Second Breakfast with Cam & Maggie

Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Ten

Join Cam and Maggie for the last pages of Fellowship. Boromir takes a turn for the worst and Tolkien imbues his breakdown with echoes of Smaug, Gollum, and Sam. We analyze Frodo's "terror and grief" at Boromir's betrayal and finally decide whether or not Fellowship was a horror book. Maggie leads a discussion on Frodo's agency as a protagonist and Tolkien's confused message about free will. Cam continues the discussion into the vision sequence that positions Gandalf and Sauron as the angel and devil sitting on Frodo's shoulders. Tolkien's characterizations are strikingly different than what you'd expect from traditional religious allegory, and we explore his reversal at depth. Cam gets all excited.

In our Second Breakfast, Cam brings us some more notes from Christopher Tolkien's The History of The Lord of the Rings. Topics include: Tom Bombadil's purpose, JRRT's hectic compositional style, and the author's first sketch of the Rivendell sequence. We also look ahead to next week, when we will watch the rest of the Fellowship movie (the 4K extended cut) and consider a few quieter moments from the book that we hope to see on screen.

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Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Nine

Join Cam and Maggie for this odd duck of a chapter. Expectation hangs heavy over every page. Gollum lingers in the shadows and echoes of Gandalf are everywhere. Mysteries of time and Tom are unveiled, but only if you read between the lines. There's a terrible orc ambush, but no one dies or even uses a weapon. Tolkien is blocking predictions and unnerving the reader – and it works wonderfully. We work through all the layered echoes and misdirections. Cam catches the first few teases of Gandalf the White and Maggie points out the many shadows of Gandalf the Grey. Tolkien dabbles in numerology and hypes up the number nine, Boromir is becoming more and more like Gollum, and we have an unorthodox reading of the Pillars of the Kings that close out the chapter.

In our Second Breakfast, we reflect on our recent visit to Austin Books & Comics. We have zero experience in the world of comics, but their hospitality and variety blew us both away! It was an unexpected and overwhelming Art Moment, you'll enjoy hearing us get all excited about it. Check out / support them here: https://austinbooks.com/

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YouTube Exclusive bonus discussion about last week's chapter, with Maggie's thoughts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cRsQSQrY30

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Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Eight

Join Cam and Maggie for a bittersweet farewell to the elves. Galadriel sings at us more than once, and Boromir continues to whine the whole time. Maggie runs through the elves' gifts to the Company – Cam is less than impressed with Sam's magical box of dirt. We also compare them to the posthumous gifts Dumbledore gives to the trio in Harry Potter. Who is the worse wizard daddy? Cam reflects on the Lothlorien sequence of Fellowship and compares it to the Tom Bombadil interlude. Galadriel reminds us of Goldberry! Gimli's unexpected emotional moment leads us to a realization about the Company's grief and the purpose of their time in Lorien. Cam develops a theory about the fragility of fate in Middle-earth, which Maggie adds to as they descend into a discussion of the elves / magicians and their transcendent, powerful position in this world.

In our Second Breakfast, Cam leads us through some revelations he found in Christopher Tolkien's The History of The Lord of the Rings. Topics include: the passing of the ring from one bearer to another as "a dirty trick," Gollum's relationship and first meeting with Sauron, the terrifying possibility that a ring bearer could turn into an invisible dead wraith at any second, the rules of the One Ring as they were outlined in an early draft of Fellowship, and the relationship between the Ring and "moral will."

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Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Seven

Join Cam for a deep dive into Tolkien's most provocative, magic-heavy chapter yet. Much like Gandalf, Maggie was unavailable this week, but her excellent recap kicks things off and helps us keep track of Middle-earth and all the new elvish names and places. We're treated to some more prejudice against the dwarves, another unsettling reference to Aragorn's death, and a brand-new mentor who might just take Gandalf's place! Cam explores Galadriel's many revelations, and their profound impact on the philosophy and theology of Middle-earth. Tolkien appears to take a strong stance on free will here. He suggests that magic can be manipulated but also that it is fundamentally unpredictable. There's a lot to dig into, and Cam still manages to reference multiple HBO dramas while discussing the chapter's presentations of grief. There's also an aside about Dante, The Divine Comedy, and Gandalf as the Pilgrim – and a moment of insight into the Ring that might just explain how Sauron ended up becoming a Bad Guy.

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Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Six

Join Cam and Maggie for a brief respite at the luxurious Elvish Resort: Lothlórien! This "downtime" chapter is the most effective yet. It's full of callbacks, meditations, reflections (both literal and figurative), and - blindfolds?? Cam questions Aragorn's leadership skills, and suggests an interesting allegiance pattern for Gollum. Maggie asks if Lórien helps heal some of the divisive wounds between the races of Middle-earth, and posits an interesting theory about mindfulness. The chapter is at once a reflection on Gandalf's contributions to the Company, and an exercise in moving forward and carrying on.

In our Second Breakfast, we throw it back for a brief discussion of the art we've been enjoying lately! Cam takes us through the emotional turmoil of Hulu's Normal People, along with the thrilling Gillian Flynn ghost story, The Grownup. Maggie compares the slow burn and reflective nature of Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones with this latest chapter in Fellowship. We also discuss Peter Jackson's interest in Sebold's story for his film adaptation as it relates to his attraction to The Lord of the Rings.

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Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Five

Join Cam and Maggie in saying goodbye to Gandalf the Grey. The Balrog has arrived, and with it, Tolkien has delivered his best chapter yet. Fellowship is a horror book again, and Cam is seeing ghosts everywhere. Ballin's last words and echoes of The Hobbit radiate through these pages. Maggie worries about Frodo's prospects as the hero of Middle-earth, and wonders how effective Gandalf's death would be if you hadn't read The Hobbit. The wizard's death brings us to a crossroads in our longstanding "Who's the Narrator?" discussion, but with a touch of theology we think we can keep the conversation going. Cam and Maggie reflect on the fellowship's grief and its wonderful representation of trauma bonding and masculinity. Cam gets to talk about Macbeth.

In our Second Breakfast, Maggie lightens things up a little with a Middle-earth Valentine's Day Match Game Spectacular. Does any character in any fictional universe deserve Aragorn? Probably not, but we try them all anyway. Maggie finds a disturbing match for Gimli.

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Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Four

Join Cam and Maggie in celebration of this exciting, well-rounded hype machine chapter. Tolkien comes back with a bang, rattling off two fascinating drawings, a marathon dwarf song, lots of genuine character development, and even a few flashes of horror! Maggie basks in the presence of "the Gandalf she has always wanted" and Cam mourns poor Bill. We break down a bunch of funky echoes of The Hobbit together and try to figure out if Gollum is stalking our new friends. Cam tries to identify the quintessential image of Tolkien action, and wonders if Middle-earth less mystical here than it was during Bilbo's journey. There are also lots of Freud jokes.

In our Second Breakfast, Cam leads a discussion on the consumption of art. Obviously, a movie theater is the best way to watch a movie, but what about tv shows? Are some shows made to be binged vs. watched weekly? And what about books? Maggie reads a few pages at a time, like some heathen, but most of her other opinions are pretty reasonable. RIP Game of Thrones / House of Cards.

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Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Three

Join Cam and Maggie for a special late-night episode. The whole Fellowship is together now, and we finally get to know some of our new friends! Legolas seems cool, Aragorn remains the Alpha, and Maggie hates Boromir for some reason. We dive into the first fully-fledged adventure of the book, breaking down the sudden evolution of Tolkien's nature writing and Elrond's total uselessness as a mentor. Maggie leads a discussion about the birds and their strange, uncertain role in Middle-earth. Are they Gandalf's spies, BFFs to Radagast, independent creatures, or servants of the Enemy? Cam has a dumb theory about pee. Actually, we both talk about pee for a while. It's been a long day.

In our Second Breakfast, Cam waxes poetic about Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl. He shotgunned the book this past week and we watched the movie when he finished. The urgent, bombshell pacing of that story provides a sharp contrast for Tolkien's storytelling, and Flynn's role as the writer of the original book and the screenplay for the film provokes an interesting conversation about adaptation.

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Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter Two

Join Maggie and Cam as they dive headfirst into Tolkien's longest chapter ever! We meet some new core characters, hear a LOT of information and backstory – and are heartily disappointed that this chapter's thrilling action is all secondhand. Cam expresses his frustration at the repeated lack of communication between Middle-earth's factions, and Maggie doesn't understand how such a good story can be packaged in such a dull way. We continue to question who is really In Charge of the happenings in Middle-earth, and are surprised that the excessive exposition in this chapter still doesn't give us specifics about who the Dark Lord really is. The worst offense of them all, however, is the number of times Gollum is BTK'd. At one point, Cam refers to him as the "hot potato of advanced interrogation".

During our Second Breakfast, Cam contextualizes our continuing discussion of the One Ring with some notes from Christopher Tolkien's The Return of the Shadow. Was Frodo always going to be an orphan? What powers did Professor Tolkien give to the Ring in his early drafts? Which sections of The Lord of the Rings gave him the most trouble? At the end, we remain hopeful that this turning point in our story is a sign of more exciting chapters to come.

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Discussion of Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter One

Join Cam and Maggie as they return to the books – and are surprised by some old friends! Gandalf and Bilbo are both back from the dead, even though Cam thinks one of them might be a ghost. Old School Tolkien returns here – Gandalf feels like narrator, we're reminded that Bombur is fat, and Frodo is exceedingly polite. We express our growing disappointment with the wizard and his lack of answers (despite apparently having global omniscience). For the first time in any Middle-earth book, the phrase "Lord of the Ring" is used in this chapter. Cam and Maggie have very different understandings of the phrase, and the true identity of the titular "Lord". We also consider the colorless, peaceful characterization of Rivendell – and what theological implications that might have for Middle-earth's occupants and afterlife.

In our Second Breakfast, we discuss two very different perspectives in this chapter about heritage and the power of bloodlines. Are all members of certain families fated for greatness, or are great families doomed to produce diminishing returns? Frodo is presented with both views at Rivendell, and we wonder which he finds more sympathetic. This leads to a discussion about Frodo's identity as a descendent of Bilbo, and we question his desire for adventure.

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