Favorite Chapter of Lord of the Rings - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

the phantom · 03-31-2005, 02:40 PM

We have a thread called Parts We Skip and Why where we state which chapters/parts we skip, so I thought we should have a thread that asks which chapters we read again and again.

Don't be afraid to give several answers, and please- give a reason why! This thread is not intended to be a mere poll.

As we make our way through Lord of the Rings in the Chapter-by-Chapter read through, be sure to come to this thread and post if the current chapter is one of your favorites. You'd be surprised how easy it is to forget one of your favorite parts until you find it again.

And yes, there are probably several of these threads already in existence (I found one or two extremely old ones), but I thought that it would be nice to start a new one.

I will get the ball rolling with a list of chapters that I love.

FOTR I, 1 A Long-Expected Party- Why do I love this chapter? Because hobbits are hilarious. The party always makes me smile.

FOTR I, 2 The Shadow of the Past- This chapter injects the story with some darkness and seriousness. It really drew me the first time I read it.

FOTR I, 10 Strider- This is without a doubt one of my favorite chapters. The introduction of Strider really seems to make the story grow into a more grand adventure. I absolutely love the way Strider introduces himself to Frodo. Their conversations are outstanding. I love reading this chapter.

FOTR I, 11 & 12 A Knife in the Dark, Flight to the Ford- I sort of see these two excellent chapters as a continuation of chapter ten.

FOTR II, 2 The Council of Elrond- There's not much action in this chapter, but I love Tolkien's dialogue. This chapter is heavy on exposition, and at this point in the story the reader is likely anxious to learn the things that are revealed in this chapter.

FOTR II, 4 & 5 A Journey in the Dark, The Bridge of Khazad-dum- I fell in love with these chapters the first time I read them. Tolkien's description of the Fellowship's journey through Moria made me wish that Moria was a real place that I could visit. I also love the encounter with Durin's Bane. Gandalf's account to the Fellowship about his first encounter (at the shut door) with the Balrog is very gripping, and filled me with unbearable anxiety the first time I read it. I remember asking, "What in the world was that thing at the door?!"

TTT I, 1 The Departure of Boromir- This chapter really left my head spinning. Boromir is slain, Merry and Pippin get captured, and Aragorn decides to let Frodo go on his own. What reader wasn't in shock the first time they read this chapter?

TTT I, 10 The Voice of Saruman- I love the confrontation between Gandalf and Saruman.

TTT II, 4 & 5 & 6 Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit, The Window on the West, The Forbidden Pool- For some reason, the first three chapters that follow Frodo and Sam seem a bit laborious to me. Perhaps Tolkien intended it, since the two hobbits were moving through barren, evil lands, with only one twisted (and rather annoying) companion to interact with. In the fourth chapter, the hobbits move into more pleasant lands, and encounter Faramir and his men. I love these chapters because I love Frodo and Sam's interaction with Faramir, much as I loved their interaction with Aragorn in FOTR, chapter 10. Faramir's words are firm, kind, fair, shrewd, and pretty much everything that words should be. He really does remind me of Aragorn. I love most every scene where one of them is speaking.

TTT II, 10 The Choices of Master Samwise- This chapter is a blow to the head. After reading this chapter, I sat and wondered how things could possibly get resolved. The thought actually entered my mind that this story would be some sort of tragedy, where the heroes die bravely but do not triumph.

ROTK I, 4 & 5 & 6 The Siege of Gondor, The Ride of the Rohirrim, The Battle of the Pelennor Fields- I doubt there is anyone who does not consider at least one of these chapters to be among their favorites. I remember gasping with joy when I read the final sentence of chapter four, "Rohan had come at last." Rohan's ride to the defense of Minas Tirith is definitely one of bits I love the most in LOTR- and Aragorn's unexpected arrival is the icing on the cake.

ROTK I, 8 The Houses of Healing- There are a lot of things that I enjoy in this chapter- Faramir's first encounter with the King whom he immediately knows, Ioreth's tongue wagging, Aragorn and Gandalf's expressed annoyance with her, and Aragorn's words with the hobbits.

There! That's my list of favorite chapters. As the Chapter-by-Chapter moves along though, I might just add a couple to the list.

03-31-2005, 02:40 PM	#1
the phantom Beloved Shadow Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: The Stadium Posts: 5,971	Favorite Chapter of Lord of the Rings We have a thread called Parts We Skip and Why where we state which chapters/parts we skip, so I thought we should have a thread that asks which chapters we read again and again. Don't be afraid to give several answers, and please- give a reason why! This thread is not intended to be a mere poll. As we make our way through Lord of the Rings in the Chapter-by-Chapter read through, be sure to come to this thread and post if the current chapter is one of your favorites. You'd be surprised how easy it is to forget one of your favorite parts until you find it again. And yes, there are probably several of these threads already in existence (I found one or two extremely old ones), but I thought that it would be nice to start a new one. I will get the ball rolling with a list of chapters that I love. FOTR I, 1 A Long-Expected Party- Why do I love this chapter? Because hobbits are hilarious. The party always makes me smile. FOTR I, 2 The Shadow of the Past- This chapter injects the story with some darkness and seriousness. It really drew me the first time I read it. FOTR I, 10 Strider- This is without a doubt one of my favorite chapters. The introduction of Strider really seems to make the story grow into a more grand adventure. I absolutely love the way Strider introduces himself to Frodo. Their conversations are outstanding. I love reading this chapter. FOTR I, 11 & 12 A Knife in the Dark, Flight to the Ford- I sort of see these two excellent chapters as a continuation of chapter ten. FOTR II, 2 The Council of Elrond- There's not much action in this chapter, but I love Tolkien's dialogue. This chapter is heavy on exposition, and at this point in the story the reader is likely anxious to learn the things that are revealed in this chapter. FOTR II, 4 & 5 A Journey in the Dark, The Bridge of Khazad-dum- I fell in love with these chapters the first time I read them. Tolkien's description of the Fellowship's journey through Moria made me wish that Moria was a real place that I could visit. I also love the encounter with Durin's Bane. Gandalf's account to the Fellowship about his first encounter (at the shut door) with the Balrog is very gripping, and filled me with unbearable anxiety the first time I read it. I remember asking, "What in the world was that thing at the door?!" TTT I, 1 The Departure of Boromir- This chapter really left my head spinning. Boromir is slain, Merry and Pippin get captured, and Aragorn decides to let Frodo go on his own. What reader wasn't in shock the first time they read this chapter? TTT I, 10 The Voice of Saruman- I love the confrontation between Gandalf and Saruman. TTT II, 4 & 5 & 6 Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit, The Window on the West, The Forbidden Pool- For some reason, the first three chapters that follow Frodo and Sam seem a bit laborious to me. Perhaps Tolkien intended it, since the two hobbits were moving through barren, evil lands, with only one twisted (and rather annoying) companion to interact with. In the fourth chapter, the hobbits move into more pleasant lands, and encounter Faramir and his men. I love these chapters because I love Frodo and Sam's interaction with Faramir, much as I loved their interaction with Aragorn in FOTR, chapter 10. Faramir's words are firm, kind, fair, shrewd, and pretty much everything that words should be. He really does remind me of Aragorn. I love most every scene where one of them is speaking. TTT II, 10 The Choices of Master Samwise- This chapter is a blow to the head. After reading this chapter, I sat and wondered how things could possibly get resolved. The thought actually entered my mind that this story would be some sort of tragedy, where the heroes die bravely but do not triumph. ROTK I, 4 & 5 & 6 The Siege of Gondor, The Ride of the Rohirrim, The Battle of the Pelennor Fields- I doubt there is anyone who does not consider at least one of these chapters to be among their favorites. I remember gasping with joy when I read the final sentence of chapter four, "Rohan had come at last." Rohan's ride to the defense of Minas Tirith is definitely one of bits I love the most in LOTR- and Aragorn's unexpected arrival is the icing on the cake. ROTK I, 8 The Houses of Healing- There are a lot of things that I enjoy in this chapter- Faramir's first encounter with the King whom he immediately knows, Ioreth's tongue wagging, Aragorn and Gandalf's expressed annoyance with her, and Aragorn's words with the hobbits. There! That's my list of favorite chapters. As the Chapter-by-Chapter moves along though, I might just add a couple to the list. __________________ the phantom has posted. This thread is now important.