This is a chapter where not much happens, per se, but it’s nonetheless one I really appreciate. To summarize the events, Our Heroes ride from Helm’s Deep to Isengard, seeing (if not understanding) all the destruction caused by Treebeard & company, and then they meet Merry and Pippin guarding what’s left of the gates of Isengard. So if you’re one of the readers who complains that so much of LotR is “wasted” walking from A to B, you’re not going to like this chapter.
Some of us know better, though. It’s really fun for me to see all the Rohirrim amazed and confused by the forest of Huorns, and the blocked flow of the Isen (and it’s sudden return), and the flooding and utter destruction of Isengard. Yet another spot where I really wish I could turn back time and read this chapter with no knowledge of what happened.
The part that most stands out for me here, though, is Gimli’s description of the caves of Helm’s Deep. Legolas isn’t the only one amazed at such eloquence out of the Dwarf. As a rule he’s been fairly blunt and to the point with his speech, and here he is waxing rhapsodic over the Glittering Caves of Aglarond. Makes me wonder what inspired them. I’ve never heard of Tolkien doing anything like spelunking, but I find it difficult to imagine even he was able to come up with something so striking out of whole cloth. For those wondering, Gimli did indeed lead a group of the Dwarves of Erebor down to found a colony in the Glittering Caves, and they did a lot of work improving the Hornburg and Minas Tirith.
Only Tolkien could take a description of the scenery where a secondary character was hanging out offstage and make it so damned compelling.
Monday, we sync our storylines and enjoy a good smoke amidst Flotsam and Jetsam.
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