“Hrum, Hoom. Do not be hasty, that is my motto.” This weekend, the Hall of Fire chapter-by-chapter discussions on The Two Towers roll on towards December as we arrive at one of the most enchanting and exciting chapters from the Lord of the Rings, one which is not only a favourite of many, but also helps differentiate the realm of Middle-earth from the numerous other mythological worlds that exist in modern science fiction as a result. This weekend, the Hall of Fire welcomes you all to a discussion on
Book III, Chapter IV: Treebeard
When asking people in the past who they’re favourite character from the Lord of the Rings is, often the reply is someone from the Fellowship: Legolas perhaps, or Aragorn, or maybe good ol’ Mr Frodo himself. However when asked who their favourite non-Fellowship character is, the reply is more often than not an emphasised ‘Treebeard!’. This character, due to the uniqueness of his species, his mysterious and clouded past in Middle-earth or just his personality, has captured the imagination of quite a few Tolkien fans throughout the years.
This weekend, we’ll be discussing the chapter that introduces him and the Ents into the War of the Ring one of the most pivotal events which influenced the course of the war itself. What was your original impression of Treebeard/Fangorn upon your first reading of the chapter? Do you share the opinions the consensus have on this character, or do you dislike him and the Ents? Is Treebeard one of the greater characters in literary history, or just a minor element in an otherwise amazing book? Join us for one of our live chats as we discuss all these questions and more with some fellow Tolkien scholars!
Upcoming Discussions June 15 & 16: The (Ir)Responsibility of Elves in Middle-earth June 22 & 23: TTT Chapter Discussion: The Return of Gandalf June 29 & 30: Ask the Experts: A Q&A on Tolkien’s Work
Place: #thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman’s and then type /join #thehalloffire .
Saturday Chat: 5:30 pm ET (17:30) [also 11:30 pm (23:30) CET and 7:30 am Sunday (07:30) AET]
Sunday Chat: 7:00 pm (19:00) CET [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 4:00 am (04:00) Monday morning AET]
ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast CET = Central European Time, Central Europe
Often people talk about how a writer’s style ‘evolves’ throughout their books, a natural progression and change as an author gets to grip with the world which he has created, and fine tunes his vision. It is something that is noticeable in all great writers as well as the indistinguishable ones. J.R.R Tolkien by consensus fits into the former category and this weekend the Hall of Fire staff are discussing the different styles of Tolkien and what is his finest work.
On the most fundamentary level, there is a stark contrast in the maturity and style of The Lord of the Rings to the style of The Hobbit, the latter originally a story told to his children and his first publication. Similarly, there is a contrast to The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, the latter much more ideologically and mythologically driven.
Anyone who has read most of his works can attest to the majorly different styles of his earliest writings also, for example The Lost Tales 1 and 2 with their archaic language; lucious description of things like nature and jewels; and Unfinished Tales with its stunning vision of Tuor as he first sets sights on the Kingdom of Gondolin. This weekend, join us in the Hall of Fire as we discuss the various styles of J.R.R and which one is most fondly received by fellow Tolkien fans.
Upcoming Discussions June 8 & 9: TTT Chapter Discussion: Treebeard June 15 & 16: The (Ir)Responsibility of Elves in Middle-earth June 22 & 23: TTT Chapter Discussion: The Return of Gandalf June 29 & 30: Ask the Experts: A Q&A on Tolkien’s Work
Place: #thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman’s and then type /join #thehalloffire .
Saturday Chat: 5:30 pm ET (17:30) [also 11:30 pm (23:30) CET and 7:30 am Sunday (07:30) AET]
Sunday Chat: 7:00 pm (19:00) CET [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 4:00 am (04:00) Monday morning AET]
ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast CET = Central European Time, Central Europe
TheOneRing.net is very pleased to announce a Live Chat with Mr Gary Russell, author of the new book “The Art of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” on Friday, May 31 at 11pm GMT (6pm EST, 3pm PST) in our Barlimans chat room devoted to topical discussion, #TheHallofFire.
Gary spent time on the sets of FOTR during the lengthy filming phase of the movie. He interviewed director Peter Jackson, special effects wizard Richard Taylor, art directors Paul Lasainne, Dan Hennah, and Chris Hennah, costumer Ngila Dickson, and artists Alan Lee and John Howe. His new book, published in the US by Houghton Mifflin Co. and elsewhere by HarperCollins UK, is filled with wonderful images ranging from sketches to the finished objects. He describes in detail just why FOTR is so groundbreaking in the world of movie-making.
Join us for this chance to get an insider’s perspective of the first of the three groundbreaking movies that comprise The Lord of the Rings.
We will be logging the chat to post on the site for those who cannot attend. Also, if you have a question to ask of Gary, and cannot attend, e-mail it to us and we will try to ask it during the chat.
From the outset, it becomes clear in the very beginning of the Lord of the Rings that the One Ring has the ability to twist and pervert the soul of its bearer, turning them into a shadow of their former self. Forged by and bounded with its dark master, it seems to not only corrupt people but bring out emotions of jealousy, hatred and lust in the rings presence. The death of Deagol at the hands of his friend Sméagol or Gollum as he became known is a fine example of this.
But Gollum is not the only bearer of the One Ring who changed in possession of the intrinsically evil item. Bilbo Baggins himself makes a transition from the unassuming hero of The Hobbit to one who reluctantly gives away his prized treasure, breaking down in Rivendell at one stage in shock at the hold the ring truly has over him. The changes to Bilbo mentally as well as physically, the effect of time on his appearance reduced, are noticeable.
This weekend, the Hall of Fire crew are talking about the effect of the One Ring on Frodo, as he makes his travels to Mordor with his friend Sam at his side, oblivious to the War of the Ring between Elves, Men and Orcs nearby in the kingdom of Gondor. What would have happened if Sam was not with Frodo, would he have been totally demoralised and have failed? Did the One Ring scar Frodo for the rest of his days in Middle-Earth? Did the Ring effect him differently to Bilbo? Did it effect him more? And does this experience have any connection to Tolkien’s time in World War Two? Join in our discussion this weekend as fellow Tolkien fans discuss all these questions and more!
Pippin lay in a dark and troubled dream: it seemed that he could hear his own small voice echoing in black tunnels, calling Frodo, Frodo! But instead of Frodo hundreds of hideous orc-faces grinned at him out of the shadows, hundreds of hideous arms grasped at him from every side. Where was Merry? He woke.
Book Three, Chapter Three: The Uruk-hai
For Pippin and Merry, their situation seemed more akin to a nightmare than reality, waking to find themselves amongst the band of Uruk-hai who attacked the Fellowship, slew the man protecting them and captured them for a fate arguably worse than death. From their horrible position, the two hobbits begin to understand what these orcs are: Uruk-hai, creations of Saruman bred specifically to be a more perfect warrior. However, it becomes clear that all is not well between the Orcs of Barad-dur and the Orcs of Orthanc.
This weekend, join us in the Hall of Fire as we discuss the Two Towers chapter the Uruk-hai, an insight into how the minions of evil work and a closer look at the life of an Orc in the War of the Ring.
Upcoming Discussions May 26 & 27: The Effects Of War Of The Ring On Frodo
Place: #thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman’s and then type /join #thehalloffire .
Saturday Chat: 5:30 pm ET (17:30) [also 11:30 pm (23:30) CET and 7:30 am Sunday (07:30) AET]
Sunday Chat: 7:00 pm (19:00) CET [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 4:00 am (04:00) Monday morning AET]
ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast CET = Central European Time, Central Europe
At this present moment at the beginning of the 21st Century, the realm of fantasy and its influences is visible in every form of the media, from computer games to literature to television, and has quickly become one of the most popular genre’s in modern day literature. However, sixty years ago fantasy didn’t even exist and it wasn’t until the latter part of the 20th Century that it became remotely popular. This weekend, the Hall of Fire crew are discussing whether J.R.R Tolkien was the father of Modern Fantasy.
It wasn’t until the first installment of Lord of the Rings was published in 1954 that the world at large was introduced to fantastical creatures such as orcs and elves. Today, these creatures are staples of modern fantasy culture. Tolkien, through his magical adventure through the world of Middle-Earth, inspired people to think differently about the world in which they lived and how stories could be written.
But did Tolkien inspire a generation of fantasy writers? Can he be attributed to the popularity of Dungeons and Dragons and to the level of respect the genre he pioneered now has? Just as Tolkien was inspired by Anglo Saxon and Norse literature, from Beowulf to The Poetic Edda, Tolkien’s influence can be seen in currents works, such as Terry Pratchett’s fantastic Discworld series. We hope you join us for this fantastic debate this weekend as we explore an excellent topic.
Thanks to jincey for this weeks topic!
Upcoming Discussions May 19 & 20: TTT Chapter by Chapter – The Uruk-hai May 26 & 27: The Effects Of War Of The Ring On Frodo
Place: #thehalloffire on theonering.net server; come to theonering.net’s chat room Barliman’s and then type /join #thehalloffire .
Saturday Chat: 5:30 pm ET (17:30) [also 11:30 pm (23:30) CET and 7:30 am Sunday (07:30) AET]
Sunday Chat: 7:00 pm (19:00) CET [also 1:00 pm (13:00) ET and 4:00 am (04:00) Monday morning AET]
ET = Eastern Time, USA’s East Coast CET = Central European Time, Central Europe
