The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)

by J.R.R. Tolkien

they heeded less and less the world outside where dark things moved, until they came to think that peace and plenty were the rule in Middle-earth and the right of all sensible folk. They forgot or ignored what little they had ever known of the Guardians, and of the labours of those that made possible the long peace of the Shire.

wrote constantly to all their friends (and a selection of their relations) who lived further off than an afternoon’s walk.

Taking a whole afternoon to walk just to see a friend or family is quite tender

Hobbits give presents to other people on their own birthdays.

This makes much more sense...

I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.

I knew at last that something dark and deadly was at work.

Even though it was subtle, or, "excusable", Gandalf saw the darkness hidden in plain sight

For he gave it up in the end of his own accord: an important point.

But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.

‘The Enemy still lacks one thing to give him strength and knowledge to beat down all resistance, break the last defences, and cover all the lands in a second darkness. He lacks the One Ring.

“It would be cool and shady under those mountains. The Sun could not watch me there.

Darkness hates the Light

There was a little corner of his mind that was still his own, and light came through it, as through a chink in the dark: light out of the past. It was actually pleasant, I think, to hear a kindly voice again, bringing up memories of wind, and trees, and sun on the grass, and such forgotten things. ‘But that, of course, would only make the evil part of him angrier in the end

Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement.

I am not made for perilous quests.

Why was I chosen?’ ‘Such questions cannot be answered,’ said Gandalf. ‘You may be sure that it was not for any merit that others do not possess: not for power or wisdom, at any rate. But you have been chosen, and you must therefore use such strength and heart and wits as you have.’

I feel that as long as the Shire lies behind, safe and comfortable, I shall find wandering more bearable: I shall know that somewhere there is a firm foothold, even if my feet cannot stand there again.

But I feel very small, and very uprooted, and well – desperate. The Enemy is so strong and terrible.’

But if you look for a companion, be careful in choosing! And be careful of what you say, even to your closest friends! The enemy has many spies and many ways of hearing.’

‘Towards danger; but not too rashly, nor too straight,’

The Christian life be like:

He used often to say there was only one Road;

After a rest they had a good lunch, and then more rest.

Lol

‘Courage is found in unlikely places,’

He did not feel either hungry or tired, only filled with wonder.

when the memory of the old Kings had faded into the grass.

Short thought on biblical credibility and passing stories on verbally

A hunted man sometimes wearies of distrust and longs for friendship.

‘There is one crumb of comfort,’ said Merry, ‘and more than a crumb, I hope: we can have breakfast while we wait – and sit down to it.

‘There seem only to have been five of the enemy. Why they were not all here, I don’t know; but I don’t think they expected to be resisted. They have drawn off for the time being. But not far, I fear. They will come again