*Unofficial* Hobbit Discussion Project

[Valandil]

OK, some have asked for this... and the forums NORTH of the Tolkien / General divide have really been shrinking in terms of active threads lately, so I thought, 'What the heck, let's just start talking about the book, The Hobbit' - in this thread, in very general terms, beginning chapter-by-chapter. No need to even do a different thread for each chapter... just keep adding to this one, since it's all 'unofficial' anyway!

So, let's start... first chapter was 'An Unexpected Party'... what do you guys want to discuss about it? Anyone want to start us with a brief summation?

[azalea]

I will be happy to discuss this -- I never did get through reading it to my husband. He just couldn't get into it, sadly. I'll have to go look at ch. 1 to see if anything jumps out for discussion.
(We stalled at Barrels Out of Bond -- maybe when we get to that part I'll start reading it to him again ).
This is the Tolkien book I've read the most, incidentally.

[Elvengirl]

I would love to have a discussion on the Hobbit. I do love that book. The only thing is that now I'm reading LoTR along with that discussion, plus reading other books on the side. I don't know if I want to add the Hobbit onto the list, I'll might end up getting my hobbits mixed up.

Azalea - That's too bad your husband couldn't get into the Hobbit. I can't imagine anyone not liking it

[Lizra]

I would be happy to discuss it, if I have enough words left after the LoTR disscussion.

"The Unexpected Party"....I love this chapter because it is so sensory. It paints a very strong picture in my mind. The image of the candlelight burning low, and dwarves playing violas in the darkened room, with just a fire glowing is very exciting to me. I can almost hear what I imagine to be dwarven voices singing low and melodic.
I also appreciate the comedy in this chapter. Bilbo goofing everything up is quite funny. Bilbo apologizing profusely (even though he started out being angry) to Thorin (for opening his door so abruptly and having him get smooshed in the pile of fallen dwarves) and then getting ignored is hilarious. I might add more here later... The trashmen are coming! Got to drag those trashcans out!

[Valandil]

Is it possible to DO an unstructered, informal discussion, and yet progress through the book, chapter by chapter, scene by scene? Can we do it without assignments and deadlines? Or would it more likely either just fizzle or go chaotic?

[Lizra]

Hey Mr. Man....anything is possible! Hmmmpt! It just depends on *who* is invovlved.
What do you mean "scene by scene"? Do you want to get real specific like that?.... I can do anything...
When it comes to "The Hobbit", I have plenty of words...except for the battle scene of course!

[Lizra]

This chapter is so strong in it's ability to cause a creative sort to conjure images! It often inspires me do the mental work of starting to paint a picture.....of the music in the fireglow scene.

I painted a picture from the Hobbit once...the trolls and Bilbo in the woods. If I ever do another, it would be of this darkened room in Bag End, with a golden/red fire that catches the outline and illuminates things. Two or three dwarves, playing big fiddles and singing in a low key fashion.... while an "out of the way" little hobbit looks on. Shades of brown, blue, Paynes Grey and goldeny cadmiun reds. Hmmm, Gandalf yes...or Gandalf no?

This chapter also once inspired me to sing up a beautiful melody for the "Far over the Misty Mountains" poem/song. I sure do wish I'd put that on tape. I remember being very pleased with it, at the time.

[Artanis]

Good idea Val. It would be great to do an official Hobbit discusion tho, perhaps after the LotR discussion is finished? If a Hobbit discussion should be started now I know I wouldn't be able to participate as much as I would like to. The schedule is already tight enough as it is!

[Lizra]

But the LotR one is going to take FOREVER!

[brownjenkins]

good idea, but i'm following along with LoTR and rereading the dune series at the same time... i'll still visit though and throw in a few of my left-field observations as i can

[The Gaffer]

This is a good plan. Sometimes in the LOTR project it's frustrating having to focus on the one chapter.

I reckon there should always be ongoing discussions like this, in order to keep new members interested. It would be somewhere to post their observations without being told that "the thread already exists, here, read these 200 messages then come up with something new to say or HAUD YER WHEESHT"

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

i am in, if you will have me
hobbit is my favourite,
simply as it was the first tolkien
i ever read

[Lizra]

There is lots of talk about hood color for the dwarves. More visuals for me! I wonder what the hood color is supposed to mean? Do the dwarves have hoods in many different colors, and change on whim....or is a clan type of thing, like those tartan plaid deals?

Dwalin... dark green hood
Balin... scarlet hood
Fili and Kili... blue hoods
Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, and Gloin......two purple, grey, brown, and white hoods.
Bifir, Bofur, Bombur....Two yellow and pale green hoods
Thorin.....sky blue, with a silver tassel!

Were Dori, Nori and Ori related? They had different hood colors.
So Bifir and Bofur are related, with the yellow hoods?

Is Gimli's hood color ever mentioned in LoTR?

[Lizra]

Is anyone else going to discuss this first chapter! Come on!

One of my favorite lines is ...."in the quiet of the world, when there was less noise and more green, and hobbits were still numerous and prosperous"......
Even when I was young, reading The Hobbit for the first time, I could relate to this sentence. Now it almost makes me cry. Will/do young people (today and in the future) be able to relate to this statement anymore? To my aging eyes...it seems the world has gone and lost most all of it's *green*, and "filled up" quite a few years back. That's probably just me though. (Hopefully it's the ever present news media, popping up everywhere, that makes the world appear shrunken, and "used up". The wide open green spaces surely are still out there! )I'm not sure where a Hobbit settlement could be tucked away and neatly hidden at this point though!

[Fat middle]

When I read:

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.

I imagine Tolkien writing this and saying while smoking his pipe: "Well, lets, see what comes out of this"

[Lizra]

That is a pretty funny opening line, isn't it! WoW!

[Elvengirl]

Lizra! Now look what you've done You've gotten me all in the mood to read the Hobbit again.

Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. ..............you see? I'm hooked.


The Unexpected Party is one of my favorite chapters., soo many humorous lines. I don't have time to say much now, though.

[Lizra]

Not much discussion! Too bad.

[Valandil]

Originally posted by Lizra
Not much discussion! Too bad.

You're right! Well... since I started this thread, I'll try to come up with a chapter one summary within the next 10 days or so... then maybe we can get moving on it, OK?

[Lizra]

Sure if you want Val, But you don't need to to go to any trouble just for me. I'd be fine with you just posting the things that caught your eye in this chapter....your favorite bits. But you do whatever turns you on. I love The Hobbit!