It feels different near the Shire....

[littlemanpoet]

Bethberry:

I remain wistfully disappointed that, when the interesting discussion starts with Tom and the hobbits, Goldberry always retires for the night. Only the cigars are missing.

That is a tad Edwardian, isn't it? [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] Thank goodness Goldberry didn't turn into Joy Davidman and start smoking cigars with the men! That would have busted all the archetypes all to smithereens. Ack! I just had a vision of Joy Davidman as Goldberry doing the cigar thing in the House of Tom Bombadil. Nightmarish. [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]

davem:

they connect Bombadil to various figures from Celtic myth & legend.

Whoa! Child needs to read this. It contends with her assertion (well documented as well) that Bombadil is the epitome of Oxfordshire Englishness. In fact, davem, I wonder if you couldn't go into a little more detail as to which Celtic figures the authors connect with Bombadil?

On your other points, I would agree that Fellowship has the more fairy-tale feel, and I agree with the reasons you state. I don't, however, find that

Bk 1 especially fits rather awkwardly with the rest of the book.

Care to elucidate your point?