“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” So begins a literary romp through the land of Middle Earth. For The Hobbit really is a romp. J.R.R. Tolkien’s later books are journeys or quests, but in this first book of Middle Earth, Tolkien gave us a rollicking good time without any background information needed.

The Hobbit is set in the peaceful, fruitful land of the Shire, domicile of hobbits, and in an epic trek across Middle Earth through wild mountains, goblin tunnels, dark forests, merry towns, and dragon lairs to the Mountain. Although the story travels, it escapes being a book about places instead of characters by keeping the story in the forefront and never losing sight of it. Tolkien doesn’t tell us in The Hobbit if Middle Earth is our world, but some believe it is pre-Christian Europe.

The hobbit is Bilbo Baggins, of the Shire. He has a defenseless appearance, but in a pinch his bravery and loyalty show through. Bilbo is enjoying a quiet life at the beginning of the story, which is disrupted by Gandalf, a wizard, who is looking for a burglar to join a party of dwarves. The dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, are bent on revenge and adventure. They seek to kill a dragon who slew their kinsfolk, and regain the gold he hoards in the dwarves’ dwellings under the mountain. They need a burglar, and they promise a share of gold if they succeed. For Bilbo, adventures are “nasty disturbing uncomfortable things!” However, when Gandalf and thirteen dwarves unexpectedly show for tea, Bilbo is too flustered to prevent them. He intends to bid them farewell the next day, but he overhears them casting doubts on his burglarious abilities, and determines to prove his worth and go.

The next morning he set off, forgetting his pocket-handkerchief. The hobbit had a long journey and many adventures. The travelers were captured by mountain goblins, and Bilbo was separated during the escape. Astray among dark tunnels, he met a creature named Gollum and found a magic ring which makes the wearer invisible. Bilbo used the ring later to avoid giant spiders and the dragon. Unfortunately, dragons have sensitive noses, so Bilbo isn’t altogether safe with his ring.

The Hobbit, with adventure, magic, and mystery, is an exhilarating excursion into Middle Earth. It will sweep you out of your chair and to the mountain with Bilbo, the unwilling burglar, and his companions. When I finished The Hobbit, I felt as though I had gone adventuring myself. That’s the charm—not until you finish do you realize the story’s strength, and truly appreciate its power.

(c) November 2003, Nadya

11.28.01

Cold fingers, gold sunset clouds
crisp cold evenings
crunchy leaves, in mounds
frost on my windshield,
cold wood floors
I dig out the boxes of sweaters
from last fall
I love it all--
the scents, tastes, feelings
of fall.

Spell Chequer

Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.

Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.

As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rarely ever wrong.

Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect in it’s weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.

– Sauce unknown

Thank you to Jake for passing it on.

"The day waned, and the dusk was twined about the boles of the trees. At last the hobbits saw, rising dimly before them, a steep dark land: they had come to the feet of the mountains, and to the green roots of tall Methedras. Down the hillsided the young Entwash, leaping from its springs high above, ran noisily from step to step to meet them. On the right of the stream there was a long slope, clad with grass, now grey in the twilight. No trees grew there and it was open to the sky; stars were shining already in lakes between shores of cloud."
The Two Towers, chapter 4

I know its fall. But bear with me. Focus on the wind.

SPRING WIND, written 01-22-01

My spirits soar
in the fresh spring wind
it buffets my cheeks
as among the leaves it does roar

the way the wind blows my hair is no
'windblown' chic
fresh, cold, new this year, but very old
bashful at first, it quickly grows bold
blows clothes off the line
lightens my mind
because

I love the winter snow,
but now, my heart yearns
for green fields and wind
 wind
  fresh wind
   spring wind
    I long for wind.