It was only recently that I had heard
Lalwende's breakdown of Bilbo's saying, which hearing it that way I certainly agree. I think its the one that fits best with Bilbo's character.
The thing is, is just like it was to us, it's confusing to them Hobbits to figure out. As we are told, Hobbits like simple things, they don't really like to sit and think about what does this mean. And that's exactly what Bilbo does, he makes them think
'what the heck is he talking about?' 'What is he saying?'
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Yes it is a glass half full/empty statement, and understanding it as a compliment would indeed depend upon the listener being well-disposed towards Bilbo, as it would be very easy to take his words as an insult!~Lal
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I think more importantly than who was listening, was the tone that Bilbo said it in. Aye, that very difficult thing of tone. It's hard to read tone, unless there are 'emotions' attached to it.
When I saw the movies, the way Bilbo (Ian Holm) says it is rather demeaning, especially the second part of the quote. The first part he says all proudly and happy, the second part the...
and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve., he says it demeaningly as if it were an insult. You'll have to watch, ore remember this part of course to have any idea what I'm talking about. But when Mr. Holm says it there's a difference between the two parts, and the way he says it. That second part he goes into a lower voice and says it as if he's scolding some of them (as a teacher would to a student that was acting up)...as if he's saying
'I like you (the minority)
more than you deserve to be liked by me!'
With the way it's said in the movies, thats how I just thought of it in the books, because it's hard to read
'tone,' it's hard to read
'expression.' Though when Lal told me this breakdown, and going back to read the part, it makes much more sense that Bilbo was trying to give a compliment...a very complicated compliment that most of the hobbits couldn't figure out whether it was a compliment or not.
