Like many who smoke pipes in the modern world, I was drawn to them by the works of Tolkien. Neither of my parents were smokers of any sort, and while my stepfather smoked cigarettes during the first year or two that I knew him, he quit and has remained tobacco free ever since, almost thirty... Continue Reading →
Bilbo’s decision to hand over the Arkenstone to Bard and Thranduil in chapter 16 of The Hobbit is momentous, and it is a very wise and courageous act. It reveals a hobbit who has come to think beyond himself, to risk his own safety to help save the lives of his friends. "The Arkenstone" by... Continue Reading →
When Bilbo first finds the Ring, he keeps it a secret from his friends. Gandalf's perceptive eye notes that Bilbo is hiding something, but the dwarves are as oblivious as ever. Bilbo withholds this detail from his recap of his encounter with Gollum, chuckling as he gives a somewhat believable lie—to a noisy folk like... Continue Reading →
Something Tookish 