"Many Meetings" - Ben's Thoughts

I don't know if I'm going to have a lot to say about this chapter. It's neither transitional nor driving forward, as far as plot goes; it just sort of exists as a respite for the reader. There's some interesting worldbuilding, especially from Frodo's discussions with Gloin about what the Dwarves and Men that follow and help them have been doing in the last hundred years or so, as well as many, many references to the First Age and the waning power of the Elves (more on that later), but aside from that, there's not a whole lot going on here. Tolkien is telling everyone to take a breather and relax in the House of Elrond, just like our characters are doing.

It's nice to have Gandalf back in play. He lends a lot of gravitas to the proceedings, and his grouchiness towards Pippin's thoughtless comments is always welcome (and will continue to provide moments of levity all the way through Moria, if memory serves). I did find interesting his comments about Frodo's sleep-talking -- did I miss something, or did Gandalf admit to some sort of psychic ability re: his knowledge of Frodo's experience with the Barrow-wight? He seems to imply that Frodo didn't say anything aloud, but that he was able to discern what happened in the barrow nonetheless. An interesting display of magical power on his part. I'll need to keep a keen eye out for future references to Gandalf actually doing magic. Of course, it seems likely that Elrond's healing of Frodo was somehow magical in nature, as well. The knife fragment's "burrowing" seems to indicate that some sort of will beyond simple steel at work (whether of the knife itself or as an extension of the Ringwraiths') and it seems logical that Elrond would have to exert a similar will to overcome and remove the shard.

Gandalf's explanation of the Nazgûl, however, left me with more questions than answers this time around. First, if Gandalf is familiar with this knife and its effects, does that mean that the Riders have used such tactics before and that people have succumbed to the knife's power? If so, does that mean that there are a bunch of wraiths running around under the Riders' control? And if so why haven't we heard of them before and why don't we hear about them after this point? And second, Gandalf's explanation that the Riders needed their horses to see struck me. The Ringwraiths are really blind? They can't see at all? They just rely on smell and their wraith-sensing abilities, in conjunction with the eyesight of their mounts, to get around? I don't know if this is consistent with what we see in later books, especially with the confrontation between the Witch-King and Merry and Éowyn in Book 5, where they are all talking to each other and so forth. We shall see. Another thing to look out for.

Some of the most interesting bits in this chapter, for me, were the references to the power of the Elves that had lived in the Undying Lands, which of course includes Glorfindel. Gandalf indicated that such an Elf lived in "both worlds" at the same time, and seemingly has some sort of ability to draw on the power of the Valar to aid them at any time they need it. Frodo and Sam seem to draw on similar powers later in the books, without having first spent time in Valinor. Interesting; I'm not really sure what that implies, other than the importance the Valar have placed on Frodo's quest. Also of note is the fact that Glorfindel may be the only Elf in Rivendell who actually did live in the Undying Lands at some point. Elrond, of course, was born in Middle-Earth; his father was the Ëarendil that Bilbo sung about (hence Strider's remark that Bilbo would be "cheeky" to write and recite a lyric about Elrond's dad in his own house). I noticed that Gandalf did manage to slip in a subtle reference to the fact that Rivendell is protected by the power of one of the Three Rings (held by Elrond).

The description of the "Lords of Rivendell" was interesting, although it did fall a bit flat to me since none of the three described (four if you count Arwen) will really play any role whatsoever in the plot other than Gandalf himself. It was nice to see Gandalf contrasted to the remote and tragic Elves somewhat. While Elrond has the power to call down the waters of the ford upon the Riders, it is Gandalf who adds the flair of the beautiful horses created from the foam and the insult-to-injury-adding boulders bouncing down upon the "heads" of the wraiths as they tumble about in the waters. It seems that this kind of humor and exhibitionism stems from the power of Gandalf's Ring to instill hope in those around him, even when everything seems completely hopeless (remember that Gandalf bears one of the Three Rings as well, the "ring of fire").

It's also nice to see Bilbo again after a book of him being absent. It is interesting to remember that nearly twenty years have passed since Bilbo's going-away party by this point. Bilbo has been all the way back to the Lonely Mountain and back again. Tolkien does an excellent job of indicating just how old Bilbo is getting without actually coming out and saying it (Bilbo doesn't go to feasts anymore, preferring just to sit and think, he hasn't really accomplished much in his time at Rivendell, and he doesn't sleep much, as evidenced by the fact that after Frodo goes to bed, he chooses to walk outside and look at the stars).

I do feel compelled to respond to Jacob's comment about the moment when Bilbo is faced with the Ring again after so long -- he said that he preferred the "gotcha" moment of the film to this subtler description. I have to disagree, especially after making a careful reading of the passage in question: I think it's clear that the Ring affects Frodo's perception of Bilbo, rather than Bilbo actually transforming into a Gollum-like creature at a glimpse of his former "precious":

". . . Frodo quickly drew back the Ring. To his distress and amazement he found that he was no longer looking at Bilbo; a shadow seemed to have fallen between them, and through it he found himself eyeing a little wrinkled creature with a hungry face and bony groping hands. He felt a desire to strike him" (emphasis added).

Indeed, Bilbo looks up at Frodo immediately afterwards and recognizes what the Ring has done to his nephew: "Bilbo looked quickly at Frodo's face and passed his hand across his eyes. 'I understand now,' he said. 'Put it away! I am sorry: sorry you have come in for this burden." The Ring doesn't want Frodo to give it back to its former bearer, and Bilbo recognizes just how deeply Frodo is enthralled at this point. Very subtle, Professor Tolkien. (Perhaps too subtle… how many times have I read that passage and I'm just now noticing it?) It really does make Bilbo's grief that much more real. He's not upset about what the Ring has done to him; he's upset that his actions have forced that burden upon someone he cares about.

I'm glad to be in Book 2. Sitting where I am now, this book is the best of the entire trilogy. We'll see if it lives up to my expectations.