[Boromir88]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

Bilbo seems to be just luggage in this chapter - that reminds me of Merry's complaint of being treated like baggage by the Rohirrim in LotR.

He's quite literally luggage in this chapter too, having to be carried by Bombur and Nori.

Although, I would also point out the dwarves seem rather...useless on the journey so far. I'm not sure if useless is the right way of putting it, but they're doing an excellent job of getting stuck in unfortunate situations (that really aren't of Bilbo's making). First they walk right into the troll camp one-by-one, insuring that all of them get captured (and thus needing rescuing from Gandalf). Then in this chapter the only one who wakes from Bilbo's screams is Gandalf.

Originally Posted by Inziladun

Well, the first-time reader would possibly be more concerned that the goblins would recapture at least some of the group, and the Ring would not be in his mind at all. He might also at this point be getting a little tired of Gandalf always being there to save the day, not knowing how soon that would change.

And that was my thought while reading this chapter "The dwarves get themselves stuck again and Gandalf has to come to the rescue." Although, this does change, I wonder if it's necessary to have both the troll encounter and this encounter with the goblins. The goblin story becomes more important later, and also in Bilbo bumping into Gollum...but I'm not sure it's necessary to have 2 situations, so close together where Gandalf comes in for a miraculous rescue. Tolkien commented in a letter that the Eagles should be used sparingly, and maybe the same could be said for Gandalf in The Hobbit, so far?

Some other parts that stood out to me. In the previous chapter, I shared my adoration for the description of Elrond, and in this chapter, I feel there was another beautiful passage, with the description of the storm:

All was well until one day when they met a thunderstorm - more than a thunderstorm, a thunder-battle. You know how terrific a really big thunderstorm can be down in the land and in a river-valley; especially at times when two great thunderstorms meet and clash. More terrible still are thunder and lightning in the mountains at night, when storms come up from East and West and make war. The lightning splinters on the peaks, and rocks shiver, and great crashes split the air and go rolling and tumbling into every cave and hollow; and the darkness is filled with overwhelming noise and sudden light.~Over Hill and Under Hill

It goes on with the description of the stone giants, but I didn't want to post half a page of text. But this part, to me, is like something you would read in LOTR. In this one paragraph, the thunderstorms are terrific and great, and can fill darkness with "sudden light." Yet, also, they are terrible, warring, splintering, and crashing. It's reminiscent of what Galadriel would become had she taken the Ring:

"In place of a Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth! All shall love me and despair!"~The Mirror of Galdriel

In this one paragraph, we get Galadriel would be fair, beautiful, and lovely. Yet, also, terrible, dreadful, and despairing. Again, all I can say is...love it.