Epic Tolkien Bookclub: Week Six

[sigridhr]

  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:

• 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. 

Discussion on this post will officially run from Friday 15th February 2013 to Friday 22nd February 2013. However, the post will remain open after that point, so you're more than welcome to continue discussions on.

Comments

[sigridhr]

I am seconding everyone's hilarity at pompous!Thorin. I have this hilarious mental image of Bilbo leaving out the endless, self-important prattle of Thorin the whole way there. Like he'd be the sort to tell those stories that go on and on with all these self-indulgent tangents and meanwhile Fili and Kili are all "Yes, we've heard this one before" and he just tells the same couple stories over and over on their trip.

There is something so evocative about the description of Smaug before we actually see him – just the light of the heat that radiates off him, and the sound of him breathing echoing in the deep halls... so delightfully creepy.

I love that Smaug's chiefest power in this scene is that of manipulation. Evil as the whisper that plants suspicious thoughts seems to be a theme of Tolkien's - it's certainly acted out through Morgoth, Sauron and Glaurung. I think that's probably the main reason why this is one of my favourite chapters – because Smaug pulls the same trick that lead to the oath of Fëanor, the ruin of Túrin, the forging of the nine and the seven, the downfall of Númenor...

And Bilbo essentially goes fuck you very much and laughs in his face.

You can really tell Tolkien's love of dragons in the description of Smaug's attack, though. It's terrifyingly vivid.

It's interesting too how you have the two enchantments, that of greed for the gold and the thrall of Smaug - both of which Bilbo is briefly subject to (he does entertain doubts about the dwarves) but gets over pretty damn quickly. I guess this is just hobbit natural resilience showing through.