Quick note before jumping into the Chapter 2 discussion.
This could make me a horrible Tolkien fan, I tried reading the
Annotated Hobbit, but I just can't get into it. When I'm reading I like getting into a linear, mental zone, where I'm just reading the story. And all the pictures, notes, and extra material in the Annotated just distracts my eye and I lose my place
Maybe from now on I'll try to read my copy of The Hobbit, and then go to the Annotated for all the extra stuff after. I'm sure there's bunches of interesting details, but when I sit down to read, I can't have clutter in the margins distracting me.
