When the lights go down near the city of the Ringwraiths, Gollum is anxious to continue east as quickly as possible. Frodo and Sam follow, heedless of the danger — which is all around in this place where even the flowers are twisted and foul, the watchtower inexplicably revolves, and an evil army is about to issue from the gates any minute now. All this, plus weather-nerdery about lightning, nightmare-inducing word-nerdery about charnel houses, and your hosts’ presumptuous ideas for changes to Tolkien’s books and the movies based on them.
Recommended Reading:
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Two Towers: Being the Second Part of The Lord of the Rings (Mariner Books, paperback) “The Stairs of Cirith Ungol”, pp. 688-92
Tolkien, J. R. R. (Christopher Tolkien, ed.) The Silmarillion (Mariner Books, paperback)
Fonstad, Karen Wynn. The Atlas of Middle-earth (Revised Edition) (Houghton Mifflin, Paperback)
Dear Hosts,
Just listened to this podcast! It was great as usual. Towards the end you discussed “your hosts’ presumptuous ideas for changes to Tolkien’s books and the movies based on them.”
I was driving at the time, and itching to get on any device to answer this!!! I liked all of your ideas. Specially about Eowyn having her full speech (I’m a big fan of most of Tolkien’s female characters) and saving Maedhros from death at the fiery chasm (I always felt that he was a noble guy, except for that dreadful oath that ruined his life).
But I am a mother of young children, and what jumped to my head was “SAVING ELURED AND ELURIN!!!”. Thinking of two young boys dying of cold and starvation just breaks my heart. I know we only have those “some say” rumors about their destiny, and they may have survived (growing up as nameless silvan elves perhaps?), but it’s still such a sad, sad story.
I also thought a lot of Aegnor and Andreth. It’s very interesting to me because all other “interracial” couples in the legendarium are of human male and elven female and this is the only one we know of that’s the other way around. And also, it’s very sad. (I wonder if it is inspired in some couple he knew of during the Great War.)
So that is my opinion, for what is worth!
Regarding the inexplicably revolving tower, hasn’t anyone told you about Nero’s Revolving Restaurant? I’m pretty sure its specialty is jaguars’ earlobes!
Discover the Ancient Engineering Marvel of Nero’s Spinning Dining Room:
https://interestingengineering.com/ancient-engineering-marvel-neros-revolving-dining-room
-Another Jim from Maryland