Patrick M. Hausen
New Member
Hi, everyone,
I just started re-visiting the dear Tolkien Professor's podcasts. Listening sort of offline while driving my car I am now through season one of the Silmfilm project and the first 4 classes of Exploring the Lord of the Rings.
There are two things that struck me while listening:
1. I do not believe that Lobelia's remark about Frodo being a Brandybuck aims to address his "queerness" like the Bucklanders are "not like us". I think that she quite openly questions Frodo's right to inherit Bag End - which rightfully belongs to her, of course!
If I'm not mistaken Tolkien never explains where she got that sense of entitlement. After all we know that Bilbo's dad built Bag End with Took money ... well ... people and even hobbits are like that, it seems.
2. In the 3rd and 4th class Corey repeatedly warns us not to use too much advance knowledge. Stay in the mindset of a first time reader. Yes ... and no.
Don't you think Gandalf suddenly going all suspicious about the ring should ring (oh ... what a bad pun
) all available bells even for a first time reader? I never saw a first edition but every single copy I own reads right on the cover:
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings
Part 1
Well by just looking at the cover even a first time reader knows that this book is about some lord of some rings. And then, before we get to the table of contents, there's the ring verse. One ring to rule them all ...
And a first time reader will not get with Gandalf constantly bugging Bilbo and Bilbo going ballistic about "that ring of his" that there's something way beyond invisibility with that particular ring? Come on ... I don't believe that.
So that's it for now. If input is valued even if it's late, I'll continue to post remarks and I look forward to a friendly discussion about the works of my favorite author.
Take care,
Patrick
I just started re-visiting the dear Tolkien Professor's podcasts. Listening sort of offline while driving my car I am now through season one of the Silmfilm project and the first 4 classes of Exploring the Lord of the Rings.
There are two things that struck me while listening:
1. I do not believe that Lobelia's remark about Frodo being a Brandybuck aims to address his "queerness" like the Bucklanders are "not like us". I think that she quite openly questions Frodo's right to inherit Bag End - which rightfully belongs to her, of course!
If I'm not mistaken Tolkien never explains where she got that sense of entitlement. After all we know that Bilbo's dad built Bag End with Took money ... well ... people and even hobbits are like that, it seems.
2. In the 3rd and 4th class Corey repeatedly warns us not to use too much advance knowledge. Stay in the mindset of a first time reader. Yes ... and no.
Don't you think Gandalf suddenly going all suspicious about the ring should ring (oh ... what a bad pun
) all available bells even for a first time reader? I never saw a first edition but every single copy I own reads right on the cover:The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings
Part 1
Well by just looking at the cover even a first time reader knows that this book is about some lord of some rings. And then, before we get to the table of contents, there's the ring verse. One ring to rule them all ...
And a first time reader will not get with Gandalf constantly bugging Bilbo and Bilbo going ballistic about "that ring of his" that there's something way beyond invisibility with that particular ring? Come on ... I don't believe that.
So that's it for now. If input is valued even if it's late, I'll continue to post remarks and I look forward to a friendly discussion about the works of my favorite author.
Take care,
Patrick
