It seems as though we have come to the end of Bilbo's journey. I don't quite know what to say about the ending of this book to give it justice. The falling action of the story itself is so cleverly crafted, I have so much respect for authors that do this. The climax is something that the author works throughout the entire novel to get to, and Tolkien certainly builds with suspense. However, all throughout the falling action he doesn't desert the story in any way.
Allow me to explain. From my experience with fiction (mostly geared towards teens), the falling action is usually shrouded of this sleepy mood. You get this sense of "It's over, it happened, it's done" and the majority of the falling action is hardly memorable. Tolkien, however, makes it clear that the story is far from over. Even though (spoiler alert!) the dragon is dead, there's much to do in order to repossess the dwarf kingdom. While it can become a bit tedious and boring, I can understand why people love Tolkien's work. Throughout the falling action, Tolkien adds even more to the story. He introduces new characters and even more conflicts. It's probably these small hitches that give the story momentum.
It still boggles my mind that even after all of the fantastic adventures that Tolkien has lead us through, he still has more to pull out of this world he's created. If reading this book has taught me anything it's that there is no such thing as too much detail. While it's good to focus on the 'big picture' of the story, it's also very beneficial to zoom in on tiny details. These details ultimately give the story the most realism, even if it's set in a fantasy world like Middle Earth.
In summary: If a bit dry, Tolkien is a master of detail and fantasy. If anyone is interested in this genre, The Hobbit is probably the best you can get.
Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
The Hobbit: Part 3
Welcome back!
Since my last post, our lovable band of dwarves and Bilbo have traveled to the far east. After traveling through the enchanted forest (yes, really) and escaping the prison of the elf kingdom, they finally arrive at the lonely mountain. This is where Tolkien finally reminds us what this story is actually about. The dwarves are elated to regain their homeland, but Tolkien makes it very apparent that their journey isn't anywhere close to finished. They first must defeat Smaug, the enormous dragon that lives within the mountain.
Now, everyone thinks dragons are theres fabulous and mysterious creatures that are infinitely wise. I don't know if dragons are meant to be this way in Tolkien's universe as well, but Smaug is an asshole. He just is. He sits on this enormous mountain of treasure, he literally has the entire wealth of the dwarves in his possession. BUT Bilbo sneaks in and steals a tiny cup to prove that the treasure is still in fact there, and Smaug throws a hissy fit! He torches the countryside and eats all the dwarves' ponies. As if he's going to be using that cup anytime soon anyways, he has a MOUNTAIN of treasure and throws a tantrum over a freaking CUP.
However, I must admit that the language in these next few scenes is gorgeous. Although Smaug is not your stereotypical dragon, he speaks in riddles. This is where Bilbo's scene with Gollum becomes very important, because he is again riddling his way out of certain death. The one catch is that dragons are much more powerful than Gollum, and as Smaug speaks to Bilbo he plants thoughts in his mind that are meant to confuse and trick him. He tries to turn him against the dwarves, claiming that they won't pay him well if they succeed. But Bilbo is quick on his feet and only relays information in riddles which Smaug is transfixed by. "I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led. And through the air. I am he that walks unseen" I mean, who wouldn't be? Bilbo has become so clever and brave over the course of this story, I can't wait to see where he takes us!
Until next time, thanks for reading!
Since my last post, our lovable band of dwarves and Bilbo have traveled to the far east. After traveling through the enchanted forest (yes, really) and escaping the prison of the elf kingdom, they finally arrive at the lonely mountain. This is where Tolkien finally reminds us what this story is actually about. The dwarves are elated to regain their homeland, but Tolkien makes it very apparent that their journey isn't anywhere close to finished. They first must defeat Smaug, the enormous dragon that lives within the mountain.
Now, everyone thinks dragons are theres fabulous and mysterious creatures that are infinitely wise. I don't know if dragons are meant to be this way in Tolkien's universe as well, but Smaug is an asshole. He just is. He sits on this enormous mountain of treasure, he literally has the entire wealth of the dwarves in his possession. BUT Bilbo sneaks in and steals a tiny cup to prove that the treasure is still in fact there, and Smaug throws a hissy fit! He torches the countryside and eats all the dwarves' ponies. As if he's going to be using that cup anytime soon anyways, he has a MOUNTAIN of treasure and throws a tantrum over a freaking CUP.
However, I must admit that the language in these next few scenes is gorgeous. Although Smaug is not your stereotypical dragon, he speaks in riddles. This is where Bilbo's scene with Gollum becomes very important, because he is again riddling his way out of certain death. The one catch is that dragons are much more powerful than Gollum, and as Smaug speaks to Bilbo he plants thoughts in his mind that are meant to confuse and trick him. He tries to turn him against the dwarves, claiming that they won't pay him well if they succeed. But Bilbo is quick on his feet and only relays information in riddles which Smaug is transfixed by. "I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led. And through the air. I am he that walks unseen" I mean, who wouldn't be? Bilbo has become so clever and brave over the course of this story, I can't wait to see where he takes us!
Until next time, thanks for reading!
Thursday, October 9, 2014
The Hobbit: Part 2
Alright! Welcome back everyone, we have finally made it to The Hobbit: part 2, or Desolation of Smaug territory. We find Mr. Baggins and his friends in the house of a man named Beorn who can turn himself into a bear as he chooses. They spend about a week at his house recuperating from their encounter with the Goblins. Additionally, the Goblins are very angry at them for killing their king so it's in their better interest to camp out for a few days. Bilbo seems to drift in and out of sleep, giving the whole part a slightly iridescent, dreamlike quality. However, this portion of the book contains one of my most favorite lines so far, possibly in any book ever. I actually had to stop and read this line over about three times just because it's so great.
At night Beorn goes out exploring and tells the group about a meeting of black bears in the courtyard of his house. As Bilbo drifts off to sleep after hearing this news, this gem appears: "he dropped asleep, still puzzling his little head about Beorn, till he dreamed a dream of hundreds of black bears dancing slow heavy dances round and round in the moonlight in the courtyard." Doesn't it just give you chills?? I mostly love this line just because of the intense amount of imagery Tolkien manages to squeeze into roughly 23 words. We get that iridescent-y filter of the dream state, the dark blue sky, the milky moonlight flooding onto the stone courtyard surrounded by dark green grass. Then, of course, we have the large black bears. Now, I don't know how a bear would dance but the fact that Tolkien paid that much attention to detail is astounding to me. Not only because he just threw in this meaningless detail of bears offhand but that he took the time and care to describe it with such detail. Because that seems to be how bears would dance, too.
This line actually blew my mind as a writer. Just the level of detail put into this story is astounding, these bears aren't even relevant to the story as far as I know and yet they seem so important in this specific line.
In summary: Tolkien, I can't with you. I need to go lie down and rethink my life decisions.
Thanks for reading!
At night Beorn goes out exploring and tells the group about a meeting of black bears in the courtyard of his house. As Bilbo drifts off to sleep after hearing this news, this gem appears: "he dropped asleep, still puzzling his little head about Beorn, till he dreamed a dream of hundreds of black bears dancing slow heavy dances round and round in the moonlight in the courtyard." Doesn't it just give you chills?? I mostly love this line just because of the intense amount of imagery Tolkien manages to squeeze into roughly 23 words. We get that iridescent-y filter of the dream state, the dark blue sky, the milky moonlight flooding onto the stone courtyard surrounded by dark green grass. Then, of course, we have the large black bears. Now, I don't know how a bear would dance but the fact that Tolkien paid that much attention to detail is astounding to me. Not only because he just threw in this meaningless detail of bears offhand but that he took the time and care to describe it with such detail. Because that seems to be how bears would dance, too.
This line actually blew my mind as a writer. Just the level of detail put into this story is astounding, these bears aren't even relevant to the story as far as I know and yet they seem so important in this specific line.
In summary: Tolkien, I can't with you. I need to go lie down and rethink my life decisions.
Thanks for reading!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)