I like this chapter very much. It has a wonderful atmosphere and it features two of my favourite minor characters - the fox and Gildor Inglorion. The fox - much discussed elsewhere, I think - is an intriguing little glimpse to something, and Gildor is a very charming Elf. Well, I think he's funny and he indeed seems to have his way with words and has some wise thoughts. All the talk about fencing the world out always makes a shiver go down my spine.
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Originally Posted by alatar
And speaking of sniffing, why does Tolkien via mostly Pippin make such a big deal that the creatures hunt by smell, and yet later on this becomes a pretty boring detail?
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Boring detail? Like, do you mean that it becomes a trivial fact and is not used anymore?
One thing I really admire in Tolkien's writing in this chapter is how the Nazgűl's visit to Hobbiton is organised. How Frodo hears the dialogue and almosts goes to talk with the Gaffer, and how Sam later expands upon this. It's what I would call masterful storytelling.
Also, I realised I like Sam less when I read about him in English than in Finnish. Weird.
And Pippin then, he gives me the impression of a young aristocrat on a nice little trip - which is what he is. But it never struck me like that. Actually, he reminds me (to an extent) of the men in the novels of Jane Austen, for example.