The Fellowship of the Ring: Part 1 of the Lord of the Ring By Aadyn

The Fellowship of the Ring is the first book of the epic Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R.Tolkien. This is a well written book and a good read, although it can be challenging.

In The Fellowship of the Ring, a young hobbit by the name of Frodo Baggins is entrusted with the task of bringing the ruling Ring of Power to the cracks of Mount Doom in the land of Mordor. The story explains that the ring was forged by Lord Sauron, and it can only be destroyed from the place it was made. This fellowship is the only thing that prevents the dark lord’s dominion!

The story begins in a sleepy village in a place called the Shire, where Bilbo Baggins (Frodo Baggins’ uncle) celebrates his 111^th birthday. Bilbo passes down his ring to Frodo, and Frodo must leave the Shire before evil has crept back into the west and much that once existed has been lost.

I find this book to be very descriptive. You can really picture the story like it is a running movie in your head. You can see the old fords of the shire, the tall and wise trees in the valley of Rivendell, and the large bold Misty Mountains, a place where the dwarfs use to dwell.

I also like the variety of powerful words that J.R.R.Tolkien uses, such as argent (silver), eaves (the fringe of a forest), and boon (a gift). One thing I found difficult at times was keeping track of the family lineage of the Hobbits in the Shire, because there are many relationships in The Lord of the Rings.

I recommend that people read this book and really try to visualize the scenery that Tolkien describes of Middle Earth. Although Tolkien’s words can be tricky and uncommon in normal tongue, I think that persevering thought the difficulties is worth the reward.

Click to see what Tolkien books are available in the JRC library

The Journey of the Hobbit By Owen

Today I will be talking about The Hobbit. The story began before Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring, where Frodo went on the journey to destroy the one ring to rule them all. The story is about a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins of The Shire who one day meets thirteen Dwarfs. I am writing this post to express my anticipation for the movie because of what I have seen. What I have seen so far is the Lord Of The Rings trilogy that happened after The Hobbit. The Hobbit is a prequel to the Lord Of The Rings trilogy.

For those who have not seen The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, it is about Frodo ,the nephew of Bilbo, who was given the ring by Bilbo. Gandalf then tells Frodo he has to destroy it by taking it to Mordor, which is the only place to destroy it. I think The Lord Of The Rings trilogy was interesting because it has a lot of action. The other thing I liked about it was it was sort of a medieval movie. The movie has Orcs and Elves, Dwarfs, Hobbits, Ents, Goblins, Cave Trolls, Wizards, and last but not least, Black Riders.

I am excited to see The Hobbit because what I have seen so far is energetic. The trailer has a lot of interesting weapons like Sting the Elvish sword, a Double Headed ax, and Maces. It has new creatures like Wargs, which are wolf like animals. What is exciting for me about the story is that I will see the beginning of the story before The Lord Of The Rings. The Lord Of The Rings is a story set in caves and mountains, kingdoms and tunnels. What I specifically like about the story are Shelob the spider and Black Riders. The specific part of the story I liked was when the new king was crowned. Since The Hobbit is about the restoration of the Dwarf king, I think it will be the same but a bit different. The celebration was my favorite part because it represents peace to the new king and the land/subjects. My hope is that The Hobbit will be the same.

I choose to write this post because I want you to see the movie because I think you will love it. So see you at the movies.

Is J.R.R. Tolkien Sexist? By Glenna

In The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien has a major lack of female characters. Whether it was because of the time he wrote it, or because it is just pure sexism, I feel this is wrong.

The Bagginses were said to have been "very respectable people," and they were the type to always follow a strict schedule. On the other hand, there's the Tooks. The Tooks are described as a hobbit clan that often disappeared and went on adventures.

Tolkien says, "Tooks were not as respectable as the Bagginses, though undoubtedly richer."

Bilbo's father was a Baggins and his mother, Belladonna, was a Took. As you will notice, Belladonna is a woman being portrayed as irresponsible. The Took side of Bilbo is supposedly a "bad" trait to have.

Why is it that Tolkien made Belladonna seem naive and foolish?

Besides Gollum's grandmother, Belladonna is the only female character.

When Bilbo and the dwarfs got captured by the wood elves, they became prisoners of the Elven King. Why couldn't he be a she? I don't see why the rulers are always men. Maybe Tolkien stereotyped women as weak, considering that around when the book was written, men viewed females as delicate and powerless. Yet there were Queens before Tolkien wrote The Hobbit.

I personally read a lot of Manga/Anime which happens to be the exact opposite of The Hobbit. Women often take the lead role, proving to young girls that women are both strong and independent.

As a female, I definitely don't support Tolkien's decision to have few female roles. Manga/Anime has a much better balance of both sexes.

Aren't women and men supposed to be equal?

See if The Hobbit is in the June Rose Callwood Library
  

Good-Bye To The Hobbit Hole By Aadyn

Good-bye to the comfortable Hobbit hole, and so Bilbo Baggins' adventure begins in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. The story is about Bilbo, Gandalf the Grey, and a band of Dwarves in an epic quest to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug, a large and very dangerous dragon. The story takes place in the second age of Middle Earth at a time of peace. This is a prelude to The Lord of the Rings, another exciting adventure story by J.R.R. Tolkien. The Hobbit is now a major motion picture coming out December 14th, 2012. Watch The Hobbit trailer here.

I enjoy the book because it is a story of long ago at a time when languages and letters were quite different, a time where men drew swords and fought for honour between Elves, Dwarves, and Orcs. I recommend this book for people with a taste for adventure and a love of languages.