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Diamond, you're speaking as a writer just as much as a reader.
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Probably even more as a writer. I've had trouble lapsing into the telling mode, so I've been paying special attention to it lately. Heightened sensitivity, you might say.
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Yes ! We all ( well most of us ) know this, (people have depth) but it is often tempting to jump in and make shallow one demensional judgments about others.
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I realize that in real life and in stories, people and characters can have hidden sides. I've had first hand experience with people who are not what they seemed (for better and worse), so it's not the dual nature of Butterbur I was questioning, per se. It was Tolkien's method of conveying this. Unfortunately, this was due in part to faulty memory and poor searching skills, as I had been sure Gandalf's description was more glowing. So I think I'll let Butterbur off the hook for the time being. (How benevolent. [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img])
That said, I do often find myself wanting to challenge Gandalf's statements. Perhaps this has to do with the Took in me? But I think it is largely motivated by my perspective as one writer reading (and analyzing) the fictional creations of another writer. No offense, but I never forget that these characters are just that. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] So I'd like to have at least some corroborative showing to go with what Gandalf says. After all, how can we know that he's wise unless his words are shown to be true? (And Tolkien does this in most places.)