LMB Book Club, The Hobbit Ch. 6: Out of the Frying Pan...

[Lennidhren]

So here it's Thursday and I haven't got the next chapter's thread up yet? Yikes! :-( Well, it's been one of those weeks...final exams to write and first week back to school from vacation = overtired teacher not getting any Hobbit discussion topics written. Before it gets to the weekend and us without a meeting date set, I'm going to go ahead and post the poll here, and I'll get the discussion topics up in this thread later as soon as I can.

[Lindorieh]

I voted for Sunday, then realized I can't make it then. Friday is a bit too late for me, but Saturday at 2 or 6 is possible.

Lind

[Lennidhren]

Transferring Lindorieh's vote from Sunday to Saturday, it looks like 6pm tonight will be our meeting time. So, just in time for it, here are my suggested topics:

(1) In this chapter TWO new races are introduced! First, the Wargs, evil wolves. What can we say of their characterization?

(2) And then we have the perilous Eagles of the mountains. Tolkien writes that they are not kindly, but proud, strong and noble-hearted, and enemies of the goblins. What do you think of these noble birds? What does Bilbo's perspective on them and their high eyries do for us?

(3) The sense of Duty plays a role in this chapter. First we have Bilbo, as he puts distance between the Goblin Gate and himself, coming to the decision that it's his duty to go back and look for his friends in the tunnels, but fortunately hearing their voices just in time...whereas the dwarves grumble at Gandalf's insistence that they must do their duty to go back and look for missing Bilbo. How/where else does Tolkien develop this theme?

(4) Bilbo has made great strides towards being a proper adventurer, but this chapter seems to revel in pointing out his weaknesses, such as his fear of heights and his overcivilized reliance on a butcher to prepare his meat. Is this to establish a background against which his growing heroism later can shine?

Oh, and there's also a new Goblin song in this chapter. Perhaps we can find music fit for "Fifteen birds in five fir-trees"? Hm, interesting alliteration there for those oafish goblins...

Any suggestions for where to meet this week? We could return to Bag Inn or one of the pubs in the Shire, or meet at someone's house. Alas, we can't actually meet on the eastern side of the Misty Mountains to see those five fir-trees. :-)

[gaiagil]

One of the pubs would be nice. I'll look into a tune for the song. No promises though!

Gaiagil

[shava23]

We actually had a tune that we sang the fifteen birds song to when I was a kid. It had sort of a soviet men's choir feel to it. Alas, I can't get my mic to work with lotro voice, but maybe I could sing it to someone on skype or something?

yrs,
Shava, typist to
Artemisia & Co

[Rocknose]

Is that the one from the Hobbit Animated movie?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLVgGADHg60&playnext=1&list=PLBEAB049BC058D237&index=17

[shava23]

Nope. It's sort of pentatonic, my version. 1231451' in pentatonic for fif-teen birds in five fir treeeeees! (damn, I wish I had a keyboard...)