So many reasons I'm delighted we're reading LOTR together this summer. Our daughter (almost twelve) is so ready for these books, having recently finished reading The Hobbit -- her first time reading it on her own, though we've also read it as a family. We've read so much other English and American fantasy literature that I thought would be a wonderful preparation for LOTR. And we're in a kind of transition space as a family this summer. Put it all together, and it just makes sense that this should be our Tolkien summer.
My goal is to try to blog at least a little each day on our progress through the books. I don't know if I will really manage a post each day, but I will try at least to post regularly.
Day One was exciting...we began with the "one ring" poem and then read the first half of the first chapter. I'm thankful that Tolkien's beautiful storytelling rhythm lends itself to easy breaks, since the chapters are generally too long to swallow in one gulp of late-night reading.
Bilbo turned eleventy-one, Frodo turned thirty-three, Gandalf set off
his spectacular fireworks, making all the little hobbits very happy. (I’d
forgotten “G is for grand!” and how that made Gandalf smile.) It’s a festive
beginning. S. liked “eleventy-one” and I giggled over the “ProudFEET!” line.
From a read-aloud standpoint, I most loved tripping through the long litany of Bilbo’s
relatives’ surnames, which get repeated.
We stopped after Bilbo disappeared and Frodo slipped away from the festivities. S. is curious about where Bilbo went to. She double-checked with me that Frodo is the main character in these stories. Stayed tuned for more excitement…
Such a great beginning! The Shire scenes are definitely among my favorite in the whole book, and I absolutely love Bilbo's speech. (I also love the spoof in Lord of the Beans, particularly "I feel like chocolate pudding scraped across too much ham." :-P ) Bilbo's birthday party (and Frodo's!) just feels like the most festive occasion ever, and I love his mischievousness throughout the whole thing. I always loved the Proudfeet line too. :)
ReplyDelete"This bean....is not an ordinary beaaaaannn!" We sang that for ages after we saw Lord of the Beans. Great parody!
ReplyDeleteBut yes, so much here to love in the first chapter. The Shire scenes have such a lovely and innocent joy about them. I love how they simply know Gandalf as this delightful old man who knows how to provide terrific fireworks.
What a treasure these notes will be for Sarah when she eventually reads these wonderful books to HER children. This is very special, Beth; you are such a great mom.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Janet! That is very sweet to contemplate...Sarah reading these wonderful books aloud to her kids one day.
ReplyDeleteI will be reading your posts during your Tolkien summer to my kids, as we are listening to the Fellowship right now during our drives in the vehicle (long drives to get anywhere in rural MN). To fit in more reading aloud, books on CD are helpful for us right now ... and now we all look forward to getting into the vehicle! So neat that we will be able to get your insights too. I am infatuated with Tom Bombadil and Goldberry right now. That whole section is stirring deep thoughts in my soul. I look forward to learning how that section of the book strikes you this read through.
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