New suprises in The Lord of the Rings

[Olwyn]

I've just started reading "The Fellowship of the Ring" for the seventh time and again have been struck by the appearance of things I'd never noticed before - each time I read Tolkien I get brand new things out of it ... did he do that deliberately??:) Anyone find the same thing? (I'd never read that there were "Blue Mountains" in Middle-earth, for example, but when Gandalf is visiting Frodo the second time he mentions these mounatins, and there are the Blue Mountains close to where I live!! And don't anyone say that thing about "small things" and "small minds"!!):p

[Lantarion]

Welome, Olwyn! :)
I often notice this too. I often rush past lots of "boring" parts, which aren't really boring but it depends on the mood I'm in:); and then when I reread the same part next time, I notice "Hey, he's really elaborated on this a lot!". It's great, I think that really makes a good book a good book.

[Rushlight]

I am re-reading Fellowship of the Ring after reading the whole trilogy 30 years ago! I'm finding a treasure trove of good stuff I had forgotten (duh! 30 years!!!). My husband is on to Two Towers, and we are constantly discussing the books and movie. Instead of talking about how to get the kids to do homework and what color to paint the bathrooms, we're talking about what Elves were like and the geography of Middle Earth.

[Grond]

Welcome home Rushlight. The works never get boring and just seem to get better when read over and over. I'm glad you came back to them after thirty years. As for me, I was hypnotized by them the first time I read them and have continued to read them every year for the past 30.

Enjoy!!

[pgt]

It's almost magical isn't it Olwyn? I read them several times when I was much younger and each time learned new things and burrowed deeper as it were. I just finished rereading them for the first time in many many years when I heard there was a movie coming out. I learned many new things this last time through and (sigh) many new questions to ponder and investigate! I started finding some answers on various websites such as this one. It's a vicious, er, fun, circle.

[Ancalagon]

I agree, I have read them countless times and have found new, undiscovered points of interest every time. I can't remember when I first read them, though I have continued to read them every 30 years since :)

[Lantarion]

And you've read them probably about five times.. You're 150 years old?? :p :D

[Turin]

Olwyn how did you post if you not a member yet?

[Aulë]

Olowyn posted in January 2002, when Guests were able to post without registering.

Lantarion just seems to have been on a 'bumping' spree lately, and bring up old threads, hence the old posts.

[Turin]

Ok that answers my question.

[Lantarion]

Originally posted by Aulë
Lantarion just seems to have been on a 'bumping' spree lately
Yeah, there seems to be some threads amid all the dark, ancient, murky ones from many years ago that are worth keeping (Smials) or worth bumping; this was one of the latter. :)

But seriously, I have noticed this too. Is the fact that readers of Tolkien find new snatches of lore in every reading because we are unattentive at times, or skip or scan some parts; or is it Tolkien's 'fractal' style of telling stories, the way he is speaking abuot one great matter and then lets his thought wander in realms of (only seldom superfluous) adjectives and adverbs that enrich the reading experience, but may lead the reader on strange and wonderful paths away from the 'great matters'?

[Ravenna]

I too, tend to find something different each time I read the books, in part I think, not so much that I havn't come across them before, but that different bits come across more strongly depending on my own state of mind when reading, they are always there, just highlighted.
I've also found since geting involved in forums like this that often a subject discussed here gives me a different perspective on a particular part of the story that I'd not thought of, and therefore I take more notice of the underlying depths rather that just the surface story.
I think Lantarion made a good point concering these little 'side trips' too, we may well tend to skim them initially, as they often seem to have little relevance to the main storyline, but if you go back and look more closely, they are not only fascinating reading, but often offer new insights into characters or events, maybe not of vital importance to the plot, but they do flesh things out and draw us on to wanting to find out more about these briefly mentioned people or places.

[True_Twilight_]

I do also find this-------when i reread the books--------i think Tolkien (as well as the author of the Wheel of time Robert Jordan) use all thier experiences on where they've traveled or what they have discovered

[33Peregrin]

Every time I read LOTR I am very amazed at how much I find new! I am reading it now, for my fifth time. I am still amazed. I love rereading. I always see new images in my mind every time. Some things I can remember new are little things, like how Tom will raise his had in the air for a few moments, what it was really like, the leaves were yellow, when the Black Riders first appears, the gap between the rocks in the distance on the Barrow Downs, a better image of the barrow capturing Frodo, and when they at last reach the road again. I always find new things to think about every time, little things, and wondering what would happen if that never happened. When I read it for the second time I was really amazed, I hardly even noticed Pippin stabbing his troll. Finding new things is what's so amazing about LOTR.