The Fellowship of the Ring // Book 2, Chapter 2 // The Council of Elrond

Here I am again!! Thank you all so much for your patience.

Ok, whew! What a chapter.

I'd forgotten that Faramir is mentioned (though not by name) in the very chapter we meet Boromir. So he's not an afterthought, rather -- though he can't come in for a while due to the very nature of the plot -- the two brothers, while different, are always shoulder to shoulder. I love the very, very short sentences we have underlining how they were brothers in arms. You know they had each others backs. <3

Akin to when we first meet him in Bree, I love how Aragorn is sitting in a corner all booted and clothed for a journey again. It adds yet more focus on the pressure and imminence of the decision they're all wrangling out. And he's very involved, but also withdrawn, with that air of mystery.

And, possibly small among all the great matters discussed (though isn't that the very theme of this chapter?) we hear of Gwaihir and Shadowfax for the first time.

Quotes:

• "You have come and are here met, in this very nick of time, by chance as it may seem. Yet it is not so. Believe rather that it is so ordered that we, who sit here, and none others, must now find counsel for the peril of the world."
• "White.' he sneered. 'It serves as a beginning. White cloth may be dyed. The white page can be overwritten; and the white light can be broken.' 'In which case it is no longer white,' said I. 'And he that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom."
• "It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not. It is wisdom to recognize necessity, when all other courses have been weighed, though as folly it may appear to those who cling to false hope. Well, let folly be our cloak, a veil before the eyes of the Enemy!"
• "The road must be trod, but it will be very hard. And neither strength nor wisdom will carry us far upon it. This quest may be attempted by the weak with as much hope as the strong. Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere."
  
• "If I understand aright all that I have heard,' he said, 'I think that this task is appointed for you, Frodo; and that if you do not find a way, no one will. This is the hour of the Shire-folk, when they arise from their quiet fields to shake the towers and counsels of the Great. Who of all the Wise could have foreseen it?"
• "A nice pickle we have landed ourselves in, Mr. Frodo!' he said, shaking his head."
  

 

For thought:

• So much happened in this chapter: new characters and so much history -- with threads both dark and light; so much character development and different characters playing off each other with all the seeds of tension and foreshadowing -- I'd love to hear what stood out to you the most. And was any part of the recounted stories a surprise/new to you?
  
• What is one of your favorite quotes from this chapter?
  

Quick FYI

Hi friends! I've missed chatting the last few days and so sorry as you're probably all wondering what's up, so just wanted to quickly touch base.

In short, some heavy life things happened recently (don't worry, we're all well here) so I've been processing some roller coaster emotions, and I also had some commitments on my other blog that I'd scheduled to work on quite a while ago, plus as you all know we're on (I think) the longest chapter of the entire trilogy, so yeah, it kind of turned into the perfect storm as far as keeping up with my posting schedule. I've been thinking about all you lovely LOTR friends often though and I'm very very much hoping to get the next chapter up asap. I can't wait to keep catching up on comments and our further discussion.

Hope all is well with you this evening and Happy Thanksgiving! 🧡

The Fellowship of the Ring // Book 2, Chapter 1 // Many Meetings

Book 2 here we come! I'm actually really excited about this.

And here we are in Rivendell. After all the terror and hunger and fatigue, to come into a place of such sweet refreshment -- an oasis, a fortress. Warm and peaceful, where cares can slide off bowed shoulders and be forgotten for a while. After rocky hills, waterfalls and gardens; after the barren wasteland, tables laden with sumptuous fare; after the dark soul shriveling speech of the Riders, poignant living words in a Hall of Fire. 

And clean raiment and Frodo's deliverance at the hands of a skilled healer.

We have seen Elrond, a lord among elves and men. And we have glimpsed his daughter from afar, Arwen Undómiel, Evenstar of her people.

And GANDALF IS BACK. Such wonderfulness!! I love Frodo's catch up session when he awakens.

We also meet Bilbo again. I must admit, it's actually not my favorite Bilbo moment, but I do very much relish the little back and forth as he and Frodo quiz each other on how they reference Aragorn. That is one of my favorite bits. And of course Aragorn himself coming in and all that.

As I was reading the chapter, I noticed how (the writing style doesn't change from what's gone before, of course), but the very phrases and turns of expression glide smoothly along, mirroring the content, creating a refreshing read through and through. There's peace and contentment, and at the end of it I literally heaved a happy sigh.

Quotes:

• "Yes,' he said, 'I am here. And you are lucky to be here, too, after all the absurd things you have done since you left home.' Frodo lay down again. He felt too comfortable and peaceful to argue, and in any case he did not think he would get the better of an argument."
• "Yes, I, Gandalf the Grey,' said the wizard solemnly. 'There are many powers in the world, for good or for evil. Some are greater than I am. Against some I have not yet been measured."
  
• "...to the wizard's eye there was a faint change, just a hint as it were of transparency, about him, and especially about the left hand that lay outside upon the coverlet. 'Still that must be expected,' said Gandalf to himself. 'He is not half through yet, and to what he will come in the end not even Elrond can foretell. Not to evil, I think. He may become like a glass filled with a clear light for eyes to see that can."
• "Frodo was now safe in the Last Homely House east of the Sea. That house was, as Bilbo had long ago reported, 'a perfect house, whether you like food or sleep or story-telling or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all'. Merely to be there was a cure for weariness, fear, and sadness." 
• Frodo halted for a moment, looking back. Elrond was in his chair and the fire was on his face like summer-light upon the trees. Near him sat the Lady Arwen. To his surprise Frodo saw that Aragorn stood beside her; his dark cloak was thrown back, and he seemed to be clad in elven-mail, and a star shone on his breast. They spoke together, and then suddenly it seemed to Frodo that Arwen turned towards him, and the light of her eyes fell on him from afar and pierced his heart. He stood still enchanted, while the sweet syllables of the elvish song fell like clear jewels of blended word and melody."
  

 

For thought:

• If you wanted to do some thinking and musing in the house of Elrond, would you prefer to scramble up to the pine woods or stay near the gardens and waterfall under the shaded portico or find a quiet corner in the Hall of Fire? 
  
• When Bilbo says, "Don't adventures ever have an end?" in the context (to me) he sounds a bit tired and maybe, just maybe, a tad regretful, but it made me think of what C.S. Lewis wrote in The Last Battle, “...the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. ...now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.” Do you think adventures have an end? Or do you think they just keep growing and growing and leading into new ones?
  

The Fellowship of the Ring // Book 1, Chapter 12 // Flight to the Ford

Well, finally figured out how to get my internet to cooperate this evening. And here we are at the end of Book 1! Can you believe it?

I forgot this chapter had so much more wandering in the wilderness, especially in the first half. But finding the trolls is such a little spot of unexpected fun; and I love how even Strider lightens up, smacking the stone troll and teasing the hobbits a bit.

And we meet Glorfindel. (I like the little description of the hobbits scrambling up the bank through the heather and bilberry bushes. What are bilberry bushes anyway? ...Ok, I just looked it up and they look like a close twin to blueberries that seem to grow in Scotland/the northern UK etc.)

Glorfindel is not only one of the few who can hold his own against the fell king of Angmar, leader of the Nine, but the two of them have actually met before.

So, I'm no expert on all the kingdoms or ages of Middle Earth history, but we have been hearing references to the fall of Angmar and this meeting takes place during that war, recounted in Appendix A at the back of The Return of the King:

"...so utterly was Angmar defeated that not a man nor an orc of that realm remained west of the Mountains.

"But it is said that when all was lost suddenly the Witch-king himself appeared, black-robed and black-masked upon a black horse. Fear fell upon all who beheld him; but he singled out the Captain of Gondor for the fullness of his hatred, and with a terrible cry he rode straight upon him. Eärnur would have withstood him; but his horse could not endure that onset, and it swerved and bore him far away before he could master it.

"Then the Witch-king laughed, and none that heard it ever forgot the horror of that cry. But Glorfindel rode up then on his white horse, and in the midst of his laughter the Witch-king turned to flight and passed into the shadows. For night came down on the battlefield, and he was lost, and none saw whither he went.

"Eärnur now rode back, but Glorfindel, looking into the gathering dark, said: "Do not pursue him! He will not return to this land. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall."

Soo... sound familiar? This prophecy is hugely important of course and I was so excited to find it came from Glorfindel. Did you know that?

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention we have our first mention of athelas, which will have a crucial part to play later too.

Quotes:

• "It's out of his own head, of course," said Frodo. "I am learning a lot about Sam Gamgee on this journey. First he was a conspirator, now he's a jester. He'll end up by becoming a wizard -- or a warrior!"
• "With his last failing senses Frodo heard cries, and it seemed to him that he saw, beyond the Riders that hesitated on the shore, a shining figure of white light; and behind it ran small shadowy forms waving flames, that flared red in the grey mist that was falling over the world."
  

 

For thought:

• Does the cascading flood pouring down on the Black Riders remind you of anything else (i.e. an historical event or a classic myth, etc)?
  

The Fellowship of the Ring // Book 1, Chapter 11 // A Knife in the Dark

Whew! What a chapter. First off, we get the last little glimpse back into the Shire we'll have for a long, long time. Isn't Fatty Bolger a brick?

Then in the same night we have the attack on The Prancing Pony (or rather, the terrifying, unseen visitors coming through as a gale by night), followed by all the subsequent negotiations for our little party getting on the road. It warms my heart that Merry's ponies went back to Tom Bombadil and I like to think of them living out their days in Bree. The little moment with the Neekerbreekers makes me smile too.

And what would our hobbits do without Strider? I shudder to think. I haven't got a lot to say on their character development in here that isn't spelled out pretty clearly and better in the chapter itself, but I like it a great deal.

I also tend to think of Sauron as being the arch-enemy/a Satan figure, but here we're reminded that he himself was but a servant of the Great Enemy, Melkor, who rebelled against Eru Ilúvatar (in Tolkien's high myth, the creator of all existence and supreme being of all the universe; Eru in Elvish meaning 'The One'). 

As for the Ring-wraiths. Quoting from Wikipedia, "Steve Walker, a Tolkien scholar, writes that the story gives the Ringwraiths credibility through a 'gradual incarnation of bodiless presence'. Little by little, in his view, Tolkien increases the reader's insight into their nature, starting with Black Riders who are 'spies more human than diabolical', rather than [immediately] developing their character. Walker sees this as appropriate in psychological terms: the Nazgûl's main weapons are psychological, namely fear and despair. He writes that the progressive revelation of their capabilities... builds up in the reader's mind an 'increasingly infernal vision.'"

So I've got a lot of thoughts on the Nine, but I'm gonna hold off on delving into those till later: partly for spoiler reasons, partly because this time around I want to focus on how Tolkien keeps adding those layers and layers of depth as we go along. (But of course, if you've got a good thought/question you'd like to share in the comments feel free! No problem with that. ;))  

Quotes:

• "Following its line eastward with their eyes they saw the Mountains: the nearer foothills were brown and sombre; behind them stood taller shapes of grey, and behind those again were high white peaks glimmering among the clouds."
  
• "How far is Rivendell?' asked Merry, gazing round wearily.The world looked wild and wide from Weathertop."
• "They stood for a while silent on the hill-top, near its southward edge. In that lonely place Frodo for the first time fully realized his homelessness and danger."
• "As Strider was speaking they watched his strange eager face, dimly lit in the red glow of the wood-fire. His eyes shone, and his voice was rich and deep."

 

For thought:

• Got a bunch of links for you today! Here's one for Tolkien reading Gil-galad was an Elven-king. And the Tolkien Ensemble's version of it here. It's so sad and wistful, but that's not a bad thing and I've come to like it, especially the second half. I also just ran across this interesting version.
  
• And Aragorn's Lay of Beren and Luthien from the TE (one of my favorites <3). I'd love to hear what you think. If you like it, there's a kinda sweet mix for it here. And again, the great man himself reading it here. (I'm not sure I'll include the Tolkien links every time -- there're just so many(!) -- but if you follow through to the channel and play lists etc. you can see all of them.)
  
• Have you read The Silmarillion?

The Fellowship of the Ring // Book 1, Chapter 10 // Strider

This is one of my favorite chapters. It's just so good. Humor, tension; hobbits being sensible; and a dark mysterious stranger, grim yet with flashes of gentleness. Yup. Definitely a favorite. Not to mention that I love the Butterbur bits. And Nob is a brick.

And of course there's the sheer, heart-stopping poetry:

"All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king."

*always major tingles... and emotional sniffs <333* I'm curious, did this passage take you by surprise at all? Or were you looking forward to it with eager anticipation? :)

A lot is covered in this chapter, and so smoothly it might be easy to miss how pivotal it is in continuing to transition us from the lighter-hearted, rambly adventures of the beginning to the hard-edged wilderness we'll soon be entering. We get little hints and shadows of Strider's backstory and find, too he is much older than he appears. The Black Breath is made mention of for the first time. And we now also have a Clear Action Plan for the next stage of the journey. (Was anyone else smiling when Butterbur discovers Merry went for a walk and says, "Well, you do want looking after and no mistake: your party might be on a holiday!") 

We also get Frodo's quote about the servants of the Enemy: "I think one of his spies would -- well, seem fairer and feel fouler, if you understand." "I see," laughed Strider. "I look foul and feel fair. Is that it?"

Earlier on Strider says, "...caution is one thing and wavering is another. You will never get to Rivendell now on your own, and to trust me is your only chance." I know it's not specifically talking about this, but -- as someone who is a chronic over-thinker, analyzing every possible future scenario in depth before committing to the first step of any of them -- it got me thinking how Tolkien juxtaposes wisdom, caution, and risk altogether in this one little moment. Deliberate, yes. Think carefully, yes. But then firmly make up your mind and take risks.

Last but not least -- with Aragorn, Butterbur, and Nob -- our help-found-round-unexpected-corners theme is coming popping up again. I love how, after Gandalf's letter is read, Butterbur's caution melts away and suddenly everyone becomes a close little circle -- small players some of them, but each and every one willing to have each others back and do anything they possibly can -- however small it might initially seem -- to stand together against the darkness and the terrifying unknown. It's just all around wonderful. <3  

Quotes:

• "PPPS. I hope Butterbur sends this promptly. A worthy man, but his memory is like a lumber-room: thing wanted always buried. If he forgets, I shall roast him. Fare Well!" This one always makes me laugh. I need to use it more in everyday life.
• "...I did not intend to tell you all about myself at once. I had to study you first, and make sure of you. The Enemy has set traps for me before now. ...I must admit,' he added with a queer laugh, 'that I hoped you would take to me for my own sake. A hunted man sometimes wearies of distrust and longs for friendship."
• After Sam's doubts: "He stood up, and seemed suddenly to grow taller. In his eyes gleamed a light, keen and commanding. Throwing back his cloak, he laid his hand on the hilt of a sword that had hung concealed by his side. They did not dare to move. ...'But I am the real Strider, fortunately,' he said, looking down at them with his face softened by a sudden smile. 'I am Aragorn son of Arathorn; and if by life or death I can save you, I will.'
  

 

For thought:

• Practically speaking, when making decisions do you think the line between wavering and proper caution is always easy to see in real life?
• Were you surprised by the idea of Aragorn himself being pursued and hunted down even before he joined with the hobbits? (For some reason that little line had always slipped by me.)
  

The Fellowship of the Ring // Book 1, Chapter 9 // At the Sign of the Prancing Pony

Hooray! We've emerged out of the mist and into a bit of good, down homey jollity, with crackling fires and frothing cups of ale and talk in warm chimney corners (only not completely, there's still the feel of the edges of danger lurking and hovering in the wings, we're very much on the edges of the wilds after all). 

Doesn't Bree honestly seem like such an interesting, cosmopolitan little place? It makes me think of the enclosed little world of a stage stop, usually with its hodgepodge of locals and fairly isolated, but with all the passers-through bringing bits and pieces of news from the outside world.

AND Y'ALL, STRIDER IS NOW IN THE PICTURE. (*coughs* I won't elaborate on this much more, but all you have to do is look at my header here to tell I consider this slightly more than a big deal. ;D) I'm so excited. Now we're rolling!

And Butterbur and Nob are just the best. <3 I mean, they just make you smile, don't they? In fact, let's all have a round in their honor. *raising figurative mug and drinking deep*

Can't wait for the next chapter!

Quotes:

• "The Men of Bree were brown-haired, broad, and rather short, cheerful and independent: they belonged to nobody but themselves; but they were more friendly with Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, and other inhabitants of the world about them than was (or is) usual with Big People."
• "The Big Folk and the Little Folk (as they called one another) were on friendly terms, minding their own affairs in their own ways, but both rightly regarding themselves as necessary parts of the Bree-folk."
• "In a twinkling the table was laid. There was hot soup, cold meats, a blackberry tart, new loaves, slabs of butter, and a half ripe cheese: good plain food, as good as the Shire could show, and homelike enough to dispel the last of Sam's misgivings (already much relieved by the excellence of the beer)."
  
• "(Frodo) wondered how many private talks he would have before he got to bed..."
  

 

For thought:

• Do you think the vanishing incident was orchestrated by the Ring itself? Or that some other devious commanding power was at work? Or maybe it was just an accident?
  
• Make sure to listen to this link for Frodo's song. Let me know what you think!