The Lord of the Rings Reading Vlog - Book 1 of The Fellowship of the Ring

[@theresmuhlebach6624]

Great video! I‘m looking forward to the next vlogs and the discussions.

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Theres. 🙂

[@greyfjr]

Very enjoyable and insightful blog. Astute observation: Frodo and Sam aren't friends, but master and servant. The Hobbit was even better for me on reread and the songs were shockingly my favorite part. Maybe Bombadil will work better on a second journey if I drop my smirk, though I doubt it. Thanks and cheers.

[@MattonBooks]

Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

[@108rico]

Hey Matt, thanks for the shout out and really glad the hoodie still exists. I re-read LOTR recently so really happy to tune into the vlog, I'm enjoying it a lot. I went on to re-read the Silmarillion again and now reading The Children of Hurin - its Tolkein's greek tragedy.

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah, this re-read has already inspired me to get the rest of the Legendarium onto my shelves, bit by bit. Already grabbed “Tales from the Perilous Realm” (not really Middle Earth exactly) and found “The Fall of Númenor” on sale last week. I’ve also definitely got a Silmarillion read in my not too distant future too.

[@francoisbouchart4050]

I really enjoyed Tom B as a kid; he added whimsy to the tale. I still enjoy him as an adult; he might be be a social commentary on the powerful who are too self absorbed to get involved in world events and the struggles against tyranny and injustice. BTW, I am really enjoying the vlog format. Cheers.

[@MattonBooks]

See Francois, that analysis strikes me as our default modern cynicism I was talking about, that I *strongly* doubt Tolkien himself thought. Considering he wrote a long poem about Tom, well before he published LotR, I tend to think he created him simply as a spirit of nature, with no hidden meanings. 🙂 What you see is what you get with Tom. He’s just Tom. 😜 But that does give me an interesting perspective for my “I ♥️ Tom” video. Thanks! 😉

[@francoisbouchart4050]

@@MattonBooks I look forward to it.

[@TuftyMcTavish]

🗣️ “Read it out loud!” 😳 That’s going to be a hard habit to break 🤔 LOL at the Beanie *cough* 😃

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah, it really does make a difference speaking and *hearing* poetry, and not just reading it. Highly recommended.

[@heidi6281]

When I first listened to Fellowship on audio with Rob Inglis, the prologue concerning hobbits is at the end of Return of the King with the Appendices.

[@MattonBooks]

😆Hah! Maybe where it should be in print too.

[@urbanexcursion]

I think I might read along with this channel. It’s been 20 years since I’ve read the books and I’ve been itching to go back to MiddleEarth.

[@MattonBooks]

Welcome! 🙂 It had been at least 10 years for me, and I had exactly the same itch.

[@thefantasythinker]

This was really great. I'm looking forward to more and to the live chat! Who says we old guys can't play? Ha,

[@MattonBooks]

Other than it being pretty time-consuming to shoot & edit, I’ve really enjoyed the format. 🙂 Looking forward to playing some more!

[@Soul-08]

Woohoo!!!! Was waiting for this one :D

[@MattonBooks]

Glad you enjoyed it Soul. 🙂 Had a lot of fun doing it.

[@Dermy107]

Matt I love the idea of using this video as a sort of asynchronous readalong! I’ll definitely be watching now, but may have to rewatch this whole video series when I reread LOTR (hopefully) next year!

[@MattonBooks]

I hope the videos can be a fun companion for anyone re/reading LotR, any time. I'm also already imagining coming back and watching these myself for my next re-read. 🙂

[@heidi6281]

Can you also discuss the Riddle of Strider with Professors Fireballs & Fantasy : 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…

[@MattonBooks]

Yup, it’s a pretty classic piece of Tolkien poetry, I’m sure we’ll touch on it. 😉

[@108rico]

Aaaand regarding the landscape descriptions, last time I read LOTR I looked up all the trees and plants he mentions throughout the book as I went along because I didn't know many of them or only had vague ideas what they looked like

[@MattonBooks]

Yeah, you can definitely tell the professor liked a good walk in the countryside. 😅

[@safinan8008]

Happy reading to you!! 🎉

[@MattonBooks]

You too Safina! 🙂

[@Olphas]

I enjoyed the format. I will re-read next year but at least I already bought a new edition to replace my old worn out paperback. Regarding the song, it was a nostalgic surprise to have Philip Chase include songs in the Edan trilogy. I wasn't even aware that I was kind of missing those, mainly from reading Hobbit and Lord of the Rings so much as a kid/teen/young adult.

[@MattonBooks]

Yes! 😀 Philip totally gave away his Token fanboydom there. 😜

[@heidi6281]

Olphas you must listen to the audiobook of The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buelhman. The songs were my favorite parts especially the song about the cat!!

[@heidi6281]

Matt you will find out in Return of the King why the land of the Shire is so ideal, if you have not remembered already.😀. Mark that point in your vlog for book 6.

[@heidi6281]

Also I hope in your discussion can you bring up the fact that Tom keeps a necklace for Goldberry from the Barrows from a queen he admired? What is that story? Never answered? I loved Tom, please do a character vlog on him!!

[@MattonBooks]

As far as I know, that one’s a mystery, like so many things about Me. Bombadil. 🙂

[@sw3dge]

This was fun! I'm contemplating a reread with the Silmarillion, audio books/illustrated editions

[@MattonBooks]

I am too Trevor. I tried it when I was a teen and didn’t make it through - boooooring! - but I think I’d have a totally different perspective now. Who knows? Might vlog it too! 😜

[@ExLibrisbyMikeBooklover]

Have a great time reading LotR! I will try to attend the chat! You are so good at narrating!

[@MattonBooks]

Thanks Mike! 🥰

[@teaandreads]

Matt, if you could be any character in middle earth, which one would you pick?

[@MattonBooks]

Hmm, that’s a hard question - so many interesting folks to choose from. The Shire idyll is tempting, but I think I’d get bored. I’d more likely enjoy a role with more adventure: one of the rangers (though not Aragorn - I don’t have much desire to be king), or Gandalf, or one of the elves of Rivendell, though they are are all rather melancholy…

[@teaandreads]

I want to be the elf but a more empathetic elf. 😅 good choice, by the way!

[@eros_sore]

I love singing folkloristic songs with my friends while hiking up the mountains! So I can definitely relate to hobbits

[@MattonBooks]

You MUST be German. 😆

[@eros_sore]

@@MattonBooks nope, we just love doing that kind of stuff in northern Italy too 😁