MY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION!!!!

[Fanuidhol]

Fredegar said:

Well, I've read Silmarillion but I still haven't gotten all the way through Unfinished Tales (my copy is still.....unfinished. Ha, I slay me!). Maybe I should add that to my list of books to read this year.

I don't have any of the History of Middle-earth series. That always seemed a bit overwhelming to me. Isn't it, like, ten volumes long and in a very dry history text format that expands on what we already know? It sounds like a huge undertaking, especially for someone like me who reads at a slower pace.

Funny you should say that, Fredegar. My New Years resolution is to read the 12 volumes of the HOME series. I had vol 6-9 (which is about LotR) for a few years and got vol 1 through 5 for Christmas. So, I'm set for awhile.
I didn't get far with vol 6 when I bought 6-9, because Christopher Tolkien confused me alot with his comments. I got over that when I read Unfinished Tales. Christopher still confused me, I just didn't let it bother me.

I read some discussions on the Internet where people took a year to read the 12 volumes at one book per month at about a chapter a day. I decided to give it another go....but started at the beginning of December with volume 6, since that is what I had. I figured I'd read the history of LotR first, then start the History of The Silmarillion. I am in the middle of vol 7 now.
The way I see it, so far, the books read alot like UT, only with more interruptions by Christopher that would be only of interest to scholars. I am finding the parts written by JRR to be fascinating.

But, yesterday, I had to make the decision to read LotR again when I am done with vol 9. Between watching the movies and now reading the drafts, I am getting a "cloudy" memory in parts about the published work. I had already put The Silmarillion in the reading schedule for Sept. 05 to freshen my memory on it.... So, now I'll need more than a year to get the whole thing done.

And now I'd also like to participate in The Hobbit Study...so it would help to read that again. I guess I'l be immersed in Tolkien for the next year and some. I can think of worse things to occupy my time.

The Silmarillion was a challenge the first time. I've read it several times now and each time gets more enjoyable.
Thanks,
Fan

[Vanye]

::)Yeah! The Sil is quite a challenge the first time through alright--I'm now at the Chapter called Flight of the Noldor & I'm actually starting to make sense of it! I'm even keeping several of the relationships straight w/o having to look stuff up. Don't laugh it's progress. I have just finished my second complete rereading of The Hobbit/LoTR, I have also listened to the audiobooks 2X & The BBC abridged dramatization a couple of times. I've seen all of the Movies several times as well as the extended versions of the first two. I started to read UT but decided to tackle the Sil first. I have got the first 5 volumes of HoMe & they are all in the queue to be read as I come to them. I have also read all of The Tolkien Reader. I can sure relate to what you said about being 'cloudy' about some stuff: while reading LoTR I came across stuff I could swear I never read before! Well, I'd best get back at it before I get confused about what I had straight in my mind a few hours ago! Some times my head is like a leaky sieve! Vanye

[Fanuidhol]

Vanye, you are doing better than I did my first time with The Silmarillion. Someone recommended this so I did it: I kept a chart of who was related to who with notes sitting next to me as I read. I think I referred to it after each paragraph.
Perhaps, we'll be on the same books of History of ME vol. 1-5 at the same time. It would be nice to read them with someone.
Thanks,
Fan

[Stormrider]

Vanye:

You are doing wonderfully in your New Year's resolution! I still have not gotten further than the first paragraph of the Valaquenta! Other activities have interferred again! It seems like it could take me the whole year to finish reading The Sil!

[Ninhiisenen]

I've still yet to read "Of the Rings of Power" and everything it entails until the end of the book. I keep procrastinating because I'm sitting there like "Cate Blanchett's voice already narrated that in the beginning of the first movie" LOL! And I did cheat a little and read that very hilarious Silmarillion in less than 1,000 words thing.

[Vanye]

Fanduilhol: I have copied The Chronology of the Silmarillion from the website as well as several versions of the family tree of the House of Finwe, I keep 'Middle Earth for Dummies' handy & have created Venn diagrams to keep track of who is realated to who, who did what to who etc (I know that some of those whos should be whoms , maybe all of them). Anyway I'm sorting it out--after reading it I also listened to the tape!! I'll untangle this web--eventually! Vanye

[Fanuidhol]

Vanye, I'm sorry that I didn't reply before now. It sounds like you are very well prepared. Venn diagram and everything?!?!
How is it coming along? Where are you up to?
Thanks,
Fan

[Vanye]

Fan & All: I am now on Ch. 11 at last! Though I'd begun to believe I'd be in Ch. 9 'limbo' forever. After reading & rereading, listening to it reading numerous posts & other resources I believe myself to have a reasonably good grasp on it now! However, 2 events in that chapter left me quite shaken: those being the Kinslaying & the burning of the white ships. I considered those to be most un-elf like leaving me w/a sense of betrayal by the elves themselves or even Tolkien, their creator.
Of course as I stated in another posting on this site no race or group is going to be totally w/o flawed or weak individuals bent on evil deeds. It is still emotionally jarring & puts a different spin on things for me, anyway.
In Ch. 11 the big challenge is proving to be keeping the geography sorted out. All those place names are mind-boggling (my ME atlas is getting a a lot of use). So, the road goes ever onward... Vanye

[Stormrider]

Vanye:

So now you will begin to see why the Elves seem so sad. The history of the Elves is filled with quite a few things that will surprise and shock you! I was shocked the first time I read The Sil also.

[Vanye]

I have just finished ch.13. SPOILER ALERT for all of you who are not this far into the book!! Well at last they have a reliable source of light i.e.' the sun'! I've heard of some long power outages but that has to be the Granddaddy of them all! That begs the question, what did they eat in all that time & knowing what we know about the carbon cycle, solar radiation & chlorophyl? Oh my suspended disbelief slipped there for a moment, sorry about that! Starlight is great but not for a steady diet! The gardeners: Yavanna for example ought to be happy campers now! (Aside to all you frustrated teachers of English I know I have problems w/punctuation, but it was worse when I was in college. That's not helping is it?, so feel free to clean it up & fire it back at me!! OK?? My Majors were History & Earth Science, not English!! I wrote good papers but had to take my lumps for puctuation & run-on sentences, would you believe??? Of course you would. So feel free to red pencil me or the computer equivilent of it!!) Anyway Fiwe's family continues their fueding fussing & fighting ways & thus far a few references ring any bells that echo into the Third Age period of the LoTR time frame w/which all of us are familiar so far Galadriel is the most prominent & I just feel that JRRT may have had even bigger plans for Galadriel than those which came to fruition in the trilogy. Perhaps given a longer deadline by the publisher she might have played an even larger role!!! Who knows??? Well I've other questions aout Galadriel's family which I shall pose in other areas of this site. So I'll quit for now. Vanye

[Stormrider]

Vanye:

Have you signed up at the old MSN site so that you can join us in The Prancing Pony for the Silmarillion discussion?

Saturday January 29, 2005
1pm-3pm EST: The Silmarillion Chat
This will be the time to discuss those mind-boggling Sil questions. We hope this will be a helpful chat for those of you that have committed yourselves to reading the Sil this year.

Since you have recently joined Tolkien’s Ring on this new proboards forum, you will need to apply for membership at the old site. It is a simple matter, just then click the “Join Now” button at the MSN site: groups.msn.com/tolkiensring and follow the instructions on joining. You will be asked to get an MSN passport (no charge)-information on what it is an how to do that will be provided during the application process. In the application toward the bottom of the form, be sure to mention that you are already a member at the proboards forum and that you want to join us in the 3rd Anniversary Celebration in The Prancing Pony chatroom. There will be a slight wait (a day probably) in which your request for membership will email to the management team and then we will accept your application. Once accepted, go to The Prancing Pony link on the left hand navigation bar of the MSN site and make sure you download the chatroom tool. Then enter The Pony and take a look around!

This would be a great time for all of us who are reading the Sil now and those who have before, to have a really great discussion.

I hope to see you there! (Saturday the 29th from 1pm-3pm Eastern Time)

[Fanuidhol]

I woke up way too early and with this in my head:
Vanye wrote:
"I have just finished ch.13. SPOILER ALERT for all of you who are not this far into the book!! Well at last they have a reliable source of light i.e.' the sun'! I've heard of some long power outages but that has to be the Granddaddy of them all! That begs the question, what did they eat in all that time & knowing what we know about the carbon cycle, solar radiation & chlorophyl?"

My house is way out in the country, in a county that boasts an average of 24 people per sq. mile. Since most of the population lives in town 12 miles away from me, in the country, there is even less per sq. mile. When there is no moon, you cannot see a thing. So, I imagine that the stars were many more in number and much brighter. Even so, I imagine they ate alot more mushrooms!
Now, I'm going to try to go back to bed.
Thanks,
Fan

[Vanye]

SPOILER Alert!!! Well I have now finished Ch.19 Of Beren & Luthien it was certainly an emotional rolllercoaster. Morgoth is still busy being Morgoth. several of the characters in this chapter dared to take him on anyway. That bunch of brothers (Feanor''s sons) have enough stuff going on/w all their alliances, feuds,& realignments to fill a book all by themselves. Sometimes it's hard to believe that there are onlly 7 of them! Last nites' chat & tour were lots of fun; hope to see many of you again today! Vanye

[Vanye]

Hey, all you Sil readers out there! How are you all doing? Haven't heard any reports from any of you recently. I'm at Ch. 24 'Of The Voyage of Earendil.' I'm planing to re-read many of the chapters (20-24) to clarify some of the events in my mind or in other words I'm just a little foggy on some stuff! I'm going to read through the end first, however! Let's not any of us drop the ball. I'm trying to play cheerleader here cuz I know we can all do this! Rah rah rah!! & all that jazz!! "Forth Eorlingus". Vanye

[Stormrider]

I started reading again. I'm into the flight of the Noldor now. They have just received their curse and one small group has turned back and have been forgiven by the Valar.

It is slow going but I am still working at it. Thanks for the cheers and encourangement, Vanye.