possibly the greatest line in english literature must be:

makes me laugh a lot, especially if you read the sentence after, which shows the hobbits's reactions.

Another good part is when Sam is near the Tower of Cirith Ungol just after he wakes up and he is wondering about the rest of the Fellowship and what is going on and he "waved his hand vaguely in the air before him; but he was in fact now facing southwards, as he came back to Shelob's tunnel, not west."

Oh, I remembered a fun tidbit.

When the Nine Walkers first arrive at the western door of Khazad-dum, Gandalf reads the inscription written on the door itself. The inscription reads thus;
Now, this is not particularly extraordinary, except for one thing. The name "Moria" is, I believe, "Black Pit." The dwarves of Khazad-dum would not want their beautiful realm called this demeaning name, so why is it written there? The answer is actually sort of funny, when you think about it. The inscription is in Elvish, carved by Narvi the Elf. Now, the dwarves couldn't read anything but Cirth, so they had no idea what Narvi was really writing there on the western door. In a way, it's a practical joke on the dwarves which struck me as funny, considering it was played right beneath those dwarf noses.

I've always liked the idea and hints to the pukel-men, and the later links to the Woses of druadan.

Woo, Kransha . . . for the first 2/3 of your latest post in this thiread I was thinking, "Um hmmm . . . yeh . . . yeh . . . surely Kransha doesn't think "Speak friend and enter" is a new discovery on his/her part . . . " and then, "Woo!"

I guess I either don't recall or haven't read whether dwarves can/could read Elven writing, but the idea of Narvi playing a practical joke--that is special!

Any dwarves out there have anything to say about this?

(Elves are also welcome to reply!) :p

:)

To venture out of the realm of LOTR for a minute, one of my favorites is from The Silmarillion:

Just the casualness with which I can envision Aule saying this is just too amusing.

Kransha that was too good ,one of the best i have ever heard
really cool,keep it up:D

ya
i think the pukel men are actually the wild men of the drudan forest.

just a guess actually.:smokin:

Yellow Boots versus itching hands
 

Ga, People!

I found one more favorite: starring Merry Dol and Dong Dillo!

I did not thought much when I came across this passage at first. Upon re-reading, I find it SO hilarious! Ol' Tom the Merry Fellow Tap Dancing on Poor Ol' Wight's hand! I wonder whether Ol' Tom's house had any spiders.

The parts where Pippin is riding on Shadowfax with Gandalf; I think it's in TTT. Very vivid. Expressions like: in the darkling, the westering moon, etc.

Frodo talking to Sam about them being characters in a book before they reach Shelob's lair
That always brings a shiver to my spine.

And the lines about Merry after the battle with the Witch King
always make me cry like a baby.

Elves?
 

Ga, the funny parts strike again! Remember how Faramir found Frodo and Sam?

That comparison really shined.

Growing beard
 

Geesh... can't resist...

You can find this in the last few paragraphs of Flotsam and Jetsam, The Two Towers.

Now that I come to think of it, so do I! Gandalf's beard curling!

Oroaranion, I reckon the line is just beaten to the post by

The elegy to Snowmane (which is quoted from old memory and may not be 100% accurate) always makes me shiver. The irony is strong, I think.
Frodo's dream of the sea in Tom Bombadil's house is another piece that always moves me. The longing in that passage is so intense, and so intangible. Just as Frodo sees the clouds rolling back he wakes up and loses it again.

And my favorite, much quoted, passage is the one from "Journey to the cross roads" where Frodo and Sam see the old statue of the King which has been defaced and beheaded, yet around the old king's forehead a vine with golden flowers has grown. It is a powerful foreshadowing of the King's return, and Frodo comments "They cannot conquer forever". I find it one of the most evocative scenes in the whole book, because Frodo's despair rarely lifts from that point on, but you see in that instant such glowing hope.

Sophia

I'm at work so I don't have my copy handy but one of my favourite quotes from not only the books but the movie as well is when Gandalf has just found Sam evesdropping on their conversation. It goes something like this.

"Nothing really. Just something about a dark lord and the end of the world, please don't turn me into anything un-natural!"

It sets up Sam and all of his innocent enthusiasm for the rest of the book.

:)

I love any moment where Sam sings. The best is when they are near Weathertop in FotR, and one of the hobbits asks about Gil-Galad. Just recently I was reading that part and I came upon the poem. I don't have the book with me now but it goes something like this: "A low voice started chanting..." I immediately (in my mind) read the poem as if Aragorn was saying it, and I was as surprised as all the characters to find out that Sam was the one singing. Also the fact that he only remembered the part about elves and not the part about Mordor is funny. It just shows what a good-natured hobbit Sam really is :)

My most favorite chapter is A Conspiracy Unmasked, and you could say that it is somewhat unknown, seeing as it wasn't in the movie. I also love the fox part too! But this is perhaps my most favorite quote:
And here's another cute line fromIn the HOuse of Tom Bombadil:
That's all I can think of for now, but I'll be back, you can count on that! :D

the importance of elanor
 

I am in love with a quote that Sam says when he asks Frodo what he should name his daughter:
"I suppose you're right Mr. Frodo, I've heard some beautiful names on my travels, but I suppose they're a bit too grand for daily wear and tear, as you might say. The Gaffer, he says 'Make it short, and then you won't have to cut it short before you can use it.' But if it's to be a flower-name, then I don't trouble about the length: it must be a beautiful flower, because, you see, I think she is very beautiful, and is going to be beautifuller still."

It really shows Sam's personality because he worries so much about every detail in his life. This would be an important detail, but still he consults Frodo about it. Also, the name Elanor is kind of like introducing asian food to a hispanic person. it broadens and beautifies the shire. Tolkien was amazingly clever by putting this in there because people can connect with that kind of melting pot, especially if they live in america.

Several of my favorite parts of the trilogy have been quoted, but no one has mentioned Barliman Butterbur! I smile every time I read his response to the attack on the hobbits' room:

"Guests unable to sleep in their beds and good bolsters ruined and all! What are we coming to?" FOTR, A Knife in the Dark

And then there's Gandalf's comment about him at the end of his letter to Frodo: "A worthy man, but his memory is like a lumber room: thing wanted always buried. If he forgets, I shall roast him." FOTR, Strider



And here's a favorite line of mine from The Hobbit :

"Never laugh at live dragons, Bilbo, you fool!"

What sticks out most to me after reading these passionate quotes, is that the passages are NOT little, unimportant OR unknown!! That's the way Tolkien is, and the reason we can go back to reading his works time and time and time again. I'm sure they must be the most re-read non-political and non-theological books in existence. LOTR would probably give even the Communist Manifesto a run for its money.

So this thread is kind of an anachronism. But I might be wrong, especially since I'm only 70% sure what that word even means!! But in the spirit of the season, here we go. This is relatively unimportant , but if you ask me it is still absolutely essential, and of course I'm extremely disappointed that it wasn't in the movie!
It's just so inane, endearing and... Hobbitish! I love it.

I quite agree with you there, Doug! :) And many such "pearls" I discovered only when rereading Tolkien's works.

But, as you suspected, "anachronism" isn't the right word : it means "error in time reckoning, thing out of harmony with the present". Whereas you meant to say, that the posts in this thread contradict the title... (I know there's a foreign word for selfcontradictory, but I can't remember it right now. :rolleyes: )

Here's something which is not important for the plot of that story, but it really touched me:

In "of Tuor and his coming to Gondolin" in U.T , Voronwë describes to Tuor how he tarried on the way in Nan-tathren, "lovely to hearts enchantment was that land" and how he nearly forgot his errand and wanted to stay there. I found this part very moving, giving us a glimpse into the feelings of that Elf, who otherwise is just a "instrument" of Ulmo to bring Tuor to Gondolin.
Also a bit later in the same story:
Voronë sighed , and spoke then softly as if to himself "But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside."

This is one of my favs, cuz it's so goofy:
 

love it