Chapter discussion -And now?

[Earniel]

Well, the UT-discussion stalled last year when I left on holiday, and I've been struggling to find time to restart it ever since, just as everybody else, it seems.

We had originally planned for the idea to finish UT and then do The Hobbit before the new Hobbit movies came to the theater. The movies themselves knew major delays so we haven't been overtaken yet.

But the UT discussion was very slow to get going and never quite got in gear. Once I stopped pushing, it stalled rapidly. In that respect The Hobbit might fare better since it is a better known book and has a stronger narrative. But is it worth looking into it?

So is there any interest left? For the UT discussion? Would people prefer a Hobbit chapter discussion instead? Or is the whole idea of chapter discussion just outdated?

Everyone's opinions would be welcomed.

[Valandil]

I just think this means we need some pestering.

Seriously - would someone like to be Earniel's second-in-command? She has provided a lot of the organizational structure and lined things up. Could someone else help out by taking a role of consistently giving friendly reminders to those whose parts are coming almost due? And even to help find volunteers to take on unassigned chapters?

Earniel - would this be helpful to you, if it were the right person? Would you rather review a list of volunteers, or do you want to approach someone about helping you?

[Earniel]

A helping hand could be useful, but more useful still are participants: people to do a discussion intro and offer some questions or observations to get the discussion going. And then people who want to discuss it, naturally.

The organisation of the discussion is doable on my own. But it needs enthousiastic participants. Can't have a discussion in your onesie. Getting the slots of UT filled proved so difficult that I scrapped the Túrin chapters merely to be able to move on before everybody lost interest.

There's no point in trying to do this if only one or two people are interested. Post traffic has been very slow on the 'moot the last few months, but I see a lot of people visiting regularly without posting. But if they're not interested... well, the donkey stops there, as we say in these parts.

[Varnafindë]

Might it be better to leave UT aside and do The Hobbit first?
We could always continue UT where we left it after the activity around the Hobbit movies have died down (in three or four years' time )

As you say, The Hobbit has a stronger narrative - the UT has no narrative of its own at all, only a collection of shorter narratives. And The Hobbit is a better known book, so more people might be interested in it.

It might be easier to get people to write the introductions, as I think they will be simpler than the UT ones - and it might be easier to get people to join the discussions, because more people already know something about it.

[Earniel]

Aaand I guess the long silence in the thread says it all, really.

I therefore reckon it's best that both chapter discussions - be it The Hobbit or Unfinished Tales- get shelved until someone actually expresses interest.