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02-10-2004, 06:26 PM | #1 |
Animated Skeleton
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Those Little, Unimportant, and Unknown parts that we love...
Now, everyone has their favorite chapter, character, fight, battle, or whatever...but this thread is about those little unimportant and unknown things that Tolkien added without any real addition to the story and without taking anything away...Im talking about those lines, characters, and all those other things that are in the books but no one really talks about, either because they forgot about the line, or because it is not really important, or maybe they just skipped over it...but here are my favorites...
The wine that Bilbo gave to Rory Brandybuck, and where it says "Rory always thought Bilbo a little odd, but he declared him a fine fellow after the first bottle" or whatever it says..but everytime I read LotR again I always read that part and laugh out loud... The fox in the woods in the forest, no real reason for Tolkien to narrarate what a Fox is thinking about 3 hobbits in the forest...but I just love it...dont know why... When Merry turns to Pippin (or Pippin turns to Merry, cant remember) after meeting King Theoden and says "So that's the King of Rohan, fine chap, very polite."....best Hobbit quote..ever! (next to Frodo's quote regarding wizards..) The Dwarves of Belegost at the 5th Battle in the Silmarillion...I just love where the dwarves lift up their dead king and carry him out of the battle as if they are at a funeral, and the best part of it all is "and none dared stay them", and I think everyone knows why, commonsense says "Dont mess with an army of angry dwarves with giant, hideous masks and giant battle axes as they march their dead king off of the battle field" And yours? -willkill
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02-10-2004, 07:46 PM | #2 | |||
Haunting Spirit
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: The House of the Fountain, Gondolin
Posts: 57
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I love many of the chapter titles. Have you noticed that the first chapter of LotR, "A Long-Expected Party," harkens back to the first chapter of The Hobbit, "An Unexpected Party"? Also Chapter 6 of Book VI of RotK, "Many Partings," is like Chapter 1 of Book II of FotR, "Many Meetings."
Tolkien does things like that all through the books. Three times, once in each of the books, he mentions something about Aragorn having a star on his head. In FotR, in "Fog on the Barrow-downs," the hobbits Quote:
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Then came there from the south of the city the people of the Fountain, and Ecthelion was their lord, and silver and diamonds were their delight; and swords very long and bright and pale did they wield . . . |
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02-10-2004, 08:19 PM | #3 | |
Deathless Sun
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But Melkor also was there, and he came to the house of Fëanor, and there he slew Finwë King of the Noldor before his doors, and spilled the first blood in the Blessed Realm; for Finwë alone had not fled from the horror of the Dark. |
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02-10-2004, 08:43 PM | #4 | |
Ubiquitous Urulóki
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I believe Frodo's line;
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Also, many of the various things written in the "Battle of Pelennor Fields" chapter are unimportant, yet enjoyable. Most of the superfluous dialogue between Eowyn and the Witch-King, although it's really not superfluous, and the reactions to Theoden's death and Eowyn's supposed death by Eomer and the Rohirrim.
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"What mortal feels not awe/Nor trembles at our name, Hearing our fate-appointed power sublime/Fixed by the eternal law. For old our office, and our fame," -Aeschylus, Song of the Furies |
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02-10-2004, 10:23 PM | #5 |
Beholder of the Mists
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Somewhere in the Northwest... for now
Posts: 1,419
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Oh, yes, I was going to talk about the Fox That is one of my favorite parts of the story. Just him going by, and thinking that the hobbits out in the country was odd. It really had nothing to do (in my opinion) with the main storyline, but it was just nice. I also love the quote about Theoden from Pippin. After all the serious things that are going on in the book, that just seems to be there to remind you that you can take the hobbit of of the Shire, but you can never take the Shire out of the hobbit
I additionally think that the counting game that Gimli and Legolas plays is another enjoyable thing, that is just like icing on the cake. It adds some humor to the story, but then it doesn't distract from it.
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02-11-2004, 03:24 AM | #6 | |
Princess of Skwerlz
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles)
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My all-time favorite 'insignificant' lines are these: (They were my signature quote for a long time during my first months here on the Downs.)
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02-11-2004, 03:56 AM | #7 | |||||
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Posts: 602
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I just LOVE my quote. It is from HOME, and that particular sentence of Huan embedded itself deep in my memory. And also another from HOME,
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As well as the poetry in LOTR that few people seem to notice - the poetry by a forgotten poet in Rohan about the battle of Pelennor fields. I was surprised that very few people seemed to notice it. Quote:
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02-11-2004, 05:36 AM | #8 | |||
Brightness of a Blade
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"(...) Forth rode the king, fear behind him, fate before him. Fealty kept he; oaths he had taken, all fulfilled them. (.....) Doom drove them on. Darkness took them, horse and horseman; hoofbeats afar sank into silence; so the songs tell us." Oh, and some of the other bits that I enjoy: - about the Pukel men; - Tom Bombadil calling and naming the ponys Oh and before I forget: One of my favourite quotes from the book: Quote:
Speaking of sleep, there are many bits about sleep that I love, and when I read them I feel like putting the book down and sleeping sound as a baby! Take for instance, the scenes with the hobbits sleeping in the house of Bombadil, or with Merry and Pippin at Wellinghall: Quote:
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And no one was ill, and everyone was pleased, except those who had to mow the grass. |
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02-11-2004, 11:01 AM | #9 | |
Animated Skeleton
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Middle Earth (Where else would I be?)
Posts: 33
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Also I like the "All that is gold does not glitter" poem. It is my favorite poem. It really decribes Aragorn really well. It also helps forshadow his future, His "destiny".
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Eat, Drink and be Merry......or Pippin. |
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02-11-2004, 12:26 PM | #10 |
Animated Skeleton
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Last homely house in Norway
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My favorit is in my signature
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Is it nice my preciousss? Is it juicy? Is it scrumptiously crunchable. |
02-11-2004, 03:10 PM | #11 |
Illusionary Holbytla
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 7,547
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The fox is one of my favorite parts too. It is almost like Tolkien decided one day, 'Hey, I'm just going to stick a fox in here.'
Another part that I like is just after Frodo wakes up after Gildor had left and Pippin is trying to talk to him and Frodo says that he just wants to think while he is eating. The part about Bilbo giving out gifts to people when he left the Shire is also a part I always enjoy, especially the part about Lobelia's spoons. I can't think of anymore right now. I know there are more but as they are the "little and unimportant parts", no more are coming to mind. |
02-11-2004, 04:28 PM | #12 |
Haunting Spirit
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fave
God, I love the bath song from the hobbit. Cant help it. Its just sooooo cute, and I take only baths, not showers, so I really loved the bath song.
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"For God's sake Ed, just take the stupid call!" said Justin. "Hello, Mum, I'm on stage," said Ed casually. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGH!" screamed Justin. |
02-11-2004, 05:37 PM | #13 | ||
Shade of Carn Dûm
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Hey galadriel'smaiden, me too! I've always loved the bathsong, though I never really knew why. Maybe it's because I always used to sing in the bath when I was small!
Another is: Quote:
And, Quote:
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02-12-2004, 07:10 AM | #14 |
Wight
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Gondolin, Middle Earth
Posts: 103
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I've always liked the character Goldberry. She is my Grandpa's favorite character. He says she reminds him of my mom. She really doesn't do to much in the book, but there's just something about her.
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He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by my arms.-II Samuel 22:35 |
02-12-2004, 07:36 AM | #15 | |||
Haunting Spirit
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: perth, west australia
Posts: 71
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I love the way JRRT phrases things. The less conventional word-orders, for example, as in "Death! they cried, with one voice and terrible". Or, there's a section in RotK, when Pippin's in Minas Tirith (I think it's where Denny's going nuts) and nearly every sentence starts with "and". (aside: I wonder if he was reading Mark's gospel at the time he was writing that?)
I also love the quote, mentioned earlier: Quote:
2 more to go: Quote:
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02-12-2004, 08:12 AM | #16 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Indiana
Posts: 527
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Geez, I like ole Tom....
It has no special meaning, but this line from chapter 7..."In the House of Tom Bombadill" is a standout for me:
"Frodo stood near the open door and watched the white chalky path turn into a little river of milk and go bubbling away down into the valley." I become Frodo when reading this line. I am there.
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02-12-2004, 08:54 AM | #17 | |
Banshee of Camelot
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Switzerland
Posts: 5,830
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I agree with you, zb, I am also very fond of the "archaic" language Tolkien uses: and I love all the alliterative verses!
I think his use of different styles adds to the feeling that the characters appear so real and believable and "historical". It also produces what Tolkien once called "the heartracking sense of the vanished past." But what I like especially, (and hadn't noticed when I read it the first time..!) are all those "proverbs" and wise sayings that are everywhere in Tolkien's work. Things that a character says that relate to the situation in the book, but at the same time convey a general and timeless meaning. Once I had become aware of it, I keep finding more and more of those! I think Tolkien must be quite unique in this respect! eg: "The wide world is all about you, you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot forever fence it out." "Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens" "Faithful heart may have foreward tongue" "Of evil will shall evil mar" "Oft hope is born when all is forlorn" and so on (See also the Gaffers mixed-up proverbs game on the Main page of the BD!) One of my favourites is what Haldir says: Quote:
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02-12-2004, 10:06 AM | #18 |
Tears of the Phoenix
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Putting dimes in the jukebox baby.
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I like the Lay of Nimrodel best. FotR would have been worse if Tolkien hadn't had Legolas singing it under the trees in Lorien.
And I like all the notes that Bilbo put on all his gifts to relatives and friends....some of them were very humerous. Cheers! Imladris
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02-12-2004, 10:12 AM | #19 | ||||||
La Belle Dame sans Merci
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I love so many little things... many in TTT, which I don't have with me at the moment... This right here is probably my absolute favorite:
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peace
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02-12-2004, 10:43 AM | #20 | |||
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Dublin
Posts: 1,036
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I agree with a lot of above quotes.
To me, it's mostly about the humorous bits, well, what I think is funny anyway... Quote:
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These are just random examples of phrases that amuse me a lot, simple but brilliant if you ask me. I could add so much more, but I won't, don't worry...
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I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.- Confucius. |
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02-12-2004, 02:33 PM | #21 |
Shade of Carn Dûm
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I also like how JRRT purposely changed words like 'elfish' to 'elvish' and 'elfin' to 'elven' and so on. I think it looks almost delicate and fair, which perfectly suits the elves. (I mean really...elfish ?)
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02-12-2004, 03:09 PM | #22 |
Wight
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: England
Posts: 201
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I really love the fox too! I love how it survived from the first draft.
I love Felagund's reason to Galadriel for why he will not take a wife in the Silm. i can't remember the quote, but it's about how he shall swear an oath that he cannot break and he must be free to go into darkness. I think the lines: "And Morgoth came." and "Fingolfin named Morgoth craven, and Lord of slaves" and "and Fingolfin drew his sword, Ringil that glittered like ice." are fantastic. One more from The Silm. that i love is "Their bed was the soft heather and their roof the cloudy sky" something like that- i can't remember it exactly. The description of Luthine @blue was her raiment...." is also good. Finally, i love Tolkien's names for everything. My favourites at the moment are: Felagund, Tevildo Prince of Cats, Fingolfin, Thingol, Damrod and Diriel, Taur nu Fuin, Dor nu Fauglith, Angband, Ulmo, Glorfindel, At the Sign of The Prancing Pony, The King of the Golden Hall, The Steward and the King and The Ride of the Rohirrim.
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02-12-2004, 05:19 PM | #23 | |||||
Illusionary Holbytla
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 7,547
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I've thought of some more. Many of them are from "The Scouring of the Shire".
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I also love the language Tolkien uses. It adds to the "historical" feeling of the story. The part about the person in the Houses of Healing not having althelas is another good part. Quote:
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02-13-2004, 08:03 AM | #24 |
Haunting Spirit
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Lobelia's Evil Look
I loved it when Gandalf siad-
I saw her with a horse pull and a face that could curdle new milk. And Frodo responded- She has already curdled me! Lurve it.
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"For God's sake Ed, just take the stupid call!" said Justin. "Hello, Mum, I'm on stage," said Ed casually. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGH!" screamed Justin. |
02-14-2004, 05:07 PM | #25 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Wandering through Middle-Earth (Sadly in Alberta and not ME)
Posts: 612
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I just like the whole Sackville-Bagginsess thing because the idea of very annoying relatives can be very amusing.
I always liked the part where Obelia tried to sneak out some silver spoons by putting them in her umbrella. Than as a parting gift she gets those silver spoons. That was very thoughtful of Bilbo. I also liked the fox part, I don't know but somehow it adds a little brightness before the darkness comes. Eevery time I read LOTR again I always enjoy the part in Rivendell when Bilbo and Frodo leave the Fire hall and they hear a fragment of A Elbereth Gilthoniel. In general I have never minded the songs since I like poetry a lot. However I have heard people complaining about all those songs in LOTR. I always find that kinda annoying.
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02-14-2004, 05:33 PM | #26 | |
The Kinslayer
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From the Wanderings of Húrin
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When I read that part it broke my heart, and to me that is the love story of the Sil.
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02-15-2004, 07:17 AM | #27 | |||||||
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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And there is also this part about Maedhros' rescue by Finrod. I am too lazy by far to post the whole paragraph like MAedhros did, but after that paragraph I was a Maedhros-worshipper for ever. I tried to take Maedhros for my ID, but unfortunately that was already taken.
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02-16-2004, 12:07 PM | #28 |
Haunting Spirit
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When in the chapter Strider it talks about how Aragorn put his feet on the table, I laugh every time. Its so casual and for most of the book Mr. Grim King Elendil is sooooooooooooo serious and grim.
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"For God's sake Ed, just take the stupid call!" said Justin. "Hello, Mum, I'm on stage," said Ed casually. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGH!" screamed Justin. |
02-16-2004, 02:20 PM | #29 |
Haunting Spirit
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I liked Ashton's a while back
Quote: "Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall." In the movie, the music playing there is the best.
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02-16-2004, 03:52 PM | #30 |
Wight
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: England
Posts: 201
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Oh Oh! "Well what did you do that for?" asked Strider when he had reappeared, "worse than anything your friends could have done. You have put your foot in it! Or should i say your finger?"
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02-19-2004, 02:57 PM | #31 |
Animated Skeleton
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Berkeley, CA
Posts: 32
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"Aiiiiii, a Balrog!", cracks me up every time. Very un-Legolas-like. Can't say I blame him though.
"I will take it, though I do not know the way", chokes me up every time. It means so much...and poor Frodo has no idea of what's to come or what it will cost him. "I will not say, do not weep, for not all tears are an evil." A wonderful thought. There are so many in these books...I could go on all day. |
02-19-2004, 03:53 PM | #32 | |||||
Wight
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Norway
Posts: 131
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So many of the quotes that have already been posted, are quotes which mean alot to me in the books, and some make me laugh every time I read them. But still, there are a few quotes (well actually there are more than a few, but I'm lazy, and can't be bothered to type in that many) that I think should be mentioned. Oh, and some of the quotes might miss parts; like the first one, where the speakers are left out etc. I have alot of quotes and thing like that written down in a little book, and I'm using that when I write them in.
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02-20-2004, 04:23 AM | #33 | ||
Brightness of a Blade
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From Unfinished Tales - Turin slays Brodda, and his wife Aerin, who has ever helped his kin, begs him to leave swiftly. Turin calls her faint of heart, and asks her to come with him. She refuses:
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And no one was ill, and everyone was pleased, except those who had to mow the grass. |
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02-20-2004, 05:05 PM | #34 |
Animated Skeleton
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Plains of Rohan
Posts: 38
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Insignificance and providence
I love how Tolkien uses that which is insignificant to become significant. For instance, hobbits themselves are insignificant, weak, not wise. Yet they shape the history of Middle-earth. Strider is seen as a slightly dangerous nobody in Bree, yet he later shows his great significance. Gandalf, a dirty, wandering, grey-clad, quick-tempered fellow is the mover of many great deeds. And many things that happen in insignificance turn out to be greatly significant. Bilbo's simple decision to have pity on Gollum ends in the saving of the world. Much that seems completely insignificant is guided by something . Gandalf himself says at one point that something was very lucky "if you want to call it luck" (or something like that). Everywhere throughout the books are hints that point to something greater and guiding, if you know how to see them.
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I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. |
02-21-2004, 11:44 PM | #35 | |
Wight
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: 3rd star from the right over Kansas
Posts: 108
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From "Of the Ruin of Beleriand"--Fingolfin challenges Morgoth to single combat:
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"It is a journey without distance to a goal that has never changed." |
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02-22-2004, 03:46 AM | #36 | ||
Pile O'Bones
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One of my favourite characters is Gildor, I love his conversation with Frodo, specially this quote:
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I love all the poetry in the books, though just in the English version, I don´t like them that much in spanish, I suppose that could be why some people dislike poetry in lotR. My favourite one is "I sit beside the fire", and Galadriel words to Legolas, when she tells him to beware of the Sea I also like when Legolas says in RotK something like : Quote:
LOSTREGIEL
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El mundo de los Hombres se deshace. Sucumbirá a la oscuridad, y mi ciudad a la destrucción. ¡Ay por Lothlorien! Será una vida alejada de los mellyrn. Pues si hay árboles mallorn más allá del Mar, nadie lo ha dicho. |
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02-22-2004, 12:03 PM | #37 | |
Wight
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: England
Posts: 201
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Something about the subterranean throne part really is amazing.
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02-22-2004, 05:32 PM | #38 |
Pile O'Bones
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I always really liked Aragorn's rant about the Warden and pipeweed, but for irrelevant characters I hold fast by Ghan-Buri-Ghan. Enough said. I haven't got a book nearby to quote, but the Yoda-esque speech makes me grin every time.
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Off with the horns, on with the show! -Macphisto |
02-23-2004, 06:26 PM | #39 |
Guest
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My favorite part of the Scouring of the Shire is all of the interaction between the hobbits and the shirriffs. Such as Pippin breaking rule 4 by using the last of the firewood, and the hobbits delaying starting early simply because it obviously annoyed the shirriff-leader. It was just so comical.
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02-23-2004, 07:02 PM | #40 |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Wandering through Middle-Earth (Sadly in Alberta and not ME)
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One part that I always like is when Gollum is described on Cirth Ungol just before Shelob's cave. As he watches Frodo sleeping peacefully he is described as no longer evil Gollum but simply a hobbit who looks tired because he has lived beyond his years. That part clearly shows that Gollum was not always evil and even now some good might still be hidden somewhere within him.
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