This item is the stunning Arwen mini-statue from The Return of the King. Sculpted by the artists at Weta Workshop, this piece is going to be one you want to add to your collection and for only $75 it’s quite affordable.

The Arwen mini-statue isn’t the only new item to go up for order, too. If you’d like a great looking bookmark for the next time you read The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit then Weta has something for you. From The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Weta has a beautiful red leather bookmark with Thorin and Company on it while from The Lord of the Rings you have The Fellowship worked in stunning brown leather. These two bookmarks can be had for $10 a-piece and are in-stock and ready to ship.

As many of you know Weta comes every year to the United States during the month of July for Comic-Con in San Diego. Now the Workshop will attend its second U.S. show, this one in Salt Lake City, where TheOneRing.net will also be! Sept. 5 – 7 is the first ever Salt Lake Comic Con. TORn will present a panel about “The Desolation of Smaug,” and will also participate on other panels and host a booth during the event. If you happen to be planning on attending Salt Lake Comic-Con or can get there from the surrounding western states, this is a chance to go to a show that isn’t sold out and where you can get a hotel room. Salt Lake has a rail line as well so you can stay immediately by the convention or in one of the suburbs and still travel relatively easily to the event. Weta will be attending this show in September with its booth, which looks significant on the retailer map. (Although they are listed as Weta Digital, we think an error.) If you haven’t gotten your ticket to the show yet then now is the time. Salt Lake Comic-Con runs from Thursday, September 5th through to Saturday, September 7th.

You can read the full press release from Weta here.

Tolkien wrote a few times about his character, especially in letters to those who asked. In one such letter to Peter Hastings he says in part,

“I don’t think Tom needs philosophizing about, and is not improved by it. But many have found him an odd or indeed discordant ingredient. In historical fact I put him in because I had already ‘invented’ him independently (he first appeared in the Oxford Magazine) and wanted an ‘adventure’ on the way. But I kept him in, and as he was, because he represents certain things otherwise left out. I do not mean him to be an allegory – or I should not have given him so particular, individual, and ridiculous a name – but ‘allegory’ is the only mode of exhibiting certain functions: he is then an ‘allegory’, or an exemplar, a particular embodying of pure (real) natural science: the spirit that desires knowledge of other things, their history and nature, because they are ‘other’ and wholly independent of the enquiring mind, a spirit coeval with the rational mind, and entirely unconcerned with ‘doing’ anything with the knowledge: Zoology and Botany not Cattle-breeding or Agriculture . Even the Elves hardly show this : they are primarily artists. Also T.B. exhibits another point in his attitude to the Ring, and its failure to affect him. You must concentrate on some pan, probably relatively small, of the World (Universe), whether to tell a tale, however long, or to learn anything however fundamental – and therefore much will from that ‘point of view’ be left out, distorted on the circumference, or seem a discordant oddity. The power of the Ring over all concerned, even the Wizards or Emissaries, is not a delusion – but it is not the whole picture, even of the then state and content of that pan of the Universe.”

To those wishing to read further, we recommend the “Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien”. Also, check out some great LOTR LEGO sets. A couple of our favorites are The Mines of Moria and The Battle For Helm’s Deep.

Catlin is also the artist for a brand new illustrated edition of The Hobbit, which will be released this Fall and will contain 150 new, colour illustrations.  More visual goodies from Middle-earth!  You can preorder both the book and the calendar at Amazon – click on the links below!

[Pre-order Tolkien Calendar 2014]   [Pre-order new Illustrated Hobbit]

Thanks to ringer spy Bomby for the heads up!

As we all know, J R R Tolkien was, from an early age, fascinated by myth and heroic legend, reading all he could of the romances and epics of many nations.  In a letter to Milton Waldman, which appears in the Preface to the second edition of The Silmarillion, he wrote that he was ‘grieved by the poverty of my own beloved country: it had no stories of its own … Of course there was and is all the Arthurian world, but powerful as it is, it is imperfectly naturalized, associated with the soil of Britain but not with the English; and does not replace what I felt to be missing…’

The Professor, then, had little time for the legends of King Arthur; but he did make one foray into those tales, and we are about to be able to read for ourselves the results of those labours!  Tomorrow, publishers Houghton Mifflin Harcourt release Tolkien’s narrative poem The Fall of Arthur, edited as ever by his son Christopher.  HMH’s press release tells us:

‘The Fall of Arthur, the only venture by J.R.R. Tolkien into the legends of Arthur, king of Britain, may well be regarded as his finest and most skillful achievement in the use of Old English alliterative meter, in which he brought to his transforming perceptions of the old narratives a pervasive sense of the grave and fateful nature of all that is told: of Arthur’s expedition overseas into distant heathen lands, of Guinevere’s flight from Camelot, of the great sea battle on Arthur’s return to Britain, in the portrait of the traitor Mordred, in the tormented doubts of Lancelot in his French castle.’

Alas, Tolkien never finished his poem; but amongst his manuscripts were sketches and drafts, which included ‘significant tantalizing notes. In these notes can be discerned clear if mysterious associations of the Arthurian conclusion with The Silmarillion, and the bitter ending of the love of Lancelot and Guinevere, which was never written.’

It’s a day of celebration for Tolkien fans whenever we have a chance to read more of the Professor’s work, and gain further insight into the explorations which lead to his great myth of Middle-earth.  You can read Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s full information about the book here; and you can order your copy from Amazon by clicking here. The Fall of Arthur will also be available as an e-book.  Happy reading!

[Order The Fall of Arthur from Amazon]

(To see photos of The Hobbit Chronicles II, visit The Lord of the Films facebook page. To see the details of J.W.’s Big Spring Giveaway, where you can win Tolkien merchandise, visit his blog.)

JW’s Riddle of the Month: (The answer appears below)

I never was, but am always to be
Yet some will look forward to seeing me
To some I give hope, to some I give fear
But for today, I’m never here

What am I?

JW’s Mailbag Questions

Why do the Orcs in The Hobbit movie look different than the Orcs in LOTR? – Jay

To quote Sir Richard Taylor, “It would be a mistake to think of the Orcs of Middle-earth as one species without regional variation, characterized by a single look and culture.” – JW

I read that Arwen was the last elf born in Middle Earth. Is this true? – Traci

The notion is not borne out anywhere in Tolkien’s writing but is part of Arwen’s original character description for the Peter Jackson films. In the books it is true that she carries the name of “Undomiel”, which means ‘the even-star of her people’, but this is probably more symbolic than literal, signifying the waning of the Eldar in general. -JW

How many times does Frodo almost die in The Lord of the Rings movies? – Primula

Take this sporcle quiz and find out yourself! In all seriousness, it’s a fun quiz and interesting to see which various characters save Frodo, including one you probably wouldn’t think of offhand. (No surprise who saves him the most!) – JW

[In reference to the article Nine Absurd Ideas for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings That Were Actually Considered:] You forgot one: Last year, TORn reported that Jackson thought of having Gollum kill Frodo’s parents in The Hobbit. I remember because I attended a discussion hosted by Quickbeam on the idea. – Christine

The idea has some merit! When Frodo’s parents are boating, Gollum is on the loose and looking for a Baggins from the Shire. (In “The Shadow of the Past” Gandalf even mentions that Gollum pursues the Ring to Dale and back West again, all the way to a river.) And Tolkien even hints that the drowning of Frodo’s parents has some suspicious circumstances, possibly including a struggle. Then again, the river Gandalf is referring to is the Anduin, so it shoots down the whole theory, doesn’t it? As the Gaffer says, boats are tricky enough for those that sit still. – JW

What tobacco did J.R.R. Tolkien smoke? – Dan

There’s no record of what he preferred, but his children have said he used to keep nuts and washers in Navy Cut tins, so that’s as likely as any. – JW

The answer to the riddle above? Tomorrow (Or “the future”, but that doesn’t come with a cool hobbit video.)

J.W. Braun is a Tolkien scholar and author of The Lord of the Films, published by ECW Press in 2009. If you have a question for him, simply drop him a line at lordofthefilms@gmail.com

You can find out more about J.W. at jwbraun.com

In addition, HarperCollins and Warner Bros. are teaming up to give away 10 Blu-ray™ Combo Packs of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey as well as these first two books in the Hobbit series. The giveaway runs now through 4/9. [Giveaway]

[Order Today]

Official Synopsis:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Chronicles II: Creatures and Characters explores the amazing cast of heroes, villains, beasts, and beings that populate Middleearth in the fi rst chapter of Peter Jackson’s fi lm adaptations of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Richly illustrated with behind-the-scenes photographs, digital renders, and film stills, this comprehensive book goes species by species and character by character through the film’s huge ensemble cast and bustling menagerie of creatures, both physical and digital, and shows how each came to be realized for the film.

First-hand accounts from the actors, makeup artists, digital effects specialists, dialect coaches, prosthetics technicians, movement coaches, and many other crew members describe the process and how the production unfolded, while also sharing insights into the characters. A bonus feature, unique to this book, is the special fold-out character size chart, which compares all the major creatures and characters of the fi lm, from Radagast’s hedgehog friend to the towering Stone Giants!

Compiled by Weta Workshop designer Daniel Falconer and featuring a wealth of stunning imagery, this book puts the reader face-to-face with all the creatures and characters of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, from the Dwarf heroes to the dark denizens of Middle-earth–the Orcs, Goblins, Trolls, and Wargs–and, of course, the hobbit himself, Bilbo Baggins.

To help capture that excitement, we’ve just opened up a special Flickr gallery just for this purpose. The only rules for the gallery are that you, your family, your pet or something Middle-earth-esque is featured in the photo WITH a copy of ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey‘ on Blu-Ray or DVD. Well, and of course keep it family friendly Follow the break to see folks who have already submitted their photos and join in – as and when the home entertainment release of An Unexpected Journey reaches your corner of the world! [Flickr Gallery]

Consumers will have a lot of choices when it comes to which version of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” they decide to have at home. There will definitely be an extended edition in time for the holidays confirmed by a press release from Warner Bros., but the choices are greater than just to get the theatrical version or the extended version.

Those in the U.S. can buy the film March 19, but with a variety of versions, all of which we will detail here. Besides the several formats it will be available in, there are exclusive editions at Target, Best Buy and Wal-Mart. But have no fear busy potential consumer, we will make everything clear below, detailing all the versions, the available covers and the in-store exclusives. Interestingly, many theaters are still showing the film which crossed the $1 billion earnings mark over the weekend.

When the “Lord of the Rings,” films were hitting the home video market, many users were also making the late jump from VHS to DVD and those films, for many, were the incentive needed to jump to a new format. This is true now with DVD and Blu-ray although there seems to be much less push from the industry to make that happen, perhaps because of the growing all digital download market. Amazon has versions of all these films and we have the choices below linked if you wish to pre-order there. Doing so earns us a commission so support your friendly not-for-profit website if you are going to buy online. Prices range all over the place, but Amazon seems to be very competitive.  Below are all the versions available supplied to us by the studio along with the official box art. Way down we provide the non-U.S. release dates as well as a link to a useful message board page with further information. Unfortunately for some, “Return of the King,” was the last Middle-earth movie to be released on VHS!

2-disc DVD edition of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.”

Still watching films old school style? Then the 2-disc special edition DVD is probably for you. It comes with both a DVD of the film and an Ultraviolet copy, which is useful for using the computer on laptops or down the road when it seems likely we will never deal with discs at all. The official information is as follows:

2-Disc Special Edition DVD

o DVD copy of the film

o Ultraviolet copy of the film

o Bonus content includes 10 production videos

2-disc Blu-ray edition of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

For those who enjoy the superior picture of Blu-ray, and have invested in a player, the combo pack for that format might be the way to go. But, those who will eventually watch Blu-rays, this version also comes with a DVD copy of the film. Personally, I wouldn’t touch the old format, even for the nostalgia of having all the Middle-earth movies lined up together in one packaging line, but including the DVD here makes it a non-choice. WB’s Blu-ray releases are region free, meaning they will play world-wide and aren’t specially coded for regional players. Eventually we will download and watch all movies and rarely bother with discs but for now this is the best format available and I still like to hold a product and packaging in my hands.

Blu-ray™ Combo Pack

o Blu-ray copy of the film

o DVD copy of the film

o Ultraviolet copy of the film

o Bonus content includes 10 production videos

3D Blu-ray combo pack of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

If you are really forward thinking or an early adopter of technology the 3D version of the film will also be available now on Blu-ray as well. You need a 3D television to actually use this version but what do you know, it also comes with a regular Blu-ray copy, a DVD copy and an Ultraviolet copy while the bonus material is the same. This is the one Peter Jackson wants you to buy, or at least watch, to see his personal version of the film. 3D TVs will be more and more affordable and more common. For me the best thing about this version is the fantastic lenticular Gandalf cover. Fortunately there aren’t individual lenticular editions with Thorin, Bilbo, Bombur and the rest of the company on them.
3D Blu-ray™ Combo Pack

o 3D Blu-ray copy of the film

o Blu-ray copy of the film

o DVD copy of the film

o Ultraviolet copy of the film

o Bonus content includes 10 production videos

But the choices are not over. Three big box retailers also have ways to tempt you to buy from their outlet and each definitely has its appeal. Collectors, start giving plasma now because some will want all three. Each version is for the Blu-ray combo pack, which means if you are buying the 3D Blu-ray combo pack, where you buy can be determined solely by price.

The Best Buy exclusive version of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Best Buy’s exclusive comes with a documentary titled: “A Hobbit’s Tale Part 1: The Journey Begins,” and a flip lenticular with Bilbo and Gollum.  No word on who produced this documentary but I have a completely unconfirmed, baseless guess (that I believe to be true) that it comes from the same folks who produced the video blogs, which means they will be excellent. Please don’t base any purchase on my hunches, and you may not blame me or anybody else if that is wrong. TheOneRing will post a review of that content when available. The Best Buy cover is also interesting.

Best Buy – Blu-ray™ Combo Pack with Exclusive Documentary A Hobbit’s Tale Part 1: The Journey Begins and Flip Lenticular

o   Blu-ray copy of the film

o   DVD copy of the film

o   Ultraviolet copy of the film

o   Bonus content includes 10 production videos, as well as exclusive bonus documentary A Hobbit’s Tale Part 1: The Journey Begins

o   Includes exclusive Bilbo/Gollum flip lenticular packaging

Target’s exclusive is LEGO-centric and while I am not a “LEGO guy” and didn’t play with them as a child, these sets have won me over completely and the included Bilbo Baggins minifigure is pretty sweet booty. Those figure characters are absurdly cute but it also contains the exclusive featureete: “LEGO The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” Target probably hopes to sell Hobbit LEGO sets as well as the Blu-ray and for some this will be another no-hesitation choice. It also features unique art that I haven’t seen anywhere else.

Target – Blu-ray™ Combo Pack with Exclusive LEGO® Bilbo Minifigure and behind-the-scenes LEGO Featurette

o   Blu-ray copy of the film

o   DVD copy of the film

o   Ultraviolet copy of the film

o   Bonus content includes 10 production videos, as well as exclusive bonus behind-the-scenes featurette LEGO THE HOBBIT: An Unexpected Journey

o   Includes exclusive LEGO Bilbo Baggins Minifigure

The Wal-Mart exclusive version of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Finally, Wal-Mart weighs in with a third tempting exclusive edition that contains four bonus featurettes (titles below) and a 64-page book, “The World of Hobbits.” Unlike a LEGO figure, it is impossible to know the quality of the book and extra extras until seeing them but just a stab in the dark (a dark, underground cave) but they are probably quite good and may (MAY!) be from the behind-the-scenes team. Wal-Mart is offering a real incentive for those hungry for more information about this film. Fans of Thorin Oakenshield will appreciate him on the cover and again, like the Target edition, the art here is unique as far as I know. From the art provided it looks as if the book is the size of the Blu-ray packaging.

Wal-Mart – Blu-ray™ Book Combo Pack with 64-Page The World of Hobbits Book and Exclusive Digital Featurettes

o   Blu-ray copy of the film

o   DVD copy of the film

o   Ultraviolet copy of the film

o   Bonus content includes 10 production videos, as well as 4 exclusive bonus featurettes entitled The Journey Back to Middle-earth, Bilbo and The Riddle Game, Gandalf and the White Council, and Thorin and the “Song of the Lonely Mountain” accessible digitally through Vudu

o   Includes 64-page The World of Hobbits book within the Blu-ray packaging

The WBshop.com exclusive comes with a panoramic poster that features combat ready dwarves. Pretty cool! Canadians can get it in French with the same cover as Best Buy, except, you know, in French.

Thanks to message board user TheHutt, we also have a fair bit of information about foreign editions of The Hobbit.  I was going to copy it all here, but he has done such a good job presenting it all, that I suggest you simply click here.  Again, collectors, beware, because there are some pretty cool versions listed, like the UK’s Amazon-exclusive Steelbook edition with a lenticular Bilbo / Gollum. Yes, I want it and it would be precious to me.

Some foreign dates are as follows:

UK – April 8

Germany – April 19

Russia – April 11

France – April 19

Italy – April 9

Czech Republic – April 19

The 1977 animated version of The Hobbit by Rankin and Bass.

And hey, you can always get the 1977 Rankin and Bass animated version as well with John Huston!

All these choices certainly are nice for the consumer unless there are completests out there who feel like they need to own them all. (But I confess to wanting some of the non-U.S. versions too!)  Also, some will accuse the studio of “double dipping”  by having a theatrical edition and later, an extended edition with extra content. We disagree with that notion because Warner Bros. has been upfront about the eventual release of both. A true double dip, and the feeling of being ripped off, doesn’t stem from having more than one choice but from a consumer thinking she has purchased the definitive version only to find out later there is another even more definitive version. (Yes Star Wars, we are looking at you but you have plenty of company.)  In this case, we have plenty of advance knowledge of our choices. Further, there will be very likely be a rich supply of quality extras on the extended editions from Pellerin Media, the group that defined what DVD extras should be with the LOTR EEs. That extra content, hopefully wide and deep, will add value to that later release.  Does the studio want to maximize its earnings? Of course, but they are being transparent with consumers. Those wishing only to buy one version will have Netflix or Redbox or neighbors or friends to watch it with in the meantime.

Finally, some will question using the video blogs from Peter Jackson’s Facebook page as extra materials. TheOneRing doesn’t have an official position about it, but as I said and wrote to anybody who would listen as they were released, they are better quality features than most DVD extras anyway. And, chasing them down on Facebook or YouTube is a lot less satisfying for me than watching them in my man cave will be. And, I just think they are that good. I look forward to having them presented on a disc in an organized fashion where I can, if I want, watch them consecutively and really get a good feeling for the shooting of the film.

(Photos from The Hobbit Chronicles have been posted at The Lord of the Films facebook page.)

J.W. Braun’s Mailbag:

As per tradition, I’ll start things out with a riddle for you to ponder. The answer appears at the end of the mailbag section:

It was given to you, but others use it
That’s fine with you if they don’t abuse it
You might give it to your wife,
If you think she’ll behave
But it’s still yours for life
And will be on your grave

What is it?

Mailbag Questions

Why didn’t Peter Jackson do a cameo in The Hobbit? – Carrie

He does have a cameo appearance in the first Hobbit film, but it’s easy to miss. He plays a dwarf fleeing from Smaug at the Lonely Mountain. When asked, “Why a dwarf?” Jackson responded, “I didn’t have a great deal of choice. There weren’t any human characters in this film, and they weren’t any hobbits roles I could play… and I’m not an elf.” – JW

Which two towers are THE two towers in The Two Towers? – Jenna

Tolkien came up with the title under deadline pressure and was unsure at first himself. In a letter to his publisher on Aug 17, 1953 he wrote, “’The Two Towers’ gets as near as possible to finding a title to cover the widely divergent Books 3 and 4; and can be left ambiguous – it might refer to Isengard and Barad-dur, or to Minas Tirith and B; or Isengard and Cirith Ungol.”

A few months later, he was more definitive. In a letter to his publisher dated January 22, 1954, he said, “I am not at all happy about the title ‘the Two Towers.’ It must if there is any real reference in it to Vol II refer to Orthanc and the Tower of Cirith Ungol. But since there is so much made of the basic opposition of the Dark Tower and Minas Tirith, that seems very misleading.”

Then again, some editions of The Fellowship of the Ring have this note at the end: “Here ends the first part of the history of the War of the Ring. The second part is called THE TWO TOWERS, since the events recounted in it are dominated by ORTHANC, the citadel of Saruman, and the fortress of MINAS MORGUL that guards the secret entrance to Mordor.”

It’s unclear if Tolkien or the publisher wrote this, but Tolkien did draw Orthanc and Minas Morgul in his proposed cover for the book.

For the movies, the answer is more clear: they are stated in the dialogue as Orthanc and Barad-dûr. – JW

Did the Hobbit win an Oscar or didn’t it? Some articles say it picked up an early Oscar while others say it didn’t win any Oscars. – Andrew

This confused me also. Thankfully, the people at TheOneRing.net’s message board helped clarify it for me. In early February, Weta Digital earned a technical award for breakthroughs in CGI. Because this is an Academy Award, the press reported it as The Hobbit winning an early Oscar.

The truth, however, is that while some Academy Awards (including some technical awards) are Oscars, some are not. Weta Digital’s award falls into the latter category, with the recipients earning an Academy Plaque and not the gold “Oscar” statue. And if you really want to split hairs, the award went to three members of Weta Digital (Simon Clutterbuck, James Jacobs and Dr. Richard Dorling) and not the film. – JW

In the movies Sam is often referred to as Samwise, and there is a chapter in The Two Towers called ‘The Choices of Master Samwise’ but I’ve never come across anyone calling him ‘Samwise’ throughout the books. Do any of the characters refer to Sam Gamgee as ‘Samwise’ in the book? – David

Yes, from time to time. For example, in The Two Towers Frodo says, “’I don’t know how long we shall take to – to finish. We were miserably delayed in the hills. But Samwise Gamgee, my dear hobbit – indeed, Sam my dearest hobbit, friend of friends – I do not think we need give thought to what comes after that. To do the job as you put it – what hope is there that we ever shall?” – JW

The answer to the riddle above? Your name.

J.W. Braun is a Tolkien scholar and author of The Lord of the Films, published by ECW Press in 2009. If you have a question for him, simply drop him a line at lordofthefilms@gmail.com

You can find out more about J.W. at jwbraun.com

J.W. Braun’s Mailbag:

Ready for this month’s riddle? I made it up myself.

They sometimes go up, sometimes go down
yet always stay still and never make sound
The less there are, the more they’re used
The more there are, the more they’re refused
What are they?

You’re probably a step ahead of me on this one, but the answer appears at the end of the mailbag section. Now to your questions:

Can you share still shots of the books you review so we can see them without you flipping the pages all the time? – Alex

Ha! I’m getting in the way, aren’t I? I think you have a good idea, and I’m going to start posting the still shots of the books I review (including some not used in the videos) on my Lord of the Films facebook page.

What did you think of The Hobbit? – Jenna

I really enjoyed it! I saw it in 2D and 3D at both the conventional and high frame rate, and I’m not sure what the big fuss was over the new frame rate being a bad idea. I especially liked the acting and the little moments in it, and I look forward to the next two films. – JW

Is it true Tolkien rewrote The Hobbit in the style of The Lord of the Rings but his publisher wouldn’t publish it? Is this where the updated version of the Gollum chapter comes from? – Noah

It is true that late in his life (in 1960) Tolkien (Happy Birthday!) attempted to rewrite The Hobbit, adjusting its tone and fixing some mistakes. However, he wasn’t happy with how it was turning out and abandoned the effort after only three chapters. The updated version of Chapter 5 that you reference dates back to 1947; he rewrote it as he was writing The Lord of the Rings and sent it off to his publisher as an example of how he’d like to rewrite the book. He heard nothing back and was quite surprised when the revised chapter was incorporated into the second edition of the book, published in 1951!

In the early part of The Fellowship of the Ring, Sam says his promise was not to “lose” Frodo, but later he says his promise was not to “leave” Frodo. Why the change? – Gerry

It’s a mistake by the writers, but a welcome one. The truth is Peter, Fran, and Philippa didn’t double-check the script when they were writing and editing to make sure they were consistent in this regard. But you know what? I like this method of writing. Too often films give their characters unrealistic memories due to the scriptwriter always trying to be consistent and having the luxury of looking back at what’s already been written. (How many times have we seen a character told a long sequence of numbers or instructions only to have them remember each one of them an hour later in the film?) Sam doesn’t have a script in his pack, and it makes perfect sense that he’s not going to remember exactly what he said months earlier. Better yet, Sam’s mistake gives us insight into his character. By giving us the promise in his own words (as opposed to Gandalf’s), we better understand what the promise means to him. – JW

What drew you to Middle Earth? Was it the story, the land, the language, the characters? Also, in your experience what is its main appeal to readers? – Andrea

The irony is that Tolkien created most of his stories due to his love of languages, and yet that’s probably the least appealing part of the books for me. (I’ve always had difficulty with foreign languages, and so I’ve never had too much of an interest in them.) I’m also going to guess that the popularity of the books as a whole is not due to the languages he invented. I don’t think that attracts the masses. What draws me to his work, and what draws most people, is the story. There are certainly great characters, but the characters themselves state quite a few times in the book that they’re unimportant compared to the bigger picture, and that other characters could take their place if need be. And as for Middle-earth, it’s shrewdly created, but like the characters, it’s there to serve the story (or stories).

Digging a little deeper, I think The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings appeal to many people because they’re fictional stories that are actually written more like nonfiction. Most fiction writers follow certain principles, such as the conservation of characters and languages, and a simplified geography (as The Hobbit does) For his more complex works, Tolkien breaks all these rules, and has tangents in his stories which play out more like something would in reality than if a writer were pulling the strings. It’s quite fulfilling to read a good fantasy story that seems so real.

The answer to the riddle: Stairs

J.W. Braun is a Tolkien scholar and author of The Lord of the Films, published by ECW Press in 2009. If you have a question for him, simply drop him a line at lordofthefilms@gmail.com

You can find out more about J.W. at jwbraun.com

The 40 Randomly Selected winners are…

Robb B. – NJ, US
Deana B. – California, US
Talytha B. – South Carolina, US
Peter B. – LA, US
Carmelita B. – NJ, US
Joshua B. – IL, US
Jody C. – UT, US
Mike C. – Utah, US
BreeAnn C. – CA, US
Debbi C. – CA, US
Natalie D. – Ut, US
Judy D. – IL, US
Ryan F. – SC, US
Pete F. – MI, US
Morgan G. – MN, US
Randi G. – MD, US
Kimberley G. – AL, US
Megan K. – Ontario, Canada
Logan K. – Ca, US
Xavier K. – Montana, US
Landon L. – AR, US
Maura M. – NJ, US
Roland M. – Washington, US
Clare M. – GA, US
Timothy M. – , US
Adam M. – ma, US
Joshua M. – VA, US
Donna M. – New Jersey, US
Georg N. – New York, US
Sophia P. – WI, US
Kenneth R. – MS, US
Erik S. – Maine, US
Robert S. – Illinois , US
Elizabeth T. – Alabama, US
Miranda T. – British Columbia, Canada
Garret W. – GA, US
Sheri W. – Tn, US
Brett W. – Az, US
Jeffrey Y. – NY, US
Kay G. – Texas, US

Congrats to you all – you will be getting an email soon with confirmation of your prize. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Don’t forget to order your copy of  The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Chronicles: Art & Design today! [Click here]