"A Tolkien Blog Party of Special Magnificence" Tag

Miss Hamlette, over at "The Edge of the Precipice" is hosting a lovely blog party in honor of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins' shared birthday!  And she had a tag I was just itching to do, so I'll get to that.  If you get the chance, do head on over to her blog and check it out!  Smells like fun!

Here are my responses to her tag:

1.  Have you read The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit? If so, how many times?

     Ouch! Haha, first question.  Ok, here I am confessing it publicly.  I have not yet read the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and I am dreadfully ashamed of it.  I started The Fellowship of the Ring a few years ago, and never got around to finishing it.  It's definitely near the top of my to-read-list, but I am a dreadfully, shockingly slow reader.  Though I have read The Hobbit twice.  Love love love.

2.  Have you seen any movies based on them?

     But of course.  We've seen the three Peter Jackson movies, and the first part of The Hobbit - obviously we're big fans!  The casting habits of these movies always surprise me, but I think they do a very good job overall in keeping to much of the source material. (at least in regard to The Hobbit, I have no right to comment on the trilogy in that regard).

3.  Who first introduced you to Middle Earth?

     Boy, I can't remember that well, to be honest, but my parents first introduces us kiddos to Tolkien in general.  We're also huge C.S. Lewis fans, so it kind of went hand in hand; but they really do each have their own brilliance to them.

Because I never pass up an
opportunity to post a Smaug pic.

4.  Who are your three favorite characters?  (Feel free to elaborate on whys.)

     Smeagol's story of deterioration after the ring came into his life is so powerful, and connected to our own story with sin.  The fact that he could change through Frodo's love but ultimately doesn't overcome the ring's power is really heartbreaking (And Andy Serkis did a fabulous job with the character, to boot).  For the other two, definitely Smaug and Gandalf.  I have a years-old weakness for dragons, and it certainly helps when their set to be voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, too.  And Gandalf... well, he's Gandalf!  Like Hamlette said, he's got a certain sense of sarcasm about him, but he's also a fantastic hero at the end of the day.

(though I do possess a certain level of fondness for Faramir, too *cough*)

5.  What's your favorite Middle Earth location?

Though Rivendell and Lothlorien are amazing, I'm taking the easy way out with the Shire.  Tolkien's affectionate description is just a delight to read, and Peter Jackson didn't do too shabbily in recreating it for film, either.

6.  If you could belong to one of the races of Free Folk (Men, Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, Ents), which would you choose?

I've always wondered what it would be like to be an Elf in Lothlorien, they seem so utterly peaceful and meditative.... but to have a hobbit's pantry would really be something else.  Can't make up my mind!

7.  Would you rather eat lembas or taters?

Lembas, Why would you want to stick to familiar old potatoes, however deliciously mashed, boiled, or stewed they may be?

8.  If you lived in Middle Earth, what weapon would you prefer wielding?

I'd love to be able to say Sting; but I'm not ultimately up to getting that close to an Orc or Uruk-hai or whatever-the-foe-may-be.  Any old bow and arrow would do for me.


9.  What draws you to Tolkien's stories?  (The characters, the quests, the themes, the worlds, etc.)

Tolkien's amazingly lush style of writing is one of the major attractions for me.  Through that he was able to flesh out these amazingly detailed, complex, and charming characters so beautifully.  I hate to harp on symbolism, especially since Tolkien absolutely hated the idea of allegory, but the themes and, *ahem* dare I say, allegories in the stories really make the stories glow.  =)

10. List up to five of your favorite lines/quotes from the books or movies.

"Is it niiice, precious?  Is it juicy?... Is it scruumptiously crunchable?"

"Excuse me... That is a doily.  Not a dish cloth."
"But it's full of holes!"
"It's supposed to look like that. It's crochet."

"Flash of light, searing pain, then puff!  You're nothing more than a pile of ash."

"It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him."

Yes, they're all "Hobbit" quotes (even two from the movie!)  It's been so long since we've seen (or read) any Trilogy material, I guess The Hobbit is just more towards the front of my mind right now.  Might come back with more later, but my hippocampus is not serving me well today. =)

Just wanna give a great big "Thank you" to Hamlette for taking the time to put this party together!  Tolkien is always a blast to explore, and there's so much to talk about when it comes to Middle Earth.  I can't believe the week is already half over!  Looking forward to the rest of the week and further readings. =)