Here we are at the final chapter. It’s a short chapter, but it is broken into three parts. First, Bilbo and Gandalf go to Rivendell and spend about a week with the elves. Bilbo (and Tolkien) love elves, so they spend more time here than might be expected. It’s all very pleasant and relaxing, but…
One of the nice things about Tolkien is that he lets his stories end naturally. Of course Bilbo can’t stay with the dwarves. The story isn’t finished until he goes home. It might seem a little anticlimactic, but I like the fact that we get to see the true end of the journey. Although, I…
Here we have the Battle of Five Armies. If you’re keeping track, it’s the dwarves, the men, the elves, the goblins and the eagles. That is unless it is the dwarves, the men, the elves, the goblins and the wargs. Both the eagles and the wargs are involved, I’m just not sure which one constitutes…
A Thief In The Night is a short, but crucial, chapter. The action is really straightforward. Bilbo, you may remember from Chapter XIII – Not At Home, is in possession of the Arkenstone. Thorin has basically lost his mind. He is completely obsessed with the treasure, and the Arkenstone in particular. He will not listen…
Before you can be good at writing, you have to be bad at writing. This story is an excellent example of me being bad at writing, and having a great time while doing it. Below the story are the comments I received from the judge of the contest I submitted this story to. Practice, criticism and…
We’re back to the story with this chapter, so that’s a relief. We’re back with Bilbo and the dwarves. This is really a transitional chapter, so there isn’t a lot to talk about. Up until now, the dragon has been the big threat. But, with the dragon gone, there are still plenty of problems. First,…
I need to start this chapter with a little rant. This is my least favorite chapter in the book. That’s because it is the only chapter that doesn’t have anything to do with Bilbo, aka The Hobbit. Any way you look at it, this is Bilbo’s book. The narrator may be third person omniscient, but…
I think we’ve been living with a mistake, but I don’t know who to go to so that it will get corrected. Look at this: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ. Do you see it? It’s near the end. It’s the X and the Y. They should be flipped around. It’s crazy, right? This is something so basic we learn…
I hate thinking about myself and talking about myself. That may sound strange coming from someone who has spent the last six months chronicling his divorce and depression, but it’s true*. It makes for a weird dynamic in therapy. Therapy is all about me, but I’m always trying to change the subject. When I fail…
I was surprised when I first started seeing a therapist. The experience was completely different than I expected. That’s a little bit odd given how many therapists there are. It appears to be a booming business, which must mean that many people go to see therapists. But what actually happens in therapy remains a closely…
