A hundredth re-read of the LotR

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by skip spence

Is this a often forgotten, more sensitive side to the Dark Lord? He isn't all about war, terror and mental domination, he's also a talented writer and poet, isn't he? One wonders if he spent many sleepless hours alone in the top-most turret of Barad Dur, anguishing over the wordings of his poem (One ring to govern them all and in the darkness coerce them! No, it's not good! *The Orcs quiver in fear as the earth trembles with rolling thunder*).

That was indeed a hilarious idea! Kind of reminded me of the Monty Python sketch where Beethoven tries to come up with how the fifth symphony should begin...


Yes, I agree with Groin that Gandalf's stories are masterfully made in both that they glue the reader's eyes to the pages and kind of prepare things to come while at the same time lifting off the veil of secrecy bit by bit letting the reader into the background story. I remember that when I was younger all these parts where people told these stories that brought some pieces together (like Gandalf here, or like different people in Rivendell) were my favourites. And I enjoyed it once again...

Although I must say that Gandalf's "recitation" is a bit too literal - like a rehearsed and planned lecture which surely is something the prof. was at home with. But surely it is not written in a way anyone would actually talk, not even a wizard...


One more thing before I go to sleep (I'll have a few things to say tomorrow when I have more time in my hands).

Now correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't it that the original story of Robin Hood was a story about a hooded robber ("robbing hood" ) which the upper classes sanctified with the "right moral connotations" by changing the lower class unknown hero into Sir Robin of Locksley? Somehow that came into my mind while reading the introduction to Sméagol's family: "There was among them a family of high repute, for it was large and wealthier than most". So to be a main character in a story you have to be upper class? *running out of smilies* Like the poor young boy (yes, normally a boy indeed) has to be revealed to be the rightful prince or nobler than his assumed birth would let one to believe?

Okay. Gollum's story about how the Ring came to him uses that fact as he claims first that his wealthy matriarchical grandmother had given the Ring to him as a birthday present. Sure. But had the initial setting been otherwise Tolkien could have come up with another "lie" for Gollum.

It may be a question of intuition - or maybe Tolkien has somewhere discussed this openly - but I kind of sense it the way that Gollum had to be from a family of stature as he was to be a central character in a mythological story, because in mythological stories the central characters are "noble-born". Here Tolkien would then stick to the exact letter of myths. And so the possibility of writing the first lie about his grandma giving it to him as a present arose.

It may sure be the other way around: desperate to come up with a lie Gollum might use, Tolkien thought of Gollum being from a wealthiest family around and thence be able to say it was a gift...

Hah. Lots of words for something at least I have nothing to "prove it" the way or another...