Hall of Fire resumes chapter-by-chapter discussions of The Lord of the Rings this weekend as we launch into the first chapter of The Two Towers.
‘The horn of Boromir!’ he cried. ‘He is in need!’ He sprang down the steps and away, leaping down the path. ‘Alas! An ill fate is on me this day, and all that I do goes amiss.’
The Two Towers: Book Three, Chapter I: The Departure of Boromir (more…)
Posted in Barliman News, Barlimans, Hall of Fire This weekend in The Hall of Fire, we return to our Lord of the Rings read-through as the Fellowship take to the Anduin River.
‘All together, paddle! ‘ shouted Boromir. ‘Paddle! Or we shall be driven on the shoals.’
Even as he spoke Frodo felt the keel beneath him grate upon stone. At that moment there was a twang of bowstrings: several arrows whistled over them, and some fell among them. One smote Frodo between the shoulders and he lurched forward with a cry, letting go his paddle: but the arrow fell back, foiled by his hidden coat of mail.
FoTR Book II, Chapter IX: The Great River (more…)
Posted in Barliman News, Barlimans, Hall of Fire This weekend, Hall of Fire turns to one of Tolkien’s most enigmatic and mysterious creations — Entwives.
‘You never see any, hm, any Ents round there do you?’ he asked. ‘Well, not Ents, Entwives I should really say.’
‘Entwives?’ said Pippin. ‘Are they like you at all?’
Entwives and the Brown Lands (more…)
Posted in Barliman News, Barlimans, Hall of Fire We return to our read-through of Fellowship of the Ring chapter discussions in The Hall of Fire this weekend to find the remaining members Fellowship faced with a difficult decision.
Posted in Barliman News, Barlimans, Hall of Fire“Now is the time, when those who wish to continue the Quest must harden their hearts to leave this land. Those who no longer wish to go forward may remain here, for a while. But whether they stay or go, none can be sure of peace. For we are come now to the edge of doom.”
This Saturday, Hall of Fire resumes reading through Fellowship of the Ring as Aragorn assumes command of the Company.
The Ranger leads them away from the Khazad-dum toward the Elvish refuge of Lothlórien.
‘There lie the woods of Lothlórien!’ said Legolas. `That is the fairest of all the dwellings of my people. There are no trees like the trees of that land. For in the autumn their leaves fall not, but turn to gold. Not till the spring comes and the new green opens do they fall, and then the boughs are laden with yellow flowers; and the floor of the wood is golden, and golden is the roof, and its pillars are of silver, for the bark of the trees is smooth and grey.’
FoTR Book II Chapter VI: Lothlórien
Stopping briefly to tend to Frodo’s injury, Aragorn is amazed to find Bilbo’s coat of mithril, which saved Frodo from his spear wound in Moria. (more…)
Posted in Barliman News, Barlimans, Hall of Fire Standing beside the tomb of Balin, the Fellowship read in mounting horror of the demise of the son of Fundin’s attempt to retake Moria. The final page of the record, hastily scrawled, is terrifying in its vagueness.
“We cannot get out . . . drums in the deep . . . They are coming.”
This weekend, Hall of Fire resumes its Fellowship of the Ring read-through and we’ll delve into one of the most dramatic chapters of Book Two.
FoTR Book II Chapter V: The Bridge of Khazad-dûm (more…)
Posted in Barliman News, Barlimans, Hall of Fire Unable to climb through the violent billzard on Caradhras, the members of the Fellowship are forced to seek an alternative path. The can’t go over the Misty Mountains. They can’t go around. They reluctantly decide that they must go under. They must enter Moria.
This weekend — Saturday June 9 — the Hall of Fire resumes as we take A Journey in the Dark.
‘Then we must go on, if there is a way,’ said Frodo with a sigh. Sam sank back into gloom.
‘There is a way that we may attempt,’ said Gandalf. ‘I thought from the beginning, when first I considered this journey, that we should try it. But it is not a pleasant way…’
Book II, Chapter IV: A Journey In The Dark (more…)
Posted in Barliman News, Barlimans, Hall of Fire
Last weekend, Hall of Fire hosted a chat about the Ringwraiths — Sauron’s most-trusted, and most-feared servants.
Doing some reading beforehand, I stumbled upon this excellent little summary of the Nazgûl over on Screerant. It did seem a bit odd in my head to refer to them as “ghosts” (see fact 15), but I guess that’s in essence what they’ve become. I’ve reproduced their intro, but you can read the full list over on the Screenrant site. (more…)
Posted in Lord of the Rings This weekend, we’re resuming our Fellowship of the Ring read-through in Hall of Fire as the Fellowship sets out from Rivendell on the long journey to Mordor.
“Now the tale of Nine is filled. In seven days the company must depart.”
Book Two, Chapter Three: The Ring Goes South (more…)
Posted in Barliman News, Barlimans, Hall of Fire
You may recall that, in The Hobbit, Thorin issues a very specific set of instructions as he despatches Bilbo to investigate the camp of the three trolls.
Posted in Green Books, J.R.R. Tolkien, Languages, The Hobbit, Tolkien“You must go on and find out all about that light, and what it is for, and if all is perfectly safe and canny,” said Thorin to the hobbit. “Now scuttle off, and come back quick, if all is well. If not, come back if you can! It you can’t, hoot twice like a barn-owl and once like a screech-owl, and we will do what we can.”
Off Bilbo had to go, before he could explain that he could not hoot even once like any kind of owl any more than fly like a bat.
Middle-earth abounds in characters both creepy and gruesome; Gollum, Shelob, trolls and orcs. Arguably, none inspire the shivers quite like a Nazgûl.
Posted in Barliman News, Barlimans, Hall of FireNine Rings he gave to Mortal Men, proud and great, and so ensnared them. Long ago they fell under the dominion of the One, and they became Ringwraiths, shadows under his great Shadow, his most terrible servants.
This Saturday at 6pm ET, we continue our Fellowship of the Ring read-through in Hall of Fire with the second half of the Council of Elrond chapter.
Posted in Barliman News, Barlimans, Hall of FireAt last with an effort he spoke, and wondered to hear his own words, as if some other will was using his small voice.
“I will take the Ring,” he said, “though I do not know the way.”
