177 – Exit… Stage Left

While Frodo and Boromir are away “talking”, the Company (still not officially called “the Fellowship”, but that won’t stop us) attempt to reach a decision about where to go — or rather, who’s to go where. Each member of the party speaks his piece, and Samwise explains to them all what’s on Frodo’s mind… but when Boromir returns, Aragorn realizes that it may be too late to influence events at all. Join us as we finally close the book on The Fellowship of the Ring with word-nerdery, hope, despair, and a little bit of Madness. Plus, is The Lord of the Rings too long?

For the online article referenced in Barliman’s Bag listing word counts of popular books, see: https://blog.fostergrant.co.uk/2017/08/03/word-counts-popular-books-world/

Recommended Reading:

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings (Mariner Books, paperback) pp. 391-98, “The Breaking of the Fellowship”

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Return of the King: Being the Third Part of the Lord of the Rings (Mariner Books, paperback)

Tolkien, J. R. R. (Christopher Tolkien, ed.) The Treason of Isengard (The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 7) (Houghton Mifflin, paperback)

Tolkien, J. R. R. Tree and Leaf: Including “Mythopoeia” (HarperCollins, paperback)

Tolkien, J. R. R. Tales from the Perilous Realm (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, hardcover)

Hammond, Wayne G. and Christina Scull. The Lord of the Rings: A Reader’s Companion (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, hardcover)

Shippey, Tom. J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century (Mariner Books, paperback)

Kocher, Paul H. Master of Middle-earth: The Fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien (Del Rey, paperback)

Join the discussion

2 comments
  • Real interesting that Frodo just barely makes it across with Sam’s help. If Sam hadn’t caught up to Frodo the quest might have come to a very sudden stop at the foot of Rauros.

  • 9/24

    To Barliman:
    If you still need a professional editor (working gratis), I have been editing fiction and nonfiction for 30+ years. Yes, I have read The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, etc.
    Let me know how I can help. Thanks.
    Bob Saigh
    razorsharp@razorsharpco.net

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