A hundredth re-read of the LotR

[skip spence]

Originally Posted by Nogrod

And surely I'm not the only one to whom the appearance of the first black rider was a terrifying experience when being read that part of the story!

Such intensly written!

Funny that the second appearance of the Nazgûl now feels even more frightening!

It's a shame, but I can't remember a first time when I read about the black riders, a time when I didn't already know what they were and could share the Hobbits fear of the unknown. There must have been a first time of course, but I've no recollection of it sadly, perhaps because I was so young when I first read the book. When rereading it though, I agree that it is during the first few chapters the Riders are the scariest. It's often like that. isn't it? When the danger is only suggested, it seems much more deadly. In the Shire you feel that if the riders were to catch Frodo on the road it would end in indescribable horror, there and then. Later on, when we learn more of the Nazgul, and when they fail to take the ring despite several excellent opportunities, their aura of dread also dissipates somewhat.

These first chapters of the first book are, and will always remain, my favourite part of the trilogy. Here, in familiar, very non-fantasy surroundings, the story begins and is masterfully built up. In similar fashion to why the Nazgul are most effective here in my mind, I also think the suggestion of Mordor and all the other amazing places and people that we are later taken to are most thrilling when we can only imagine them from sparse second hand information. When it is later written down plainly in detail some of the magic is lost. This, I suppose is the reason why I enjoy the Silmarillion so much (not saying I don't enjoy LotR mind you). Since the narrative is so compressed and distant, it leaves a lot of space for your imagination to fill in. A few lines in the Silm have conjured up fantastic visions in my mind. But now we're talking about LotR...

This chapter is the foremost hiking chapter too, isn't it? The Hobbits' trek across the Shire is described in great detail, and although there are many other such scenes later on in the books there are hardly any better ones. Is there anyone who can read this chapter without wishing that they were out walking in Woods End of the Shire glancing back at the lights of Hobbiton (without the pursuing black riders of course)?