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CuriousG
Half-elven
Nov 2 2014, 4:37pm
Post #1 of 114
(1333 views)
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Calling for volunteers to lead the FOTR chapter discussions!
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Our long, expected party kicks off in a month, and we need people to host each chapter. Please either reply to this thread or PM me.
Dec 7: A Long, Expected Party
Dec 14: The Shadow of the Past
Dec 21: Three is Company
Jan 4: A Short Cut to Mushrooms
Jan 11: A Conspiracy Unmasked
Jan 18: The Old Forest
Jan 25: In the House of Tom Bombadil
Feb 1: Fog on the Barrow-downs
Feb 8: At the Sign of The Prancing Pony
Feb 15: Strider
Feb 22: A Knife in the Dark
Mar 1: Flight to the Ford
Guidelines:
1. No previous experience needed! None of us had any our 1st time either. We're here to enjoy discussing LOTR with each other, not to bite. Lurkers are invited to de-lurk and join in.
2. English doesn't have to be your native language.
3. Post on Sunday or Monday.
4. Ask lots of questions and moderate the ensuing discussion, but don't feel responsible for everything.
5. Don't worry if someone has said something before in the Reading Room; we want to hear what you have to say in the here and now.
What to discuss: think of what your strongest reactions are while reading a chapter, and consider these categories, but don't limit yourself to them by any means.- Plot: how it's developed, what is foreshadowed, what is linked to another chapter
- Legendarium: what do we learn in this chapter, what remains a mystery
- Characters: how are they portrayed, how do they interact, how do they change, what do you think of them, what do they say that's interesting?
- Themes: what shows up in the chapter that's important to Tolkien as a writer?
- Tone/mood: e.g., how does the Shire make you feel vs the Old Forest?
- Places: which are most striking to you? How does Tolkien make them come alive?
- Do you have a favorite part of this chapter? If so, tell us why. If not, ask what other people like about it.
- What generalizations can you make? E.g., We read about hobbit society in early chapters. Is that how every society should be? Is it the best society in the trilogy, or are others better?
Just a sampling of things to ask yourself when getting started, but there are more ways to approach a chapter than there are Orcs in Mordor, so do what fits you best. [See Best Practices link.]
Looking forward to everyone's input!
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BlackFox
Half-elven
Nov 2 2014, 5:55pm
Post #2 of 114
(967 views)
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Time to make my Reading Room debut. 
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Nov 2 2014, 6:10pm
Post #3 of 114
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Thanks, Fox. Looking forward to it! //
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Rembrethil
Tol Eressea
Nov 2 2014, 8:40pm
Post #4 of 114
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Hey! Isn't that at the end of some book somewhere? Oh, it's this one! 
Well, I'll take the first chapter discussion week 'A Long-Expected Party', if it isn't taken already.
I'll be there with bells on. (Though you might not be able to see them.... )
Call me Rem, and remember, not all who ramble are lost...Uh...where was I?
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Rembrethil
Tol Eressea
Nov 2 2014, 8:44pm
Post #5 of 114
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Forests are your natural habitat, aren't they?
On a serious note, I am glad to see that you will join us on this sort of discussion...reading...thing. We definitely require people of fox-like qualities for this quest.
Call me Rem, and remember, not all who ramble are lost...Uh...where was I?
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cats16
Half-elven
Nov 2 2014, 8:51pm
Post #6 of 114
(954 views)
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Wait, wrong book. 
I would like to do Three is Company, if possible. Perhaps I can try to follow the sound of Rem's bells from Ch. 1. 
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
(This post was edited by cats16 on Nov 2 2014, 8:51pm)
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arithmancer
Grey Havens
Nov 2 2014, 8:53pm
Post #7 of 114
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I would like to take Feb 15, "Strider".
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BlackFox
Half-elven
Nov 2 2014, 9:03pm
Post #8 of 114
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This is *exactly* why I chose that particular chapter. Sure, I would have preferred Mirkwood, my home (I am a *black* fox, after all), but seeing as we won't be visiting it in the LOTR, the Old Forest will have to do.
I've been wanting to join the Fellowship of the Room (I hope I got that right) for a while now, but the place can feel a bit intimidating to someone still relatively new to Tolkien.
(This post was edited by BlackFox on Nov 2 2014, 9:06pm)
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Rembrethil
Tol Eressea
Nov 2 2014, 9:19pm
Post #9 of 114
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You then will be the first to fall to my diabolical plan! My bells shall have the power of enchantment, able to lead their hearers into any direction I choose! The bells! The bells! Follow the bells, indeed! 
Call me Rem, and remember, not all who ramble are lost...Uh...where was I?
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BlackFox
Half-elven
Nov 2 2014, 9:24pm
Post #10 of 114
(926 views)
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And soon you'll all be lost in the Old Forest!
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Rembrethil
Tol Eressea
Nov 2 2014, 9:25pm
Post #11 of 114
(930 views)
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Don't worry about that! No one here bites! (usually...) We rigorously screen out any participants who are likely to take a cue from Gollum, so you are mostly safe. 
Really, when I started, all I had read was The Hobbit, LotR, and CoH--and only once or twice at that. Honestly, joining the Fellowship of the Room (Yes, you get a cookie for getting it right!) is the best way to immerse yourself in the works. It was amazed by how much I had missed by reading it myself! Everyone here got something different from the experience, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. So glad to have you!!!
Call me Rem, and remember, not all who ramble are lost...Uh...where was I?
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Rembrethil
Tol Eressea
Nov 2 2014, 9:29pm
Post #12 of 114
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Maybe I, (As the Pied...Bell Player) can lead you all through it?
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We could even stop in Mirkwood and invite the Silvan elves to join the parade! You know how Thranduil likes a good party!!
(That should add about a hundred Thralls to the discussion)
Call me Rem, and remember, not all who ramble are lost...Uh...where was I?
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cats16
Half-elven
Nov 2 2014, 9:29pm
Post #13 of 114
(924 views)
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I'm trying to think of the most 'Rem' direction we might go in LOTR. Will we (somehow) find ourselves discussing Finrod, Andreth and Elvish/Mannish philosophy in the middle of Ch. 1?
Join us every weekend in the Hobbit movie forum for this week's CHOW (Chapter of the Week) discussion!
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BlackFox
Half-elven
Nov 2 2014, 9:31pm
Post #14 of 114
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Thanks for the encouragement, Rem!
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I appreciate it. I'll be trying to join in on the discussion as often as I can.
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BlackFox
Half-elven
Nov 2 2014, 9:33pm
Post #15 of 114
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The more the merrier, eh? 
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Kim
Valinor
Nov 2 2014, 10:29pm
Post #16 of 114
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May I have The Shadow of the Past please?
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Thanks!
Join us every weekend for The Hobbit Chapter of the Week discussions!
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Nov 2 2014, 10:46pm
Post #17 of 114
(911 views)
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"All you need is a book and an opinion,"
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to quote Maciliel, so no need to be intimidated. Certainly some people know more Tolkien details than others, and most people know more than me since I've only dabbled in the HOME series, but I don't let that hold me back. We all know Tolkien half as well as we would like, and we love half his books half as well as they deserve. (I'm not sure about the other half, but we can revisit whether this is a compliment or not when we discuss Ch. 1. I'm never sure myself.)
As long as you know "Hobbits = good, Ring = bad," you know enough. In fact, I think that sums up LOTR in itself, so there's little point in discussing the trilogy now that I gave it all away, is there?
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Nov 2 2014, 10:48pm
Post #18 of 114
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and thank you, Rem! But is this harking back to the idea of reading the book backwards? Oh, well, I said do whatever fits you, so...
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Nov 2 2014, 10:50pm
Post #19 of 114
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And Eru and the Valar in Ch 2. They're all over it. Forget about hobbits. //
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Nov 2 2014, 10:52pm
Post #20 of 114
(903 views)
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Strider is yours (and right after Valentine's Day, no less).
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BlackFox
Half-elven
Nov 2 2014, 10:57pm
Post #21 of 114
(912 views)
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Thanks, CuriousG.
As long as you know "Hobbits = good, Ring = bad," you know enough. In fact, I think that sums up LOTR in itself, so there's little point in discussing the trilogy now that I gave it all away, is there? Hehe! Yeah, let's just drop it. Why complicate things?
(This post was edited by BlackFox on Nov 2 2014, 11:00pm)
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CuriousG
Half-elven
Nov 2 2014, 11:01pm
Post #22 of 114
(911 views)
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We'll be as attentive to your discussion as Sam eavesdropping on Gandalf.
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Kim
Valinor
Nov 2 2014, 11:17pm
Post #24 of 114
(903 views)
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You do know the consequences of dropping eaves, do you not?
Join us every weekend for The Hobbit Chapter of the Week discussions!
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