It’s John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. And he was born January 3, 1892.
Quick: how many years ago was that? Right, 121. (Okay, so I used my calculator to double-check my math. It’s not exactly my strong point.)
At the beginning of the school year, the kids and I read The Hobbit and loved it. My husband took us all to see the movie. It was great, except he didn’t tell me what everybody else in that theater already knew.
What? I thought, as the scene at the eagle’s aerie faded and the credits rolled. Is this a joke? I looked around me and saw moviegoers beginning to stand. I looked at my husband and said, “Where’s the end?”
“It’s the first part.”
“The first part!? Of how many?”
“Three.”
I sat there dazed, arguing, “But The Hobbit is only one book!”
Then I understood why the dwarf-gathering at Bilbo’s house took up nearly half the movie, and why I had to sit through Richard Armitage’s sonorous crooning that—I admit this—I questioned to be his own voice. There were a good many additions in the movie. Would Tolkien have approved? Who knows? I think Peter Jackson made the plot much more dramatic. And that’s good.
I’m celebrating Tolkien’s birthday by posting the link to my one and only attempt at writing Tolkien-style. It’s a one-shot called, “The Fate of the Ents.” If you’re curious and love Middle-earth tales, take a look.
Rilla Writer 
I was disappointed the eagles simply didn’t take them to their destination.
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The eagles couldn’t fly over Mirkwood because then the Elven King would’ve known something was up. And even if the eagles could’ve flown them to the Lonely Mountain, then that would’ve awakened Smaug immediately and the whole plan would have gone up in flames. Plus, let’s face it, the lord of the great eagles is a little too majestic to be used as a carrier pigeon for hobbits and dwarves. Yeah, I’m making all this up just for you, Andy. 🙂
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Well, of course the eagles couldn’t give them such a shortcut!. The journey was the best part of the story.
I’d almost forgotten about “The Fate of the Ents” story. Loved reading it again. Very reminescent of J.R.R.
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Do you ever feel like we have too many shortcuts now that really ruin the joy of the journey? What would happen if I added a cell phone into the plot of a great classic–say, A Christmas Carol? Scrooge could have spread Christmas cheer without leaving his house. The ghosts could’ve played videos of Scrooge’s past, present, and future! 🙂 Thanks, Mom O.
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When I first heard Jackson was thinking of three movies instead of two as originally planned, I had some nibbling of doubt. LOTR was three films and so much more happened in that story than in the Hobbit. After seeing part one, I find myself wishing Jackson would have stuck with two. I enjoyed the movie, but it was a bit drawn out.
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Yeah. Three movies is also going to be a bit drawn out on our wallets. 😛
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