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The Return of the King: Many Partings
Saruman is Overtaken by Ted Nasmith Arwen clearly perceives the internal wounds that Frodo bears from his bitter battle against Sauron. The damage she sees in the hobbit’s soul is perhaps similar to...
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The Return of the King: Homeward Bound
From the LOTR Framecap Library Frodo hinted as far back as seeing Arwen arrive for her wedding that not all was well with him. That he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder is made clear, among...
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The Return of the King: The Scouring of the Shire
From the LOTR Framecap Library The rebellion that repels the ruffians from the Shire is a physical one, but it begins as a spiritual one. The invaders had mistreated and jailed any hobbits who had...
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The Return of the King: The Grey Havens
Departure at the Grey Havens by Ted Nasmith Though Sam “longs to stay with Frodo forever” (Bradley, “Men,” Tolkien and the Critics, 124), he also wants to be with Rosie. Frodo grants both wishes after...
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The History of The Lord of the Rings: A Long Expected Party
From The Lord of the Rings Framecap Library Welcome to my exploration of The History of The Lord of the Rings! As Christopher Tolkien does in these four volumes, these posts will compare and contrast...
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The History of The Lord of the Rings: From Hobbiton to the Woody End
Green Hill Country by Ted Nasmith I really like Bingo. To me, he is his own, separate person from Frodo, not just someone who morphed into him. There continues to be great differences – in fact, some...
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The History of The Lord of the Rings: Of Gollum and the Ring
Gollum by Jef Murray I love Christopher’s note that “by this stage my father knew a good deal more about the Riders and the Ring than Bingo did, or than he permitted Gildor to tell” (Return of the...
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The History of The Lord of the Rings: From Maggot’s Farm to Buckland
Farmer Maggot A cute part in this draft is that Bingo is invisible when he visits the Maggot homestead. He gives the farmer quite a start when a “mug left the table, rose, tilted in the air, and then...
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The History of The Lord of the Rings: The Old Forest and the Withywindle
The Willow-man is Tamed by Ted Nasmith The Old Forest is from the beginning the unsettling and disturbing place it remains in Fellowship. But there are still a few differences. Old Man Willows swallows...
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The History of The Lord of the Rings: Tom Bombadil
The House of Tom Bombadil by Joe Gilronan Much remains the same from the conception of this chapter to the final version, but Tolkien is still feeling his way through, as he does throughout these first...
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The History of The Lord of the Rings: The Barrow-wight
The Black Rider by Jef Murray This chapter starts with a brief outline of how Tolkien thought the story would proceed from Tom Bombadil rescuing the hobbits from the wights – which in this version,...
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The History of the Lord of the Rings: Arrival at Bree
At the Sign of The Prancing Pony by Ted Nasmith Two big changes about The Prancing Pony and its innkeeper was the inn was at first a hobbit-hole with the customary round door, and Mr. Butterbur was a...
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The History of the Lord of the Rings: Trotter and the Journey to Weathertop
Hobbits Farewell The Prancing Pony by Joe Gilronan A great difference in this original draft is that Gandalf was at The Prancing Pony a few days before Bingo and his friends arrive. While hidden behind...
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The History of The Lord of the Rings: Attack on Weathertop
Weathertop by Joe Gilronan Trotter and the other hobbits find that Gandalf had left them some firewood and a box of cram-cakes and tobacco. As Aragorn will later, Trotter gives the tale of Beren and...
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The History of The Lord of the Rings: From Weathertop to the Ford
Riders at the Ford by Ted Nasmith Athelas is not noted as coming from Men but only Elves and some travelers in the woods know of it. There is no mention in this earliest draft of the point of the Black...
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The History of The Lord of the Rings: At Rivendell
Rivendell A Hobbit’s Tale.The Red Book by Joe Gilronan After Bingo wakes and sees Gandalf at his bedside, the wizard says the hobbit would have become a wraith “before long – certainly if you had put...
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The History of The Lord of the Rings: Queries and Alterations
The Professor This chapter ends the first phase of the evolution of what becomes The Fellowship of the Ring. It details the struggles Tolkien had to work through in order to bring out the true tale. In...
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The History of The Lord of the Rings: Return to Hobbiton
Hobbiton Disturber of the Peace by Joe Gilronan This chapter starts the second phase of the drafts that becomes The Fellowship of the Ring. To the irritation of other hobbits, Gandalf’s presence in...
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The History of The Lord of the Rings: Ancient History
Bag End by Jef Murray Bingo is much like Frodo to come after Bilbo leaves so abruptly at the birthday party. Bingo still holds parties for Bilbo each year and hangs out with some hobbits to ‘encourage’...
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