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

[skadi_of_the_north]

I actually was aware of this change, mostly because the professor I had as an undergrad was a pen-pal of some sort with Christopher Tolkien and this was right before The Two Towers was coming out and she was all in a froth (and, I might add, rightfully so) about how much they had changed...

I agree with you about Gollum being much more, well, cartoony in the films than I ever read him in the book. I think the filmmakers have to exaggerate everything to make the lows lower so that the payoff is higher, but things do suffer and nuances do get hammered into giant grandiose motions as a result. I finally saw the hobbit film two days ago and I seem to recall that Gollum had a little leather pouch alongside his loincloth, where he searched for the Ring, and that didn't seem to be to jarring.

[j_quadrifrons]

A PEN-PAL OF CHRISTOPHER TOLKIEN WHAT. That is AWESOME.

The more I reread the more I realize just how *much* nuance got lost in the movies. Not all of it, but quite a lot, and I think Gollum gets the worst of it. They try so hard to make him sympathetic he just becomes pitiful. (The flashback to Smeagol and Deagol, on the other hand, I think they got just right.)