The Fellowship of the Ring
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Gandalf and Frodo
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No one can damage the ring. It can only be unmade in the place it was made: Mt. Doom, in Mordor. So, it can be destroyed, but not casually.
The details of how the ring can be destroyed are revealed in a later chapter during the council of Elrond, I think. Even then, the approach to destroying the ring is an untested theory.As for the initial comment, I agree that it takes some time to get out of the Shire, but you'll miss the quaint ease of the Shire once you're cast upon a grueling quest with Tolkien's wonderful characters.
How I envy you reading this for the first time.
Enjoy.
I'm reading it now as well, except this is my...third (I think) time to. Plus, you never know what Gandalf might know without wanting to disclose. Remember that Gandalf wants to keep it safe in the Shire at first, and then send it somewhere to hide it, and then Frodo is forced to flee. ((I think, I haven't gotten there yet this time, and I haven't read in in a long time.)
Yes, but if you love action and adventure, you won't be able to wait until they leave the Shire.(And I believe you are correct that "Gandalf wants to keep it safe in the Shire at first, and then send it somewhere to hide it, and then Frodo is forced to flee.")
I've only read this series once, and that was recently. Now, I'm crazy about Lord of the Rings.
The Fellowship of the Ring made me love reading again. I completely enjoyed the 'slowness' in the Shire and the anticipation it built. It was like walking past the door to the basement when I was little - life was pleasant except I was sure something was lurking down there, and one day I'd have to turn the knob.
Nice metaphor!!! Had to say that. I love writing and I appreciate metaphors like that.I agree with you about the anticipation too.
Just a comment. It's interesting how at Tom Bombadil's house and Rivendel and Lothlorien, that time seems to pass slowly. Or seems not to pass at all.
Christina - good point, I hadn't thought of that before. I'll bet the mild 'time passing' relationship between the Shire and those other places was intentional.
Saved by Grace - yes, the power of the Three Rings keeps those places almost still in the midst of the stream of time that affects everything else more strongly. the Shire's not directly under such protection, but i am certain that the similarities of style and language that grace those chapters and make the time feel "slow" are deliberate.
And yet, there was a ring in the Shire for a long time, beginning from Bilbo's return from his adventure. Not to say that she Shire wouldn't have been peaceful without it, but I can't help but to now consider that some of this was due to that ring, and that the author might have intended this.Look at the "personalities" of the places where other rings dwelt. Could the simple peace of the Shire have lasted so long due to the wielder(s) there?
Fun to think about. It's been a couple of years, but perhaps I'll pick them up again.
... And the lake under the mountain certainly fit the wielder of the time...
I don't know which I like better...Rivendel or Lothlorien. Which reminds me of Gimli and Eomer. In The Two Towers, Gimli tells Eomer that Galladriel is the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. Then he asks Eomer what he should do if Eomer doesn't think that Galladriel is the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. So Eomer suggests that Gimli will hew off his head with his axe if he doesn't think Galladriel is the most beautiful thing. Then in Return of the King, Eomer gets a chance to see Galladriel, but he doesn't think she's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen! So Gimli says that he has to go get his axe. Eomer then says that Arwen is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, and Gimli decides not to hew Eomer's head off. :)Anyway, just thought I'd share that. I think it's pretty funny.
Hmmm....my favorite setting in Middle-Earth. I love the Shire, but I love Minas Tirith too. The idea of that huge of a fortress is just too cool. I am such a nerd...
I love this book and have read it nine times. I'm about to start reading it again. I agree with you Meh. My favorite place in middle earth is Minas Tirith too. I would consider it beautiful and powerful in the days of old(and now that Denethor is gone). My next favorite place would be the shire. I never liked Lothlorien very much. It seems too solemn with the elves, though they can be merry. I would prefer Rivendell to it.
I would say my favorite would have to be Rivendell. It seems like there is something about it that just makes people like it. Whether it's the elves, the atmosphere, the music, or what, I don't know. Maybe it's all of it. :)I'd like to comment about something... In the Two Towers and Return of the King, I really got the sense that Sam is sacrificing a lot for Frodo. I got more of this sense reading the books than seeing the movies. Anyone have any comments about this?
Of course Sam is sacrificing a lot. That's what makes him awesome, that he cares so much for his friend that he'd give his entire life to him. Not many people can do that.
Sam is great. Everyone needs a friend like that.
Part of me would love to be able to forget 'Lord of the Rings' so I could enjoy it fresh, but I guess I would have to forget the derivative fantasy that followed as well ... Tolkien's writing may be slow in places to the modern eye, but it has a poetry and a power to it that is timeless.
No Christina. You must watch the movie again. It`s quite clear that Sam the Gam is putting his life on the line for Frodo.
Phew, good thing I read the topic before posting a big OTP!
The first book drags on. That's why it's taking so long to get out of the Shire. In fact, the first one sucks so much, I almost stopped reading the trilogy. But the second two books more than make up for it.
Describing the Shire in all its glory and detail is important because the reader learns just how special it is and that it is worth fighting for, worth the sacrifices Frodo, Samwise, Merry and Pippin make (decide to make)
One detail that the movie neglected was the seizure of the Shire by Wormwood. The hobbits go back to the shire and chase him out, before Frodo goes off to Never Neverland.
Geoffrey wrote: "One detail that the movie neglected was the seizure of the Shire by Wormwood. The hobbits go back to the shire and chase him out, before Frodo goes off to Never Neverland."@Geoffrey: Not just Wormwood, but Saruman as well.
And it was far from the only detail that they changed: there was a lot left out (Tom Bombadil being the most important), a lot changed around and a lot changed altogether (Aragorn's kissing scene with his horse)...
If you're interested in that sort of thing, Tom Shippey's "Author of the Century" is a great literary criticism of LOTR. It really made me appreciate the whole scope of the story, but now I like and understand the "slow" bits of FOTR a lot more.
Emily wrote: "If you're interested in that sort of thing, Tom Shippey's "Author of the Century" is a great literary criticism of LOTR. It really made me appreciate the whole scope of the story, but now I like an..."Huh, now that sounds interesting. I'd have to check that out since the slow bits bugged me
Shippey looks at the books from a philology standpoint. It was really fascinating looking at stuff such as where the name "Bag End" came from. And "Sackville."I'd always thought the "Council of Elrond" was kinda tedious, and Shippey's book threw a whole new light on that, too.
Emily wrote: "If you're interested in that sort of thing, Tom Shippey's "Author of the Century" is a great literary criticism of LOTR. It really made me appreciate the whole scope of the story, but now I like an..."That's a wonderful book. Another great secondary source by the same author is The Road to Middle-Earth: How J.R.R. Tolkien Created A New Mythology.
Both books sound awesomes, I may have to see if I can find them :) thanks for the info. I have to say I think the first book is my fave, the slow pace really helped me to visualise the story and for me it also heightened the sense of what the characters were risking in the later books.
Another super-cool Tolkien-inspired book is the The Atlas of Middle-Earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad. If you love maps and atlases, this book is really wonderful, although it does not just deal with LOTR, but also with The Silmarillion and other tales.
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The Road to Middle-Earth: How J.R.R. Tolkien Created a New Mythology (other topics)
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The Atlas of Middle-Earth (other topics)The Road to Middle-Earth: How J.R.R. Tolkien Created a New Mythology (other topics)
The Fellowship of the Ring (other topics)
Why if frodo can't damage the ring in the beginning does he or gandalf believe he can destroy it in the end?