Favorite scenes...from the book!

J.R.R. Tolkien Forum

for all of you who have read the books, what is your favorite part of scene, and why. for those of you who haven't read the books, well then get to reading them...
heres one of mine.

"Then Frodo's heart flamed within him, and without thinking what he did, whether it was folly or despair or courage, he took the Phail in his left hand, and with his right hand drew his sword. Sting flashed out, and the sharp elven blade sparkled in the silver light, but at its edges a blue fire flicked. Then holding the star aloft and the bright sword advanced, Frodo, hobbit of the Shire, walked steadily down to meet the eyes. (shelob)"
every time i read this its' like "go frodo go!"
now what are some of yours?

What a great thread!

I'd have to say Bree. Tolkien spent A LOT more time on this part than Jackson did. I liked the story behind Bill.

ah yes...good old Bill....

THE WINDOW ON THE WEST

Faramir has just found out that Frodo has the one ring

"'Alas for Boromir! It was too sore a trial!' he said. 'How you have increased my sorrow, you tow strange wanderers from a far country, bearing the peril of Men! But you are less judges of Men than I of Halflings. We are truth-speakers,, we men of Gondor. We boast seldom, and then perform, or die in the attempt. NOt if I found it on the highway would I take it I said. Even if I were such a man as to desire this thing, and eventhough I knew not clearly what this thing was when I spoke, still I should take those words as a vow, and be held by them.

But I am not such a man. Or I am wise enough to know that there are some perils from which a man must flee. Sit at peace! And be comforted, Samwise. If you seem to have stumbled, think that it was fated to be so. Your heart is shrewd as well as faithful, and saw clearer than your eyes. For strange though it may seem, it was safe to declare this to me. It may even help the master that you love. It shall turn to his good, if it is in my power. SO be comforted. But do not even name this thing again aloud. Once is enough."

Another fav is at the Council of Elrond when Bilbo stands up to defend Strider/Aragorn

All that is gold does not glitter
Not all those who wander are lost
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken:
The crownless again shall be king.

"Not very good perhaps, but to the point-if you need more beyond the word of Elrond. If that was worth a journey of a hundred and ten days to hear, you had best listen to it." He sat down with a snort.

ah good old bilbo...he's such a wonderful character...as are all hobbits.

I like that in his old age he got angry at things. A bit cheeky but never mean.

I think this is the saddest scene in the whole book
Frodo and Sam are sleeping...
"Gollum looked at them. A strange expression passed over his lean hungry face. The gleam faded from his eyes, and they went dim and grey, old and tired. A spasm of pain seemed to twist him, and he turned away, peering back up towards the pass, shaking his head, as if engaged in some interior debate. Then he came back, and slowly putting out a trembling hand, very cautiously he touched Frodo's knee-but almost that touch was a caress. For a fleeting moment could one of the sleepers have seen him, they would have thought that they beheld and old weary hobbit, shrunken by the years that had carried him far beyond his time, beyond friends and kin, and the fields and streams of youth, an old starved pitiable thing.
But at that touch Frodo stirred and cried out softly in his sleep, and immediately Sam was wide awake. The first thing he saw was Gollum 'pawing at master,' as he thought.
"Hey you!" he said roughly. "What are you up to?"
"Nothing, nothing," said Gollum softly. "Nice master!"
"I daresay," said Sam. "but where have you been to--sneaking off and sneaking back, you old villain?"
Gollum withdrew himself, and a green glint flickered under his heavy lids. Almost spider-like he looked now, crouching back on his bent limbs, with his potruding eyes. The fleeting moment had passed, beyond recall."
I truly believe that that was when Smeagol died...after that, it was all the Rings influence.
sorry for the length....

Nathan, don't ever appologize for the wonderful things you bring to the forum.

I believe you are right about Smeagol disappearing at that point. Sam could not see the change, but Gollum served a greater purpose. Ah, Tolkien was so brilliant with plot, but I love his descriptions. He would write characters that were very multi-dimensional.

Heh...Gollum gives new definition to the phrase "double minded"

Why yes he does.

This is a scene from the Black Gate. Frodo's minthril coat and other items are shown to Gandalf and and Company by the Mouth of Sauron.

"These we will take! said Gandalf suddenly. He cast aside his cloak and a white light shone forth like a sword in that black place. Before his upraised hand the foul Messenger recoiled, and Gandalf coming seized and took from him the tokens: coat, cloak, and sword. 'These we will take in memory of our friend,' he cried. 'But as for your terms, we reject them utterly. Get you gone, for your embassy is over and death is near to you. We did not come here to wast words in treating with Sauron faithless and accursed; still less with one of his slaves. Begone!"

Then the messenger of Mordor laughed no more. His face was twisted with amazement and anger to the likeness of some wild beast that , as it crouches on its prey, is smitten on the muzzle with a stinging rod. Rage filled him and his mouth slavered, and shapeless sounds of fury came strangling from his throat. But he looked at the fell faces of the Captains and their deadly eyes, and fear overcame his wrath. He gave a great cry, and turned, leaped upon his steed, and with his company galloped madly back to Cirith Gorgor..........."

Sorry about the length. I love the imagery that Tolkien creates here. I also love how strong and powerful Gandalf is.

whoa..too cool...i was just looking at that part to see if aragorn makes any speech to his men...he doesn't sadly...

The Charge of the Rohirrim
"But at that moment there was a flash, as if lightning had sprang from the earth beneath the City. For a searing second it stood dazzling far off in black and white, it topmost tower like a glittering needle; and then as the darkness closed again there came rolling over the fields a great boom.
At that sound the bent shape of the king sprang suddenly erect. Tall and proud he seemed again; and rising in his stirrups he cried in a loud voice, more clear than any there had ever heard a mortal man achieve before:
Arise, arise, Riders of Theoden!
Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter!
spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered,
a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!
Ride now, Ride now! Ride to Gondor!
With that he seized a great horn from Guthlaf his banner-bearer, and he blew such a blast upon it that it burst asunder. And straighway all the horns in the host were lifted up in music, and the blowing of the horns of Rohan in that hour was like a storm upon the plain and a thunder in the mountains.
Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!"

Great one Shadow. When I originally read it, my heart cheered. A masterful scene. Theoden was a glorious King!

i felt the exact same way when its on screen too. i wanted to jump up and cheer..but that would have been impolite. so i restrained myself.

My favorite parts are those, when Frodo is totally tired and Sam wants to helps him:

There's that dialog within Sam...that`s so lovely, he says:" I'll get there if I leave everything but my bones behind! And I'll carry Mr Frodo up myself if it breaks my back and heart!"

And he does. I was so happy, it was in the movie:
"Now for it, now for the last gasp! " saif Sam as he struggled to his feet. He bent over Frodo, rousing him gently. Frodo groaned, but with a great effort of will he staggered up, and then he fell upon his knees aigain. He raised his eyes with difficulty to the dark slopes of Mount Doom and then pitifully he began to crawl forward on his hands. Sam looked at him and wept in his heart, but no tears came to his dry and stinging eyes "I said I'd carry him, if it broke my back" he muttered "and I will!!"
"Come, Mr Frodo!" he cried. "I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you! And it as well. So up you get! Come on, Mr Frodo dear! Sam will give you a ride. Just tell him where to go and he'll go!!"

Oh, and sometime before that, it says: His will was set and only death would break it!

Sorry for the length...but I love these scenes

one of my fave bits is where Pippin has just sung his bath song (which i cant be bothered to type out the whole thing!)

O! Water is fair that leaps on high
in a fountain white beneath the sky;
but never did fountain sound so sweet
as splashing Hot Water with my feet!

There was a terrific splash and a shout of Whoa! from Frodo. It appeared that alot of Pippin's bath had imitated a fountain and leaped on high.
Merry went to the door. 'What about supper and beer in the throat?' he called. Frodo came out drying his hair.
'Theres so much water in the air that i'm coming out here to finish,' he said
'Lawks!' said Merry, lloking in. The stne floor was swimming. 'You ought to mop all that up before you get anything to eat, Peregrin,' he said. 'Hurry up, or we shan't wait for you.'

i love that bit!

Samwise, those were beautiful scenes. Sam had such a true heart.

Peregrin, those were very fun scenes in the books. They showed the true characters of the Hobbits. I really liked the ones where they fought over the mushrooms.

hehe...
'I suppose you three wont want mushrooms again?' asked Fredegar without much hope.
'Yes we shall!' cried Pippin.
'They're mine!' said Frodo. 'Given to ME bye Mrs Maggot, a queen among farmers' wives. Take your greedy hands away and I'll serve them.'

i like that bit!

Okay this is long but bear with me...this is an exmple of just how great Tolkien was a writing and getting you to feel as if you were there

The sky now was quickly clearing and the sinking moon was shining brightly. But the light brought little hope to the Riders of the Mark. The enemy before them seemed to have grown rahter than diminished, and still more were pressing up from the valley through the breach. The sortie upon the Rock gained only a brief respite. The assault on the gates was redoubled. Against the Deeping Wall the hosts of Isengard roared like the sea. Orcs abd hillmen swarmed about its feet from end to end. Ropes with grappling hooks were hurled over the parapet faster than men could cut them or fling them back. Hundreds of long ladders were lifted up. Many were cast down in ruin, but many more replaced them, and Orcs sprang up them like apes in the dark forests of the South. Before the wall's foot the dead and broken were piled like a shingle in a sotrm; ever higher rose the hideous mound, and still the enemy came on...........

Wowwwwwwwww can you guys imagine facing all that??!!

i would be like.....bugger this... run!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the scary part is that that army is small, when compared to the hoarde faced at minas tirith or at the Black Gate

Yeah Shadow compared to the next two battles this army was very small........... off topic anyone played the ROTK for PS2? One of the last missions is the battle at the Black Gate.............. hard, hard, HARD!!!!

I wasn't trying to start another discussion Fuscia........... I just posted that to go along with what Shadow said about the Black gate!!! Soweeeeeeeee

The end of the Siege of Gondor

"Grond cralled on. The drums rolled wildly. Over the hills of the slain a hideous shape appeared: a horseman, tall, hooded, cloaked in black. Slowly, trampling the fallen, he rode forth, heeding no longer any dart. He halted and held up a long pale sword. And as he did so a great fear fell on all, defender and foe alike; and the hands of men dropped to their sides, and no bow sang. For a moment all was still.
The drums rolled and rattled. With a vast rush Grond was hurled forward by huge hands. It reached the Gate. It swung. A deep boom rumbled through the City like thunder running in the clouds. But the doors of iron and posts of steel withstood the stroke.
Then the Black Captain rose in his stirrups and cried aloud in dreadful vioce, speaking in some forgotten tongue word of power and terror to rend both heart and stone.
Thrice he cried. Thrice the great ram boomed. And suddenly upon the last stroke the Gate of Gondor broke. As if stricken by some blasting spell it burst assunder: there was a flash of searing lightning, and the doors tumbled in riven fragments to the ground.
In rode the Lord of the Nazgul....."
after the lines of my sig.
"and all fled before his face. All save one. There waiting, silent and still in the space befor the Gate, sat Gandalf upon Shadowfax: Shadowfax who alone among the free horses of the earth endured the terror, unmoving, steadfast as a graven image in Rath Dinen.
'You cannot enter here,' said Gandalf, and the huge shadow halted. 'Go back to the abyss prepared for you! Go back! Fall into the nothingness that awaits you and your Master. Go!'
The Black Rider flung back his hood, and behold! he had a kingly crown; and yet upon no head visible was it set. The red fires shone between it and the mantled shoulders vast and dark. From a mouth unseen there came a deadly laughter.
'Old fool!' he said. 'Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!' And with that he lifted high his sword and flames ran down the blade." after that Rohan comes in....
sorry for the crazy length...

That bit is really good, it really makes you think of how powerful these two guys are...and go Shadowfax!

The Battle on The Bridge of Khazad-Dum

"The Balrog reached the bridge. Gandalf stood in the middle of the span, leaning on the staff in his left hand, but in his other hand Glamdring gleamed, cold and white. His enemy halted again, facing him, and the shadow about it reached out like two vast wings. It raised the whip, and the thongs whined and cracked. Fire came from its nostrils. But Gandalf stood firm. 'You cannot pass,' he said. The orcs stood still, and a dead silence fell. 'I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avial you, flame of Udun. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass.'
The Balrog made no answer. The fire in it seemed to die, but the darkness grew. It stepped forward slowly on to the bridge, and suddenly drew itself up to a great height, and its wings were spread from wall to wall; but still Gandalf could be seen, glimmering in the gloom; he seemed small, and altogether alone: grey and bent, like a wizened tree before the onset of a storm.
From out of the shadow a red sword leaped flaming.
Glamdring glittered white in answer.
There was a ringing clash and a stab of white fire. The Balrog fell back and its sword flew up in molten fragments. The wizard swayed upon the bridge, stepped back a pace, and then again stood still.
'You cannot pass!' he said.
With a bound the Balrog leapt full upon the bridge. Its whip whirled and hissed.
'He cannot stand alone!' cried Aragorn suddenly and ran back along the bridge. 'Elendil!' he shouted. 'I am with you, Gandalf!'
'Gondor!' cried Boromir and leaped after him.
At that moment Gandalf lifted his staff, and crying aloud he smote the bridge before him. The staff broke asunder and fell from his hand. A blinding sheet of white flame sprang up. The bridge cracked. Right at the Balrog's feet it broke, and the stone upon which it stood crashed into the gulf, while the rest remained, poised, quivering like a tongue of rock thrust out into emptiness.
With a terrible cry the Balrog fell forward, and its shadow plunged down and vanished. But even as it fell it swung its whip, and the thongs lashed and curled about the wizard's knees, dragging him to the brink. He staggered and fell, grasped vainly at the stone, and slid into the abyss. 'Fly, you fools!' he cried, and was gone."
I remember reading this and immediately cheating to see if he stayed dead

I did not cheat. I just sat there in disbelief. I then read on hoping Gandalf would reappear soon. Gandalf made the books for me.

for me it was frodo...i sat there stunned when sam thought he was dead...but i kept reading anyway...and got really mad when they left you hanging with sam out cold and frodo captured...but it all turned out rather nicely wouldn't you say?

Before I saw the movies, I liked the Helm's Deep chapter. It was one of my favorites. Then I saw the movie. This is one of the few scenes in which I have to say the movie is better than the book.

yeah same here heather
Saruman gets whats coming to him:

"'Good day!'he turned and left the balcony.
'Come back, Saruman!' said Gandalf in a commanding voice. To the amazement of the others, Saruman turned again, and as if dragged against his will, he came slowly back to the iron rail, leaning on it, breathing hard. His face was lined and shrunken. His hand clutched his heavy black staff like a claw.
'I did not give you leave to go,' said Gandalf sternly. 'I have not finished. You have become a fool, Saruman, yet pitiable. You might still have turned away from folly and evil, and been of service. But you choose to stay and gnaw the ends of your old plots. Stay then! But I warn you, you will not easily come out agian. Not unless the dark hands of the East stretch out to take you. Saruman!' he cried, and his voice grew in power and authority. 'Behold, I am not Gandalf the Grey, whom you betrayed. I am Gandalf the White, who has returned from death. You have no colour now, and I cast you from the order and from the Council.'
He raised his hand, and spoke slowly in a clear cold voice. 'Saruman, your staff is broken.' There was a crack, and the staff split assunder in Saruman's hand, and the head of it fell down at Gandalf's feet. 'Go!' said Gandalf. With a cry Saruman fell back and crawled away."

later, after he is evicted by Frodo & co. from Bag-end:
"Saruman rose to his feet, and stared at Frodo. there was a strange look in his eyes of mingled wonder and respect and hatred. 'You have grown, Halfling,' he said. 'Yes, you have grown very much. You are wise, and cruel. You have robbed my revenge of its sweetness, and now I must go in hence in bitterness, in debt to your mercy. I hate it and you! Well, I go and I will trouble you no more. But do not expect me to wish you health and long life. You will have neither. But that is not my doing. I merely fortell.'
as Saruman leaves:
"But at that something snapped: suddenly Wormtongue rose up, drawing a hidden knife, and then with a snarl like a dog he sprang on Saruman's back, jerked his head back, cut his throat, and with a yell ran off down the lane. Befor Frodo could recover or speak a word, three hobbit-bows twanged and Wormtongue fell dead.
To the dismay of those that stood by, about the body of Saruman a grey mist gathered, and rising slowly to a great height like smoke from a fire, as a pale shrouded figure it loomed over the Hill. for a moment it wavered, looking to the West; but a out of the West came a cold wind, and it bent away, and with a sigh dissolved into nothing."

Great!!! I'm kind of relieved it wasn't in the movie though. Do you really think that the movie would have done that scene justice? Time would have been an issue and it would have been rushed. Not to mention a little anticlimatic.

It was great inthe book though

yeah, there really was no way they could have put it in the movie...i mean the only reason they had the army of the Dead come to Minas Tirith was so they could speed up the end of that battle, because it the battle should have lasted a long time. time was definitely an issue.

Very true Shadow, but then, they did leave the Dunadan completely cut of it. Someone had to help Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas fight.

Sauron's Defeat

"But the Nazgul turned and fled, and vanished into Mordor's shadows, hearing a sudden terrible call out of the Dark Tower; and even at that moment the hosts of Mordor trembled, doubt clutched their hearts, their laugther failed, their hands shook and their limbs were loosed. The Power that drove them on and filled them with hate and fury was wavering, its will was removed from them; and now looking in the eyes of their enemies they saw a deadly light and were afraid.
Then all the Captains of the West cried aloud, for their hearts were filled with a new hope in the midst of darkness. Out of the beleaguered hills knights of Gondor, Riders of Rohan, Dunedain of the North, close-serried companies, drove against their wavering foes, piercing the press with but Gandalf lifted up his arms, and called once more in a clear voice: 'Stand, Men of the West! Stand and wait! This is the hour of doom.' "

from another part of the book: "Towers fell and mountains slid; walls crumbled and melted, crashing down; vast spires of smoke and spouting steam went billowing up, up, until they toppled like an overwhelming wave, and its wild crest curled and came foaming down upon the land. and then at last over the miles between there came a rumble, rising to a deafening crash and roar; the earth shook, the plain heaved and cracked, and Orondruin reeled. Fire belched from its riven summit. The skies burst into thunder seared with lightning. Down like lashing whips fell a torrent of black rain. And into the heart of the storm, with a cry that pierced all other sounds, tearing the clouds assunder, the Nazgul came, shooting like flaming bolts, as caught in the fiery ruin of hill and sky they crackled, withered, and went out."

back to the original part: "And even as he spoke the earth rocked beneath their feet. Then rising swiftly up, far above the Towers of the Black Gate, high above the mountains, a vast soaring darkness sprang into the sky, flickering with fire. The earth groaned and quaked. The Towers of the Teeth swayed, tottered, and fell; the mighty rampart crumbled; the Black Gate was hurled in ruin, and from far away, now dim, now growing, now mounting to the clouds, there came a drumming rumble, a roar, a long echoing roll of ruinous noise.
'The realm of Sauron is ended!' said Gandalf. 'The Ring-bearer had fulfilled his Quest.' And as the Captains gazed south to the Land of Mordor, it seemed to them that, black against the pall of cloud, there rose a huge shape of shadow, impenatrable, lightning-crowned, filling all the sky. Enormous it reared above the world, and stretched out towards them a vast threatening hand, terrible, but impotent: for even as it leaned over them, a great wind took it, and it was all blown away, and passed; and then a hush fell."

later after Frodo and Sam have awoken " 'A great Shadow has departed,' said Gandalf, and then he laughed, and the sound was like music, or like water in a parched land; and as he listened the thought came to Sam that he had not heard laughter, the pure sound of merriment, for days upon days without count. It fell upon his ears like the echo of all the joys he had ever known. But he himself burst into tears. Then, as a sweet rain will pass down a wid of spring and the sun will shine out the clearer, his tears ceased, and his laughter welled up, and laughing he sprang from his bed."

Ah....what a fitting end...and yet it wasn't the end...

I am not going to quote the book because my memory isn't that good but I list my favorite parts.

Tom Bombadil
Balrog fight with Gandalf
Amon Hen
Helms Deep
Eadoras
Battle of Pellinor fields
Assult on Isengard
the battle at Udun before Mordor.