You may recall a week or so ago, Empire Magazine teased a low-resolution image of Bilbo wrapped in blankets in Lake-town. Now, courtesy of our German friends at Herr-de-ringe-film.de we have this rather fine high-resolution version for your viewing pleasure! (Word of warning, this is a largish (approx 5mb) file that is 4896 x 3264 pixels. So it may take a little while to load on slower connections.)
…the dwarves’ good feeling towards the little hobbit grew stronger every day. There were no more groans or grumbles. They drank his health, and they patted him on the back, and they made a great fuss of him; which was just as well, for he was not feeling particularly cheerful. He had not forgotten the look of the Mountain, nor the thought of the dragon, and he had besides a shocking cold. For three days he sneezed and coughed, and he could not go out, and even after that his speeches at banquets were limited to “Thag you very buch.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, one of the world’s most celebrated fantasy writers, was inspired by time spent on the bloodsoaked battlefield. John Garth, author of Tolkien and the Great War reports.
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
When exactly is Durin’s Day? For various reasons, including the non-exact correlation of the Shire Calendar and our modern Gregorian calendar, it’s quite hard to know for certain.
In this extensively researched piece, DarkJackal uses Tolkien’s notes as published in John D. Rateliff’s The History of the Hobbit to explains why there are conflicting theories… and, in a very Tolkienian fashion, no definitive or easily settled upon answer.
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
With the human face of Beorn finally revealed (Warning: visual spoilers on that link!), I thought readers might be interested in a little bit of book character history and background.
The most common questions that people ask concern his ability to change shape. Is it magical? Is he cursed? Does he have control over it? Did Tolkien mean Beorn to be some kind of beserker?
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
Yesterday saw not only the launch of the new The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug trailer, but also another exciting release for Tolkien fans – the publication of the latest edition of the book which started it all! You may remember TORn’s post about Jemima Catlin, the young illustrator behind the first new illustrated edition of The Hobbit since Alan Lee’s iconic version in 1997. (Catlin is also the featured illustrator for the 2014 Tolkien Calendar.)
This book is now available for purchase in the US! (It was released by HarperCollins in the UK in September.) It’s a beautiful edition. The hardcover, with cloth binding, is charmingly old fashioned, and the cover illustrations have gold accents, which shimmer with the promise of the magic contained within. Catlin’s images are a combination of pencil, ink and watercolour; there are many little pictures decorating the text, as well as more than ten full page, full colour pieces. The story is interpretated in lively, delightful drawings which show a new interpretation of old friends.
This is an edition to treasure, and would particularly be a wonderful introduction to The Hobbit for children. It’s a great reminder that, as spectacular as the movies are, the enchantment began in the pages of a fabulous book. If you’re thinking about holiday shopping already, add this to the list! I for one feel I can never have too many editions of The Hobbit; this beautiful new edition is certainly worth adding to your collection.
Earendil and Elwing by Jenny Dolfen. In this new TORn Library piece, Gibbelins writes about the deep, yet extraordinarily subtle faith underlying Tolkien’s legendarium, and why it works for readers of all faiths — even those who profess to no faith at all. Continue reading “Why Tolkien works for readers of all faiths”
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
J.R.R. Tolkien, one of the world’s most celebrated fantasy writers, was inspired by time spent on the bloodsoaked battlefield. John Garth, author of Tolkien and the Great War reports.
With 