The Hall of Fire

I recall at least vison and Imp, and maybe Prim saying they had things to say about the first section, so I hope they'll still comment. But yes, I think we can move on to the next 5 (or so) chapters now. I'll read them today.

Tolkien has been much criticised, even by fans, for his treatment of Éowyn. She isn't developed much; may as well not be in TTT at all; etc., etc. I don't know, it seems to me one could not hope for more for a character, than to be immortalized in such a transcendent scene as the death of the Witch...

Austen is a strikingly 'modern' writer, don't you think? I wondered about that. I was trying to compare this to the current novels I read, and it seems Austen is different in two ways that stand out to me. The first is the lack of descriptive text, of environs and specifics about characters. The se...

Voting a certain way or thinking a certain way on whatever modern political question comes up is not what makes one Christian, imo. <snip> What unites people under the name of Christian seems to me to be a belief in the divinity of Christ and his redemption of mankind, and that's it. I think this i...

I thought he was referring to Voronwë. But then, I am generally more clueless than most.

That's okay, hobby. It sounds like Ethel doesn't mind. :D I've PM'd Padme and explained how we're proceeding, and asked if she wants those who've already read the book to hold off commenting until she posts. Edit I received a reply from Padme -- she would like to post her reactions, and she is plann...

Thanks for clearing that up, Imp. :) My impression from Alatar was not that he didn't want people to provide answers to things he was unsure of, but that he wasn't about to go re-reading chapters to find out the answers himself. Maybe he'll clarify for us. For my part, I don't mind people answering ...

Imp, are you upset? Why?

But is the majority really supposed to rule all the time? I mean, it seems like the point of rights is that they're not agreed upon by the majority. So, for instance, if the majority of people in my town want the Ten Commandments up in the courthouse it would still matter that I didn't, because it ...

I doubt, too, that there would't be plenty of Christians speaking up loud and clear if "In the God and Goddess We Trust" was printed on the money, or if their children were expected to recite something about the Great Spirit in school. I don't know just when our money was designed, but I ...

In fact, I am fearful that - indeed, fairly certain that - this admission will result in you and others thinking less of me. Speaking for myself, this isn't the case. Can you provide an example of an atheist preventing anyone from espousing a religious belief? I'm asking because I can't think of on...

Well, I'm loving it! :) It's amazing how quickly she has established an intimacy with the characters for the reader. I feel as if I've been a part of that circle and have been chatting with these people all my life. I realized I was surprised at the lack of descriptive text. I suppose I expected rap...

Five chapters at a time sounds good to me (or in this case, 4).

I resisted reading Alatar's post until I've read the chapters myself. So you guys have to wait for Padme and myself to read the first 4 chapters. Don't you take off past that point without us!

That sounds good to me, so I guess it would be up to Alatar and myself to indicate what pace we would like, so that no one gets left behind.

I've not done this before, so I'm not sure what sort of pace is practical. Alatar, do you have any ideas on that?

Thanks JewelSong and tp for those clarifications. On its face, the document seems to me to be saying not-so-tacitly that those with deep-seated homosexual tendencies cannot be trusted to control them --> those tendencies might manifest themselves around young boys. If this is what the document IS ac...

And I will say this: for a Christian, there is probably no endeavor less constructive than to attempt to explain the Book of Revelations to a non-believer. Only slightly less constructive is for Christians to seek to interpret it among themselves. Our business is to do the works of kindness, forgiv...

That sounds best to me, too, Prim. Though I'm sure if a spoiler or two inadvertently finds its way into the discussion, it won't ruffle anyone's petticoats too much.

It's wonderful to see so many lovely folks signing up! I'm really glad you have decided to grace our company, Alatar, and add a male perspective. And yes, I guess you could call me an Austen virgin. :) Ethel, my choice would be to have a schedule, that is, to name the chapter we're on; and I would l...

Thank you, Ethel! I'll put my vote in for Pride and Prejudice, too, but will be pleased with whatever we decide on.

Cerin ... um ... are you comparing Mrs. Whistler to a disembodied doll's head in a dark corner? Good heavens! This is getting worse and worse. No, no, I'm saying the doll face unexpectedly framed in the potholder is like the disembodied doll's head in a dark corner. A little. Maybe. I have no doubt...