The History of LotR - Chapter-by-Chapter Companion

[Bêthberry]

Vigo, eh? Talk about life imitating art.

But Semolina and Caramella! Shades of the Entish Bow RPGs here at the Downs. And Willowman!

It is intriguing to see Tolkien deciding between 'dragon-longing' and 'ring-lure' and juggling all his ideas.

It is no good telling ordinary hobbits about dragons: they either disbelieve you or want to disbelieve you, & in either case stop listening. As he grew older Bilbo wrote his adventures in a private book of memoirs, in which he recounted some things that he had never spoken about (such as the magic ring); but that book was never published in the Shire, & he never showed it to anyone except his favourite nephew Bingo.

This passage where the Hobbits' lack of imagination is mentioned in the context of Bilbo's writing is very intriguing. I wonder how much Tolkien felt that his own ideas of fantasy/the perilous realm were ridiculed by the more staid members of his own academic community. I think of his defense of Beowulf as the stuff of true story and art.

Thanks for posting that, davem.