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The One Ring Forums:
Tolkien Topics: Reading Room:
Exposition:
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noWizardme
Gondolin
Jan 13 2021, 6:00pm
Views: 3453
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Is often a headache for writers, I believe. How to avoid the contrived "As you know, your father the King..." scene in which two characters discuss something they both should know already. And how to avoid boring readers who want action already.
As one of those family jokes that get going somehow and remain amusing for all that they're lame, the WizKids and I traditionally react to clumsy exposition (e.g. in a TV show) by throwing our arms and legs wide into an X-position). Not necessary here, I think.
One could view Gandalf's stories here to Frodo as exposition, or take them for what they are: stories in and of themselves, pleasurable and frightening to take in for the sake of those little stories. And this doesn't even take into account how they help the larger narrative.
I like that idea, and the stories keep me engrossed too.
One day I might try a real close reading of this chapter, taking it apart to try and see how it's done. Perhaps the next time the Reading Room does an LOTR readthrough. Or perhaps I'll see it all done masterfully if the famous before-my-time 2005 read-through by 'a.s'. ever rises again from beneath the waves that consumed older posts here at the end of the TORN '1st age'.
I notice that Tolkien smuggles in a few mentions of things that will matter later, such as the Nazgul and the Dunadain. But I think you'd have to be a much more attentive reader than me to relate the Nazgul to the Black Riders when those first turn up.
One subtle thing do notice is that there's an exact point where 'the ring' becomes 'the Ring'. Nice.
And a cleverer reader than me would also realize the significance of Frodo being able to risk harming his Ring - if he can't even chuck it in the Bag End fireplace, how can he hope to succeed in his quest?
~~~~~~
"You were exceedingly clever once, but unfortunately none of your friends noticed as they were too busy being attacked by an octopus."
-from How To Tell If You Are In A J.R.R. Tolkien Book, by Austin Gilkeson, in 'The Toast', 2016 https://the-toast.net/...-a-jrr-tolkien-book/
(This post was edited by noWizardme on Jan 13 2021, 6:03pm)
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Edit Log:
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Post edited by noWizardme
(Gondolin) on Jan 13 2021, 6:03pm
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Post edited by noWizardme
(Gondolin) on Jan 13 2021, 6:03pm
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Post edited by noWizardme
(Gondolin) on Jan 13 2021, 6:03pm
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