"Cliff Notes - the hobbit & the lord of rings" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tolkien J.R.R)

NOTE: The Black Riders give the impression of silent menace. They wear black cloaks and hoods; not even their faces can be seen. They track the hobbits through a sense of smell, making them seem animalistic.

The elven leader warns Frodo that the Riders are deadly "servants of the Enemy."

In the morning the three hobbits start out, closely pursued by Black Riders. They safely reach the house Frodo had bought to hide the fact he was planning to leave the Shire. There Frodo is joined by Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry) and Fatty Bolger. Fatty will stay behind to keep up the pretense that Frodo is living there, but Merry and Pippin insist on going with Frodo, no matter how great the danger. Frodo has been told by both Gandalf and the elves that he should rely on the help of friends. Though he doesn't want to bring them into danger, he's happy to know they'll come. Through Merry, Pippin, and Sam, Tolkien is expressing the importance of friendship.

The hobbits decide not to take the road, which is likely to be watched by Black Riders. Instead they try to cut through the Old Forest. It's a weird place, and it's said that the trees can move, hemming in unwelcome strangers. The hobbits are soon lost and find themselves on the bank of the River Withywindle, in the heart of the forest.

They are sitting in the shade of an old willow when suddenly Merry and Pippin are swallowed up by great cracks in the tree. Frodo's cries for help are answered by Tom Bombadil, a strange old man with a feathered hat. Tom soon forces Old Man Willow to release his captives; then he invites them to his home. Tom tells the hobbits that they were lucky he came by, for he did not actually hear their cries: "Just chance brought me... if chance you call it." Many readers interpret this as a hint of some unseen power that guided Tom to come along at that moment and save the hobbits.

^^^^^^^^^^THE LORD OF THE RINGS: BOOK I, CHAPTERS 7-12

The hobbits are safely sent on their way again by Tom. They are joined by a mysterious character named Strider, who guides them to Rivendell.

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The hobbits meet Tom's beautiful wife, Goldberry, the daughter of the River Withywindle. Tom and Goldberry are curious yet appealing figures. Tom often speaks in song; even when he isn't singing, his words have a singsong quality. His love for Goldberry is touching, and when the hobbits first meet him, he is bringing lilies to place in bowls around her feet. There seems to be good magic in Tom and Goldberry's home, for Tom says that no evil can touch the hobbits there. Not even the Ring has power over Tom. When he puts it on, he remains visible, and when Frodo puts it on, Tom can still see him.

NOTE: TOM AND GOLDBERRY AS NATURE SPIRITS Tom and Goldberry may be seen as nature spirits, figures who represent the forces of nature--for example, Mother Nature. Another example is Pan, the Greek god of the woodlands, who was half man and half goat. Pan was believed to be mischievous and fun-loving, but also dangerous when angry. He belonged to the world of nature and seldom concerned himself with human affairs. Traces of Pan can be seen in Tom Bombadil, with his humorous appearance (although Tom is fully human), his lively personality, and his power over nature.

Goldberry tells the hobbits that Tom is the master of wood, water, and hill. Tom's songs, such as the one he uses to make Old Man Willow release Pippin and Merry, seem to give him power over nature. Goldberry shares in this power, for her song brings rain. "This is Goldberry's washing day," Tom tells the hobbits.

People who think Tom is a nature spirit say that this is why the Ring has no influence on him. The Ring is of the world of man, and Tom is of the world of nature. He is untouched by the desire for absolute power that the Ring represents.

The hobbits set off across the barrow-downs, a stretch of land that is filled with burial mounds, or barrows. Foolishly lingering there until sundown, against Tom's advice, they become lost in fog and are captured by a barrow-wight (an evil spirit who inhabits these burial mounds and lures travelers to their death). Frodo sings the rhymed call for help that Tom Bombadil had taught them, and soon Tom arrives to rescue them.

While in the barrow, Frodo has again been tempted to put on the Ring. You can see how Tolkien's treatment of the Ring has changed from The Hobbit. In that book Bilbo often used the Ring to save his friends. Now the Ring serves only as a temptation to Frodo to take the easy way out and abandon his friends. This is a moment of truth for Frodo and relates to Tolkien's theme of the corrupting effect of power. Frodo must choose between using the Ring to save himself or facing certain death but not compromising his morals. This hints at another of Tolkien's themes--refusal to give in to despair. Frodo fights, even with no hope of winning, and finds a way to rescue his friends. The importance of friendship also comes into play here, for it is Frodo's friendship for the others that keeps him from putting on the Ring and falling into evil.

Tom gives each of the hobbits a sword from the barrow. They feel awkward wearing them, for they had never thought of fighting. This is an idea they'll have to get used to, however, if they are to survive. The swords are a sign that the hobbits must start learning to take responsibility for themselves.

NOTE: THE POWER OF LANGUAGE Tom Bombadil uses song to drive the wight from the barrow, just as he used it to force Old Man Willow to release Merry and Pippin. He also gives names to the hobbits' ponies. There is an ancient belief, held by many primitive people, that everything has its own name, in a secret language. Knowing the name gives you power over the thing (or person). It seems that Tom's mastery over things comes from the power to name them. By giving Tom this power, Tolkien introduces a new perspective on language. Throughout the book you will see that Tolkien draws attention to language in different ways.

The hobbits safely reach their next destination, the town of Bree, and stay at an inn, the Prancing Pony. Frodo foolishly allows the Ring to slip onto his finger. By disappearing, he reveals his identity to the watching spies. He is rebuked by a mysterious character called Strider, who knows Frodo's name and also seems to know about the Ring. Strider offers to join the hobbits as their guide. After initial distrust, they decide to accept. They're starting to be aware that they've been too careless, and someone with Strider's experience will be able to help them.

To stay off the road, Strider leads the hobbits along a twisting course through the forest, arriving one night at a hill called Weathertop. So far there has been no sign of the Black Riders, but that night on Weathertop the hobbits are attacked.

Strider has said that the Riders cannot see the world of light; they see best in darkness. This is appropriate, for light symbolizes good, and darkness evil. When Frodo puts on the Ring, the Riders seem suddenly to see him. And Frodo finds that he can now see their faces and armor, whereas before they were only shadowy figures. It seems he has entered the Riders' world by putting on the Ring. Suddenly, one of the Riders attacks Frodo and succeeds in stabbing him before being driven off.

When Frodo regains consciousness, he learns from the others that they had seen little of his encounter with the Black Rider. Frodo had seemed to vanish, and the Rider appeared only as a black shadow rushing past them. Strider now tends Frodo's wound. The Black Rider's knife has deadly magic in it, and already a chill is spreading from Frodo's shoulder down his arm and side. Strider says that the evil of that knife is beyond his skill to cure, so they all set out for Rivendell, hoping that there Frodo can be healed.

On the way they are joined by an Elf-lord, Glorfindel, who has been sent from Rivendell by Elrond to find the travelers and help them. Glorfindel gives Frodo his own horse, which can outrun the steeds of the Black Riders. When the company reaches a ford in the river, the Black Riders suddenly appear, and Glorfindel sends his horse, with Frodo on it, over the ford. Calling on Frodo to wait, the Black Riders start to follow him. He no longer has the strength to refuse. Still, he resists their hold to the last, calling out defiantly. They only laugh and advance confidently to take him. Suddenly the river floods, and on the other shore a shining figure, Glorfindel, can be seen driving the Riders into the water. The last thing Frodo sees is the Riders and their black horses being carried away by the river.

^^^^^^^^^^THE LORD OF THE RINGS: BOOK II, CHAPTERS 1-5

A fellowship is formed to accompany Frodo south toward Mordor. They pass through the mines of Moria, where Gandalf is lost in battle with a Balrog.

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Frodo awakens in Rivendell to find the wizard sitting by his bed. He learns from Gandalf about the Black Riders and the events at the ford. The Black Riders, Gandalf tells Frodo, are the nine ringwraiths, men who have been enslaved by Sauron through rings of power. Frodo had very nearly fallen into their power. If he had not reached Rivendell in time, the power of the Rider's knife would have turned him into a wraith, under the dominion of Sauron.