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Reiki
Member
08-12-2000
| Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 6:01 pm
This is the area to discuss Chapter 8 of the Hobbit, Flies and Spiders
Mirkwood Spiders by Alan Lee The picture link that I have been referencing does not have a page for this chapter for some reason. So I'm going to direct you instead to a site that has pictures by artist Alan Lee. Alan worked as an artistic consultant on the movies. theonering.net Alan Lee pictures
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Reiki
Member
08-12-2000
| Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 6:06 pm
Timeline for Chapter 8: August 16 - The Company crosses the Enchanted Stream. Bombur falls into a trance. August 22 - They leave the path at night. August 23 - Before dawn Thorin is captured by the Wood-elves, and the other dwarves by giant spiders. Bilbo rescues the dwarves. THEY LEFT THE PATH!
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Reiki
Member
08-12-2000
| Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 9:20 pm
Bilbo really steps up to the challenge in this chapter. It's Bilbo who takes the lead at the Enchanted Rivers and finds the boat that gets them across. The dwarves are letting him take that lead role more and more. Gandalf said there was more to this hobbit than meets the eye and I am starting to believe it. More importantly I think Bilbo is starting to believe it too. Off to finish the chapter.
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Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Thursday, March 11, 2004 - 10:42 pm
I don't think I like dwarves, as depicted in this book.
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Ocean_islands
Member
09-07-2000
| Friday, March 12, 2004 - 7:01 am
Why not?
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Reiki
Member
08-12-2000
| Friday, March 12, 2004 - 8:40 pm
I'm thinking that the elves don't come off too great in the chapter either. Much different from the elves in Rivendell and even more so than the ones in LOTRs. I have never given it much thought before, but in reading about Bilbo being able to understand the language of the spiders I wonder if the influence of the ring is at work or if this is just another example of talking animals in this book. The spiders conversation reminds me of the trolls. Like Gandalf with the trolls the spiders discussion gives Bilbo time to formulate a plan. Bilbo has become quite the little warrior. I don't think anyone could have done any better and battling the spiders and rescuing the dwarves. Go Bilbo! I love that the dwarves have come to rely on him to get out of things. I didn't miss Thorin until they did! Never even realized he hadn't been mentioned until that point. His capture by the elves was unexpected. I have a hard time resolving these elves with the ones I am familiar with in LOTRs.
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Twiggyish
Member
08-14-2000
| Friday, March 12, 2004 - 9:46 pm
This journey has been an awakening for Bilbo. Once again the Took in him saves the day.
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Ocean_islands
Member
09-07-2000
| Saturday, March 13, 2004 - 6:52 am
There is also the matter of the elves, and whether he can understand them, or how. Perhaps somewhere else it explains how Bilbo knows elvish. The book does talk about the difference between these elves and the other ones. These ones are more warrior like, fierce, and less educated or cultured. That said, their behavior doesn't bother me that much, after all, the dwarves are intruders, and they did not tell of their mission when captured. The spiders in this chapter seem really small. Let me add that this forest seems much more dangerous and forbidding than Fangorn. When I first read this as a kid, it seemed very scary.
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