> Actually, I haven't. Perhaps I shall again, >despite your warnings. I've got 'em on my >bookshelf, they're not very long. Dawn Treader >was always my favorite anyway (with the absolute >worst in the series being the horrid Last >Battle).

Oh man, don't do this to me. See, I never read TLB the first time through the series when I was younger. But this time, I *have* to read them all, or else Sam will be on my case forever about it. So you telling me TLB was bad even as a kid doesn't help.

> Heh, exact opposite of me. I couldn't get past >them traversing that wood, with Tom Bombadil and >all that other stuff that's just them travelling.
The whole mood and tone of the book changes after the encounter with Tom Bombadil. Up to that point, I was having fun. After that point, everything got darker and I had to adjust. Plus the endless travelling didn't help much.

Here's a quiz for everybody. What the *heck* was Tom Bombadil's purpose in the story? He didn't do *anything* as near as I can tell except save them from the barrow-wights--whoopee, all that buildup just so he can do that?

> Once I got to the ford scene, I got more >interested (though the Council of Elrond is >incredibly dull, save for the few parts where >they actually convey information relevant to the >plot).

The Council is nothing more than one long info dump. Tolkien got away with it because he's Tolkien, but if anyone else tried it today, any competent editor would nix the whole scene.


>
> Well, wait, there was that one part where >something happened. I think it was with one of >the characters..... Oh yeah, you got to learn >that The Ring was corrupting Frodo! Something >which wasn't really mentioned enough (sarcasm).

Yeah, tell me about it.

Actually, two things happen in TTT. Gandalf frees Theoden and overthrows Saruman. That's pretty much it. Yay.


>>> (By the by - has anyone actually read the
>>> >Silmarillion >
>> Ugh. I tried to read it once. Sorry, I'm >>just not interested in the back story enough.
>
> There was a story? I couldn't get past the >first few chapters. As I recall, exactly nothing >happens, except some Biblical metaphors. That's >first rate entertainment if I ever saw it.

The Silmarillion was the back story for TLotR. It's basically Tolkien's notes.