Unfinished Tales Discussion Project

[Earniel]

Last Updated 2012: On indefinite hiatus due to insufficient interest

STILL LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS!

For those who haven’t been able to participate in the previous chapter-discussions, the idea of this discussion is for everyone to re-read the chapter before stepping into the discussion. People will post an intro to a previously chosen chapter, after which the discussion is opened for everyone. A bit like a book-club, really. But as this is a book-discussion, keep references to the movies to an absolute minimum. The movies have their own forum after all!

How you decide to write your chapter-intro is entirely up to you. [edit: Please include 'UT discussion' in the thread title] You do not have to focus too much energy on the intro itself, as long as you get enough together to get a good discussion started. If you’re entirely clueless how to start, let me give you some suggestions that might get you a bit further. This is how the other chapter discussions were run but this method isn’t always applicable for all the UT chapters as they do not always form one narrative.

• You can start by giving us a short description what the chapter is about. What are the main events, interesting twists, etc..
• Tell us what you liked about the chapters, what were your favourite part, scenes that were particularly funny, scary, descriptive, what stands out to you in the chapter.
• Tell what, if anything, you disliked or think could have been different, criticisms of Tolkien’s writing, as well as what might have gone differently in the story (there are always some good “what ifs” to spark discussion).
• You can list some ‘additional reading’: other instances of Tolkien’s writings in which the topic of the discussion occurs. The focus of the discussion, however, should naturally lie on the texts from UT. Pictures or maps that can help enlighten and/or broaden the discussion are of course also welcome.
• Finally, list some questions or comments for discussion, content-based or otherwise.

[NOTE on the dates: The dates are guestimates, so the actual dates may fall later.]

CHAPTERS:

PART I: THE FIRST AGE

1. Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin by Varnafindë

[The Túrin chapters 2, 3 & 4 will be skipped. They can be referenced if we ever do a Children of Húrin chapter discussion.]

PART II: THE SECOND AGE

5. A Description of the Island of Númenor by Voronwen

6. Aldarion and Erendis by Eärniel

7. The Lines of Elros: Kings of Númenor by hectorberlioz

8. The History of Galadriel and Celeborn by jammi567
Tentative deadline: 7th of June 2010


PART III: THE THIRD AGE

9. The Disaster of the Gladden Fields by Valandil
Tentative deadline: 21th of June 2010

10. Cirion and Eorl and the Friendship of Gondor and Rohan by…
Tentative deadline: 5th of July 2010

11. The Quest of Erebor by Coffeehouse
Tentative deadline: 19th of July 2010

12. The Hunt for the Ring by Gordis
Tentative deadline: 2nd of August 2010

13. The Battles of the Fords of Isen by…
Tentative deadline: 16th of August 2010


PART FOUR

14. The Drúedain by Eärniel (unless others would like to do this chapter)
Tentative deadline: 30th of August 2010

15. The Istari by hectorberlioz
Tentative deadline: 13th of September 2010

16. The PalantÃ*ri by…
Tentative deadline: 27th of September 2010

Do not forget to look at and include the material in the introduction, notes or appendices attached to your chapter!

You can go ahead and now request what chapters you want to intro. [EDIT 1/12/2009: People can now do more than one chapter-intro]. It will be first ask, first pick. Some of you have already shown an interest in a specific chapter, but I'd like you now to confirm that choice, if you please.

Usually chapter discussion last between 2 through 3 weeks to give anyone the opportunity to participate. The longer chapters such as Tuor or Aldarion & Erendis have so far been given 3 weeks, the other two. I’ve given tentative deadlines dates. These dates, naturally are open for change in case of delays and such.

If you know in advance that you will be unable to do your chapter, please post that here or PM me, so that we can reassign it. If you decide to leave/ take a break from Entmoot, please show us the courtesy of letting us know you won’t be here to put up your chapter.

Obviously a lot of what we discuss will have been discussed in other threads. That's okay. This is a separate project, and the other threads are for going into greater depth for a particular aspect of the books. Repetition is okay here.

HAVE FUN!

[Earniel]

It's been a while since we did a chapter-by-chapter discussion of Tolkien's work, and there are still some books left to choose from. I'm wondering if anyone is still interesting in such a project.

If so, we have two good choices, I think. Either we can do The Hobbit, although it may be more interesting to do this closer to the expected movie-release. Or we can take on Unfinished Tales.

Is anyone interested or has suggestion/ options to share?

[Jonathan]

I'd be interested in The Hobbit. I was planning on re-reading before the year is over anyway.

You've got a point though that the movie release is pretty far away (December 2011). But then it might take a long while for us to go through every chapter and it would be nice to be finished before the movie hits theaters, wouldn't it?

[Voronwen]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

Is anyone interested or has suggestion/ options to share?

The Lost Road

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Jonathan

You've got a point though that the movie release is pretty far away (December 2011). But then it might take a long while for us to go through every chapter and it would be nice to be finished before the movie hits theaters, wouldn't it?

There are 19 chapters in the Hobbit, if we take two weeks per chapter, then it would take us 38 weeks. So even if we'd start in January 2010, and even plan in a couple of weeks extra for unforseen delays, we'd still be finished over a year before the movie. If we take three weeks per chapter (which I think is a bit much for the Hobbit) it will still take us only a little more than a year. So even if we start it now, we end well before the movie-release. Considering that, what would be the best course?

Originally Posted by Voronwen

The Lost Road

That's in HoME, right? I'm sort of doubting enough people can be found for a chapter-by-chapter discussion of that. Not many people own the series either. I'm thinking you just as well may start a thread on it, and not bother trying to fit it in a long chapter-by-chapter discussion.

[Jonathan]

Okay, your calculations provide some good perspective.

Doing The Hobbit in connection to the movie release (say, 18 months from now) might indeed be more interesting than discussing the book already. One approach would be to wait and see whether enough mooters can be mustered for a discussion and then see how many would like to wait and how many would like to start right away.

Maybe it's possible to start with Unfinished Tales and then either finish it before taking on The Hobbit, take a break while discussing the other book, or do both parallelly.

Thoughts?

[Varnafindë]

Originally Posted by Jonathan

Maybe it's possible to start with Unfinished Tales and then either finish it before taking on The Hobbit, take a break while discussing the other book, or do both parallelly.

Sounds like a good idea to me. It's easy enough to take a break somewhere in UT if we haven't finished it before it's time to start on The Hobbit, since it's not one continuous story anyway.

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Jonathan

One approach would be to wait and see whether enough mooters can be mustered for a discussion and then see how many would like to wait and how many would like to start right away.

Looks like a good plan. Although it will be difficult to tell in advance if any of us will still be here in a year, and that's not counting the new members who can join in that time period.

Maybe it's possible to start with Unfinished Tales and then either finish it before taking on The Hobbit, take a break while discussing the other book, or do both parallelly.

I've been thinking in that direction too. I haven't looked up the chapters yet, so I don't know how long it would take us, but you and Varna make an excellent point in that we can more easily pause the UT discussion as those chapters don't make a unified narrative.

Although, if not enough people can be found to take care of the UT-chapters, we might be better off if we spare ourselves the trouble then.

[Gordis]

I can take The Hunt for the Ring, I have already written a lot about it, made the time-shemes etc.

It would be great if Alcuin took the Palantiri chapter - he is an expert on the subject.

Voronwen with her love for Numenor could make a great job of the description of the island etc.

Yet those chapters are not exactly at the beginning. At the beginning there are those boring First age stories... Any takers?

[Coffeehouse]

I am in for both Unfinished Tales and the Hobbit. Definitely the Hobbit though!!! Really can't wait... When do we begin?

[Voronwen]

Originally Posted by Gordis

Voronwen with her love for Numenor could make a great job of the description of the island etc.

Can anyone link me to a similar discussion so i can see what would need to be done?

[Jonathan]

Check out the subforum in the Silmarillion forum, as well as the one in the LotR forum.

[Voronwen]

Thank you, Jonathan.


I don't know what to say, Gordis, except thank you for thinking i could do a good job. I suppose i could try.

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by Voronwen

I don't know what to say, Gordis, except thank you for thinking i could do a good job. I suppose i could try.

Sure you could. But don't worry, Numenor chapters are in the middle of the list. You will have plenty of time to think on it.

[Earniel]

So we are decided then? First UT and then later The Hobbit to be finished before the movie release?

Originally Posted by Gordis

Yet those chapters are not exactly at the beginning. At the beginning there are those boring First age stories... Any takers?

I suppose some takers may be found if we start deviding the chapters in earnest. I can handle some of the last orphaned chapters if no takers come forward.

I've had a quick look, not all chapters are equal in length, such as the Narn, we might better cut that one in two for the discussion.

[Varnafindë]

I really ought to do Gondolin ...

[Voronwen]

Originally Posted by Gordis

Sure you could. But don't worry, Numenor chapters are in the middle of the list. You will have plenty of time to think on it.

Well, i've never done anything remotely like this before and at first i was a little apprehensive at the thought, but think i'd feel bad if i didn't do this Thank you for the opportunity. I believe my love and reverence for the subject matter will get me through.

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

So we are decided then? First UT and then later The Hobbit to be finished before the movie release?

Sounds fine to me. UT is my fav. book out there...

[Coffeehouse]

I don't have the book though, but I guess I'll be fine since the University library has it ( what awesome library that is!).

I was wondering if I could do the chapters Aldarion & Erendis from the 2nd Age and the Quest of Erebor. Hopefully, if nobody minds, I'd like to do both...

[Voronwen]

Aldarion & Erendis

Wait..... this is part of the chapters on Numenor that Gordis intended for me to do... Or does she just want me to take care of the Description of Numenor and the Line of Elros chapters... I thought this all went together, but we'll see what she originally intended.