{"id":736,"date":"2012-01-17T06:00:15","date_gmt":"2012-01-17T14:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/?p=736"},"modified":"2012-01-11T17:02:07","modified_gmt":"2012-01-12T01:02:07","slug":"mark-reads-the-fellowship-of-the-ring-book-two-chapter-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markreads.net\/reviews\/2012\/01\/mark-reads-the-fellowship-of-the-ring-book-two-chapter-8\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Reads ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’: Book Two, Chapter 8"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the eighth chapter of the second book of The Fellowship of the Ring<\/em>, the Company bids goodbye to the Elves as they head into the uncertainty of the future. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read The Lord of the Rings<\/em>.<\/p>\n

CHAPTER EIGHT: FAREWELL TO L\u00c3\u201cRIEN<\/strong><\/p>\n

This chapter provides a strange sensation that I can’t say I’ve experienced before: I feel like the journey is just<\/em> beginning.<\/p>\n

We’re nearing the end of The Fellowship of the Ring<\/em>, and despite all that’s happened, it’s as if this book has been born anew, that there’s a second chance for everything, and that I should have long ago just admitted that it’s impossible to be prepared for any of this. No, seriously, there are hundreds of pages left, a million things have happened, and I still have no clue what’s going on<\/em>. Okay, yes, I’m exaggerating. But there are so many details to keep track of, new motivations to account for, and the sheer unfamiliarity of the journey ahead to think about.<\/p>\n

The loss of Gandalf is so immense at this point because Tolkien has stripped away what he represents literally and metaphorically: knowledge. That’s not to say that Boromir, Aragorn, Legolas, or Gimli aren’t<\/em> knowledgeable, that they don’t possess information that will help them on their quest to destroy the Ring. I think we’ll get the chance to see all four of them help out the Company in the future. However, what I picked up pretty quickly is that pretty much no one<\/em> knows what it is they should do after leaving Lothl\u00c3\u00b3rien. They’re given choices and the most minimal of counsel, but it’s all a mystery to them. That’s not the most ideal of situations, of course, but you’ll have to allow me to be really selfish right now: this excites me to no end<\/em>. I mean, if the characters aren’t even prepared for this shit, that means I am on another astral plane of unpreparedness.<\/p>\n

The time comes for the Company to leave L\u00c3\u00b3rien, and I wasn’t surprised that all eight surviving members agreed to press on. Despite whatever it was that Galadriel “showed” them, they chose to stay with Frodo as long as they could. MY BABIES<\/em>. Wait, aren’t all these characters older than me? Whatever, I’m treating them like they’re my children now. My children<\/em> go through a long and touching ceremony as Galadriel and Celebron bid them goodbye. Actually…okay, I’m trying to think of a good example and I’m coming up empty, but have you ever seen a movie that “ended” like fifteen times? That’s what the bulk of chapter eight is: Galadriel and Celeborn say goodbye to the Company, and then do it again two pages later, then do it again, then when we think they’re just out of range that the Elves are gone forever, there’s a feast<\/em>. I know it’s not supposed to be funny, but I laughed. Still, there’s a lot of important information given in this chapter that really isn’t<\/em> that funny.<\/p>\n