Barliman's Chat This weekend in Hall of Fire we’re taking a quick diversion from our Fellowship of the Ring read-through to talk about a humble yet oddly important part of Middle-earth (and its peculiar inhabitants) — the village of Bree.

“Strange as News from Bree was still a saying in the Eastfarthing, descending from those days, when news from the North, South, and East could be heard in the inn.

Continue reading “The Hall of Fire chat this weekend: Strange as news from Bree?”

Barliman's Chat This Saturday at 6pm ET, Hall of Fire rejoins the four Hobbits on the Barrows Downs as we resume our Fellowship of the Ring read-through.

‘Splendid!’ said Frodo. ‘If we make as good going this afternoon as we have done this morning, we shall have left the Downs before the Sun sets and be jogging on in search of a camping place.’

FoTR Book 1, Chapter 7: Fog on the Barrow-Downs

Unfortunately for the four, dense fog closes in while they nap after lunch by an ancient standing stone on a bare hill. They lose each other in the clammy, misty conditions and fall into deadly peril when a Barrow-wight captures them. Continue reading “The Hall of Fire chat this weekend: Fog on the Barrow Downs”

Barliman's Chat This Saturday at 6pm EST, Hall of Fire returns to the Fellowship of The Ring as the hobbits take refuge in the house of Tom Bombadil and try to put their horror encounter with Old Man Willow behind them.

“I kept [Tom] in, and as he was, because he represents certain things otherwise left out.” — JRR Tolkien, Letter 153.

FoTR Book 1, Chapter 7: The House of Tom Bombadil

Tom’s wife, Goldberry, moves Frodo in a way similar to that of the Elves, but in a homier, less rarefied fashion. Frodo asks Goldberry who Tom is, and she replies mysteriously that Tom is “master of wood, water and hill.” Continue reading “The Hall of Fire this weekend: The House of Tom Bombadil”

Barliman's Chat
This weekend, Hall of Fire turns to Tolkien’s Unfinished Tales as we discuss the events revealed in The Hunt for the Ring.

At length [Sauron] resolved that no others would serve him in this case but his mightiest servants, the Ringwraiths, who had no will but his own, being each utterly subservient to the ring that had enslaved him, which Sauron held.

The Hunt for the Ring Continue reading “The Hall of Fire this weekend: the Hunt for the Ring”

Barliman's Chat This Saturday, Hall of Fire rejoins Frodo, Sam and Pippin on the road to Bucklebury Ferry as we return to our chapter-by-chapter read-through of Fellowship of The Ring.

“That settles it!” said Frodo. “Short cuts make delays, but inns make longer ones. At all costs we must keep you away from the Golden Perch. We want to get to Bucklebury before dark.”

FoTR Book 1, Chapter 4: A Shortcut to Mushrooms

In the morning, Gildor and his company of elves are gone. Frodo decides the road is too dangerous, and heads cross-country instead. Continue reading “The Hall of Fire this weekend: a shortcut to mushrooms”