For devoted Tolkien fans...
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URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=58571
Printed Date: April 25 2024 at 02:10
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Topic: For devoted Tolkien fans...
Posted By: aapatsos
Subject: For devoted Tolkien fans...
Date Posted: June 06 2009 at 12:43
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I can't remember if we have done this before... I have recently (again) delved into the fantasy world of J.R.R. Tolkien and was wondering how many of us read his books and which one is your favourite. I have included the most obvious ones, although the 'other' choice covers everything (books edited by Christopher Tolkien are also included). My favourite has always been the Silmarillion as it unfolds the whole myhtology behind Middle-Earth and because I prefer reading about Elves rather than Men  Please feel free to discuss your preferences and any other comments about Tolkien (by the way I heard that The Hobbit movie is underway?) |
Replies:
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: June 06 2009 at 12:47
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The Hobbit movies are indeed in the early stages of pre poduction. ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: June 06 2009 at 13:16
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I'm a casual fan, I wish I could converse about it but I know few of the books' details |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: June 06 2009 at 14:13
| I am a big Tolkien fan, and have also published a few articles about his work, as well as edited and partly translated the Italian edition of three of the most important scholarly books on him. That said, my favourite work of his is The Lord of the Rings, a real treasure trove of everything that is good about literature - in spite of all the venom so many 'ivory tower' critics have spewed on it since its first publication. The Hobbit would be my choice as a runner-up: it may be 'only' children's literature, but it is a masterpiece in its own right. |
Posted By: aapatsos
Date Posted: June 06 2009 at 15:17
^  to your work. I would be interested to see your articles if they are available and unless they are in Italian |
Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: June 06 2009 at 16:38
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Lord of the Rings truly the first of the modern adult fantasy epics. He really did inspire so many to delve farther into the genre most thought to be only kids stories and use our imaginations more. I read it for the first time in the early 70's in high school. Hmm great music, Tolkien and what was that funny green plant? -------------  "What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: June 06 2009 at 16:43
My published articles, with one exception, are all in English, and all the books where they appear are available from Amazon. You might even find them in some university library there in the UK. I'll be happy to give you the titles.. I just have to try and remember them all  . |
aapatsos wrote:Posted By: A Person
Date Posted: June 06 2009 at 17:27
For the past five years I have been almost constantly in the middle of a Tolkien book because I have a bad habit of reading multiple books at a time and sometimes forget/ don't feel like finishing one of them, it's almost as annoying as my habit of not using bookmarks and trying to remember what page I am on.  I absolutely love Tolkien, I like tLotR more than the Silmarillion, maybe a reread would change that though. I was amazed by some of the stories in the Silmarillion, they are some of the best I have ever read, but I like tLotR partially for the larger volume of the story, it allows more to unfold. I love The Hobbit too, but the different writing style is harder for me to get into at first. I like the original animated The Hobbit movie, if only for the nostalgia. |
Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: June 06 2009 at 17:31
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It has been The Silmarillion for a few years: after trying to read it, I came to chapter 10 of the Quenta Silmarillion, with great effort. Then I laid it away for six months and read it again: from beginning to end in two or three days. But nowadays I think that The Lord of the Rings is my fave: from 1977 'til now I hav read it maybe 27 or 28 times.
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Posted By: progkidjoel
Date Posted: June 10 2009 at 01:37
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THE CHILDREN OF HURIN The first Tolkien book I was old enough to properly understand, and indeed, one of the best I've ever read. ------------- 
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Posted By: clarke2001
Date Posted: June 10 2009 at 03:46
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I can't imagine how anything else besides Lord OF The Rings can win this poll. Hence, my votes goes to The Hobbit - very charming book. I like his Smith of Wooton Major children's book, too. I'm not familiar with Lost Tales/Unfinished Tales/Hurin. I tried Silmarillion but must admit twas a bit dense for me, if you take my meaning. |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 10 2009 at 04:40
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Lord of the Rings clearly is his crowning achievement. Nevertheless every serious Tolkien fan should read the Silmarillion, too. IMO it's a fascinating idea about how the world might have been created. It's even likened to composing music, with Morgoth (originally called Melkor) representing chaos and dissonance (which today would most likely be Extreme Metal).
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Posted By: sleeper
Date Posted: June 10 2009 at 05:52
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The Silmarillion, a truly amazing read.
------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005  |
Posted By: aapatsos
Date Posted: June 10 2009 at 14:51
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I am glad a few people actually voted for the Silmarillion - to make a movie out of this will be the ultimate achievement, much harder than LOTR... |
Posted By: Jim Garten
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 10:07
It's odd but I tried many times in my younger years to read Lord Of The Rings, but never managed it... then I read The Hobbit, loved it & sped through the entire LOTR series in a couple of weeks. I'd say The Hobbit is essential reading to understand LOTR but a great stand up book in its own right. Overall though & predictably, it is LOTR for me. -------------  Jon Lord 1941 - 2012 |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 10:24
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My recommendation for Tolkien newbies: 1. The Hobbit (easiest to read) 2. Lord of the Rings 3. The Silmarillion (explains how the world was created and tells what happened before LotR) ------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 10:45
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My family is so enmeshed in the Tolkien world that its mythology is our mythology. My father has read the books so many times it borders on obsession. The professor that spoke at my brother's graduation here in Saint Louis was a big Tolkien scholar. The work he's done simply will never be matched because the kind of scholarship he had in languages and mythology is rare enough, but to combine that with the obsession in a fantasy world....It just won't happen.
I personally can't separate the parts of the world and say "this is better" or "that is better" though clearly the LOTR was the most finished piece of work for adults. The Silmarillion is already a collection of lore, and other works are even more patchwork, though some of the stories still are great.
Anybody up for a round of "Where there's a whip there's a way" over a pint or two? ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: Alberto Muñoz
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 10:57
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Vote for the Sillmarilion it's an amzaing story and the Noldor's elves story are fascinanting.
I wonder what really happen when Ungoliant retire to the south and ended devouring himself -------------  |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 11:03
BTW: If any of you Tolkien fans haven't checked out Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle-Earth yet ... well, you should.
------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 12:43
You mean Tom Shippey, I suppose? I edited the Italian translation of his book The Road to Middle-earth, and had the opportunity to meet him in person in 2005, at the Birmingham convention organised on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of LotR. Edit: Alberto, Ungoliant is a she ... |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 12:47
^ I was going to say that, since it inspired me to post about the Blind Guardian album. One line of the lyrics is "She, the mistress of her own lust".
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Posted By: aapatsos
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 16:20
Indeed |
Posted By: aapatsos
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 16:23
I doubt there is a single Tolkien+prog/metal fan that does not have this gem... is there  ?When it was released, I was 17, really impressed with it and called a friend to say I have this album. He was impressed by the album as well (he was a Tolkien fan) and I loved the album after reading the Slmarillion that year... |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 16:26
Unfortunately, I was not very impressed by Blind Guardian's album ... I suppose it's just a matter of personal taste. I don't think it captures the spirit of The Silmarillion at all, but perhaps it's just me.
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Posted By: aapatsos
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 16:36
^ oh well... 
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Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 16:37
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I don't expect everyone to love this album ... IMO people will either love or hate it, and I'm fine with both.
------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 16:39
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No, Mike, I can't say I HATE it... It just didn't do much for me, though I understand why many people love it. Anyway, if it can be of any consolation to all of you BG fans, I don't believe any musician has captured the atmosphere of Tolkien's work effectively. I have heard Bo Hansson's record, and was not particularly impressed either. |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 16:43
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I don't think they tried to capture the atmosphere of the book ... they're a metal band, and they combined the style they had been developing for several years with some of the stories from the book. It's very sophisticated too ... you definitely need several spins to grasp all the little details in the music.
------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: Alberto Muñoz
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 17:31
Oh yes sorry  ------------- |
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 18:57
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The Silmarillion.................the immensity of the First Age almost dwarfs ( no pun intended) the other works. I think Christopher Tolkien had a large role to play in the finishing off of this epic, hence the style different to LOTR. The tale of Beren and Luthien perhaps the best love story ever told too.
Unfinished Tales is also incredible
Tolkiens version of the Universe, God, The Music of the Ainur that help form Arda ( Earth), The tales of the Valar versus their errant Melkor just mindblowing. And that is not even touching on Hildorien and the beginning of the Firstborn - The Elves , and their journey West. Great insight also to the origin of the Istari ( wizards), the lienage of the Elves and how it fits/meshes up to the Fourth Age in LOTR.
Smith of Wooten Major excellent too.
What a thread!!!
Raff, very impressed by your history of event and involvement  ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 19:01
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Thanks! Unfortunately, my experience with the Italian Tolkien fans was quite negative (ended up in an unpleasant bout of backstabbing), therefore I have lost a lot of my original interest. Hopefully it will come back again some time in the future.
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Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: June 12 2009 at 20:07
For anyone really interested in more of Tolkien's world I would encourage you to get the Encyclopedia of Arda - An Interractive online guide to Tolkien's works
http://www.axiomtoolworks.com - www.axiomtoolworks.com
Excellent resource or the book - The Complete Tolkien Companion ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: aapatsos
Date Posted: June 13 2009 at 06:24
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I just found this website which is similar (I presume) to the Encyclopedia.... http://www.glyphweb.com/arda very very impressive... |
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: June 13 2009 at 06:40
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Talking about music related to Tolkien I would have to say Bo Hansson's Lord of The Rings is the best I have come across. Reminds me a bit of MO's Tubular Bells in that it is not perfect and rough around the edges but it flows pretty much for 40 minutes starting with the Shire and ending at Mithlond ( Havens) For 1972 it is incredibly accurate IMO in depicting moods and scenes. Check out ' Council of Elrond' and the " Ring Goes South' ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: June 13 2009 at 06:43
 That's the one.------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 13 2009 at 06:51
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http://tolkiengateway.net - http://tolkiengateway.net ------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: el dingo
Date Posted: June 16 2009 at 05:19
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When I read tLotR for the first of many times in the early Seventies it had a cult status that made you feel cool to carry it around - heck, you'd see people with it at gigs and festivals for Chrissakes.
I've found it quite enduring, but I'm putting on the flameproof suit 'cos I find the Elvish language parts positively, erm, er, there's no other way to say it: masturbatory and unnecessary; patronising even.
I love this book, you're immersed in a different world in a way even the best sci-fi cannot emulate, IMO. The Hobbit is a "good story" but like I guess a lot of people I read it after tLotR and it didn't compare on the same level.
I tried real hard with Silmarillion, but just couldn't get into it. Unfortunately i virtually speed read (it's a curse, not a gift, especially when it comes to fiction) and I didn't find much in it to grab me.
for the film trilogy too.------------- It's not that I can't find worth in anything, it's just that I can't find worth in enough. |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: June 16 2009 at 23:37
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I've only read the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings books, though I have Children of Hurin, and I think we have a copy of Silmarillion around the house somewhere, both of which have been on my list to read for a while. Unfortunately I recently discovered Vonnegut and Philip Dick and Jonathan Lethem and Jonathan Carroll and I'm still working through the Dune series and...well, I've got a lot of reading to do. Of the two I've read though, I really can't say I like one more than the other. I've always considered the Hobbit to be part of the same story as the main trilogy, so in my eyes they're one work rather than two. No vote from me yet.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: The Runaway
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 08:11
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I actually picked The Hobbit.
Even though my name is named after a character from Lord of the Rings I still think we owe it all to The Hobbit, and maybe the Silmarillion is part of the Middle-Earth series, but I still prefer The Hobbit if I had to pick an influential one. ------------- http://www.formspring.me/Aragorn224" rel="nofollow - Trendsetter win! The search for nonexistent perfection. |
Posted By: Zargus
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 08:54
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1. The Lord of the Rings
2. The Hobbit
3. The Silmarillion------------- 
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Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 10:06
I couldn't remember his name at first, but yes it was Tom Shippey. He was the best graduation speaker I've ever seen. Most you sit through, this made me want to go read his work. It was pretty awesome given our family history. My daughter (8) is just starting the Fellowship right now. It's pretty exciting watching someone get exposed for the first time.
------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 10:10
Better by far is Leonard Ni,moys Bilbo!! ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 11:12
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Methinks Mr. Spock might indulge in the pipe-weed. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 17 2009 at 11:15
Just what I thought too when I watched this. ------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: mr.cub
Date Posted: June 18 2009 at 15:06
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I think I need to read LOTR again. I haven't read them in a long while. Plenty of time to do so now... -------------  |
Posted By: Garion81
Date Posted: June 18 2009 at 17:13
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Speaking of music for LOTR I think Howard Shore's sountrack to the movies is brilliant. A couple years ago I bought Stacy (she is a bigger fan than I am and I am a pretty big fan) the complete soundtracks (the entire movie not just clips) for the three movies. It cost a bit but what an intense listening pleasure!
------------- "What are you going to do when that damn thing rusts?" |
Posted By: Vompatti
Date Posted: June 18 2009 at 17:14
| I haven't read them all, but I was very impressed by the Silmarillion. |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: June 18 2009 at 17:19
I have the soundtracks to the first two movies, but never bought the one to the third, because it didn't impress me in the same way. Actually, I thought the third movie was not as good as it could have been, unlike the first, which was almost perfect. |
Posted By: el dingo
Date Posted: June 19 2009 at 02:42
Agreed. I know they had to leave a lot out, but i reckon The Scouring of the Shire would have made a great little scene with the actors they had on board. ------------- It's not that I can't find worth in anything, it's just that I can't find worth in enough. |
Posted By: Negoba
Date Posted: June 19 2009 at 08:16
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Our St Louis symphony orchestra did Howard Shore's reworking of the soundtrack music and it was really great. Full chorus, just a slide show in the back of the hand sketches that were also behind the credits in the movie, roughly correlating to the scenes the orchestra was playing. Took my parents and brother, and it was great experience. If you get a chance to see it, it's worthwhile. ------------- You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all. |
Posted By: Norbert
Date Posted: June 30 2009 at 13:15
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Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion are the must-reads for anyone, I prefer the latter, even if it's quite fragmented, this sometimes adds even something to the experience, more room for your imagination. And i prefer reading about Valars and Elves over reading about hobbits. |
Posted By: Mr ProgFreak
Date Posted: June 30 2009 at 13:52
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I guess he added the hobbits and dwarfs mostly for the children.
------------- https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike" rel="nofollow - https://tagyourmusic.org/users/Mike |
Posted By: aapatsos
Date Posted: June 30 2009 at 14:00
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^ the dwarves in Tokien's mythology were created even before Elves but maybe that's the case for the hobbits, I don't know... By the way, if any of you are big fans of the Silmarillion, The book of lost tales is a must have... very detailed storytelling of the beginning of the world! |
Posted By: Space Cadet
Date Posted: October 11 2009 at 13:45
| as much as i love the silmarillion and LOTR, i still dig the children of húrin far more. |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: October 11 2009 at 14:23
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I voted Lord Of The Rings, which is still an amazing book. It's nice to see that a whole new generation discovers this story because of the Peter Jackson movies, though of course all should read the books as well, because many aspects of the book don't come forward in the movies, however good they are. Some people before me have already pointed out that The Silmarillion is also worth while exploring, and I agree with them. It's a beautiful written mythology. The Hobbit still is a great story to read. I agree with Mike's (Mr. Prog Freak's) reading sequence advice. The Hobbit is a nice starter and a good story as well, though not with the depth of the other two well known books. I didn't read The Children Of Hurin thus far. |
Posted By: aapatsos
Date Posted: October 11 2009 at 15:07
| ^ I believe that if you liked The Silmarillion, you will love the Children of Hurin. It is really an extended edition of the story in the Silmarillion but with many darker elements and great story-telling as well |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: October 11 2009 at 15:23
It is? Well, that sounds really interesting. Thanks for the tip! |
Posted By: jampa17
Date Posted: October 12 2009 at 11:51
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I need to read the Silmarillion... but don't have time.. .now I'm reading The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet... nice.. and big... jejeje... Soon I will get back to my Hobbit geek roots... you know... I guess everybody feels more interesting in elves than hobbits but at the end of the day anyone could identify with hobbits... and see the elves like some divinity, somekind of unreal and too fancy... so I always end up feeling like I would have a little farm on the shire... jejeje... I always thought that...!!! ------------- |
Posted By: Equality 7-2521
Date Posted: October 12 2009 at 12:42
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Lord of the Rings by a mile over the Silmarillion. ------------- "One had to be a Newton to notice that the moon is falling, when everyone sees that it doesn't fall. " |
Posted By: Earendil
Date Posted: November 08 2010 at 18:26
| .....All of them? haha. I think they all show a different side of Tolkien's world. I haven't read Unfinished Tales yet though. I should do that. |
Posted By: Earendil
Date Posted: November 08 2010 at 18:29
| Has anybody read Roverandom? Its a great novella that's mostly for children but still well-told enough. It has some good non-sense stuff in it and can even be pretty funny. Tolkien drew or water-colored a few pictures for it too. |
Posted By: UndercoverBoy
Date Posted: November 08 2010 at 20:36
| All I've read is The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. I'm going to go with the obvious choice, LOTR, although I think I need to read it again because I was young when I first read it. |
Posted By: thellama73
Date Posted: November 08 2010 at 20:39
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I've read all of these except the Children of Hurin. The SIlmarillion is really great and The Lays of Beleriad, or whatever that on is called is epic, but nothing can top LOTR. Nothing.
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Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: November 08 2010 at 22:39
Children Of Hurin is a great read, definitely Christopher Tolkien style writing, sadly totally depressing too ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: A Person
Date Posted: November 08 2010 at 22:40
That's what I didn't like about it. |
Posted By: Stooge
Date Posted: November 09 2010 at 13:10
| Not exactly a "devoted" Tolkien fan at this stage, having only read Fellowship of The Ring. However, I just picked up the other 2 books of the LOTR trilogy. After that, I'll probably go for The Hobbit. |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: November 09 2010 at 16:24
I've had 2 attempts at reading this book - I just can't get on with it. |
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: November 09 2010 at 17:31
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^ I can understand, Turin was in self destruct mode from the beginning ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: Proletariat
Date Posted: November 09 2010 at 17:37
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has to be the Lord of the Rings... but anyone who hasn't read Roverandom, Farmer Giles of Ham, Smith of Wooton Major or his translation of Gwain and the Green Knight should check those works out to get a taste of his non-middle earth side ------------- who hiccuped endlessly trying to giggle but wound up with a sob |
Posted By: Proletariat
Date Posted: November 09 2010 at 17:39
indeed! any one with children needs to get on reading this to them! probably one of the greatest childrens stories of all time! ------------- who hiccuped endlessly trying to giggle but wound up with a sob |
Posted By: Mr. Maestro
Date Posted: November 09 2010 at 21:47
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LotR and Silmarillion are masterpieces, but I've always enjoyed The Hobbit more. It's fairly simplistic compared to the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy and the quasi-Biblical Silmarillion, but it's got a certain sort of charm that I feel the other works are lacking. ------------- "I am the one who crossed through space...or stayed where I was...or didn't exist in the first place...." |
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: November 15 2010 at 03:18
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to my personal preferance Turin Turambar is one of the most real fantasy carchters created, he suffers, but he still fights on, he meets alot of unfortionat events but stil hell he's head high, he is the greatest hero in the fantasy realm, closly followd by Rand al'Thor -------------  
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Posted By: Lozlan
Date Posted: November 17 2010 at 22:30
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Very disturbed to see people on here claiming that the hobbits exist to amuse children. Sam and Frodo are the absolute heart and soul of Lord of the Rings, which is simply one of the greatest pieces of creative fiction ever conceived. The hobbits, their complex society and their indomitable will, their simplicity and their ferocity...I am a hobbit fancier. I love The Silmarillion to death, but I strongly feel the lack of hobbitage, and only read it every so often.
------------- Certified Obscure Prog Fart. http://scottjcouturier.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow - The Loose Palace of Exile - My first novel, The Mask of Tamrel, now available on Amazon and Kindle |
Posted By: aapatsos
Date Posted: November 18 2010 at 14:52
| ^ agree with your statement about hobbits, Tolkien did not just devise them, he took them from real life (ok with a bit of imagination). However, I do not miss them in the Silmarillion... it has so many things to keep me interested |
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: November 21 2010 at 20:50
who is Tom Bombadill     -------------
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Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: November 21 2010 at 20:51
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Posted By: Earendil
Date Posted: November 21 2010 at 20:58
I think Tolkien left it a mystery on purpose.  I like to think of him as Iluvatar, but that doesn't really fit. I think the most likely answer is a sort of embodiment of nature. Its a pretty open question though... |
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: November 21 2010 at 21:09
someone (not me) said he was the impersonification of Arda (the earth), like a spirit a realy mighy spirit, like he's grilfriend whom is a river spirit
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Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: November 21 2010 at 21:13
you might find this intresting/intriguing http://tolkien.slimy.com/essays/Bombadil.html - http://tolkien.slimy.com/essays/Bombadil.html -------------
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