The Procrastinators Book Club discussion

This is the group thread for The Fellowship of the Ring!

This thread is open for discussion beginning June 1st! Please keep in mind that spoilers are allowed (mark as a spoiler) in this thread but only up to the group's current reading place. Do not spoil the book if you've read further than the group. Any extra days can be used to catch up if needed!

The Group Read Discussion schedule is as follows:

Week of 6/1
June 1: prologue + Book One: Chapters 1-2
June 2: Chapters 3-4
June 3: Chapters 5-6
June 4: Chapters 7-8
June 5: Chapters 9-10
June 6: Chapters 11-12

Week of 6/7
June 7: Book Two: Chapters 1-2
June 8: Chapters 3-4
June 9: Chapters 5-6
June 10: Chapters 7-8
June 11: Chapters 9-10

You can read the group book at any time during the month and at your own pace. This is the pace the group will be using, but if you read ahead or will be giving spoilers, please mark them (click the "some html is ok button"). If you have any question a mod will help you.

😱😱 It made it to the group reads! Whooo!

selina ☾ wrote: "😱😱 It made it to the group reads! Whooo!"

Yep! The poll was crazy close the whole time!

I'll be starting this today. Will post chapter updates. :))

I've started reading today. It's a rare thing, but I'm going to read all 3 GR books for this month.

I was so looking forward to starting this today after work and had planned to stop working at 1pm and now here I am, waiting for a 4pm work call :( At this rate, I'll be reading before bed and probably update tomorrow lol.

Elena wrote: "I've started reading today. It's a rare thing, but I'm going to read all 3 GR books for this month."

omg same! If it weren't for the fact I've already read S&D, I probably would join that too... but I think I might reread if I have time

I'm reading it too. Nice ! I'd like to read the 3 books this month.

Elena wrote: "I've started reading today. It's a rare thing, but I'm going to read all 3 GR books for this month."

Good luck!

Prologue Thoughts
I think I might be a hobbit.
The opening is rife with lore for the hobbits and a summary of the happenings in the Hobbit novel. The one part I found very unnecessary was the end, in regards to all the different editions of history that was made in regards to the events that will transpire in the rest of the books.
EDIT: Also the the law enforcement being called Shirrifs is greatly amusing. I also noticed how great timing it was to read this book in June since Bilbo returns to the Shire from his adventures in the Hobbit in June. :))

I will jump in on this tomorrow I reckon!

I pretty much decided to take it slow and go one chapter a day with this and thank goodness I did because I was exhausted from work and fell asleep during the prologue. But I woke right back up and decided to play the audiobook on scribd (which is very good, I recommend it!) and followed along on my ebook so that kept me up, thankfully.

Unfortunately, the audiobook didn't include the prologue on other editions so I had to skip that for now. I feel like a failure but fear not! I'll go back and read it later :D

I'm still a little confused about the ring and I didn't expect to see it this early but I'm glad the book jumped right into it. I was worried I'd have to go through a lot more exposition before I got into it. And also after years and years of just hearing the names Bilbo and Frodo, it's nice to finally know how the two were connected 😂

selina ☾ wrote: "I pretty much decided to take it slow and go one chapter a day with this and thank goodness I did because I was exhausted from work and fell asleep during the prologue. But I woke right back up and..."

Is this your first time reading the book? And have you not seen the films? :)

I'm about half way through. It's pretty hard to discuss the book not spoilering the other parts. Though I'll try.
(view spoiler)[
Recently I've read The Hobbit book and was fond of the first chapters. Same here.
I really love the beginning. Those parts about hobbits, their way of life, their cozy houses and simple living, it's so me right now (except the hoarding part, I'm a minimalist).
I imagine all the green fields and hills and want to travel even more! Now I want to go to New Zealand so-so-so-so much!
(hide spoiler)]

Laura ☾ wrote: "selina ☾ wrote: "I pretty much decided to take it slow and go one chapter a day with this and thank goodness I did because I was exhausted from work and fell asleep during the prologue. But I woke ..."

It is the first time I'm reading them :D I've never really watched the films either because I was not interested when I was younger and wanted to "read the books first" when I got older 😅 Finally taking the plunge now

selina ☾ wrote: "Laura ☾ wrote: "selina ☾ wrote: "I pretty much decided to take it slow and go one chapter a day with this and thank goodness I did because I was exhausted from work and fell asleep during the prolo..."

Oooh that's exciting then!

Elena wrote: "I'm about half way through. It's pretty hard to discuss the book not spoilering the other parts. Though I'll try.

Recently I've read The Hobbit book and was fond of the first chapters. Same here.
..."

I get you completely! I haven't read these in a while (since I was in High School) but I read the Hobbit before the Hobbit films came out and I miss Middle Earth and particularly the Shire!

Definitely relate to the hobbits! haha particularly second breakfast

@selina
It's amazing that not only have you not read/seen LOTR, but also aren't aware of the basic storyline. This must be so exciting for you! Ahh! I can't wait to hear your thoughts on the movies because they are incredible.

It IS exciting! I'm also glad that I don't know much about it. I know there's a ring that must go somewhere and there's a Frodo and a Bilbo and a Gandalf and Gollum and that "one does not simply walk into Mordor". And also Orlando Bloom is in there somewhere with magnificent hair 👌👌

That's about it, and I'm glad that's all I know going in lmao. The whole series could have easily been spoiled to me after all these years so I'm glad it hasn't

Chapter 1 Thoughts
This is a re-read for me since I read the series back in middle school. I don't remember the book content much at all, so I had completely forgotten that Frodo and Bilbo share the same birthday, and I think that's very cute.
Also hobbits consider 33 to be the coming-of-age birthday, and I think I may inherit this idea for when I become that age myself.

@Kairia what a great idea! Actually I'm turning 33 next year and I'm definitely going to implement this idea :D

It's been taking me 40 minutes to just read one chapter 😭
But I'm getting my minutes in for my library's Summer Reading Challenge. If the chapters were shorter, I think I could read this easier, I'm struggling but that's okay!!

I'm a little behind myself but that's okay. Maaybe I'll catch up by the time we're supposed to be done with the book but I am certainly being a turtle this time around.

Kairia wrote: "I'm a little behind myself but that's okay. Maaybe I'll catch up by the time we're supposed to be done with the book but I am certainly being a turtle this time around."

You have until the end of the month to finish reading, so take your time!

I'm taking it one chapter a day myself because I have other books to read and will probably finish this sometime towards the end of the month lol. You guys are not alone, don't feel bad :)

So I started today and got sucked in and I'm about halfway through ( i think it also goes a lot faster if you've read it before/ used to the writing) so I will just wait for you guys to catch up and discuss!

I might carry on today - I've missed Middle Earth! And Tolkien's writing is just fantastic

Chapter 2 Thoughts
It was a little unclear to me how long Gandalf was gone. I had to double check. Frodo was thirty-three when Gandalf initially left to research the Ring and when Gandalf returned, Frodo had turned fifty. Gandalf was gone seventeen years. I know Frodo mentioned him visiting occasionally but still, that's a mighty long time.
I think the book doesn't make it clear about the different characters of Sauron and Saruman. At least in this chapter. Maybe I missed something beforehand. I also didn't think it was very clear that Sauron is the great, dark power that's been growing in recent years. But again, maybe I missed something that explained it clearer.
I'm familiar with the movies because I've seen them countless times. Even so the information dumps are heavy. This entire chapter was Gandalf giving backstory to the Ring.

Kairia wrote: "
Chapter 2 Thoughts

It was a little unclear to me how long Gandalf was gone. I had to double check. Frodo was thirty-three when Gandalf initially left to research the Ring and when Gandalf retur..."

I feel like it was unclear on purpose though? I don't know maybe that's just me - like Frodo's ideas aren't supposed to be that developed here yet?

@Kairia @Laura I agree that it might be unclear on purpose. Just to reveal the parts of the story as characters become more clear themselves. And I love this part (even if it was unintentionally), it just makes the story more real and easy to get lost in.
I binged the book and finished it today. Just couldn't put it aside.
I still do adore hobbits and their lifestyle, so simple and sincere. But I also love elves. I've always been so into those mysterious creatures. Their beauty and also closeness to nature makes me feel so uplifted imagining going for a walk in their forests and valleys.
I love everything about this book. The story, writing style, descriptions, characters, classical elves-orcs-dwarves plus hobbits.
(view spoiler)[
Though I once again felt so sad when Frodo picked this hard task to destroy the ring.
(hide spoiler)]

Okay. I can see that. Gandalf prattling on about the things he's most familiar with and Frodo trying to hang on to all of this new information given to him.

Elena wrote: "@Kairia @Laura I agree that it might be unclear on purpose. Just to reveal the parts of the story as characters become more clear themselves. And I love this part (even if it was unintentionally), ..."

I definitely am loving being back in Middle Earth!
(view spoiler)[ Yes! that part always gets me! (hide spoiler)]

I'm not very far yet since I've been catching up on other books but I'm glad to say I finally know what Gollum's deal is after years and years of referencing "my precioussssSSssss"

I have memories of someone in my family watching an LotR movie and I think there was a scene where it showed how Smeagol turned into Gollum and even I, a child who liked horror movies, NOPE-d outta there bc that was disturbing to see. I'm glad to have the background story now 😅😅

It's finally the weekend so I'm hoping to read more of this before the work week starts up again 😭

selina ☾ wrote: "I'm not very far yet since I've been catching up on other books but I'm glad to say I finally know what Gollum's deal is after years and years of referencing "my precioussssSSssss"

I have memorie..."

Ooh yeah I can only imagine! So many references everywhere that must make sense to you now!

I finally started and finished the first chapter.

I like the way it's narrated, like an old tale, but gosh the writing is killing me. Nothing much happened in the first chapter, but I had to push myself to finish it. I hope that I'll get used to the writing sooner rather than later.

Chapter 3 Thoughts
Already I can see great differences between the movie and book. The Black Riders slithering across the ground reminded me of Voldemort in the first Harry Potter movie. I don’t have much else to say about this chapter but I did want to share these quotes I liked.

“He used often to say there was only one Road; that it was like a great river: its springs were at every doorstep, and every path was its tributary.”

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your own door. You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

@Selina
That throwback scene of Sméagol is very disturbing. I don’t blame you at all for noping out of there.

@mina I definitely think it takes some getting used to - I'm assuming this is your first read of the series?

@Kairia those quotes are awesome :)

@Laura yes, it's my first time reading The fellowship of the Ring. I read The Hobbit in February but that hadn't made me used to the writing 😂

mina wrote: "@Laura yes, it's my first time reading The fellowship of the Ring. I read The Hobbit in February but that hadn't made me used to the writing 😂"

The style of the Hobbit is a bit different to be fair! 😊

Laura ☾ wrote: "mina wrote: "@Laura yes, it's my first time reading The fellowship of the Ring. I read The Hobbit in February but that hadn't made me used to the writing 😂"

The style of the Hobbit is a bit differ..."

I haven't noticed 😂 but also I just started this one, and don't remember much of what I read in The Hobbit so... 😅

I'm on chapter 9, but this spoiler is mostly about chapter 4 and before I guess idk:
(view spoiler)[How do they all know where to go?? I thought they didn't know where to go, so I'm confused. And I can't remember why Frodo is actually going on this adventure. Is it just to get the ring away from the evil guy that it belongs to? (hide spoiler)]

@Maggie
I think Frodo has some prior knowledge on locations, even though he hasn’t been outside the Shire, because of his fascination of Bilbo’s adventures. I’m sure he’s studied some of the old maps and journals Bilbo kept at Bag End.
(view spoiler)[Frodo is leaving the Shire because the Enemy interrogated Sméagol and found out that the ring was last with a Baggins in the Shire. (hide spoiler)]

Is it too late for me to join?

Chapter 4 Thoughts
I have learned Frodo’s weakness. Mushrooms.

Michelle wrote: "Is it too late for me to join?"

No it's not! This is gonna go on for the whole month so you're welcome to jump in :)

Somehow, I'm on Chapter 10! The writing style isn't really that much of a problem for me because I try to make it a habit to read a few classics now and then but there are certain things that made me stop in my tracks.

Like for example, I was Today Years Old when I learnt that the word "f*ggot" was not just a slur and almost threw my phone away when I read that they had thrown a few of it in the fire. And even so, I googled it and I saw that it's a type of food as well? and so I'm still uncertain of what it is in this context. Is it a type of kindling?

Other than that, this is not rly a spoiler, just my thoughts on the writing up to Chapter 9: (view spoiler)[Not much is rly happening here.

When it comes to older high fantasy books, this is more or less what I feared: chapters and chapters of journeys where very little happens. It's broken up into sections of them meeting this person and then that person and there's A LOT of singing (which threw me off bc I'm on audiobook half of the time lmao) but other than that, it's not what I'm used to when it comes to fantasy where it's usually high in action more or less throughout the book. Which is why every time they meet people along the way, my whole body clenches in preparation of some sort of attack and when it doesn't happen, I'm like "whaaaaaaa" 😅 (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5 Thoughts
I enjoy how the other hobbits tease Frodo about how he can’t keep a secret for nothing.

@Selina
The common, non-slur use of that word was used to describe a bundle of sticks. I don’t know the etymology history of how it became a slur to speak further on the subject.

Kairia wrote: "
Chapter 5 Thoughts

I enjoy how the other hobbits tease Frodo about how he can’t keep a secret for nothing.

@Selina
The common, non-slur use of that word was used to describe a bundle of stick..."

That scene honestly put a smile on my face 😅 He thought he was being so secretive and meanwhile they already knew lol

And thank you! A bundle of sticks makes more sense in this context. A lot more than the food google gave me.

Hahahha throwing food on the fire!

Laura ☾ wrote: "Hahahha throwing food on the fire!"

To be fair, in the Percy Jackson series (and I'm guessing in greek mythology?) they throw a portion of their meals in the fire as an offering to their patron gods. So I definitely had a "..........are they burning the food as an offering????" moment 😂😂