Feedback and Suggestion Box - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

davem · 12-02-2005, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drigel

I had hopes, but it's nature lends little to converse, more to observe. Which, for me, makes good reading, others maybe not so much. I did like the Lewis reference concerning Forochel, davem.

Oh, I enjoyed reading the Appendices - but as background. I think I feel the same as you. Its finding something to discuss about them. I think maybe they're too 'dense', too compacted. Maybe what it is, is I find there's so much there, so compressed, that 'it would take a week's answer or none at all' to discuss each paragraph. I think I feel overwhelmed by them & don't know where to start. After 18 months of working through the book, maybe I'm just tired? Or maybe its that so many characters are introduced, do something, & then die & we're onto someone else - we never get emotionally involved with any of them. Yet many of their stories are tragedies, & I feel I'm not engaged enough by them.

drigel · 12-02-2005, 02:37 PM

too many honeydo's from Lal wearing you out?

Possibly throw the threads out quicker and move on...? If someone wants to post on a prior chapter they can and the other posters get the email, right?

Estelyn Telcontar · 12-04-2005, 04:45 PM

I'm going at the pace of two threads a week for the Appendices - that's fast enough. I hope that this week's section, "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen", will have lots of contributions!

This is like a chapter of the book to me, more interesting and emotional than the rest of the Appendices.

Estelyn Telcontar · 12-08-2005, 05:28 AM

I'm putting up separate threads for "The House of Eorl" and "Durin's Folk" - that will keep the discussion more focused and less confusing. The rest of the Appendices threads will be going up rather quickly within the next week. Please don't feel hurried or harried - there's plenty of time for discussion, but I know I will have less time the closer we get to Christmas and would like to have this project finished early.

Estelyn Telcontar · 12-31-2005, 04:25 AM

The final LotR thread is up and we have managed to finish this project before 2005 ends! I hope there will be some posting on the Appendix F thread.

Congratulations to us all on an interesting project; special thanks to Fordim for initiating it, and an additional special thanks to davem and Lalwendë, who are, as far as I am aware, the only forum members besides myself to post on each and every thread!!

It took me a little longer to prepare the Appendices threads than I originally thought; thorough reading revealed more substance than I recalled from previous skimming.

I look forward to discussing The Hobbit with many of you in the coming year; I plan to begin with the first chapter in mid-January.

davem · 01-01-2006, 07:38 AM

Well, its over. (As Sam might have said).

I don't think I'll be joining in The Hobbit disscussion. Without opening up old wounds

, I have to repeat what I said about TH not being a part of the Legendarium - which is not to say it doesn't have a special place in my heart (in memory at least). I haven't read it for a while - last time was when I read The Annotated Hobbit two or three years back.

Its either a wonderful children's book when taken for itself, & I'm not sure its possible to analyse it in the way we have LotR. With LotR you can peel away layer after layer & find new depths of meaning & relevance. With TH I fear it would be more like 'breaking a thing to find out what it is made of...

Or, its an 'essay in the craft' which like the productions of the Elven Smiths of Eregion leading to the creation of the Three, led to the creation of LotR. The existence of LotR does away with the necessity of TH as a part of the Legendarium, because all the themes & issues it deals with are dealt with more profoundly & effectively in LotR. The Hobbits of LotR & their world exist because of TH. The Three exist because of those 'essays in the craft - but what happened to them is not known, because they aren't relevant to the big picture.

In short, if its a (great) children's book - which I think it is - we risk ending up pulling it to pieces & ending up like the people in the Beowulf essay allegory with a pile of old stones & no means to look out upon the Sea, & if we treat it as a part of the Legendarium we won't have much to say about its meaning & themes which we haven't said in our CbC discussion of LotR.

Or I could be completely wrong....

I look forward to reading the discussion.

Lalwendë · 01-01-2006, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

Congratulations to us all on an interesting project; special thanks to Fordim for initiating it, and an additional special thanks to davem and Lalwendë, who are, as far as I am aware, the only forum members besides myself to post on each and every thread!!

I have not posted on all of the threads, alas.

I missed some of the earliest ones as that must have been at the time the monitor on my old PC was broken, and some others I think I missed as I was away and discussion had shot off into the distance by the time I returned - notably the thread on the Lothlorien chapter!

But there is always time to add some new points to old threads - there may even be more time to go back and revisit them now.

Bêthberry · 01-01-2006, 11:25 AM

While I'm sure we are all proud that the discussion did prevail and continue to the conclusion of the book, I think special commendations are called for. Estelyn's work in setting up week by week by week (even planning around her holidays and absences) the discussions and guiding the threads has been outstanding. Without her diligence and enthusiasm for the project, I doubt it would have continued.

Well done, good and faithful servant! (Well, we are the dead, right?)

06-07-2006, 04:01 AM

I was unable to access my account here for several months, and couldn't post for The Hobbit readings. I'm planning on being here for the Silmarillion readings.

Thanks to Estelyn and all you other folk who keep these discussions going. It is a labor of love, but a labor, nonetheless!

Cloudberry

Hilde Bracegirdle · 06-08-2006, 06:05 PM

Count me in for any venture into the Silmarillion.

12-04-2005, 04:45 PM	#3
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	I'm going at the pace of two threads a week for the Appendices - that's fast enough. I hope that this week's section, "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen", will have lots of contributions! This is like a chapter of the book to me, more interesting and emotional than the rest of the Appendices. __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

12-08-2005, 05:28 AM	#4
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	I'm putting up separate threads for "The House of Eorl" and "Durin's Folk" - that will keep the discussion more focused and less confusing. The rest of the Appendices threads will be going up rather quickly within the next week. Please don't feel hurried or harried - there's plenty of time for discussion, but I know I will have less time the closer we get to Christmas and would like to have this project finished early. __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

12-31-2005, 04:25 AM	#5
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	The final LotR thread is up and we have managed to finish this project before 2005 ends! I hope there will be some posting on the Appendix F thread. Congratulations to us all on an interesting project; special thanks to Fordim for initiating it, and an additional special thanks to davem and Lalwendë, who are, as far as I am aware, the only forum members besides myself to post on each and every thread!! It took me a little longer to prepare the Appendices threads than I originally thought; thorough reading revealed more substance than I recalled from previous skimming. I look forward to discussing The Hobbit with many of you in the coming year; I plan to begin with the first chapter in mid-January. __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

01-01-2006, 07:38 AM	#6
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	Well, its over. (As Sam might have said). I don't think I'll be joining in The Hobbit disscussion. Without opening up old wounds , I have to repeat what I said about TH not being a part of the Legendarium - which is not to say it doesn't have a special place in my heart (in memory at least). I haven't read it for a while - last time was when I read The Annotated Hobbit two or three years back. Its either a wonderful children's book when taken for itself, & I'm not sure its possible to analyse it in the way we have LotR. With LotR you can peel away layer after layer & find new depths of meaning & relevance. With TH I fear it would be more like 'breaking a thing to find out what it is made of... Or, its an 'essay in the craft' which like the productions of the Elven Smiths of Eregion leading to the creation of the Three, led to the creation of LotR. The existence of LotR does away with the necessity of TH as a part of the Legendarium, because all the themes & issues it deals with are dealt with more profoundly & effectively in LotR. The Hobbits of LotR & their world exist because of TH. The Three exist because of those 'essays in the craft - but what happened to them is not known, because they aren't relevant to the big picture. In short, if its a (great) children's book - which I think it is - we risk ending up pulling it to pieces & ending up like the people in the Beowulf essay allegory with a pile of old stones & no means to look out upon the Sea, & if we treat it as a part of the Legendarium we won't have much to say about its meaning & themes which we haven't said in our CbC discussion of LotR. Or I could be completely wrong.... I look forward to reading the discussion. __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."

01-01-2006, 11:25 AM	#8
Bêthberry Cryptic Aura Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 6,003	While I'm sure we are all proud that the discussion did prevail and continue to the conclusion of the book, I think special commendations are called for. Estelyn's work in setting up week by week by week (even planning around her holidays and absences) the discussions and guiding the threads has been outstanding. Without her diligence and enthusiasm for the project, I doubt it would have continued. Well done, good and faithful servant! (Well, we are the dead, right?) __________________ I’ll sing his roots off. I’ll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away.

12-02-2005, 02:37 PM	#2
drigel Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: commonplace city Posts: 518	too many honeydo's from Lal wearing you out? Possibly throw the threads out quicker and move on...? If someone wants to post on a prior chapter they can and the other posters get the email, right?

06-07-2006, 04:01 AM	#9
Cloudberry Guest Posts: n/a	I was unable to access my account here for several months, and couldn't post for The Hobbit readings. I'm planning on being here for the Silmarillion readings. Thanks to Estelyn and all you other folk who keep these discussions going. It is a labor of love, but a labor, nonetheless! Cloudberry

06-08-2006, 06:05 PM	#10
Hilde Bracegirdle Relic of Wandering Days Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: You'll See Perpetual Change. Posts: 1,480	Count me in for any venture into the Silmarillion.