Epic Tolkien Bookclub: Week Three

[sigridhr]

  Epic Tolkien Bookclub: Week Three (The Hobbit)
Chapter V: Riddles in the Dark
Chapter VI: Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire

Rules

I very much doubt we'll require much in the way of formal rules, but just for the sake of formality and clarity:

• Discussion is welcome and encouraged, as is disagreement. Name-calling and personal attacks will be punished by purchasing $10,000 worth of shares in Mordor Inc. in your name. 
  
• There is no spoiler policy in place. Although we're reading the Hobbit, please feel free to bring in things from other Tolkien works, any of the films, the History of Middle Earth, the Letters of JRR Tolkien, and, if you should like, other literary sources. 
• There is no such thing as too much geekery. Or taking the text too seriously.  
• If you have any concerns at any point, I'm the closest thing this gong show has to a mod, so feel free to get in touch. I can be reached either by PM through this site, or directly by email at sigridhr.lokidottir@gmail.com. 

Discussion on this post will officially run from Friday 18th January 2013 to Friday 25th January 2013. However, the post will remain open after that point, so you're more than welcome to continue discussions on. 

Comments

[starliings.livejournal.com]

This is really interesting, I was wondering about the ring being a kind of sentient thing as I was reading this chapter. I'm a relative Tolkien newbie, but I know that the ring basically almost takes people over, and makes them overpowered by greed and everything, and that Bilbo's pity for Gollum was possibly one of the things which stopped him being so affected by it.
This bit:
'Whether it was an accident, or a last trick of the ring before it took a new master, it was not on his finger'
kinda made me think that this was almost the ring's punishment for Bilbo's act of pity, for him not letting himself be made completely evil by it. Also it says he felt a 'pang of fear and loss' on realising he wasn't wearing it, so the ring already has some power of him, even with his compassion, which usually does not compute with normal ring-bearer actions.

The whole ring thing is just gets more creepy and interesting the more you think about it!