Epic Tolkien Bookclub: Week One

[sigridhr]

 *smashes a bottle of champagne over the post* And we're off!

Epic Tolkien Bookclub: Week One (The Hobbit)
Chapter I: An Unexpected Party
Chapter II: Roast Mutton

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 a barefoot gauntlet walk across a set of lego pieces. 
  
• 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 nerdy. Or too excited. 
• 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 11th January 2013 to Friday 18th January 2013. However, the post will remain open after that point, so you're more than welcome to continue discussions on. 

(I'm cheating a bit, as it's not quite the 11th here yet, but I want to get this up before I go to work tomorrow, and 6am posting is just asking for disaster). Have at it, guys! :) 

Comments

[dragonthalyne]

Also, question about backstory if anyone knows. When did Gandalf actually join the dwarves in this particular quest? Because in the book, they're all gathered already all ready to head off to Erebor together. But did Thorin set this all up himself and did Gandalf later find them and offer to help? Or did Gandalf suggest it to Thorin so he could use them to handle Smaug before the Necromancer/Sauron got too powerful?

[sigridhr]

This is detailed in the Quest of Erebor. Thorin approached Gandalf and said he was off to go kill Smaug, and asked him to find a fourteenth member for the company. Gandalf picked Bilbo (and Thorin took some convincing). Gandalf explicitly says that he was concerned with Smaug – he worried that if Sauron was to come back, Smaug could be a very deadly weapon. He was also, at the time, planning to oust Sauron from Dol Goldur, so it makes sense it would be forefront on his mind.

So, Thorin's mission was serendipitously timely for Gandalf, and related to his business for the White Council – hence his interest. Plus, once he'd met Thorin, he figured out that he was wandering around with the key to the back door of Erebor – so, again, serendipitously timely. :)

[anki_koda]

So, I was wondering and I apologize for the change of subject but, after the battle and the quest, would Bilbo had stayed in Erebor if Thorin, Kili and Fili had survived? I mean, as soon as everything was over he went back and all that, but I have always wonder if maybe, a part of him, would wish to stay...Perhaps if Thorin had been there to invite him or something.