Lord of the Rings Discussion Group (The Green Dragon Inn) II

[HairOfTheDog]

Repost – Highlights from chapters 1-5 copied from the original forum to the new one. To reference the full version, click here: Original Green Dragon Inn Within the first five chapters... disregard the reply numbers... they wont work.

Thank you ecurbh, for copying and editing our old thread so that the highlights could be moved here! Highlights of the first five chapters from the old thread are pasted into the first 5 replies here. For those of you who are just joining you… as of this post we are beginning Chapter 6.

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Welcome to The Green Dragon Inn

Approaching The Green Dragon Inn
Hobbiton, in The Shire

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And wither then? I cannot say.
- JRR Tolkien

Politics also goes ever on and on.
This is a place for FReeper Tolkien fans to come and take a break from the impure reality of conservative activism and relax a little with a great story. We (the other co-conspirators and I) would like to study together the writings of Tolkien, beginning together, and discussing as we go through The Lord of the Rings together.

This is a chapter discussion, roughly one chapter per week, with the discussion mostly centered on the books, though of course the movie will be contrasted and compared, and perhaps used to illustrate another interpretation of the story.

Every week, someone from the group (maybe me) will ping The Green Dragon List to the new Chapter, but we will continue this one thread until it becomes too cumbersome…. Let me know if you would like to be on - or off - this list. I will for now serve as the Thain of the list.

If you are joining late, jump right in, but please stick to the chapter currently being discussed.

Some have loved this story a long time, and some are newly discovering it. If you fit either category, we invite you to join in, but we would like this thread to stay mostly focused on the chapter at hand and keep moving, but at a pace everyone can keep up with… No jumping ahead, and no lagging behind! If you have other news to report or wish to discuss something Tolkien in more general terms… May we recommend the equally homey Hobbit Hole where my co-conspirators and I frequently have plenty of good talk.

One other request…. This thread will get long. In recognition that images slow down the thread for many, let’s keep the posting of images to a minimum on this thread. If there is a great illustration you wish to share, let’s try to use links instead of images wherever possible.

So lets read, listen and become inspired by the many aspects of The Lord of the Rings that touch us deeply and reconnect us to the values we aspire to. Many great discussions have already been had, and I hope that this thread will produce even more. Many FReepers have wonderful things to say about LoTR, whether the fantasy reconnects them with their faith, with their relationships with friends and family, or simply illustrates the splendor of great acts of heroism and sacrifice in the constant battle of virtue versus corruption.

Though it is a work of fiction, we believe the inspiration to be gained can only help us in our larger political goals: to appreciate and defend our freedom, our culture and our political ideals. May the fellowship and insight gained from this discussion help us to work through the issues that are the basis for our many shared ideals.

Besides, we Tolkien fans* need something to keep us busy during the next two years of waiting for the next two films. If you do not enjoy this story, then please simply leave us be.

*Also known as Geeky Hobbity Weirdos, obsessive fanatics, you name it, we have heard it and we see these names as compliments. In other words: don’t act like a troll, or we will distract you with our endless babble until the morning sun turns you to stone.

[HairOfTheDog]

and looks like he's remembering the time someone pulled his spine out and beat him with it

GAH! - That was a vivid picture Dan!

Agreed... that is a fun dialogue... and true... many times the real evil looks fair and feels foul.

[JenB]

Pulease! Everybody hug your lonely Ranger today!

Um, you might want to rephrase that or you may have some problems in here. I think Aragorn treats the Hobbits nicely and does want to be friends, but he does sound whiny. Not as whiny as Boromir does later though.

[HairOfTheDog]

Come and go as you please! though I hope you can join us often... and I am glad that we no longer have to be overly worried about spoilers. We shall try to behave on our own accord, but at least we can't wreck any surprises for you now.

[BibChr]

Funny, that line works all right for me. One of the things missing in the movie, wonderful as it is, is more of a sense of Strider's history. You don't get much of the fact that he's been out in the Wild for years (and years and years), and has had many exploits.

Even more, what I miss is his history with Gandalf. In the book, he and Gandalf have travelled many miles together. In fact, they went through Moria together, and it was Strider who was reluctant to repeat the experience, not so much Gandalf.

In the movie, it's as if Strider hardly knows Gandalf at all. "Wait no longer for the wizard [—can't quite place his name...], Frodo."

I know, I know, I really do — Jackson had to keep up the pace, and if he'd shot the movie I'd most have preferred, it'd've been eight hours long and made about $4937.00 — mostly from my family!

Dan

[BornOnTheFourth]

I'd hug him...sigh...

[HairOfTheDog]

Hehehehe Jen... I am not bashing Aragorn in general! But that was a wimpy moment. One wimpy sentence in the middle of a fabulous dialogue.

Yes Dan, missing (or "off-screen" as Jackson explains it) in the film was the great histories of a lot of the characters, including Aragorn... The fact that the Rangers had long protected the lands of the heedless who had long forgotten them, and the history of Aragorn's friendship with Gandalf, and the role he played tracking Gollum down and getting the real story out of him.

[HairOfTheDog]

[sigh]

[Penny1]

Even more, what I miss is his history with Gandalf. In the book, he and Gandalf have travelled many miles together. In fact, they went through Moria together, and it was Strider who was reluctant to repeat the experience, not so much Gandalf.

I really missed that too, and wish they had kept the part about it being Aragorn who was reluctant to go through Moria and especially WHY--because Aragorn was worried about Gandalf's safety. There are a couple of moments in the movie, though, where you get a sense that Gandalf and Aragorn know each other well-when Gandalf insists Aragorn "lead them on" and when Gandalf falls. Perhaps we will get more of their "history" in the next installment? I hope.

[Penny1]

I wonder if they left out a lot of the history of the characters because they had to pack so much history into the prologue. Perhaps in movies 2 and 3, with the necessary history filled in already in FOTR we can get more character-history filled in for us. I can hope, anyway...

[allthatisgolddoesnotglitter]

I'm hoping they'll be more history in general in the next one as well, since TTT isn't as big of a book. The characters aren't really that well developed, they just move and move and move from here to there. You find out a good bit about personalities from dialogue but no real history. I did think the history of Middle Earth in the beginning was nice.....

[MozartLover]

"Pulease! Everybody hug your lonely Ranger today! "

Okay!!!:) :) :)

[HairOfTheDog]

Perhaps there will be more history revealed to the movie audience, but my guess is that much of that depth will be understood only by the readers of the books.

Books... I think I shall settle back with my books now and re-read all this material I have opened up for conversation, so I am prepared to talk about it. I have been good, and not reading too far ahead!

[allthatisgolddoesnotglitter]

Hehe, this is a good three chapters for me, I know more about Strider than any other part or character in LOTR.:-) sad, isn't it? lol

[300winmag]

I would have been fine with it, except shoving him up the stairs and then shoving/throwing him across the room onto the floor was a bit much...especially since Frodo is so much smaller than Aragorn.

I can see a good reason for Aragorn to do this, as distasteful as it seems. After seeing the little "show" put on in the common room, Aragorn probably had a vision of the entire enterprise failing right on the spot.

He had to impress on Frodo that not only was Frodo's life at stake, but the fate of all the free peoples, too. With stakes that high, a good, healthy shove would not be out of place as a way of emphasizing the point. It certainly got Frodo's attention.

[HairOfTheDog]

We may have gotten some verse from you then, had I not stole your poem... Perhaps there is some other story or verse you would like to tell us?

[allthatisgolddoesnotglitter]

lol, such as? I can't think of any ya'll wouldn't already know......hehe

[JenB]

Great interpretation! Also, what if Aragorn was trying to make it clear to the unsavory types at the Pony that the Hobbits were his business? If you're a part-time Doer of Evil, are you going to want to mess with a Ranger who's obviously concerned with this mess? Aragorn got Frodo out of the common room without fuss, and into his protection. Who cares if Frodo's feelings are a little hurt, it'll prepare him for his long journey.

[HairOfTheDog]

Oh we hobbits love to hear stories we already know! I am told you can tell a rare tale when you have the mind!

[allthatisgolddoesnotglitter]

hmmm, let's see....how about a tale of Aragorn's life before he met the hobbits? or have you heard that one too many times? After all, one must not get bored you know.

[HairOfTheDog]

That would be grand indeed, and I can't say that I know all of it! I think now would be a good time for it too... now that my work is finished for the day and I can settle in with a pint and listen!