(art by the incomparable Alan Lee)

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken:
The crownless again shall be king.

The Road goes ever on and on, bringing us to week two of the group read of The Fellowship of the Ring. This week’s journey takes us from the eventful night at The Prancing Pony through the long and perilous journey to Rivendell and the home of Elrond. Rivendell was one of my favorite locations in the film and the Last Homely House is wonderfully described by Bilbo as:

“a perfect house, whether you like food or sleep or story-telling or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all.”

Is it possible to go on a long sabbatical there? Anyone? Someone call my travel agent.

I don’t know if the stars have all aligned or if the Fates are smiling on me or if it is merely serendipity, but each time I have picked up The Fellowship of the Ring over the past two weeks it has just felt right. The reading could not be more pleasant and I am reveling in the small details that make Tolkien’s work so very special to me.

Thanks again goes out to Andrea and Clint for the co-hosting duties. Please visit their sites to find links to others participating in this event. I am of the opinion that there are fewer spoilers present in my answers this week, however spoilers there are and The Lord of the Rings virgins are warned to read on at their own risk.

This week’s questions come from Clint over at Geeky Daddy.

1. What were your initial thoughts about Strider/Aragorn when the Hobbits met up with him in The Prancing Pony? Did you think that he was linked with the Riders?

My first exposure to this scene was when I saw Fellowship in the theater opening weekend. I thought they did a good job in both the book and the film in making Strider seem like a potentially sinister character. I don’t recall thinking that he had anything to do with the Black Riders but Tolkien does a nice job making the reader think he is perhaps one of the unsavory characters keeping an eye out for a band of Hobbits.

2.What was the biggest surprise to you during this section of The Fellowship of the Ring?

I believe my biggest surprise was how thoroughly I enjoyed The Council of Elrond chapter, which I will discuss more in answer to the next question. It is surprising how much of the Council made it into the Extended Edition films though not actually in the Council scene. Which is a perfect example of how some things work differently in written form vs. film. To have one member of the Fellowship after another stand and recount various parts of the history would have dragged the film down, even if those events were shown in flashback. By incorporating the events into various stages of the three films it worked to enlarge the viewers understanding of Middle-earth past and present while keeping a constant forward momentum, something that is key to an entertaining film experience.

Conversely this type of “sitting around the campfire telling stories” works great in a novel. The stories are exciting and are like pieces of a mosaic that, once fitted together, form a complete image.

Another very big surprise was the revelation of the long-standing friendship between Bilbo and Aragorn. We are not privy to much of the conversations and interactions the two of them had but the glimpses we are given in The Fellowship of the Ring are a delight to those who, like me, consider Aragorn to be one of their favorite characters. It makes me desperately wish that Viggo Mortensen was involved in the filming of the two Hobbit movies as there is some good material here in which to build upon. I hold out hope that this may be happening and that it is just a greatly kept secret, but it seems unlikely considering how long they have been filming and the fact that they are filming both movies concurrently.

But I can dream.

The film version of events is so deeply burned into my memory that I was again surprised by the early revelations of just who Aragorn is and what role he has the right to fill in the realm of Gondor. That he talks so openly with Boromir about this and about reforging the Sword of Elendil was something I hadn’t recalled. The suspicions regarding Rohan and the speculation that it may have already fallen under the sway of the Dark Lord is one more surprising thing about the book.

3.Do you like that Tolkien goes in depth and tells the readers of the history events of the war that is upon the Fellowship?

I am assuming you are referencing The Council of Elrond. Remembering my exposure to the films, which came before I read the books, I had heard them talk about this chapter of Tolkien in the Extended Edition extras and even die-hard fans admitted that there is A LOT of talking that goes on here. Before I read Fellowship I was expecting it to be a chore based on these statements. I actually found it to be thrilling in the extreme. As I mentioned above, this chapter of the book is filled with revelations and important character introductions that include clues to the distant and more recent past of Middle-earth. The Council scene is filled with nugget after nugget of treasure for The Lord of the Rings geeks.

I am a big fan of The Silmarillion and the Council of Elrond scene reads like a reminiscence of the first time I read the book. Tolkien’s is a richly realized world because of those moments of in-depth revelation.

4. How far do you think you would have lasted if you were Frodo, nearly becoming a Rider?

This is one of those questions where the answer would depend on if it were me as I am currently or a “me” that was born and raised in the conditions of Middle-earth. Current me is overweight by about 20 pounds, rarely exercises, and doesn’t miss too many meals but also does not eat with an eye on improved health. That me would not likely last through days of walking with little food and even less frequent rest.

Reading this section reminded me of the Eco Challenge race that used to be televised years ago (perhaps it still is). The endurance that those participants exhibited was nothing short of awe-inspiring. So many of them would be half-dead and still be stumbling along in the dark putting one foot in front of the other in an effort to reach the next way point before time ran out. Aragorn and the Hobbits were pushing themselves to that kind of breaking point and it was easy to compare what they must have been going through to the physical exhaustion I saw from those racers.

If I was more accustomed to walking everywhere, taking long walks, cooking in nature and making due, then yes I think I would have lasted.

Part of your question no doubt also has to do with mental toughness, determination and heart. I would like to think I have that and would be able to keep pressing on, be able to keep resisting the hold that was trying to overwhelm me from the stabbing wound from the Black Rider, and would also like to think that I would have friends who would stick with me as faithfully as Frodo’s companions did.

5. As the dangerous quest unfolds, the other hobbits want to stick by Frodo til the end. Would you sacrifice yourself and stick with Frodo til the end?

Well, I would like to hope that I am that kind of friend. Sam is my idol when it comes to the books and films, in part because there are qualities that he has which mirror those that I exhibit more comfortably. I am in a leadership role in my career and don’t mind being up front and in charge, but I am not a Type A personality. My natural leadership style tends towards being a supporter, a coach, an encourager rather than a dictator. I like to promote team, delegate responsibility rather than trying to do everything myself, and feel most satisfied when I’ve been able to be a part of a bigger project rather than being The One. Sam has the qualities: loyalty, dedication, heart, a love of simple pleasures, that I most want to emulate in my own life.

I would hope that I would stick by my friends through whatever adventure they happened to be on, regardless of the personal cost to myself or the danger therein. As an adult I have come to appreciate the great sacrifice and dedication inherent in these kind of adventures. As a child it all sounds a bit dangerous but also like good fun. As an adult you realize how uncomfortable it would be to be out in all kinds of weather, how hungry and tired you would be at times, how real the danger is and how the odds of you getting hurt or dying would be stacked against you, not in your favor.

I would be like Frodo near the beginning of the book thinking, “I wish it need not have happened in my time”. But I would also want to be the person who said, “So do I, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us”. I would then venture forth with a willing heart, clinging to hope and faith that all would work out right in the end.