Barliman Butterbrain - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

***Mister Underhill*** · 01-14-2004, 10:12 AM

As a man who ran an inn at a crossroads between distant lands, Butterbur was probably a valuable source of news and information for Gandalf. He is enough in Gandalf’s confidence that the wizard reveals Frodo’s alias to him. Barliman warns the Hobbits about the “Black Men” and tries to protect them from strange characters, and he sends Nob out to fetch Merry, averting possible disaster. He does a fine job of facing down the southern travelers when they complain about their missing horses, and he acquits himself as an honest and honorable (and, as it turns out, shrewd) businessman by compensating Merry for the ponies which he later recovers. I think he lives up to the slight praise that Gandalf gives him.

Also – and I know the posts above are months old – this whole “show don’t tell” thing has become a pet peeve of mine. It’s a fine rule of thumb, but it is too often hammered into young writers as an inviolable, ironclad Law. Though shalt not tell. But I think you have to consider the source. Writing instructors and authors of how-to books preach the gospel of “show don’t tell” while authors like Tolkien use the most appropriate tool for the job. What do you see when you crack the cover of LotR? The professor begins his magnum opus with nearly 7500 words of pure telling: about Hobbits, about pipeweed (!), about the Shire. So who’s right?

“Telling” and pure exposition have their places, and there are no inviolable rules when it comes to writing prose. The only real criteria is, “Does it work?”

01-14-2004, 10:12 AM	#17
*Mister Underhill* Dread Horseman Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Behind you! Posts: 2,744	As a man who ran an inn at a crossroads between distant lands, Butterbur was probably a valuable source of news and information for Gandalf. He is enough in Gandalf’s confidence that the wizard reveals Frodo’s alias to him. Barliman warns the Hobbits about the “Black Men” and tries to protect them from strange characters, and he sends Nob out to fetch Merry, averting possible disaster. He does a fine job of facing down the southern travelers when they complain about their missing horses, and he acquits himself as an honest and honorable (and, as it turns out, shrewd) businessman by compensating Merry for the ponies which he later recovers. I think he lives up to the slight praise that Gandalf gives him. Also – and I know the posts above are months old – this whole “show don’t tell” thing has become a pet peeve of mine. It’s a fine rule of thumb, but it is too often hammered into young writers as an inviolable, ironclad Law. Though shalt not tell. But I think you have to consider the source. Writing instructors and authors of how-to books preach the gospel of “show don’t tell” while authors like Tolkien use the most appropriate tool for the job. What do you see when you crack the cover of LotR? The professor begins his magnum opus with nearly 7500 words of pure telling: about Hobbits, about pipeweed (!), about the Shire. So who’s right? “Telling” and pure exposition have their places, and there are no inviolable rules when it comes to writing prose. The only real criteria is, “Does it work?”