This video came at the perfect time for me, I just finished my annual re-watch of the extended edition movies. I’ve read the book once and listened to the audio books once but it’s been several years since then. I’ve been thinking about diving back in and this video just makes me want to commit even more! ❤ *also got teary eyed when you were reading about Aragorn and Arwen 🥲
@joannaj727 omigosh that's so amazing... you just inspired me to rewatch the films to see it through the director's eyes.. I've never watched the behind the scenes videos either, so it may give me more insight into some of their film choices.. thank you for understanding my emotions with that relationship with Aragorn and Arwen. 😆❤️❤️❤️
@@OakesPrincess yes the behind the scenes are amazing! I used to watch them on dvd after finishing the movies when I wasn’t ready to leave middle earth 😅
Folio Society has a limited edition that was sold out in 2022 of this series ... finest LOTR limited collation out there.. but good luck finding one for sale.
It’s so interesting that you really enjoyed Fellowship but thought Two Towers was too slow, I’ve always felt the opposite but it has been a while since I’ve read the books so I might feel differently if I re-read them now. But I always thought Fellowship took wayyyyy too long to really get into the meat of the matter and get out of the shire and into the bigger story. Which makes sense as to why I enjoy the expansion that happens in Two Towers, even if it slows things down a bit. You start to get a sense of how dire things are, that the world outside of the shire is not what it once was and we’re in the last days of the end of an age. So funny that you thought Merry and Pippin were annoying! 😂 I love them so much and more so every time I rewatch. They may be naive and a little goofy but it’s a reminder of what we’re fighting to protect and save; innocence. Them being involved in the Fellowship is the ultimate sacrifice and represents that evil seeks to corrupt even the most pure of heart. And they are just as integral to the destroying of the ring as Frodo and Sam. When they get the Ents to join in the fight and destroy Isengard, and even Pippin accidentally waking the Balrog that Gandalf has to fight in order to become Gandalf the White. I love that they are so small in this big world but show just as much, if not more, courage than the men they fight beside. Sméagol is a big part of matters of fate as well. I totally understand being annoyed by him, but he’s a constant reminder of what could happen to Frodo if the ring takes hold. E.g. when Frodo says “I have to believe he can come back, for both our sakes”. His story is so sad, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and has been completely ruined and turned into a monster by something out of his control. It’s definitely a perfect metaphor for addiction, especially seeing the constant battle he has with himself. The old Sméagol is still there but Gollum (the addiction) will always win, to his detriment. And as far as fate, the scene with Gandalf and Frodo in the mines of Moria says it perfectly. (One of my all time favorite scenes/quotes) “Frodo: 'It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill Gollum when he had the chance.' Gandalf: 'Pity? It's a pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play in it, for good or evil, before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.' Frodo: 'I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.' Gandalf: '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 to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides that of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.”
As for the Two Towers vs. Fellowship, it may be a personality thing, because my friend's son adores Two Towers...it's his absolute favorite. He loves the writing style and the pacing and content. I'll have to ask him about it next time, to delve into why exactly, he told me at some point last year, lol, when I was telling him how hard it was for me to read and he went off on a huge lengthy rant about why Two Towers was amazing. lololol. I think for me, it's because I was with Frodo on this one... who would want to leave the shire??? All that awaited him was peril and fearful things. lol, I wouldn't want to go!! I was amazed that his friends even wanted to go.. if I were Sam, I'd of been like, "Well...it's been nice knowin' ya.. stay safe! Peace!!" lololololol. But to your point, YES, it does give that "last days/end of age" vibe... for me it was the hobbits getting taken by those orcs.. I was living in a horror story dream land that I couldn't wake up from. How they narrowly escaped with their life?? I'll never fully understand, but somehow they made it. LOLOLOL I was chillin when the one villain came into the picture, Wormtongue. That dude was interesting to me. I liked seeing him lose his place and getting cast out. Innocense in the hobbit boys, YES. Very true. I liked them MUCH better in the books. I wasn't thrilled w/their performances. Maybe it was the directing... why did I feel like they were braver in the books? In one of my other videos, I discuss that more, the contrast of what the book says about them verses what the movie depicts them to be like. Your analogy of them was beautiful. Yes, what you said is true, they are a reminder that no matter how humble of a role they play, their role was still vital. So true. Sméagol: You are very right about how he's a constant reminder of what happens if the ring takes hold. That's very true. Maybe that's partly what I didn't like seeing. The truth of the ugly... as if Frodo and Sam could abandon him and run away from that fate. I kept feeling like he was going to kill Frodo "any minute now." So it's a good thing I'd seen the movie and knew it didn't happen, but still. I was always on edge. I didn't like that feeling, as thought hey couldn't ever sleep. So awful. I NEEEED sleep and the fact that Frodo and Sam couldn't have a proper sleep really got to me. LOL. Also, I LOVE what you said with the metaphor of addiction, this actually helps me feel more for this character, so thank you for that. I hadn't even considered that, wow. I love that line you posted too, it's making me want to go find another quote... if I find it, I'll post it..
To add to your quote that you posted, I'll add the last few lines from the Mount Doom chapter in Return of the King: "....I would have spared him a whole hand of mine rather. But he's gone now beyond recall, gone for ever." 'Yes,' said Frodo. 'But do you remember Gandalf's words: Even Gollum may have something yet to do? But for him, Sam, I could not have destroyed the Ring. The Quest would have been in vain, even at the bitter end. So let us forgive him! For the Quest is achieved, and now all is over."...... Okay, I just got emotional writing that... SOOO moving. the "let us forgive him!" ... So many times in life, we have to forgive people who do nothing but cause us pain or add drama or whatever to our lives, but who knows what role, like Smeagol, these folks play in our lives and us getting to our destination. Tolkein was a great writer, that's for sure.
@@OakesPrincess hahah I think your love of Aragorn and Arwen’s story is probably affecting the way you see it. When you talked about Eowyn it was heavily focused on her unrequited love for Aragorn, but when I think of her I think of how badly she wanted to fight. She felt so helpless as a woman in this age of war (the province of men as her cousin puts it), seeing all the men she loved go off to die in battle to protect her and the other women/children and wanting to do the same for her people, even though it’s “not her duty” as a woman. I do agree that her immediate love/infatuation for Aragorn gives second hang embarrassment lolol but can you blame her?? I’d be down bad for Aragorn too! 😂. When she kills the Witch King of Angmar is such a brilliant moment of woman empowerment- it makes me emotional every time! “You fool, no man can kill me” “I am no man!” 😭😭😭 Or, in the books: "Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!" Then Merry heard of all sounds in that hour the strangest. It seemed that Dernhelm laughed, and the clear voice was like the ring of steel. "But no living man am I!”
Congrats on finishing the book. I read the Hobbit when I was little, and attempted Lord of the Rings. I got stuck in the chapters Many Meetings and The Council of Elrond, the part that takes place in Rivendell. I had thought Lord of the Rings was a story about Frodo traveling to Mordor, but suddenly Tolkien introduced a bunch of new characters and lots of backstory. It was getting harder to follow, but again I was a little kid. By the way, what did you think of Tom Bombadil?
lol about being a kid...oh man, yes, I can totally imagine it getting harder and harder to follow! lol I forgot about how long that chapter was, the "Council of Elrond," but I was willing to put up with it because I knew it would eventually end and I loved that it took place in the elven world, if memory serves. I confess, I had to force myself through the long winded parts, lol! Some people really enjoy it despite the fact that it's soo long winded, so kudos for them. I do prefer a faster pace in my books. Have you ever read "Ender's Game"?? It's been a hot minute for me but that was one that I could not put down. It's a bit sci fi, but I adored that book. As for Tom Bombadil, I was like, "eh".. but I did talk about it more in depth, I believe in this video: th-cam.com/video/rmUaaqddI4w/w-d-xo.html where I am curious if Frodo crushes on Goldberry Elf. I don't even hardly recall her character, so I should go back and watch my own video, lol, but I think I discuss Tom Bombadil more in that video because I'd never even heard of him up to that point and then come to find that so many people have thoughts and opinions on him and I was like, "whoa." He was interesting, lol. I appreciated the ways in which he helped Frodo on his journey though. Interesting chap.
@@OakesPrincess I saw the movie for Ender's Game a few years ago, so the book sounds interesting. I remember it was referenced in Ernest Cline's Armada, which I really enjoyed.
@v_zach okay, see, I saw the film but wasn't impressed. Grant it, I'd read the book first, so that maybe was what ruined the film for me. I kept nit picking the film. My husband saw the film first and loved it. He read the book after my rave reviews and agreed that the book was good, but he wasn't bitter against the film the way I was. 😂
This video came at the perfect time for me, I just finished my annual re-watch of the extended edition movies. I’ve read the book once and listened to the audio books once but it’s been several years since then. I’ve been thinking about diving back in and this video just makes me want to commit even more! ❤
*also got teary eyed when you were reading about Aragorn and Arwen 🥲
@joannaj727 omigosh that's so amazing... you just inspired me to rewatch the films to see it through the director's eyes.. I've never watched the behind the scenes videos either, so it may give me more insight into some of their film choices.. thank you for understanding my emotions with that relationship with Aragorn and Arwen. 😆❤️❤️❤️
@@OakesPrincess yes the behind the scenes are amazing! I used to watch them on dvd after finishing the movies when I wasn’t ready to leave middle earth 😅
Folio Society has a limited edition that was sold out in 2022 of this series ... finest LOTR limited collation out there.. but good luck finding one for sale.
Thanks for sharing!!
It’s so interesting that you really enjoyed Fellowship but thought Two Towers was too slow, I’ve always felt the opposite but it has been a while since I’ve read the books so I might feel differently if I re-read them now. But I always thought Fellowship took wayyyyy too long to really get into the meat of the matter and get out of the shire and into the bigger story. Which makes sense as to why I enjoy the expansion that happens in Two Towers, even if it slows things down a bit. You start to get a sense of how dire things are, that the world outside of the shire is not what it once was and we’re in the last days of the end of an age.
So funny that you thought Merry and Pippin were annoying! 😂 I love them so much and more so every time I rewatch. They may be naive and a little goofy but it’s a reminder of what we’re fighting to protect and save; innocence. Them being involved in the Fellowship is the ultimate sacrifice and represents that evil seeks to corrupt even the most pure of heart. And they are just as integral to the destroying of the ring as Frodo and Sam. When they get the Ents to join in the fight and destroy Isengard, and even Pippin accidentally waking the Balrog that Gandalf has to fight in order to become Gandalf the White. I love that they are so small in this big world but show just as much, if not more, courage than the men they fight beside.
Sméagol is a big part of matters of fate as well. I totally understand being annoyed by him, but he’s a constant reminder of what could happen to Frodo if the ring takes hold. E.g. when Frodo says “I have to believe he can come back, for both our sakes”. His story is so sad, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and has been completely ruined and turned into a monster by something out of his control. It’s definitely a perfect metaphor for addiction, especially seeing the constant battle he has with himself. The old Sméagol is still there but Gollum (the addiction) will always win, to his detriment. And as far as fate, the scene with Gandalf and Frodo in the mines of Moria says it perfectly. (One of my all time favorite scenes/quotes)
“Frodo: 'It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill Gollum when he had the chance.'
Gandalf: 'Pity? It's a pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play in it, for good or evil, before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.'
Frodo: 'I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.'
Gandalf: '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 to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides that of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.”
As for the Two Towers vs. Fellowship, it may be a personality thing, because my friend's son adores Two Towers...it's his absolute favorite. He loves the writing style and the pacing and content. I'll have to ask him about it next time, to delve into why exactly, he told me at some point last year, lol, when I was telling him how hard it was for me to read and he went off on a huge lengthy rant about why Two Towers was amazing. lololol.
I think for me, it's because I was with Frodo on this one... who would want to leave the shire??? All that awaited him was peril and fearful things. lol, I wouldn't want to go!! I was amazed that his friends even wanted to go.. if I were Sam, I'd of been like, "Well...it's been nice knowin' ya.. stay safe! Peace!!" lololololol.
But to your point, YES, it does give that "last days/end of age" vibe... for me it was the hobbits getting taken by those orcs.. I was living in a horror story dream land that I couldn't wake up from. How they narrowly escaped with their life?? I'll never fully understand, but somehow they made it. LOLOLOL I was chillin when the one villain came into the picture, Wormtongue. That dude was interesting to me. I liked seeing him lose his place and getting cast out.
Innocense in the hobbit boys, YES. Very true. I liked them MUCH better in the books. I wasn't thrilled w/their performances. Maybe it was the directing... why did I feel like they were braver in the books? In one of my other videos, I discuss that more, the contrast of what the book says about them verses what the movie depicts them to be like. Your analogy of them was beautiful. Yes, what you said is true, they are a reminder that no matter how humble of a role they play, their role was still vital. So true.
Sméagol: You are very right about how he's a constant reminder of what happens if the ring takes hold. That's very true. Maybe that's partly what I didn't like seeing. The truth of the ugly... as if Frodo and Sam could abandon him and run away from that fate. I kept feeling like he was going to kill Frodo "any minute now." So it's a good thing I'd seen the movie and knew it didn't happen, but still. I was always on edge. I didn't like that feeling, as thought hey couldn't ever sleep. So awful. I NEEEED sleep and the fact that Frodo and Sam couldn't have a proper sleep really got to me. LOL.
Also, I LOVE what you said with the metaphor of addiction, this actually helps me feel more for this character, so thank you for that. I hadn't even considered that, wow.
I love that line you posted too, it's making me want to go find another quote... if I find it, I'll post it..
To add to your quote that you posted, I'll add the last few lines from the Mount Doom chapter in Return of the King:
"....I would have spared him a whole hand of mine rather. But he's gone now beyond recall, gone for ever."
'Yes,' said Frodo. 'But do you remember Gandalf's words: Even Gollum may have something yet to do? But for him, Sam, I could not have destroyed the Ring. The Quest would have been in vain, even at the bitter end. So let us forgive him! For the Quest is achieved, and now all is over."......
Okay, I just got emotional writing that... SOOO moving. the "let us forgive him!" ... So many times in life, we have to forgive people who do nothing but cause us pain or add drama or whatever to our lives, but who knows what role, like Smeagol, these folks play in our lives and us getting to our destination. Tolkein was a great writer, that's for sure.
Okay, and now I need your thoughts on Eowyn. What am I missing with her? Please share, lol.
@@OakesPrincess yes exactly!! I was thinking about that part too, how in the end Gollum was the final reason for destroying the ring
@@OakesPrincess hahah I think your love of Aragorn and Arwen’s story is probably affecting the way you see it. When you talked about Eowyn it was heavily focused on her unrequited love for Aragorn, but when I think of her I think of how badly she wanted to fight. She felt so helpless as a woman in this age of war (the province of men as her cousin puts it), seeing all the men she loved go off to die in battle to protect her and the other women/children and wanting to do the same for her people, even though it’s “not her duty” as a woman.
I do agree that her immediate love/infatuation for Aragorn gives second hang embarrassment lolol but can you blame her?? I’d be down bad for Aragorn too! 😂.
When she kills the Witch King of Angmar is such a brilliant moment of woman empowerment- it makes me emotional every time! “You fool, no man can kill me”
“I am no man!” 😭😭😭
Or, in the books:
"Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!"
Then Merry heard of all sounds in that hour the strangest. It seemed that Dernhelm laughed, and the clear voice was like the ring of steel. "But no living man am I!”
Congrats on finishing the book. I read the Hobbit when I was little, and attempted Lord of the Rings. I got stuck in the chapters Many Meetings and The Council of Elrond, the part that takes place in Rivendell. I had thought Lord of the Rings was a story about Frodo traveling to Mordor, but suddenly Tolkien introduced a bunch of new characters and lots of backstory. It was getting harder to follow, but again I was a little kid.
By the way, what did you think of Tom Bombadil?
lol about being a kid...oh man, yes, I can totally imagine it getting harder and harder to follow! lol I forgot about how long that chapter was, the "Council of Elrond," but I was willing to put up with it because I knew it would eventually end and I loved that it took place in the elven world, if memory serves. I confess, I had to force myself through the long winded parts, lol! Some people really enjoy it despite the fact that it's soo long winded, so kudos for them. I do prefer a faster pace in my books. Have you ever read "Ender's Game"?? It's been a hot minute for me but that was one that I could not put down. It's a bit sci fi, but I adored that book.
As for Tom Bombadil, I was like, "eh".. but I did talk about it more in depth, I believe in this video: th-cam.com/video/rmUaaqddI4w/w-d-xo.html where I am curious if Frodo crushes on Goldberry Elf. I don't even hardly recall her character, so I should go back and watch my own video, lol, but I think I discuss Tom Bombadil more in that video because I'd never even heard of him up to that point and then come to find that so many people have thoughts and opinions on him and I was like, "whoa." He was interesting, lol. I appreciated the ways in which he helped Frodo on his journey though. Interesting chap.
also, I don't talk about Tom Bombadil until around 7 minutes and 14 seconds into that video.. th-cam.com/video/rmUaaqddI4w/w-d-xo.html
@@OakesPrincess I saw the movie for Ender's Game a few years ago, so the book sounds interesting. I remember it was referenced in Ernest Cline's Armada, which I really enjoyed.
@v_zach okay, see, I saw the film but wasn't impressed. Grant it, I'd read the book first, so that maybe was what ruined the film for me. I kept nit picking the film. My husband saw the film first and loved it. He read the book after my rave reviews and agreed that the book was good, but he wasn't bitter against the film the way I was. 😂
Do you have any strong feelings in regards to Eowyn's character?