> 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.

Sorry. Despite my incredible love for the series as a whole, TLB always stood out as a terrible book. I've probably read the Chronicles, oh at least 7 or 8 times (and I KNOW I've read Dawn Treader more than that), and every time I'd read it, I'd dread hitting TLB. As a kid, I remember people always telling me they were Biblical in origin. Beyond some very basic similarities (Aslan as God), I never saw them (though reading the BAM condensations I do). Except in TLB, which is so incredibly bizzare and out there, it's obviously drawing a lot from the Book of Revelations. Also, there's no actual plot per se, more like a bunch of stuff that happens for no real reason (again, much like Revelations). Enjoy. :)

>
> 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?

Comic Relief. Only thing I can figure. Of course, I'm sure Tolkien had the entire guy's life mapped out, and he probably could of written a whole book on him (did he? Was there a Tom Bombadil book published by his son?). His purpose in Fellowship was to just sing. Oh, he also saved the Hobbits from that evil tree.

> 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, it was better than 30 more pages of them going through a forest where nothing eventful happened.

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

Heh, again, I always liked that BAM... Also, Frodo almost dies. Wait, that happens roughly 23 times during the trilogy.

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

Yeah, but like I said - there's no real story going on. No plot, at least as far as I read (which wasn't all that far). It reads like a history book minus the fact that some educational facility is forcing me to learn the information contained inside.