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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