"Three Is Company" - Eric's Thoughts

The chapter begins with Gandalf advising Frodo to wait for a while before leaving. Gandalf disappears, and Frodo sells his home to the Sackville Bagginses, who triumphantly take the keys. Frodo then sets off with Samwise and Pippin. At first the traveling through the Shire is beautiful and fine. A thoughtful fox makes an appearance, which made me laugh for its randomness:

A fox passing through the woods on business of his own stopped several minutes and sniffed. “Hobbits!” he thought. “Well, what next? I have heard of strange doings in this land, but I have seldom heard of a hobbit sleeping out of doors under a tree. Three of them! There’s something mighty queer behind this.” He was quite right, but he never found out any more about it.

But not soon after they are followed by a mysterious black rider that sniffs. Frodo, when near the black rider, feels the temptation to put on the ring. Fortunately, elves show up, and take Frodo and friends into company, where they feast, drink, and receive vague warnings to run from the black riders at all costs. But the elves don’t make an offer to help the hobbits reach Rivendell, even though they know they are being pursued by Mordor agents. Narcissistic elves, to say the least. (I sense another plot hole.)

Frodo really needed to say to that elf, “Thanks for nothing, Gildor. Take your worthless two pages of advice and shove it up your--Sam! So glad you're awake. Gildor and I were just talking.”

After speaking with Jacob on the phone about this chapter, Jacob thought the pacing was off at this point, but I didn’t particularly mind it. The stakes are raised with the appearance of the black riders. I remember the first time I read the book I kept thinking, Frodo, don’t go off the road! Maybe these black riders can tell you something important! But you quickly learn from the sniffing and from Gildor's warning that my advice would have not have boded so well for Frodo, or Middle Earth.

In terms of the writing, descriptions are becoming more common now. Tolkien is describing roads, scent laden pines, the leaves whispering, and starlit elf hair. These descriptions were much needed. But I still would like a little description about Frodo, Pippin, and Sam, which at this point is nonexistent.

With the appearance of the elves, reading this chapter reminded me of Henry Dyson, a member of the Inklings who, whenever an elf appeared in Tolkien’s story (to which Dyson was listening in their book club), Dyson would shout, “Oh God, not another elf!”

Steven King noted that in order to create realism with horror and fantasy, 95% of what you show needs to be mundane and very real, so when the ghost appears you believe it. So I think all of the descriptions and passing over the terrain is necessary to create that realism.

While I agree the chapter isn't riveting in its pace, I think the pacing, while maybe a tad bit slow, creates a sense of time, space and distance, and ultimately, realism. Sure, Tolkien could have written, “And so it happened that Frodo, Sam, and Pippin traveled night and day, and ran into a black rider that sniffed, and they were scared, but gladly Gildor of the elves showed up, and they feasted a merry night and slept soundly.” But that wouldn’t have been very satisfying at all. Drawing out the journey is necessary for a road trip book like Lord of the Rings.

Now, something I think that's a valid critique is that I would have liked more point of view for Frodo, or Sam, or Pippin. The point of view is not very clear, and no thoughts of a particular character are apparent. I think the story would have been stronger with a driving point of view that let me into a character’s thoughts.

Overall, while a slower chapter in terms of pacing, I would rate this one as not riveting, but not bad.