Here we are, in what is possibly the most famous chapter in The Hobbit.

1) Smoking is a common feature in LotR and the Hobbit. In fact, this is close to the first thing Bilbo tries to do as he's coming to himself while lost in the dark. Do you think this would be true if Tolkien had written the story in 2005? Why or why not?

2) The repercussions of Bilbo revealing his name to Gollum are not revealed until FotR. Why do you think Bilbo revealed it-- foolishness, just plain unthinking, something else?-- and can you imagine a way in which the War of the Ring could've been different if Bilbo had kept his identity a secret?

3) Of course you already know the answer to the riddles Gollum poses, but how would you respond if a mysterious creature proposed a riddle competition with the high stakes of the story?

4) Speaking of the riddle sequence, I find the riddle competition soemwhat similar to an ancient myth. Can you see the similarities, and if so, what?

5) The text says "A pang of fear and loss, like a echo of Gollum's misery, smote Bilbo, and forgetting even to draw his sword he stuck his hands into his pockets." What do you make of this comment, since you're almost certainly familiar with LotR?

Do you have any questions of your own you'd like to discuss? Feel free to post them!

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Starting October 13th: globe trotting from my kitchen. Follow along on Cook In Fifty-Two

1) Smoking is a common feature in LotR and the Hobbit. In fact, this is close to the first thing Bilbo tries to do as he's coming to himself while lost in the dark. Do you think this would be true if Tolkien had written the story in 2005? Why or why not?

I dont think so Tolkiens an old fashion man and always will be or was.

2) The repercussions of Bilbo revealing his name to Gollum are not revealed until FotR. Why do you think Bilbo revealed it-- foolishness, just plain unthinking, something else?-- and can you imagine a way in which the War of the Ring could've been different if Bilbo had kept his identity a secret?

hmm I would say just plain out not thinking through it enoufgh.

3) Of course you already know the answer to the riddles Gollum poses, but how would you respond if a mysterious creature proposed a riddle competition with the high stakes of the story?

hmm, I would say lets do a different game becuase, I sux at riddles.


4) Speaking of the riddle sequence, I find the riddle competition soemwhat similar to an ancient myth. Can you see the similarities, and if so, what?

hmm im not sure

5) The text says "A pang of fear and loss, like a echo of Gollum's misery, smote Bilbo, and forgetting even to draw his sword he stuck his hands into his pockets." What do you make of this comment, since you're almost certainly familiar with LotR?


im confused

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1) Smoking is a common feature in LotR and the Hobbit. In fact, this is close to the first thing Bilbo tries to do as he's coming to himself while lost in the dark. Do you think this would be true if Tolkien had written the story in 2005? Why or why not?
You know . . . I think Tolkien did in fact smoke as well. I think I've seen a banner of him with one of those long wooden pipes. So perhaps he added that in since he's so used to it himself? Well, smoking must have been quite common while he was writing it, and perhaps it wasn't yet known at that time period when he was writing it that it's not healthy . . . that's a good question. I have noticed that in the movies, Bilbo, Pippin, Gandalf, and Aragorn smoke . . .

2) The repercussions of Bilbo revealing his name to Gollum are not revealed until FotR. Why do you think Bilbo revealed it-- foolishness, just plain unthinking, something else?-- and can you imagine a way in which the War of the Ring could've been different if Bilbo had kept his identity a secret?
Well . . . he probably revealed it because . . . well, he must not have known the dangers of that, and being a hobbit, he may have been slightly inexperienced. I still do think that the War of the Ring would have occurred even if Bilbo had kept his identity a secret . . . but it just probably wouldn't have started with the Shire as the target. And if that had been the case, then perhaps Frodo would not have been such involved . . . I'm not sure. But the thing is, if Frodo hadn't been ringbearer, and somebody else, non-hoobit, had replaced him, the War of the Ring would not have ended as it had, most likely.

3) Of course you already know the answer to the riddles Gollum poses, but how would you respond if a mysterious creature proposed a riddle competition with the high stakes of the story?
How would I respond? Well . . . a loud, high-pitched, frightened scream.

4) Speaking of the riddle sequence, I find the riddle competition soemwhat similar to an ancient myth. Can you see the similarities, and if so, what?
Well, it has to do with overcoming obstacles using brain power doesn't it? It probably also helps to involve the reader in it too . . .

5) The text says "A pang of fear and loss, like a echo of Gollum's misery, smote Bilbo, and forgetting even to draw his sword he stuck his hands into his pockets." What do you make of this comment, since you're almost certainly familiar with LotR?
Well . . . he's probably looking for protection and comfort from the ring . . . I see it as a bit of a dark inconspicuous foreshadowing . . . but I'm not that good enough with literature to tell.

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1) Smoking is a common feature in LotR and the Hobbit. In fact, this is close to the first thing Bilbo tries to do as he's coming to himself while lost in the dark. Do you think this would be true if Tolkien had written the story in 2005? Why or why not?
Definitely not. I think very people smoke pipes nowadays, and it is looked upon very negatively in society. You don't just 'sit down and have a pipe' now. That's one of the things that shows the book was written awhile ago and that Tolkien was pretty old fashioned.

2) The repercussions of Bilbo revealing his name to Gollum are not revealed until FotR. Why do you think Bilbo revealed it-- foolishness, just plain unthinking, something else?-- and can you imagine a way in which the War of the Ring could've been different if Bilbo had kept his identity a secret?
He probably just said his name because he thought it was common courtesy. I mean, do you think you'd just sit down and have a riddle contest with someone and not even tell them you're name (at least if you were a hobbit )? I think the War of the Ring probably would have been delayed, at least a bit, until Sauron and the Nazgul could have found where the ring was. Frodo would probably just keep the ring hidden away in his hobbit hole until more danger arose...


3) Of course you already know the answer to the riddles Gollum poses, but how would you respond if a mysterious creature proposed a riddle competition with the high stakes of the story?
I agree with Yaviel! I would suggest a different contest, because I think I would have gotten every one of those riddles wrong!

4) Speaking of the riddle sequence, I find the riddle competition soemwhat similar to an ancient myth. Can you see the similarities, and if so, what?
It kind of sounds like a Sphynx story, you know? The Sphynx asks you three questions and you have to get them right to pass, or it eats you. (If that didn't make any sense, sorry I think I've been reading too much Harry Potter)

5) The text says "A pang of fear and loss, like a echo of Gollum's misery, smote Bilbo, and forgetting even to draw his sword he stuck his hands into his pockets." What do you make of this comment, since you're almost certainly familiar with LotR?
Well, I think it was the power of the ring. It was forshadowing the problems to come.

Do you have any questions of your own you'd like to discuss? Feel free to post them!
Well, this is pretty random, but if all of Bilbo's buttons flew off in the door, does he have more clothes to change into?

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1) Smoking is a common feature in LotR and the Hobbit. In fact, this is close to the first thing Bilbo tries to do as he's coming to himself while lost in the dark. Do you think this would be true if Tolkien had written the story in 2005? Why or why not?
Tolkien in pretty old-fashioned and I don't think he would have changed his story if he had written it in 2005. In this movies you see that Aragorn, Gandalf, Bildo, Frodo, Merry, Pippin smoke.

2) The repercussions of Bilbo revealing his name to Gollum are not revealed until FotR. Why do you think Bilbo revealed it-- foolishness, just plain unthinking, something else?-- and can you imagine a way in which the War of the Ring could've been different if Bilbo had kept his identity a secret?
He just told Gollum his name because he didn't see a problem in doing that. I would have done the same thing. I think it wouldn't have made any difference in the end if he had kept his name secret.

3) Of course you already know the answer to the riddles Gollum poses, but how would you respond if a mysterious creature proposed a riddle competition with the high stakes of the story?
I like riddles, but I'm not good at it. Gollum would eat me after his first riddle.

4) Speaking of the riddle sequence, I find the riddle competition soemwhat similar to an ancient myth. Can you see the similarities, and if so, what?
I think it has some similarities with the myth of Oedipus and the Sphynx. Do you know which story I mean?

5) The text says "A pang of fear and loss, like a echo of Gollum's misery, smote Bilbo, and forgetting even to draw his sword he stuck his hands into his pockets." What do you make of this comment, since you're almost certainly familiar with LotR? I think you're right there!

Do you have any questions of your own you'd like to discuss? Feel free to post them!

The goblins took the ponys and everything. I remember he still wears the same clothes when they meet Beorn.

What is you're favourite riddle?
I like this one:
It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt.
It lies behind stars and under hills,
And empty holes it fills.
It comes first and follows after,
Ends life, kills laughter.

And this one is definately my fav.:
This thing all things devours:
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats high mountain down.

There I am, jumping in on the story on the most important chapter.

1) Smoking is a common feature in LotR and the Hobbit. In fact, this is close to the first thing Bilbo tries to do as he's coming to himself while lost in the dark. Do you think this would be true if Tolkien had written the story in 2005? Why or why not?
Would there be any difference? I don't think so. I think Tolkien created all habbits of the hobbits and tried to put it in his story. Hobbits like smoking a lot and it probably would have comforted Bilbo. The smell and taste of home.

2) The repercussions of Bilbo revealing his name to Gollum are not revealed until FotR. Why do you think Bilbo revealed it-- foolishness, just plain unthinking, something else?-- and can you imagine a way in which the War of the Ring could've been different if Bilbo had kept his identity a secret?
I always wondered this. I still don't know. But if it wasn't the ring he found, it probably wouldn't have made any difference. And how could Bilbo know what it was? He never knew what it exactly was.

3) Of course you already know the answer to the riddles Gollum poses, but how would you respond if a mysterious creature proposed a riddle competition with the high stakes of the story?
I always forget these answers so I did them again, and still I didn't know them. I only remembered the mountain one. I loved the one from the dark. So if I was Bilbo, Gollum would have eaten me by now.

4) Speaking of the riddle sequence, I find the riddle competition soemwhat similar to an ancient myth. Can you see the similarities, and if so, what?
I don't know what myth you are talking about...

5) The text says "A pang of fear and loss, like a echo of Gollum's misery, smote Bilbo, and forgetting even to draw his sword he stuck his hands into his pockets." What do you make of this comment, since you're almost certainly familiar with LotR?
I think this is already the power of the ring, Frodo also tried to put the ring on his finger in danger..

You have a point there with the buttons. Maybe he tried to fix them with things from nature? Or..someone else did, like Gandalf? I don't know..

Now a question of mine, Bilbo loses the ring when he's trying to get to the door. Eventually I think it saved him, because all goblins run to other directions and so it door is more free for him to go through. Do you agree? And, why did the ring get of his finger? Maybe it wanted Bilbo to be catched and be free? Like it left Gollum?

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what a glorious feeling

ou shet broski, dis tis ameicing