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Epic Tolkien Bookclub: Week Six
Epic Tolkien Bookclub: Week Six (The Hobbit)
Chapter XI: On the Doorstep
Chapter XII: Inside Information
Rules
I very much doubt we'll require much in the way of formal rules, but just for the sake of formality and clarity:
Chapter XI: On the Doorstep
Chapter XII: Inside Information
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 forcing you to live in an AU where Tolkien was never born.
- 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.
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On the Doorstep is very possibly the bleakest thing in Middle Earth until you finally get to Mordor. They clearly don't know what to do. They stop and check out the front gate first - which, god, is an entirely heartbreaking mental image. Bilbo refuses to sneak in by the front gate because he doesn't want to see the ruins of Dale again (well, and because that's a shitty plan). Desolation of the Dragon indeed.
The image of them taking their axes to the door and being terrified away by the echoes reminds me of Moria, and is also deeply creepy. It's gotta be bad to scare Dwarves.
No matter how hard I try, I cannot make the key-hole and the moon-runes prophecy make sense in any kind of logical way, so I have given up trying.
Inside Information, on the other hand, is a chapter full of sass. "You are familiar with Thorin's style on important occasions," the narrator says. "O Thorin Thrain's son Oakenshield, may your beard grow ever longer," says Bilbo when he starts to get irritated. And then there's Smaug! No matter how smug he gets, Olson points out, Bilbo is still, in that scene, only the second-most proud and overconfident person in the room. Oh, Smaug.
I love, love, love, that Balin is the only Dwarf who will go into the tunnel with Bilbo, and even then only within sight of the door. I love Balin entirely. (This is probably why I developed such an attachment to him as a child, and was so heartbroken when I finally read what happened to him in LotR.)
The whole episode of stealing the cup from the dragon's hoard is straight out of Beowulf, which Tolkien says was unconscious. (I don't doubt it.) Consciously, Tolkien gave the dragon a pun for a name - "the past tense of the primitive Germanic verb Smugan, to squeeze through a hole." And the riddling with Smaug is from the Lay of Fafnir, one of Tolkien's very favorite stories (he borrowed heavily from it for Turin Turambar).
I have all kinds of Leadership Feels when Thorin splits up the company during the dragon's attack, so that "The dragon shan't have all of us." (Of course, Olson points out that this is the first real leadership Thorin's shown in the book. I am glad they changed that for the movie, for all it shifts some things around.)
I think the writing might be at its very best in this chapter. The tension as Bilbo goes down into the hoard - it's incredible.
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IKR, I really can't get my head around the significance of all that. Only that they all seemed to have forgotten what Elrond told them about Durin’s day until the last minute. You think you'd remember the only advice you got about to how to open the secret door when you in fact trying to open said door, but apparently not.
I love how Tolkien won't recount all of Thorin’s lengthy rambling to Bilbo when they finally get the door open. You have to love pompous!Thorin.
Smaug is so sassy though. I love how he's described as having 'rather an overwhelming personality.' I am sincerely looking forward to seeing what Benedict Cumberbatch is going to do with that in the movie.
I love, love, love, that Balin is the only Dwarf who will go into the tunnel with Bilbo
Yes, so much love for Balin! And even when Bilbo is beating himself him for telling Smaug too much about their journey so far, Balin reassures him that it's not his fault. Aww.
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Smaug is the greatest, and I also cannot wait to see what Cumperdink does with it. <3
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Hahahahaha. Bless them, they're such morons.
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Just regarding it taking a lot to scare the Dwarves - I'm reminded of that bit from the Nírnaeth Arnoediad where the Dwarves wear battle masks so scary they freak out the dragons, and when Azaghâl is killed they just all stop fighting and carry his body out on their shoulders singing a durge, and everyone just gets the fuck out of their way because you do not mess with the Dwarves.
And seconding the Balin love. So. Much. Balin love.
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To say I was overjoyed when I came across that in my re-read would be a serious understatement.