The Hobbit - Chapter 01 - An Unexpected Party

[Alphaelin]

I'm so glad to be able to join a C-b-C discussion *before* the halfway point in the book is reached

I'll try to respond to Esty's introductory post without boring anyone here who has already read my comments about TH on other threads. I've just realized one interesting thing: I read the book for myself for the first time after I read LOTR! My first time through the book was having it read to me in school, which was enjoyable, but the emphasis was not the same as when I read it myself.

TH was my introduction to Middle Earth: Everything I have come to love about Tolkien's writing I owe to this book, for it showed me my first glimpses of Dwarves, Rivendell, Elrond, Gondolin, the Ring, wizards, Elves, goblins and dragons. For that reason alone, I have continued to read it once every couple of years in hommage to the Middle Earth vistas it has led me to. Certainly it is lighter and yes, a bit sillier than the rest of the Legendarium, but for me that is a pleasant break from some of the heavier subjects JRRT wrote about. I do understand that not everyone finds this appealing, but then my family and I are a silly people.

I do know that when reading it for myself, Far over the Misty Mountains Cold and its accompanying paragraph is one of my favorite passages in this chapter. I love the strong rythm of the song itself -- in fact I usually chant it out loud just for the pleasure of hearing the words.

As they sang the hobbit felt the love of beautiful things made by hands and by cunning and by magic moving through him, a fierce and jealous love, the desire of the hearts of dwarves. Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick.

The description of Bilbo's response is very interesting: suddenly the idea of passion is introduced into his calm, orderly mind-set -- and he is attracted by it. We see the beginnings of Bilbo's journey here, too. Not just the physical journey to the mountain and back, but the journey away from a safe, settled existence toward danger and knowledge of the world beyond the Shire and Bilbo's awakening to his own hidden abilities.

[Holbytlass]

I read The Hobbit right before FOTR came out, at 28 yrs old. The movies are what brought me to it. I fell in love with it.

I related to Bilbo right away with his simplistic lifestyle and love of food and visitors. I love his home-very earthy yet all the modern conveniences of the day (ex tiled floors, pannelled walls, and no smoke).

Bilbo is obviously rich, he doesn't have a job yet is asked to lend money, an inheritance from his parents especially his mother who also probably had inheritance from her own parents but I like to think that some of it came from Belladonna's own adventures- "Not that Belladonna Took ever had any adventures after she became Mrs. Bungo Baggins. (emphasis mine)

Gandalf, like the elves, seems more light-hearted and incline to joke around more in TH than LOTR. Gandalf seems to be more amused with Bilbo than Pippin, who is more of a Took than Bilbo is.

Something interesting is how differently Gandalf deals with Bilbo in comparison to Beorn (later in the book) with the introductions to the dwarves. I suppose it can wait till ch7 to compare/contrast.

Overall, I think Tolkien did a superb job with the first chapter. Not so much that he is a great writer but that so many introductions and much information had to be given, it was cohesive and rather funny.

Does anyone know why there were so many dwarves?
Also, what are the braces that Bilbo sticks his fingers behind to blow smoke-rings?

[JennyHallu]

Braces would be suspenders.

[Tuor of Gondolin]

Holbytlass:

I like to think that some of it came from Belladonna's own adventures-

No doubt she went at least as far as Breeland, and she
might have gotten along famously with Goldberry.
But perhaps BT got as far as Rivendell and told her
son of elves and their dwellings, even taught him
elvish. Perhaps she even punted up and down
the Brandywine!
Or BT wandered in regions not
discussed by her son or his heir in their writings.

[Kath]

Does anyone know why there were so many dwarves?

Perhaps so they needed Bilbo because of the unlucky number thing. Gandalf made quite a thing of that so they were obviously bothered by it.