morrison I knew exactly what was being done in those five pages, but I still do not think this would have bothered me. And in the end, this first issue was fantastic setup. And yes, the issue was all setup but I felt the pacing and tone and balance was perfect. I cannot express how well made this issue was.
There are of course many factors that play into my liking this book that are of personal tastes. Joe is a bullied loner, I can sympathize with that. Has an awesome house (now that I think about it, there was a little Goonies (okay I just read on Sean Murphy's blog that he wanted to invoke the feel of Goonies. It worked dear sir. And I am loving your "DVD" extras while I am talking to you in pretend.) in there, now that's a much better plug than Home Alone (but not really fitting, yes), room in an attic, loads of old school toys and games. Quiet melancholy tone.
Oh and Sean Murphy's art is pitch perfect. Well, I guess he's creating the pitch, but it is a pitch I like. In a single issue he jumped into my top 10 comic artists (I claim the right to change my top 10 at any time, so Mr. Murphy, you had better keep it up). I had never heard of him before this, but he has my eye, now. I think the color was a major equation on the presentation as well. I am too prone to giving the penciler all the praise, but in this comic the color is utterly important to carry the feel of the story.
So, yes, I will continue to collect this series. And yes, my hopes are growing way too high for this book. Presently, I am pacing it for my favorite comic ever... umm... I really need to take a step back. You may think I am exagerating this. But as I dislike hyperbole you can trust me that I am being quite honest.
Reasons I should be hesitant: Grant Morrison always interests me, but most of my exposure to him has actually not been that positive. So he interests me, but usually fails me. Now I have not read a lot of what is considered his best stuff, that should be noted. The other thing is Morrison can very easily write above my head. Heck, I might have completely missed that Joe was diabetic in the first issue if not for that tidbit being dropped in a preview article and that wasn't exactly subtle nor is it what I mean when I say Morrison can write above my head. I am just too used to being pampered by crappy comic writers. So that could definitely complicate this series as it comes down.
Also, it is a Vertigo comic which of course has the mature content warning on the outside. The first issue had nothing like this. Well there's one point when he is getting bullied that Joe is called a name that is offensive, but not deserving the Vertigo disclaimer and one I had heard thrown around plenty in high school (probably had it even thrown at me, but I can't say that with certainty; all that to say it helped the book rather than hindered). And honestly this series does not seem to fit with containing mature content. But this still makes me hesitant. Hopefully they don't add something just to make it fit in the Vertigo line.
Plus, the major conflict has been introduced, but not the defining characteristics of the conflict. There is still a lot that needs to be expounded. So I really should be a lot more subdued on this book than I am. Oh well.
decompress
reminded
"Oh, Chanty-clear, there is a beautiful Cow. When I was hurting the most, this beautiful Cow came to me. And somebody maybe should have punished me, on account of all the troubles that I caused. But she loved me, Chanty-clear. Isn't that a mercy? She touched me, she fed me, she washed me, and that is how she loved me. Then this is how she forgave me: she did the same thing for my daughter Hopsacking. All of the hurts, everyone one of the hurts, she took away from me with her eyes and with her tongue, and there was no reason for that, but she did it, Chanty-clear. Do you know this beautiful Cow? One horn on her head? She knows you, Chanty-clear. She said that she loves you, Chanty-clear. You especially—Shh, don't cry, Chanty-clear, poor Chantry-clear. You didn't listen to her when she came to you, but that's okay, too, because look: she sent me. This is the main reason why I came. To forgive you. Don't cry. Don't cry. See? I forgive you—"
The Book of Sorrows
by
Walter Wangerin Jr
by
Walter Wangerin Jr
listery
Lists are fun, frustrating, controversial, laughable, etc. Recently I found a list of the top 100 comic book storylines ever as voted by the readers of the site it was posted on. The list was interesting to read. Due to who was voting, I don't think it is a very strong overall list, but it is still informative. The number one pick was not a surprise and I agree with it, but it won't be on my personal list.
Here's the list. You can click on the individual titles for more description if you like. The descriptions are in batches of 5 or so.
My count on this list is around 31 or so (though every run on my poll over there is on this list in at least one instance). It is way too modern heavy and of course popular comics heavy and has some titles that do not belong at all on such a list (House of M for example).
I am now going to mess around with a personal top 10. I am dummying this up really quickly and I don't think I am going to like it at all. But I need to make a few points. There are runs of comics that I would place above some of these stories, but I cannot pick out an individual story to fit in here. There are also loads of things I have not read that I would very likely place above the majority of this stuff. But I am limited to my scope. I wish I could throw around more of the indie stuff and less of this genre junk, but unfortunately I am a bit limited.
So here's a list that I already disagree with (the descriptions are short, sorry):
10. Fables: Homelands
Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham, plus others
Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham, plus others
This volume allowed the readers to finally see the lands where the Fables were forced to abandon as well as finally revealing the Adversary. But more importantly it revealed to the reader that one of the characters they had been following as a lowly Fabletown office clerk was actually as great a warrior as one could ever find. This concluded the best stretch of Fables storytelling for me. One of the best stretches of serialized storytelling I have experienced.9. Ultimates Vol 2: Gods & Monsters and Grand Theft America
Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch and others
This series was like an Avengers post-Watchmen. Or I am actually told it is like an Avengers post The Authority, but as I have not read The Authority yet, I cannot make that judgment. I almost hate to give it that much credit, but there is just something to these books. The "heroes" in this suffer from the Watchmen modern age residue, but this story just takes you by the throat and won't let go. More to come...
Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch and others
This series was like an Avengers post-Watchmen. Or I am actually told it is like an Avengers post The Authority, but as I have not read The Authority yet, I cannot make that judgment. I almost hate to give it that much credit, but there is just something to these books. The "heroes" in this suffer from the Watchmen modern age residue, but this story just takes you by the throat and won't let go. More to come...8. Man Without Fear
Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. and others
I think this is my only pick that has no representation on the CBR list. Which is funny considering how many other Frank Miller books are on there. But somehow, of all the ones I have read, this is the one that worked the best for me. It has a very better focus than most of his others (that I have read). As for JRJR on art, I cannot figure out what I think of him as an artist. I definitely do not always like him. For this book, he was fantastic.
Frank Miller and John Romita Jr. and others
I think this is my only pick that has no representation on the CBR list. Which is funny considering how many other Frank Miller books are on there. But somehow, of all the ones I have read, this is the one that worked the best for me. It has a very better focus than most of his others (that I have read). As for JRJR on art, I cannot figure out what I think of him as an artist. I definitely do not always like him. For this book, he was fantastic.7. X-Men: E is for Extinction and Imperial
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely and others
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely and others
I think Grant Morrison's run on the X-Men is somewhat over-rated. However it is over-rated because of its middle and its end. Its beginning is fantastic. And since this list is about storylines... This was my first experience with the mind bending powers of the Morrison/Ellis/Millar variety. I have unfortunately not been able to find something to match it in anything else Morrison since.6. X-Men: Dark Phoenix Saga
Chris Claremont and John Byrne and others
I almost hesitated to put this on here. But really it is the culmination of the Claremont/Byrne run, and honestly the height of the X-Men franchise (some people would throw Morrison at me, but see the above). I hear Byrne is more responsible for the story than Claremont, thus why his departure from the title met with such a tremendous drop off on storytelling. Still, this is cheap dumb comics at its most enjoyable.
Chris Claremont and John Byrne and others
I almost hesitated to put this on here. But really it is the culmination of the Claremont/Byrne run, and honestly the height of the X-Men franchise (some people would throw Morrison at me, but see the above). I hear Byrne is more responsible for the story than Claremont, thus why his departure from the title met with such a tremendous drop off on storytelling. Still, this is cheap dumb comics at its most enjoyable.5. Steampunk: Manimatron and Drama Obscura
Joe Kelly and Chris Bachalo and others
Oh, right. No this one doesn't show up on the CBR list, but it also had no hope of it. Man Without Fear at least had a shot. I could not be honest with you without saying that a reason I like these books so much is probably because they are so obscure. Unfortunately they are so obscure that the series got cancelled and presently sits on a decent-sized cliffhanger (though personally I am more interested in the resolution of Laslo's ailment than the resolution of the romantic cliffhanger). But with Joe Kelly becoming a bigger name in comics, and Chris Bachalo always saying Steampunk is his favorite series he ever worked on. Maybe, just maybe, they'll get another shot. Unfortunately, no ending could probably work well enough for me at this point.
Joe Kelly and Chris Bachalo and others
Oh, right. No this one doesn't show up on the CBR list, but it also had no hope of it. Man Without Fear at least had a shot. I could not be honest with you without saying that a reason I like these books so much is probably because they are so obscure. Unfortunately they are so obscure that the series got cancelled and presently sits on a decent-sized cliffhanger (though personally I am more interested in the resolution of Laslo's ailment than the resolution of the romantic cliffhanger). But with Joe Kelly becoming a bigger name in comics, and Chris Bachalo always saying Steampunk is his favorite series he ever worked on. Maybe, just maybe, they'll get another shot. Unfortunately, no ending could probably work well enough for me at this point.4. Daredevil: Yellow
Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale and others
Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale and others
Okay, one more that wasn't on the CBR list. I should not speak so soon. Surprising I have two Daredevil books but have yet to read a substantial run of his series.This may be getting points because of the Loeb Sale teamup. Batman: Long Halloween had a shot at this list, but in the end from that group of creators I like Daredevil: Yellow tops. It helps that it is a different story for a super hero comic. Actually, in truth it is a love story. Though one of the lovers is of the dead variety. But I just love Sale's approach to the origin story and the silver age goodery therein. This is a much cleaner take on the Daredevil origin than Man Without Fear.
3. Ultimates Vol. 1: Super-human and Homeland Security
Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch and others
Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch and others
This series was so slow paced and came out at such long intervals to begin with it was hard to get an idea of how great this book would be. But boy was it great. I never thought the Avengers could be made into a movie, or even really updated until I read this series. Admittedly, a movie will make the heroes a bit more... umm heroic, but still. As for the second part, I initially thought, really?, aliens. You had to go with aliens? But then Millar just started hitting me in the gut over and over.2. DC: New Frontier
Darwyn Cooke and others
Surprisingly, two DC books top off this list, albeit one is Vertigo. New Frontier is like a hopeful Watchmen. And with much better art. Darwyn Cooke does not hide his nods to Watchmen, but mostly he is writing a love note to silver age comics and the era of history he grew up in. I am not a DC aficionado, but I think that almost made this book better for me because of it.
Darwyn Cooke and others
Surprisingly, two DC books top off this list, albeit one is Vertigo. New Frontier is like a hopeful Watchmen. And with much better art. Darwyn Cooke does not hide his nods to Watchmen, but mostly he is writing a love note to silver age comics and the era of history he grew up in. I am not a DC aficionado, but I think that almost made this book better for me because of it.1. Fables: March of the Wooden Soldiers
Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham and others
Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham and others
It is a little hard for me to judge this as #1, as it is not as deep and as complex as many other comics, but this story worked for me on so many levels that for now, I feel it fits my number 1 seat.March of the Wooden Soldiers was when Fables as a series clicked for me. In fact it was the clickiest it ever got for me. In a few ways it was downhill from here. The next two major stories kept up the quality, but since then it has gone down and I suspect will never be able to make it all the way back. In this story everything finally came together and the ensemble cast all got their moments to shine as well as the adversary became very real. I will even admit to a point in the book where I got hit with a spike of emotion (though Fables: Mean Seasons had a stronger one).
I also think the costumes and secret identities are what are holding comics back, which is why Fables is such a refreshing series for me.
•
I think I should do a list of top runs of writers. That could be fun. That way I could credit Lee/Kirby; Lee/Ditko; Peter David. I could also do a top 10 characters... that would be interesting. Top 10 artists... I guess say if you have any requests.
I have also never read Sandman, some of the classic Morrison, or many of the other things that are on that top 100 list. I am certain quite a few of those would trump what I have here if I ever got around to reading them.
restrung
Chapter X: A Warm Welcome
" 'I hope I never smell the smell of apples again!' said Fili. 'My tub was full of it. To smell apples everlastingly when you can scarcely move and are cold and sick with hunger is maddening. I could eat anything in the wide world now, for hours on end—but not an apple!' "
This is a great chapter. It is one of those chapters that is not covered in the cartoon, so it always stand out more in the reading. Also, you can tell Tolkien had a greater image of the lay of the Mountain and the Lake as his descriptions take a huge step up in quality. Or I am just forgetting myself because I have taken so much time off reading this book. You choose.
Well first off once more luck steps up to the plate. In this case it could have been completely ignored and the reader would have been none the wiser, but Tolkien makes a special effort to reveal it.
It turns out that the dwarves and Mr. Baggins would not have been able to make it from the end of the trail they were following in Mirkwood to their destination of the Lonely Mountain because "the marshes and bogs had spread wider and wider on either side." "So you see Bilbo had come in the end by the only road that was any good." So at this point, Tolkien is obviously stressing the luck of all of this. One could see it as Tolkien pointing to a benevolent providence (which he does do in The Lord of the Rings), it could be a nod towards the luck in old legends, or Tolkien could just not have the same disdain for giving things to luck as I do, or heck, something else entirely. This is just an instance where he goes out of his way to stress the luck. There is more to come, so I shall continue to hound on this (hound in the sense of hunt, I am do not seek to complain about it anymore).
Tolkien also begins to show the true intentions of the dwarves that I do not believe was expressly indicated before this. Besides the fact that they had employed a burglar, not a great warrior in their journey back to their home. They had spoken of taking back their home, but here Tolkien indicates that this is not their intention. In regards to the Wood-Elf King, "He at any rate did not believe in dwarves fighting and killing dragons like Smaug, and he strongly suspected attempted burglary or something like it—which shows he was a wise elf and wiser than the men of the town."
There is also mention of the dwarves being uneasy when pushed with the idea that they would slay the dragon and share their treasure with Laketown. One could obviously read that as their being uneasy about the idea of sharing their treasure, which the have proven and will prove is not something they will willingly do, but it could also indicate their fear of attempting to battle Smaug in any fashion.
But anyways, the fanfare and revelry of Laketown puts the later events of the book in a more glaring light. These people have lived in a dreary hopeless land and they are given a glimpse of hope and they embrace it full-heartedly. Little do they know... All that to say, along with dreams, prophecy is a fun little thing to play with in Fantasy novels, if done right.
Additional Notes:
" 'Thorin son of Thrain son of Thror King under the Mountain!' said the dwarf in a loud voice, and he looked it, in spite of his torn clothes and draggled hood. The gold gleamed on his neck and waist; his eyes were dark and deep. 'I have come back.' " Tolkien loves to describe eyes as deep. It occurs many times in the rest of his writing. I love the adjective, even though I hardly know what he means. My thought is a depth of thought, understanding, perception, all which shows up in his gaze. I actually think it is my unknowing of his meaning that makes it such a lively adjective.
I love the play of prophecy and pragmatism with the people of Laketown posed against the Master of Laketown. Tolkien seems to paint both in a bit of a poor light.
It is interesting that Thorin identifies Fili and Kili as his nephews. Specifically " 'The sons of my father's daughter.' " If I recall correctly, in the Scandinavian tradition there is supposed to be a special relationship between the children of a woman and her brother. I would assume because if she got married off to a wretch, her brother would have the power in that culture to be the one who could protect and look out for them in spite of their father. But this shows why Fili and Kili seem to be closer to Thorin in a different way than the rest.
I wonder if Tolkien should have set up Bard in this chapter.
Tolkien playing with the narrator's voice: "I have never heard what happened to the chief of the guards and the butler."
"The rotting piles of a greater town could still be seen along the shores when the waters sank in a drought." What a great image to light up the imagination of the little boy in me. I love the glimpses of the past Tolkien practices but perfects in The Lord of the Rings.
Okay, I know I have said this before, and I realize how weird it makes me sound, but I love the smell of the old Ballantine paperbacks. Love the smell. They need to bottle that stuff.
Favorite Quotation: Okay, this is an easy one, but I love the image of the curse feeding down from the Mountain and oppressing the land about. That doesn't so much show up in this quotation however. But Tolkien says torn cloud... I can't not give this award to this paragraph when it has torn cloud in it.
"The lands opened wide about him, filled with the waters of the river which broke up and wandered in a hundred winding courses, or halted in marshes and pools dotted with isles on every side; but still a strong water flowed on steadily through the midst. And far away, its dark head in a torn cloud, there loomed the Mountain! Its nearest neighbours to the North-East and the tumbled land that joined it to them could not be seen. All alone it rose and looked across the marshes to the forest. The Lonely Mountain! Bilbo had come far and through many adventures to see it, and now he did not like the look of it in the least."
There, I feel better about that post.
Well first off once more luck steps up to the plate. In this case it could have been completely ignored and the reader would have been none the wiser, but Tolkien makes a special effort to reveal it.
It turns out that the dwarves and Mr. Baggins would not have been able to make it from the end of the trail they were following in Mirkwood to their destination of the Lonely Mountain because "the marshes and bogs had spread wider and wider on either side." "So you see Bilbo had come in the end by the only road that was any good." So at this point, Tolkien is obviously stressing the luck of all of this. One could see it as Tolkien pointing to a benevolent providence (which he does do in The Lord of the Rings), it could be a nod towards the luck in old legends, or Tolkien could just not have the same disdain for giving things to luck as I do, or heck, something else entirely. This is just an instance where he goes out of his way to stress the luck. There is more to come, so I shall continue to hound on this (hound in the sense of hunt, I am do not seek to complain about it anymore).
Tolkien also begins to show the true intentions of the dwarves that I do not believe was expressly indicated before this. Besides the fact that they had employed a burglar, not a great warrior in their journey back to their home. They had spoken of taking back their home, but here Tolkien indicates that this is not their intention. In regards to the Wood-Elf King, "He at any rate did not believe in dwarves fighting and killing dragons like Smaug, and he strongly suspected attempted burglary or something like it—which shows he was a wise elf and wiser than the men of the town."
There is also mention of the dwarves being uneasy when pushed with the idea that they would slay the dragon and share their treasure with Laketown. One could obviously read that as their being uneasy about the idea of sharing their treasure, which the have proven and will prove is not something they will willingly do, but it could also indicate their fear of attempting to battle Smaug in any fashion.
But anyways, the fanfare and revelry of Laketown puts the later events of the book in a more glaring light. These people have lived in a dreary hopeless land and they are given a glimpse of hope and they embrace it full-heartedly. Little do they know... All that to say, along with dreams, prophecy is a fun little thing to play with in Fantasy novels, if done right.
The King beneath the mountains,
The King of carven stone,
The lord of silver fountains
Shall come into his own!
His crown shall be upholden,
His harp shall be restrung,
His halls shall echo golden
To songs of yore re-sung.
The woods shall wave on mountains
And grass beneath the sun;
His wealth shall flow in fountains
And the rivers golden run.
The streams shall run in gladness,
The lakes shall shine and burn,
All sorrow fail and sadness
At the Mountain-king's return!
The King of carven stone,
The lord of silver fountains
Shall come into his own!
His crown shall be upholden,
His harp shall be restrung,
His halls shall echo golden
To songs of yore re-sung.
The woods shall wave on mountains
And grass beneath the sun;
His wealth shall flow in fountains
And the rivers golden run.
The streams shall run in gladness,
The lakes shall shine and burn,
All sorrow fail and sadness
At the Mountain-king's return!
Additional Notes:
" 'Thorin son of Thrain son of Thror King under the Mountain!' said the dwarf in a loud voice, and he looked it, in spite of his torn clothes and draggled hood. The gold gleamed on his neck and waist; his eyes were dark and deep. 'I have come back.' " Tolkien loves to describe eyes as deep. It occurs many times in the rest of his writing. I love the adjective, even though I hardly know what he means. My thought is a depth of thought, understanding, perception, all which shows up in his gaze. I actually think it is my unknowing of his meaning that makes it such a lively adjective.
I love the play of prophecy and pragmatism with the people of Laketown posed against the Master of Laketown. Tolkien seems to paint both in a bit of a poor light.
It is interesting that Thorin identifies Fili and Kili as his nephews. Specifically " 'The sons of my father's daughter.' " If I recall correctly, in the Scandinavian tradition there is supposed to be a special relationship between the children of a woman and her brother. I would assume because if she got married off to a wretch, her brother would have the power in that culture to be the one who could protect and look out for them in spite of their father. But this shows why Fili and Kili seem to be closer to Thorin in a different way than the rest.
I wonder if Tolkien should have set up Bard in this chapter.
Tolkien playing with the narrator's voice: "I have never heard what happened to the chief of the guards and the butler."
"The rotting piles of a greater town could still be seen along the shores when the waters sank in a drought." What a great image to light up the imagination of the little boy in me. I love the glimpses of the past Tolkien practices but perfects in The Lord of the Rings.
Okay, I know I have said this before, and I realize how weird it makes me sound, but I love the smell of the old Ballantine paperbacks. Love the smell. They need to bottle that stuff.
Favorite Quotation: Okay, this is an easy one, but I love the image of the curse feeding down from the Mountain and oppressing the land about. That doesn't so much show up in this quotation however. But Tolkien says torn cloud... I can't not give this award to this paragraph when it has torn cloud in it.
"The lands opened wide about him, filled with the waters of the river which broke up and wandered in a hundred winding courses, or halted in marshes and pools dotted with isles on every side; but still a strong water flowed on steadily through the midst. And far away, its dark head in a torn cloud, there loomed the Mountain! Its nearest neighbours to the North-East and the tumbled land that joined it to them could not be seen. All alone it rose and looked across the marshes to the forest. The Lonely Mountain! Bilbo had come far and through many adventures to see it, and now he did not like the look of it in the least."
There, I feel better about that post.
achoo
Chapter IX: Barrels Out of Bond
Down the swift dark stream you go
Back to lands you once did know!
Leave the halls and caverns deep,
Leave the northern mountains steep,
Where the forest wide and dim
Stoops in shadow grey and grim!
Float beyond the world of trees
Out into the whispering breeze,
Past the rushes, past the reeds,
Past the marsh's waving weeds,
Through the mist that riseth white
Up from mere and pool at night!
Follow, follow stars that leap
Up the heavens cold and steep;
Turn when dawn comes over land,
Over rapid, over sand,
South away! and South away!
Seek the sunlight and the day,
Back to pasture, back to mead,
Where the kine and oxen feed!
Back to gardens on the hills
Where the berry swells and fills
Under sunlight, under day!
South away! and South away!
Down the swift dark stream you go
Back to lands you once did know!
I have returned! For now.
So on to the next predicament that Bilbo has to save the dwarves from. I am really beginning to see the need for the fallout that happens at the end of this book. If this story just ended with them slaying the dragon and gaining their treasure, this would be a far too simple and actually unrewarding book. The dwarves cowardice and greed needs to be answered. And it will be. If it was left unanswered Mr. Tolkien would have a terrible book.
"The other dwarves quite agreed when they got the message. They all thought their own shares in the treasure (which quite regarded as theirs, in spite of their plight and the still unconquered dragon) would suffer seriously if the Wood-elves claimed part of it, and they all trusted Bilbo."
As long as they saw a way to keep their treasure they would hold on to it, even though really all it did was leave Bilbo with the pressure of doing something about it. The dwarves just got to sit and wait for their hobbit to rescue them.
And again luck saves the day, though at least in this instance the luck serves Bilbo's plan he has already brewed, it does not save the plan, or make a plan fall into his lap. "For he saw at once that luck was with him and he had a chance at once to try his desperate plan."
Also, the reader gets to see the true nature of the dwarves' trust in Bilbo:
'Upon my word!' said Thorin, when Bilbo whispered to him to come out and join his friends, 'Gandalf spoke true as usual. A pretty fine burglar you make, it seems, when the time comes. I am sure we are all for ever at your service, whatever happens after this. But what comes next?'
Bilbo saw that the time had come to explain his idea, as far as he could; but he did not feel at all sure how the dwarves would take it. His fears were quite justified, for they did not like it a bit, and started grumbling loudly in spite of their danger.
'We shall be bruised and battered to pieces, and drowned too, for certain!' they muttered. 'We thought you had got some sensible notion, when you managed to get hold of the keys. This is a mad idea!'
The bolding was of course my own emphasis. The dwarves are quick to turn on their burglar friend as soon as their own comfort and safety is put into danger, despite their words of honoring the fellow. They are quite a selfish lot. Although, truth be told, I am not so certain they would have honestly survived the hobbit's plan, so perhaps they have a point.
Another thing that jumped out at me was the similarities between the image of the ruined Dale and Laketown with the image of the ruins of Ithilien and Osgiliath next to Minas Tirith in The Lord of the Rings. The image of the ruin of the once beautiful is a common thing in Tolkien's writing and it is a powerful image. I do not mind the repetition. I found the plight of Laketown and Dale to be a pleasant addition to the book from my experience with the cartoon.
Favorite Quotation: I could have sworn I had a better one than this in my first read through, but I had to do a second since it has been so long and I still felt I should post. One of the reasons this stood out was the omniscience of the narrator. It is not a new thing in the book, but it reminds me of the beauty of information Tolkien throws out in The Lord of the Rings.
"In a great hall with pillars hewn out of the living stone sat the Elvenking on a chair of carven wood. on his head was a crown of berries and red leaves, for the autumn was come again. in the spring he wore a crown of woodland flowers. In his hand he held a carven staff of oak."
Not as good a post... Hopefully I can get my rhythm and flow back.
Back to lands you once did know!
Leave the halls and caverns deep,
Leave the northern mountains steep,
Where the forest wide and dim
Stoops in shadow grey and grim!
Float beyond the world of trees
Out into the whispering breeze,
Past the rushes, past the reeds,
Past the marsh's waving weeds,
Through the mist that riseth white
Up from mere and pool at night!
Follow, follow stars that leap
Up the heavens cold and steep;
Turn when dawn comes over land,
Over rapid, over sand,
South away! and South away!
Seek the sunlight and the day,
Back to pasture, back to mead,
Where the kine and oxen feed!
Back to gardens on the hills
Where the berry swells and fills
Under sunlight, under day!
South away! and South away!
Down the swift dark stream you go
Back to lands you once did know!
I have returned! For now.
So on to the next predicament that Bilbo has to save the dwarves from. I am really beginning to see the need for the fallout that happens at the end of this book. If this story just ended with them slaying the dragon and gaining their treasure, this would be a far too simple and actually unrewarding book. The dwarves cowardice and greed needs to be answered. And it will be. If it was left unanswered Mr. Tolkien would have a terrible book.
"The other dwarves quite agreed when they got the message. They all thought their own shares in the treasure (which quite regarded as theirs, in spite of their plight and the still unconquered dragon) would suffer seriously if the Wood-elves claimed part of it, and they all trusted Bilbo."
As long as they saw a way to keep their treasure they would hold on to it, even though really all it did was leave Bilbo with the pressure of doing something about it. The dwarves just got to sit and wait for their hobbit to rescue them.
And again luck saves the day, though at least in this instance the luck serves Bilbo's plan he has already brewed, it does not save the plan, or make a plan fall into his lap. "For he saw at once that luck was with him and he had a chance at once to try his desperate plan."
Also, the reader gets to see the true nature of the dwarves' trust in Bilbo:
'Upon my word!' said Thorin, when Bilbo whispered to him to come out and join his friends, 'Gandalf spoke true as usual. A pretty fine burglar you make, it seems, when the time comes. I am sure we are all for ever at your service, whatever happens after this. But what comes next?'
Bilbo saw that the time had come to explain his idea, as far as he could; but he did not feel at all sure how the dwarves would take it. His fears were quite justified, for they did not like it a bit, and started grumbling loudly in spite of their danger.
'We shall be bruised and battered to pieces, and drowned too, for certain!' they muttered. 'We thought you had got some sensible notion, when you managed to get hold of the keys. This is a mad idea!'
The bolding was of course my own emphasis. The dwarves are quick to turn on their burglar friend as soon as their own comfort and safety is put into danger, despite their words of honoring the fellow. They are quite a selfish lot. Although, truth be told, I am not so certain they would have honestly survived the hobbit's plan, so perhaps they have a point.
Another thing that jumped out at me was the similarities between the image of the ruined Dale and Laketown with the image of the ruins of Ithilien and Osgiliath next to Minas Tirith in The Lord of the Rings. The image of the ruin of the once beautiful is a common thing in Tolkien's writing and it is a powerful image. I do not mind the repetition. I found the plight of Laketown and Dale to be a pleasant addition to the book from my experience with the cartoon.
Favorite Quotation: I could have sworn I had a better one than this in my first read through, but I had to do a second since it has been so long and I still felt I should post. One of the reasons this stood out was the omniscience of the narrator. It is not a new thing in the book, but it reminds me of the beauty of information Tolkien throws out in The Lord of the Rings.
"In a great hall with pillars hewn out of the living stone sat the Elvenking on a chair of carven wood. on his head was a crown of berries and red leaves, for the autumn was come again. in the spring he wore a crown of woodland flowers. In his hand he held a carven staff of oak."
Not as good a post... Hopefully I can get my rhythm and flow back.
king
Well on the final day of the year denominated 2009 I saw a movie that was worth calling my favorite movie of the year. That is not to say that there weren't better movies out last year. I just hardly saw any of them, so I would have little idea what movies those would be. My final count, if my recollection serves me well, is 7 movies from this year. 2 of which I would put in the bad or did-not-like category, 4 in the enjoyed-to-varying-degrees-category, and 1 in the really-liked category.
So what is the movie? Where the Wild Things Are.
This was a very polarizing movie. I think the average movie-goer would be bored at best by this movie. Which is not to call myself an above-average movie-goer. I just have different tastes. Some of it is probably due to a prideful arrogance of sorts, but please don't read that as my intention here. And that is a bad part of me anyways, don't listen to that me.
The thing that grabbed me so intensely while watching this movie was actually the aspects of the gospel message in it. Now, I would just about guarantee that Spike Jonze (the director) was in no way intending this, but it is what jumped out at me. Jonze speaks to a number of universals that make up the fallen condition of man and the search for the eternal.
What he was attempting was to show the nature of a child. I am certain he knew how this would still jump to the condition of an adult as well, but his focus was specifically on a child. He impresses upon the audience the loneliness, the hurt and pain, and the desire a child gets for control. Control is a huge theme in the movie. As Max, the protagonist, cannot find control in his home (or the love he desires) he first acts out in an animalistic rebellion because he can't express himself in any other way, and as this brings him even less control, he runs away.
He runs to a place where he finds himself king. Now he has all the control, and what is more he controls his friends to be able to do his bidding. But of course this unravels as well, because he is no king. Still there is no control for him. He cannot make people love him. He cannot fix all the brokenness, all the pain.
Once more IMDB fails me in its quotation section for this movie. There was some juicy quotations that are completely missing from the quotation section. The one that most jumped out at me was something like, "What if there was a king that could do all this?" I wish I could remember the exact quotation, but it is as things unravel and Max is starting to lose his paradise.
I honestly would have to see it again to better map these thoughts out. I am also a few days removed now, plus reading the majority of a book, plus a run of comics, plus watching a half season of a TV show, all of which has faded the movie on me a bit. I wish I could give you more to go off of. Perhaps I will just have to see it again, heh.
I do not promise you will love this movie. As the credits began you could very clearly hear someone say, "that was weird," in an obviously annoyed tone. My roommate did not like the movie (Though he did say that I probably would; good job Ben.) The movie is weird. I am weird. I really enjoyed it.
cob
Chapter VIII: Flies and Spiders
"Quite apart from the stones no spider has ever liked being called Attercop, and Tomnoddy of course is insulting to anybody."
When I was growing up this was the cover that was the in print cover. So utterly terrible...
When I was growing up this was the cover that was the in print cover. So utterly terrible...As this is the first chapter with Gandalf off galavanting in a southerly direction, it is a very important chapter for character growth, or at least the potential of character growth. As it turns out, only one character would take advantage of that potential.
"Somehow the killing of the giant spider, all alone by himself in the dark without the help of the wizard or the dwarves or of anyone else, made a great difference to Mr Baggins. He felt a different person, and much fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach."
As well as:
"From which you can see that they had changed their opinion of Mr Baggins very much, and had begun to have a great respect for him (as Gandalf had said they would). Indeed they really expected him to think of some wonderful plan for helping them, and were not merely grumbling."
The dwarves want to be helped and given things it seems. They do not want to take responsibility. Though they certainly still want their share of the gold at the end. Gandalf's notion and foretelling of Bilbo is coming to be, of course. As this would be a silly tale if it did not.
As for another theme I have been noting quite a bit, it takes a more proclaimed role in this chapter. "and by luck (he was born with a good share of it) he guessed more or less right." Tolkien is directly addressing this rather friendly relationship his protagonist has with luck. There will be more of this in the next chapter. I shall perhaps mention it then.
Additional Notes:
I decided to change copies of the book. I am reading the old white covered Ballantine paperbacks. Best smelling books I have ever found. So many fond memories.
Regarding Wood-elves: "They differed from the High Elves of the West, and were more dangerous and less wise. For most of them (together with their scattered relations in the hills and mountains) were descended from the ancient tribes that never went to Faerie in the West. There the Light-elves and the Deep-elves and the Sea-elves went and lived for ages, and grew fairer and wiser and more learned, and invented their magic and their cunning craft in the making of beautiful and marvelous things, before some came back into the Wide World. In the Wide World the Wood-elves lingered in the twilight of our Sun and Moon, but loved best the stars; and they wandered in the great forests that grew tall in lands that are now lost." I always forget Tolkien drops this in there. And then I remember reading it before. Wonder if I will forget again.
The enchanted river and the enchanted Wood-elf feast and the danger of walking off the trail all feels very classic fairy tale-ish. There is actually a far greater and wider use of magic in The Hobbit than there is in The Lord of the Rings.
Favorite Quotation: This just hit me at the right time.
"Actually, as I have told you, they were not far off the edge of the forest; and if Bilbo had had the sense to see it, the tree that he had climbed, though it was tall in itself, was standing near the bottom of a wide valley, so that from its top the trees seemed to swell up all round like the edges of a great bowl, and he could not expect to see how far the forest lasted. Still he did not see this, and he climbed down full of despair. He got to the bottom again at last, scratched, hot, and miserable, and he could not see anything in the gloom below when he got there. His report soon made the others as miserable as he was."
"Somehow the killing of the giant spider, all alone by himself in the dark without the help of the wizard or the dwarves or of anyone else, made a great difference to Mr Baggins. He felt a different person, and much fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach."
As well as:
"From which you can see that they had changed their opinion of Mr Baggins very much, and had begun to have a great respect for him (as Gandalf had said they would). Indeed they really expected him to think of some wonderful plan for helping them, and were not merely grumbling."
The dwarves want to be helped and given things it seems. They do not want to take responsibility. Though they certainly still want their share of the gold at the end. Gandalf's notion and foretelling of Bilbo is coming to be, of course. As this would be a silly tale if it did not.
As for another theme I have been noting quite a bit, it takes a more proclaimed role in this chapter. "and by luck (he was born with a good share of it) he guessed more or less right." Tolkien is directly addressing this rather friendly relationship his protagonist has with luck. There will be more of this in the next chapter. I shall perhaps mention it then.
Additional Notes:
I decided to change copies of the book. I am reading the old white covered Ballantine paperbacks. Best smelling books I have ever found. So many fond memories.
Regarding Wood-elves: "They differed from the High Elves of the West, and were more dangerous and less wise. For most of them (together with their scattered relations in the hills and mountains) were descended from the ancient tribes that never went to Faerie in the West. There the Light-elves and the Deep-elves and the Sea-elves went and lived for ages, and grew fairer and wiser and more learned, and invented their magic and their cunning craft in the making of beautiful and marvelous things, before some came back into the Wide World. In the Wide World the Wood-elves lingered in the twilight of our Sun and Moon, but loved best the stars; and they wandered in the great forests that grew tall in lands that are now lost." I always forget Tolkien drops this in there. And then I remember reading it before. Wonder if I will forget again.
The enchanted river and the enchanted Wood-elf feast and the danger of walking off the trail all feels very classic fairy tale-ish. There is actually a far greater and wider use of magic in The Hobbit than there is in The Lord of the Rings.
Favorite Quotation: This just hit me at the right time.
"Actually, as I have told you, they were not far off the edge of the forest; and if Bilbo had had the sense to see it, the tree that he had climbed, though it was tall in itself, was standing near the bottom of a wide valley, so that from its top the trees seemed to swell up all round like the edges of a great bowl, and he could not expect to see how far the forest lasted. Still he did not see this, and he climbed down full of despair. He got to the bottom again at last, scratched, hot, and miserable, and he could not see anything in the gloom below when he got there. His report soon made the others as miserable as he was."
carrock
Chapter VII: Queer Lodgings
" 'You had better go to bed, your wits are sleepy.' "
" 'You had better go to bed, your wits are sleepy.' "
So to be entirely honest about my exposure to The Hobbit, it actually did not begin with the book. I grew up watching the Rankin/Bass cartoon, and in 4th grade finally picked up the book for myself. So this chapter was a huge and quite pleasant surprise to me, as there is absolutely none of it in the cartoon. I can understand why it was edited out, but if you speak to most people who have read the book, they will often cite the introduced character in this chapter as one of their favorites.
Beorn is a man; Beorn is a bear. " 'Some say that he is a bear descended from the great and ancient bears of the mountains that lived there before the giants came. Others say that he is a man descended from the first men who lived before Smaug or the other dragons came into this part of the world, and before the goblins came into the hills out of the North.' " He immediately draws the interest of the reader, as he is an uncanny fellow. Here is another place where you begin to feel a hint of a greater story that Tolkien feels, even if he has not completely unfolded it.
And the little game Gandalf plays in order to keep in the good graces of Beorn is straight out of the mischief of myth and fairy tales. It is an entertaining game of trickery without lying.
It is also of vast importance that Gandalf, aka the crutch, leaves the party here. They are entering perhaps the darkest part of their journey (excepting perhaps being held captive by the goblins) and the one who has pretty much carried them all the whole way is leaving. The dwarves are like disgruntled selfish children about it as well.
He also leaves a comment which fits with much of what I have been talking about so I should reference it: " 'We may meet again before all is over, and then again of course we may not. That depends on your luck and on your courage and sense; and I am sending Mr Baggins with you. I have told you before that he has more about him than you guess, and you will find that out before long.' "
Additional Notes:
I wonder if the movies will make a bigger thing out of the Goblins and Wargs planning an assault on the Men who are settling the Wild lands. It would definitely make sense for expanding the story out some as well as pulling more towards the tone of the trilogy.
Tolkien has a lot of ill-tempered characters. I think this very well might be due to his personal disposition.
" 'Before you could get round Mirkwood in the North you would be right among the slopes of the Grey Mountains, and they are simply stiff with goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs of the worst description.' " The first mention of orcs. There is one later which I believe is a bit more descriptive. The hobgoblins throwaway is never clarified in anything I am aware of. I believe by The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien just decides to call them all orcs. I don't think there is any longer a distinction.
Radagast. Gandalf calls him his "good cousin." Interesting that he views wizards as familial to each other. I have no idea if Tolkien had any conception of what he would make his wizards out to be. And this is the most descriptive he gets. In other sources he would say that Men believed him to be an Elf. But The Hobbit narrator never gives a clue as far as I can tell.
Favorite Quotation: There were a few possibilities amidst none that really stood out strong. But I just liked the language in Gandalf's response here.
" 'Farewell!' they cried, 'wherever you fare, till your eyries receive you at the journey's end!' That is the polite thing to say among eagles.
'May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks,' answered Gandalf, who knew the correct reply."
Beorn is a man; Beorn is a bear. " 'Some say that he is a bear descended from the great and ancient bears of the mountains that lived there before the giants came. Others say that he is a man descended from the first men who lived before Smaug or the other dragons came into this part of the world, and before the goblins came into the hills out of the North.' " He immediately draws the interest of the reader, as he is an uncanny fellow. Here is another place where you begin to feel a hint of a greater story that Tolkien feels, even if he has not completely unfolded it.
And the little game Gandalf plays in order to keep in the good graces of Beorn is straight out of the mischief of myth and fairy tales. It is an entertaining game of trickery without lying.
It is also of vast importance that Gandalf, aka the crutch, leaves the party here. They are entering perhaps the darkest part of their journey (excepting perhaps being held captive by the goblins) and the one who has pretty much carried them all the whole way is leaving. The dwarves are like disgruntled selfish children about it as well.
He also leaves a comment which fits with much of what I have been talking about so I should reference it: " 'We may meet again before all is over, and then again of course we may not. That depends on your luck and on your courage and sense; and I am sending Mr Baggins with you. I have told you before that he has more about him than you guess, and you will find that out before long.' "
Additional Notes:
I wonder if the movies will make a bigger thing out of the Goblins and Wargs planning an assault on the Men who are settling the Wild lands. It would definitely make sense for expanding the story out some as well as pulling more towards the tone of the trilogy.
Tolkien has a lot of ill-tempered characters. I think this very well might be due to his personal disposition.
" 'Before you could get round Mirkwood in the North you would be right among the slopes of the Grey Mountains, and they are simply stiff with goblins, hobgoblins, and orcs of the worst description.' " The first mention of orcs. There is one later which I believe is a bit more descriptive. The hobgoblins throwaway is never clarified in anything I am aware of. I believe by The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien just decides to call them all orcs. I don't think there is any longer a distinction.
Radagast. Gandalf calls him his "good cousin." Interesting that he views wizards as familial to each other. I have no idea if Tolkien had any conception of what he would make his wizards out to be. And this is the most descriptive he gets. In other sources he would say that Men believed him to be an Elf. But The Hobbit narrator never gives a clue as far as I can tell.
Favorite Quotation: There were a few possibilities amidst none that really stood out strong. But I just liked the language in Gandalf's response here.
" 'Farewell!' they cried, 'wherever you fare, till your eyries receive you at the journey's end!' That is the polite thing to say among eagles.
'May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks,' answered Gandalf, who knew the correct reply."
ya-harri-hey
Chapter VI: Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire
"You ought not to be rude to an eagle, when you are only the size of a hobbit, and are up in his eyrie at night!"
The chapter also known as Dori's redemption. Okay that isn't true. I did find it funny that Tolkien made sure to give Dori a chance to save Bilbo after dropping him a couple chapters previous.
I do think Tolkien makes a mistake in pacing in this chapter. It was especially noticeable last night when reading it, because my mind was a bit more... wandering than normal. It was not your usual tiredness head-nodding state, but my mind certainly was not at optimal precision. If it ever is, is a question for another day. But, in this chapter the party gets chased up into trees, and then left there for a number of pages while the narrator moves about wandering his merry way. It is not especially bad, but I think it leaves the reader to lose focus because he wants to know the resolution to the characters being stuck in trees while you are learning about the plans of Wargs and Goblins against the encroaching woodsmen.
This is not to say this is a bad chapter, I actually rather enjoy it. That note just kinda stuck out to me last night, but again, my mind was not quite in the game.
I do think Tolkien makes a mistake in pacing in this chapter. It was especially noticeable last night when reading it, because my mind was a bit more... wandering than normal. It was not your usual tiredness head-nodding state, but my mind certainly was not at optimal precision. If it ever is, is a question for another day. But, in this chapter the party gets chased up into trees, and then left there for a number of pages while the narrator moves about wandering his merry way. It is not especially bad, but I think it leaves the reader to lose focus because he wants to know the resolution to the characters being stuck in trees while you are learning about the plans of Wargs and Goblins against the encroaching woodsmen.
This is not to say this is a bad chapter, I actually rather enjoy it. That note just kinda stuck out to me last night, but again, my mind was not quite in the game.
I want to talk more about the Eagles, but it has more to do with what is developed about them in The Silmarillion and the part they play in The Lord of the Rings... so I suppose I need to wait on those notes. They certainly have a knack for swooping in and saving the day. Which is why I have heard them called Deus Ex Machinas, but again, more so in The Lord of the Rings, so I have to wait on this discussion. In The Hobbit they just form a new and exciting facet to the world Tolkien is revealing, and he creates a simple enough explanation for their coming to the rescue.
Additional Notes:
The term warg is a Norse name for wolf, especially referring to Fenrir. So Tolkien takes the name and brings it into the more common fantasy vernacular. I greatly dislike the take Peter Jackson had on Wargs in The Two Towers. I prefer wolves over hyenas.
I wonder if Tolkien would have revised Gandalf's part in this chapter after he more fully created the character. It is funny to think of him making his last stand by kamikaze-ing out of a tree to kill a few pesky goblins. Again, Gandalf may strike people as not especially powerful in magic skill. And yet this would be one of his grander displays of power in all the books.
Aw, no more fire-starting for Oin and Gloin!
The goblin song in this chapter is another song that comes to mind when I think about the Rankin/Bass cartoon. I don't know why I like it:
"Fifteen birds in five firtrees,
their feather were fanned in a fiery breeze!
But, funny little birds, they had no wings!
O what shall we do with the funny little things?"
their feather were fanned in a fiery breeze!
But, funny little birds, they had no wings!
O what shall we do with the funny little things?"
Favorite Quotation: I hinted at a somewhat new-found interest in the use of dreams in novels. And here is a great example of why. What precisely Tolkien is referring to is open to interpretation, which is probably why I disliked dreams of this sort when I was younger.
"But all night he dreamed of his own house and wandered in his sleep into all his different rooms looking for something that he could not find nor remember what it looked like."
buttons
Chapter V: Riddles in the Dark
This thing all things devours:
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats high mountains down.
So this chapter is the most important chapter to the coming sequels. It, in fact, made Tolkien come back and re-edit this chapter to make it fit with The Lord of the Rings. I found a site which had the original text to clarify a few things.
First of all, for the sake of The Hobbit, this chapter accomplishes a number of very important things for the growth of our main character. First of all he is separated from everyone else, so he can not trust on anyone else. There is also that whole death and resurrection theme running throughout this chapter. I would actually guess it is unintentional in this instance, but it is certainly there, and it is actually easily accidented when the writer is trying to bring a character into his own. So, yeah, there's the burying; even blacking out and falling. Awakening in darkness, and coming to water to find new life. You can accuse me of forcing it, but I am just saying.
However what truly empowers our Mr Baggins is a little trinket he stumbles upon in the dark after first waking up. Now this would lead to another discussion on luck, but this one is a little more complicated. First of all, in the revised account, luck is not a part of the equation, beyond the Ring's manipulation of it. In the original account it can be a harder thing to swallow, but there are still a couple points I would like to make. One: the Ring is one of the major reasons for Bilbo accomplishing what he does. This is an essential point in his adventure, not just a throw away moment to bridge plot points. Secondly, Gandalf continues to mention a very certain intention to bringing along Bilbo. In the next chapter he says, "I brought him, and I don't bring things that are of no use." Gandalf does not know exactly how his burglar will prove useful, just that he is useful, and receiving the Ring is essential to Bilbo becoming what he is. In the original account I still would have liked something a bit more dynamic than happening upon it in the dark in the endless caverns while his hands are groping the ground. This does nothing to expand the characters, story, etc. However in the revised version, it paints a vivid picture of the treachery of the Ring and its twists on fate.
The next question would be, does giving your main character such a powerful artifact and power impact the merit of the characters actions. It would be easy to say, Bilbo finds his power and strength through an artificial and external means. Which is not to say that finding strength through external means is necessarily bad, but a magic ring almost seems a cheap way to give your character power. Especially one he just happens upon in the dark, with absolutely no intentionality.
Now in The Lord of the Rings, the Ring would come with a heavy and deadly cost. Which it is important that power have a cost. But this is not the case in The Hobbit. Yes the revised version of this chapter begins to paint some of the corruption of the Ring, but it is far from the point of the book. Basically, Bilbo just was granted a free source of power he stumbled upon by accident. So does this weaken the power of his characters growth? I would say yes and no.
I think it does take away from Bilbo, in that he lucks his way into the thing that would grant him the means to accomplish what he does through out the rest of the book. But it does not take away from the courage he begins to show. It certainly is a tool for his cultivating his courage, but it is still his will and wits that get him through the coming dangers. What he ends up bringing to the table by the end of the book is himself. The Ring is an invaluable tool, but he is the mover by the end of the book. As I have said I am not much of a powers guy, so free power like the Ring kinda tweaks me a little, but Tolkien still does grow Bilbo himself; he does not just rely on the Ring.
It is also important to remember what it is Tolkien is writing. I could very easily be accused of taking this too seriously.
Additional Notes:
" 'My birthday-present! It came to me on my birthday, my precious.' So he had always said to himself. But who knows when such rings were still at large in the world? Perhaps even the Master who ruled them could not have said." This is obviously part of the revised chapter. It is interesting however that the revision seems to not know of the true story of how Gollum got the ring, even though that does in fact get revealed to the heroes in Fellowship. I don't know if this revision was before Tolkien had created that particular back story, or if in fact this was completely intentional. I could look this up... but it would likely take some doing.
Also: "Whether it was an accident, or a last trick of the ring before it took a new master, it was not on his finger." Introducing the will of the Ring. And: "A pang of fear and loss, like an echo of Gollum's misery, smote Bilbo, and forgetting even to draw his sword he struck his hands into his pockets." Introducing the corruption of the Ring.
An interesting discussion revolves around what exactly the power of the Ring is for non-Saurons. Everyone wants it, but all we ever see is it turning non-Saurons invisible. Surely a good power, but not one that would conquer nations. So can it grant other powers or is it just the greed-lust that it spawns which so enthralls everyone. Boromir seems to hint that it can truly be used, but honestly what would he really know. Anyways, this is technically a book too early for discussing.
I loved these riddles as a kid. Though I always thought the actions of Bilbo in relation to a game where his life was on the line was a little odd. Hmm, he'll show me the way out if I win, and he'll eat me if I lose. I am not being forced to decide this... but sure sounds like a good deal. I realize this isn't exactly the choice before him, but it never quite sat right.
Bilbo is a cheap little punk with that last riddle.
Favorite Quotation: Tolkien would make a big point of the choice Bilbo makes here. Both in The Lord of the Rings, and in his own letters to people.
"Bilbo almost stopped breathing, and went stiff himself. He was desperate. He must get away, out of this horrible darkness, while he had any strength left. He must fight. He must stab the foul thing, put its eyes out, kill it. It meant to kill him. No, not a fair fight. He was invisible now. Gollum had no sword. Gollum had not actually threatened to kill him, or tried to yet. And he was miserable, alone, lost. A sudden understanding, a pity mixed with horror, welled up in Bilbo's heart: a glimpse of endless unmarked days without light or hope of betterment, hard stone, cold fish, sneaking and whispering. All these thoughts passed in a flash of a second. He trembled. And then quite suddenly in another flash, as if lifted by a new strength and resolve, he leaped."
First of all, for the sake of The Hobbit, this chapter accomplishes a number of very important things for the growth of our main character. First of all he is separated from everyone else, so he can not trust on anyone else. There is also that whole death and resurrection theme running throughout this chapter. I would actually guess it is unintentional in this instance, but it is certainly there, and it is actually easily accidented when the writer is trying to bring a character into his own. So, yeah, there's the burying; even blacking out and falling. Awakening in darkness, and coming to water to find new life. You can accuse me of forcing it, but I am just saying.
However what truly empowers our Mr Baggins is a little trinket he stumbles upon in the dark after first waking up. Now this would lead to another discussion on luck, but this one is a little more complicated. First of all, in the revised account, luck is not a part of the equation, beyond the Ring's manipulation of it. In the original account it can be a harder thing to swallow, but there are still a couple points I would like to make. One: the Ring is one of the major reasons for Bilbo accomplishing what he does. This is an essential point in his adventure, not just a throw away moment to bridge plot points. Secondly, Gandalf continues to mention a very certain intention to bringing along Bilbo. In the next chapter he says, "I brought him, and I don't bring things that are of no use." Gandalf does not know exactly how his burglar will prove useful, just that he is useful, and receiving the Ring is essential to Bilbo becoming what he is. In the original account I still would have liked something a bit more dynamic than happening upon it in the dark in the endless caverns while his hands are groping the ground. This does nothing to expand the characters, story, etc. However in the revised version, it paints a vivid picture of the treachery of the Ring and its twists on fate.
The next question would be, does giving your main character such a powerful artifact and power impact the merit of the characters actions. It would be easy to say, Bilbo finds his power and strength through an artificial and external means. Which is not to say that finding strength through external means is necessarily bad, but a magic ring almost seems a cheap way to give your character power. Especially one he just happens upon in the dark, with absolutely no intentionality.
Now in The Lord of the Rings, the Ring would come with a heavy and deadly cost. Which it is important that power have a cost. But this is not the case in The Hobbit. Yes the revised version of this chapter begins to paint some of the corruption of the Ring, but it is far from the point of the book. Basically, Bilbo just was granted a free source of power he stumbled upon by accident. So does this weaken the power of his characters growth? I would say yes and no.
I think it does take away from Bilbo, in that he lucks his way into the thing that would grant him the means to accomplish what he does through out the rest of the book. But it does not take away from the courage he begins to show. It certainly is a tool for his cultivating his courage, but it is still his will and wits that get him through the coming dangers. What he ends up bringing to the table by the end of the book is himself. The Ring is an invaluable tool, but he is the mover by the end of the book. As I have said I am not much of a powers guy, so free power like the Ring kinda tweaks me a little, but Tolkien still does grow Bilbo himself; he does not just rely on the Ring.
It is also important to remember what it is Tolkien is writing. I could very easily be accused of taking this too seriously.
Additional Notes:
" 'My birthday-present! It came to me on my birthday, my precious.' So he had always said to himself. But who knows when such rings were still at large in the world? Perhaps even the Master who ruled them could not have said." This is obviously part of the revised chapter. It is interesting however that the revision seems to not know of the true story of how Gollum got the ring, even though that does in fact get revealed to the heroes in Fellowship. I don't know if this revision was before Tolkien had created that particular back story, or if in fact this was completely intentional. I could look this up... but it would likely take some doing.
Also: "Whether it was an accident, or a last trick of the ring before it took a new master, it was not on his finger." Introducing the will of the Ring. And: "A pang of fear and loss, like an echo of Gollum's misery, smote Bilbo, and forgetting even to draw his sword he struck his hands into his pockets." Introducing the corruption of the Ring.
An interesting discussion revolves around what exactly the power of the Ring is for non-Saurons. Everyone wants it, but all we ever see is it turning non-Saurons invisible. Surely a good power, but not one that would conquer nations. So can it grant other powers or is it just the greed-lust that it spawns which so enthralls everyone. Boromir seems to hint that it can truly be used, but honestly what would he really know. Anyways, this is technically a book too early for discussing.
I loved these riddles as a kid. Though I always thought the actions of Bilbo in relation to a game where his life was on the line was a little odd. Hmm, he'll show me the way out if I win, and he'll eat me if I lose. I am not being forced to decide this... but sure sounds like a good deal. I realize this isn't exactly the choice before him, but it never quite sat right.
Bilbo is a cheap little punk with that last riddle.
Favorite Quotation: Tolkien would make a big point of the choice Bilbo makes here. Both in The Lord of the Rings, and in his own letters to people.
"Bilbo almost stopped breathing, and went stiff himself. He was desperate. He must get away, out of this horrible darkness, while he had any strength left. He must fight. He must stab the foul thing, put its eyes out, kill it. It meant to kill him. No, not a fair fight. He was invisible now. Gollum had no sword. Gollum had not actually threatened to kill him, or tried to yet. And he was miserable, alone, lost. A sudden understanding, a pity mixed with horror, welled up in Bilbo's heart: a glimpse of endless unmarked days without light or hope of betterment, hard stone, cold fish, sneaking and whispering. All these thoughts passed in a flash of a second. He trembled. And then quite suddenly in another flash, as if lifted by a new strength and resolve, he leaped."
goblin-town
Chapter IV: Over Hill and Under Hill
" 'Why, O why did I ever leave my hobbit-hole!' said poor Mr Baggins bumping up and down on Bombur's back.
'Why, O why did I ever bring a wretched little hobbit on a treasure hunt!' said poor Bombur, who was fat, and staggered along with the sweat dripping down his nose in his heat and terror.
And now the adventure (as in the bad stuff) begins in truth. This and the journey through Moria are probably my two biggest influences in my childhood in wanting to find deep and elaborate caves to explore. Which is surprising because both of those ventures don't prove to be very kind ones in the novels. Though true spelunking is not considered overly safe either, but probably has fewer goblins/orcs/balrogs.
We also get a goblin song, which has a fun translation in Rankin/Bass cartoon production of The Hobbit which every now and then gets stuck in my head... Or at least the couple lines I know from it do.
This chapter is mostly just getting the band of dwarves, hobbit, and wizard into a spot of trouble. Gandalf would again prove a savior, though Bilbo played a small if mostly unspectacular role. And it ends with dark times for our little hobbit. Hmm, accidental punning.
Additional Notes:
It is interesting that this chapter may show the grandest display of Gandalf's power, excepting possibly two chapters forward in the story (this is ignoring a battle that does not take place within the immediacy of the story in The Lord of the Rings). I have heard many people grow frustrated with the lack of actual magic usage in Tolkien's stories. I personally prefer it. The subtler uses of power are much more interesting and intriguing. It also makes a character truly powerful when they do not use what they can. And as I have said I am really not much of a powers guy, despite what you might think from many of my reading materials.
It is interesting that Tolkien went from a wand to a staff for Gandalf, from The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings.
The anachronisms bother me. The golf reference in the second chapter, and the football reference in this chapter. I realize it fits with Tolkien's voice in The Hobbit, but it pulls me out of the story.
The first person and second person intrusions as well are not especially pleasant to me, as they bear a degree of anachronism as well. But it fits with The Hobbit's more playful narrative voice. It does not however fit with the later in-story explanation of how it came to be written.
I remember I was so surprised when I actually noticed the sentence: "When he peeped out in the lightning-flashes, he saw that across the valley the stone-giants were out, and were hurling rocks at one another for a game, and catching them, and tossing them down into the darkness where they smashed among the trees far below, or splintered into little bits with a bang." Stone-giants? Huh. They get very little play in Tolkien's world beyond another reference in Chapter VI as far as I can recall.
Tolkien already begins his battle against technology in his depiction of the goblins: "It is not unlikely that they invented some of the machines that have since troubled the world, especially the ingenious devices for killing large numbers of people at once, for wheels and engines and explosions always delighted them, and not working with their own hands more than they could help; but in those days and those wild parts they had not advanced (as it is called) so far." This will become a larger theme.
The movies will love this part, because it is when things get 'real' or 'big' or whatever.
A premonitionary dream! The use of dreams in novels intrigues me. I used to hate them. Now I am interested to see how they can be used.
The storm in the mountains did make me recall my recent adventure on Mt Whitney. Which brings me to:
Favorite Quotation: Speaking from personal experience, lightning storms in the mountains are in fact a different thing entirely. You'll note another mention of kings, which Tolkien probably would have altered once he had a landscape for the rule of kings in Middle-Earth. But this is not yet Middle-Earth in a sense.
"He knew that something unexpected might happen, and he hardly dared to hope that they would pass without fearful adventure over those great tall mountains with lonely peaks and valleys where no king ruled. They did not. All was well, until one day they met a thunderstorm—more than a thunderstorm, a thunder-battle. You know how terrific a really big thunderstorm can be down in the land and in a river-valley, especially at times when two great thunderstorms meet and clash. More terrible still are thunder and lightning in the mountains at night, when storms come up from East and West and make war. The lightning splinters on the peaks, and rocks shiver, and great crashes split the air and go rolling and rumbling into every cave and hollow; and the darkness is filled with overwhelming noise and sudden light."
We also get a goblin song, which has a fun translation in Rankin/Bass cartoon production of The Hobbit which every now and then gets stuck in my head... Or at least the couple lines I know from it do.
This chapter is mostly just getting the band of dwarves, hobbit, and wizard into a spot of trouble. Gandalf would again prove a savior, though Bilbo played a small if mostly unspectacular role. And it ends with dark times for our little hobbit. Hmm, accidental punning.
Additional Notes:
It is interesting that this chapter may show the grandest display of Gandalf's power, excepting possibly two chapters forward in the story (this is ignoring a battle that does not take place within the immediacy of the story in The Lord of the Rings). I have heard many people grow frustrated with the lack of actual magic usage in Tolkien's stories. I personally prefer it. The subtler uses of power are much more interesting and intriguing. It also makes a character truly powerful when they do not use what they can. And as I have said I am really not much of a powers guy, despite what you might think from many of my reading materials.
It is interesting that Tolkien went from a wand to a staff for Gandalf, from The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings.
The anachronisms bother me. The golf reference in the second chapter, and the football reference in this chapter. I realize it fits with Tolkien's voice in The Hobbit, but it pulls me out of the story.
The first person and second person intrusions as well are not especially pleasant to me, as they bear a degree of anachronism as well. But it fits with The Hobbit's more playful narrative voice. It does not however fit with the later in-story explanation of how it came to be written.
I remember I was so surprised when I actually noticed the sentence: "When he peeped out in the lightning-flashes, he saw that across the valley the stone-giants were out, and were hurling rocks at one another for a game, and catching them, and tossing them down into the darkness where they smashed among the trees far below, or splintered into little bits with a bang." Stone-giants? Huh. They get very little play in Tolkien's world beyond another reference in Chapter VI as far as I can recall.
Tolkien already begins his battle against technology in his depiction of the goblins: "It is not unlikely that they invented some of the machines that have since troubled the world, especially the ingenious devices for killing large numbers of people at once, for wheels and engines and explosions always delighted them, and not working with their own hands more than they could help; but in those days and those wild parts they had not advanced (as it is called) so far." This will become a larger theme.
The movies will love this part, because it is when things get 'real' or 'big' or whatever.
A premonitionary dream! The use of dreams in novels intrigues me. I used to hate them. Now I am interested to see how they can be used.
The storm in the mountains did make me recall my recent adventure on Mt Whitney. Which brings me to:
Favorite Quotation: Speaking from personal experience, lightning storms in the mountains are in fact a different thing entirely. You'll note another mention of kings, which Tolkien probably would have altered once he had a landscape for the rule of kings in Middle-Earth. But this is not yet Middle-Earth in a sense.
"He knew that something unexpected might happen, and he hardly dared to hope that they would pass without fearful adventure over those great tall mountains with lonely peaks and valleys where no king ruled. They did not. All was well, until one day they met a thunderstorm—more than a thunderstorm, a thunder-battle. You know how terrific a really big thunderstorm can be down in the land and in a river-valley, especially at times when two great thunderstorms meet and clash. More terrible still are thunder and lightning in the mountains at night, when storms come up from East and West and make war. The lightning splinters on the peaks, and rocks shiver, and great crashes split the air and go rolling and rumbling into every cave and hollow; and the darkness is filled with overwhelming noise and sudden light."
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