[WIR] The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

[Libertad]

A Journey in the Dark

1. We see the first significant bit of Boromir's stubbornness to come when he says that he will not go to the Mines of Moria unless everyone else in the Company votes against him. Indirectly he's elevating his own voice and vote over that of the others with such a proclamation, and only relents when the howls of wolves convince him otherwise.
2. The difficult decision to leave behind Bill the pony was quite touching. I take it they had no draft horse in the films on account that too much of the audience would side with Sam, who wanted to keep him.
3. Having a full-page illustration of the door to Moria was pretty neat. I don't know if it's in other versions, but it really stood out given that this is an otherwise pictureless book.
4. The portrayal of Moria's ruins as a fathomless space where regular people once lived helps build up the sense of impending dread. While there is no mob of orcs to ambush the Company by the well like in the movies, Gandalf's anger at Pippin for making unnecessary noise, combined with Frodo's homesickness and Gimli's sorrow at seeing the grave of Balin, showcases that the atmosphere is wearing away at their spirits.

The Mirror of Galadriel

1. I believe this is the first time Morgoth is referred to by his proper name, when Legolas is describing the Balrog.
2. The rest of the Companions can't help but notice Legolas escorting Gimli around the land as just the two of them. Could this be the beginning of a newfound friendship?! My theory is that after meeting Galadriel, Gimli's earlier reservations about elves are being called into question, prompting him to learn more about them.
3. While it's something I've known before, I do like how "magic" in Middle-Earth isn't well-defined as in later fantasy settings, and in many cases is a term used to describe unknown phenomena and technology. Case in point, the pool that Galadriel uses to divine the future from afar she doesn't view as "magical," associating that word with trickery of the Enemy.
4. Relatedly, it was interesting to see Sam talk about how elves are more like themselves (hobbits) than he thought. Still a positive opinion of them, but now with less romanticization.
5. When Galadriel said that the fate of the elves is to head across the sea or "dwindle to a rustic folk of dell or cave" to slowly be forgotten, it is almost akin to hobbits. Y'know, that isn't such a bad fate, why not stay in Middle-Earth?

 

[Libertad]

Farewell to Lórien

1. More foreshadowing of Boromir's conflicting thoughts regarding the wrong ring when he says it would be "folly to throw away" without leading an army into Mordor, then swiftly corrects himself to say "folly to throw lives away."
2. Between the lembas, boats, and cloaks of elvenkind, it was funny seeing Sam most joyful at being given rope and curious about the elves' ropemaking techniques.
3. Seeing the text describe Legolas and Gimli as now being fast friends, it feels that the films made their relationship progress a lot slower. At least from what I remember.

The Great River

1. In regards to Sam mentioning seeing a "log with eyes" while traveling the river, the first thing that comes to mind for me is an alligator's head. I presumed that they're in a heightened state of anxiety that their thoughts jump to Gollum or some unseen monster, but it appears that Sam was more perceptive than initially appeared when it is indeed Gollum.
2. When one of the orc arrows described going through Aragorn's hood, I read that as Aragorn being shot in the head. My knowledge of the saga knows that he survives, so I presume that the description was meant to portray it going through the cloth not entirely covering the head. I think the text could've been clearer on that front.
3. Boromir's insistence of venturing to Minas Tirith continues to show his fracturing relationship with the rest of the Fellowship.

The Breaking of the Fellowship

1. Trust your intuition, Frodo, Boromir does not have good intentions! Also, I think this is the first time we see the word 'halfling' in the narration, of Boromir speaking of the supposed impossibility of Frodo making it into Mordor to destroy the Ring. Given that I recall it's a put-down in Middle-Earth, this could be Boromir's lack of faith and contempt for Frodo in being entrusted with the Ring and not him.
2. Frodo putting on the ring in fear to evade Boromir, and later being shown visions of war before the Eye of Sauron laid upon him, feels a lot like psychological warfare on the part of Sauron. On a rational level, Frodo's decision to leave the Company behind is foolish, for it will be more dangerous traveling alone. On an emotional level, given that Boromir just betrayed him, he doesn't know who else to trust that the ring won't corrupt, so his fleeing makes sense on said level.
3. There is a bit of poetic irony in the Fellowship "breaking up" of people taking off immediately to find Frodo.
4. Sam is definitely the best one to accompany Frodo, as he first realized where Frodo was headed (the boats).
5. In an odd way, I do like how the book had the breaking moment be Boromir's treachery entirely, and not that plus a bunch of orcs showing up to fight like in the films. I understand that movies need a sense of climactic action, but having the inciting incident be a struggle from within (the Fellowship) rather than without is for the better.

And I'm now done with Fellowship of the Ring! What a read! I plan to continue on with the Two Towers sometime tomorrow.

 

[Mannahnin]

While it's something I've known before, I do like how "magic" in Middle-Earth isn't well-defined as in later fantasy settings, and in many cases is a term used to describe unknown phenomena and technology. Case in point, the pool that Galadriel uses to divine the future from afar she doesn't view as "magical," associating that word with trickery of the Enemy.

Yes, magic is not quantifiable, and those who use it tend to have a significantly different perspective and mentality from what we, or Hobbits, do. Part of what we repeatedly see with the elves (as in Frodo's conversation with Gildor) is them being not quite sure what mortals perceive and comprehend and thus not quite sure how best to answer their (our) questions.

When Galadriel said that the fate of the elves is to head across the sea or "dwindle to a rustic folk of dell or cave" to slowly be forgotten, it is almost akin to hobbits. Y'know, that isn't such a bad fate, why not stay in Middle-Earth?

I think this is also a reference to how elves and the perilous fair folk in British myth shrank down to being seen as little garden fairies by the Victorian period. And how legend in Ireland is that the Tuatha de Danaan shrank and hid away in the mounds and hills after the Milesians (humans) came and settled/conquered Ireland.

When one of the orc arrows described going through Aragorn's hood, I read that as Aragorn being shot in the head. My knowledge of the saga knows that he survives, so I presume that the description was meant to portray it going through the cloth not entirely covering the head. I think the text could've been clearer on that front.

Remember that a hood can often be quite voluminous, and that it can also be doffed and hang at the top of one's shoulders at times, completely behind the head. I presume Tolkien expected people would infer that if the arrow had pierced Aragorn's head he would have written that.

In an odd way, I do like how the book had the breaking moment be Boromir's treachery entirely, and not that plus a bunch of orcs showing up to fight like in the films. I understand that movies need a sense of climactic action, but having the inciting incident be a struggle from within (the Fellowship) rather than without is for the better.

Yes, the orcs still show up in the books, but the events are more separate. Whereas Jackson felt he needed to give the movie an action climax.

 

[Parmandur]

Whereas Jackson felt he needed to give the movie an action climax.

Classic Jackson.

 

[billd91]

Yes, the orcs still show up in the books, but the events are more separate. Whereas Jackson felt he needed to give the movie an action climax.

They're mainly more separate because the action at Parth Galen is broken across a couple of chapters that form the division between two books. As soon as Aragorn starts back down hill while looking for Frodo, he's hearing the orcs and Boromir's horn.

Peter Jackson basically moves Chapter 1: The Departure of Boromir of the Two Towers into the Fellowship movie as well as blends in a bit of Frodo's departure into the fighting action. And from a cinematic perspective, this was a dynamite choice. I thought it was very well done and just what the film needed to end with to get us movie goers enthusiastic for more. I know I jumped out of my seat with excitement. Ultimately, that excitement was disappointed a little with some of the choices to follow in the Two Towers but it's one of the reasons I think the first movie is, by far, the best of the trilogy.

 

[el-remmen]

Also, I think this is the first time we see the word 'halfling' in the narration, of Boromir speaking of the supposed impossibility of Frodo making it into Mordor to destroy the Ring. Given that I recall it's a put-down in Middle-Earth, this could be Boromir's lack of faith and contempt for Frodo in being entrusted with the Ring and not him.

Can you explain by what you mean by "in the narration" here? The word is used in the Council of Elrond when discussing Faramir's vision.

Also, I am not sure it is a put-down, none of the hobbits seem put-out by it (though sometimes they will correct, other times they use it to clarify who/what they are - though in the later books).

 

[Libertad]

Today, we begin reading the Two Towers. Last we left off, the Fellowship broke apart after Boromir attempted to seize the ring from Frodo by force, causing the Hobbit to run off on his own. But not before his dear ol' Sam accompanies him! Will our heroes learn the hard way why it's a bad idea to split the party, or will they kick out Boromir the problem player in order to salvage their campaign? Let's find out!

The book begins with a helpful Synopsis, summarizing Fellowship of the Ring in a page-and-a-half. While I still remember the broad outlines, it was still quite helpful.

Book 3, Chapter 1: The Departure of Boromir​

1. What I immediately notice is that the page count doesn't begin at "1" like most books, but continues off from Fellowship of the Ring. The first page of the first chapter is thus 403.
2. Interesting that Aragon chose to keep secret Boromir's dying words of falling prey to the Ring and attacking Frodo. If I had to guess, Aragon figures that telling the truth to his companions would do little but cause a loss of trust and resentment, and that it would be easier for them to think he remained honorable to the end.
3. While it was briefly spoken of in the first book by Gandalf during his captivity by Saruman, the early parts of this book indicate that orcs aren't a monolith in regards to primary loyalty to Sauron. The Synopsis notes that the orc warband that attacked the Fellowship at the end of the first book had "some in the service of the Dark Lord of Mordor, some of the traitor Saruman of Isengard." In this chapter, Aragorn notes that the orcs using shields with an "S" rune in white coloration wouldn't be used for Sauron: the Dark Lord bans his followers from writing his name or otherwise indicating it in abbreviation, and he doesn't make use of the color white in related insignias.
4. Aragorn describes Elves, Dwarves, and Men as the Three Kindreds, a term I don't believe I've seen used in Fellowship. While such people had historical alliances at times, Kindred implies sharing a common cultural origin. Looking it up, an LotR fan wiki (Tolkien Gateway) indicates that the term instead relates to three elven groups, so this might be Aragorn comparing himself, Gimli, and Legolas to famous historical figures. Which may not be a mistake so much as an obscure means of Tolkien having Aragorn trying to raise their spirits by relating their journey to heroes of yore.

Book 3, Chapter 2: the Riders of Rohan​

1. Again the book touches upon infighting among orcs, as Aragorn comes upon some of their corpses. Noting that the Rohirrim don't typically wander these lands and that the dead bodies bear a lack of badges typically carried by orcs of the north, Aragorn surmises that the orcs fought among each other.
2. Having Legolas and Gimli exclaim the exact same words at the exact same time ("the brooch of an elven cloak!" upon finding evidence of Pippin's presence) makes me realize more and more that the characters' long-holding antagonism in the films was exaggerated. From what I remember of it, their blossoming acknowledgement of friendship occurred at the famous "side by side with a friend" scene at the Battle of Helm's Deep. Or maybe that's the scene I remember most due to cultural osmosis and memes.
3. I love how the trio debate the practicalities of various plans in following the orcs, such as the feasibility of continuing at night to avoid losing ground vs. it being harder to make out tracks at night which can cost them more in lost time than if they stopped to rest. I also like how Gimli delegates to Aragorn for decision-making when they're at an impasse, trusting in his judgment even if Aragorn himself is losing faith in himself. They're not arguing so much as weighing the costs and risks, which highlights their professionalism.
4. Legolas saying that "the tree is glad of the fire" at seeing hand-like branches seemingly reaching over the warm campfire is rather auspicious, given that Aragorn later talks about Fangorn Forest being the dwellings of Ents who are pretty much personified trees.

 

[Libertad]

Can you explain by what you mean by "in the narration" here? The word is used in the Council of Elrond when discussing Faramir's vision.

Also, I am not sure it is a put-down, none of the hobbits seem put-out by it (though sometimes they will correct, other times they use it to clarify who/what they are - though in the later books).

I guess I forgot its use earlier in the book. As for put-down, it always came off as "half in stature" vibewise and from what I vaguely remember in regards to cultural osmosis, even if the hobbit characters don't take offense overtly to its use.

 

[Parmandur]

What I immediately notice is that the page count doesn't begin at "1" like most books, but continues off from Fellowship of the Ring. The first page of the first chapter is thus 403.

The Lord of the Rings is not, strictly speaking, a trilogy. It was written and edited as a single book, and th three volumes were a logistical cost saving measure, because a single volume Lord of the Rings was considered a bit much by printers in the 1950s.

Aragorn describes Elves, Dwarves, and Men as the Three Kindreds, a term I don't believe I've seen used in Fellowship. While such people had historical alliances at times, Kindred implies sharing a common cultural origin. Looking it up, an LotR fan wiki (Tolkien Gateway) indicates that the term instead relates to three elven groups, so this might be Aragorn comparing himself, Gimli, and Legolas to famous historical figures. Which may not be a mistake so much as an obscure means of Tolkien having Aragorn trying to raise their spirits by relating their journey to heroes of yore.

They are three kindreds, as in three seperate groups of people (I don't recall "Race" being a word Tolkien used often, as it is an essentially modern word anachronistic to the world he is painting). Elves, Dwarves, and Humans have different cosmic origins and mythological histories.

 

[Libertad]

Book 3, Chapter 3: the Uruk-hai

1. Merry must be really strong to cut off a bunch of orc hands and arms. Given how easily so many orcs die in the series, it does make me wonder how they got stereotyped as buff, strong dudes in later fantasy media.
2. Interesting note that the various orcs come from different areas and have their own mutually unintelligible dialects, so they use the Common tongue as a lingua franca. A good means of world-building to explain how the captive hobbits can understand what they're saying.
3. "Gaining on them over a tide in the flats on folk straying in a quicksand" is a very artful way of saying that the Rohirrim cavalry have an advantage over the orc infantry.
4. Pippin pretending to be afflicted by the Ring's jealousy by going "gollum, gollum!" to convince one of the orcs to free him in order to supposedly find it is pretty clever.

Book 3, Chapter 4: Treebeard

1. Treebeard's poem of the various civilizations of the world to jog his memory is interesting in that he lists various animals after the ent, dwarves, elves, and human entries. It's common in Middle-Earth lore to elevate the classic four to narrative importance, but to someone like Treebeard they are but one of many, no more significant in distinguishing them from the many animals of the world.
2. Between the lembas, the orcish alcohol, and the draught of the ents, there's quite a bit of food and beverages with nigh-mystical restorative properties. Methinks Tolkien might be a bit of a foodie.
3. An interesting thing is that Treebeard in the books is already aware that Saruman's forces are deforesting the region to feed their war machine. From what I recall about the movie, this was something Treebeard was unaware of and tragically discovered firsthand.

Book 3, Chapter 5: the White Rider

1. The first page has a grammatical error, having a single line at the beginning of the next paragraph right before a page break: "For some time the companions groped and crawled upon the ground." I don't know if this is present in other editions or is peculiar to my book.
2. "You are a Wood-elf, anyway, thought Elves of any kind are strange folk. Yet you comfort me." More Gimli and Legolas broments.
3. So Saruman sacrificed the white robes for the rainbow robes, and Gandalf traded in his grey robes for white, saying that he's like "Saruman as he should've been." I could be reading into this, but it makes me wonder if there's some kind of title and hierarchy among wizards, with Saruman "demoted" for his betrayal. Rr the changing of clothes colors representing personality shifts. Or maybe it's just metaphorical.
4. It's interesting how in the progress of the story so far, Saruman is corrupted by the Ring but still thinks he can thwart Sauron. From what I recall of the movies, Saruman immediately sided with Sauron and tried to get Gandalf to serve the Dark Lord in their initial meeting. It does make me wonder when, or if, Saruman has his "are we the baddies?" moment and throws his lot in with Mordor or spends the last of his days imagining himself as a Hard Man Making Hard Decisions in fighting fire with fire.
5. Gandalf bringing up that the Nazgûl have winged steeds is another reason why using the eagles to fly into Mordor isn't a surefire solution.
6. In regards to the aftermath of his descent with the Balrog, Gandalf speaking of "nameless things gnawing at the world" that even Sauron doesn't know about brings to mind the Nordic tale of Nidhoggr, the dragon who eats the roots of the World-Tree. I don't know if Tolkien was explicitly drawing upon that example, or merely left to the imagination of undiscovered horrors.
7. Gandalf losing his clothes as part of the aftermath of his final fight with the balrog on the mountaintop is a rather funny explanation of how he got a new set of clothes. I can see why they'd keep that out of the films.