J.R.R.
himself says the idea for The Hobbit and all that it begat first hit him
while he was grading student essays. Having been on that side of the desk I
know just how that could happen. Carolyn mentioned earlier that some of her
student encounters suggested somewhere else too. Many kinds of fire burn behind
bright young eyes.
This is the 75th anniversary
of it's publication and with an unpublished Tolkien manuscript coming out soon and the movie and new lego
stuff ( c”mon can there be anything more canonising in the church of popular
culture than to have your literary offspring perpetuated in knobby plastic ?) I
wanna surf the Tolkien tsunami that
approaches.
So, by devoting this blog to The Hobbit I’m
simply , and sycophantically, helping
the hype, aren’t I.
Problem… I haven't read it! I haven’t read any of
Tolkien’s stuff. No movies either. I tried, though. I tried in high school when
, as that Rush lyric goes, it was a “ be cool or be cast out” thing. I
tried again in University when it was Eng 101 essay fodder. I tried a
third time when my daughter was bitten by the Baggins bug.
I
just couldn’t make it through more than a couple of pages.
Well let’s see if number four is the charm. I
just ferreted out my old university copy ( see pic) from my musty boxes of saved books.
Found it, naturally, at the bottom of the last
box of many. A shock and awe moment even before I got to the title page. Right
there on the inside front cover. This book cost $2.50 !! New !!
At a university bookstore !!
Anyhow,
in I go….
Some chapter 1 quickie impressions:
I’ll bet Robert Plant (
once of the Led Zeppelin hobbits ) knows this tale. Some of his lyrical references click for me now.
Also I understand now why the short hairy guy at that
Halloween kegger I went to in first
year was flopping about on the common
room floor screeching “ struck by lightning,
struck by lightning “ He had big feet too.
An instant party with a wizard, multiple dwarves,
detachable party hoods, a live band and wine, ale, tea, coffee ,apple tarts,
mince pies, pork pies, cheese, salad, cakes, eggs, cold chicken and pickles
sounds great! Beats the cheesies, beer
and a boom-box blow-outs I (sorta) remember.
Dragons hoarding gold reminds me of the increasing
number of merchants in all the various media imploring me to exchange my old
gold. How would a dragon keep tabs on the current market value, and why ? I smell allegory in
this children’s tale. Guess it wouldn’t be the first time.
L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s story The Wizard of Oz was seen by many as slipping
political/cultural comments for voting adults between the lines too. Hmmm…
Recalling “the good days” when his grandfather was King under the mountain,
Thorin provides the best definition yet of retirement - at any age. “ … and the poorest of us had money to spend and to lend, and leisure to
make beautiful things just for the fun of it…” - now that’s the ticket!
Yep, I’m still in there with Bilbo and
the crew. Will keep you posted! Especially if any epiphanies pop up.
Don
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