The Hobbit

The Hobbit, or, There and Back Again by JRR Tolkien, 317 pages

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit..." named Bilbo Baggins, and he had a magical adventure in which he traveled with dwarves and a wizard, eluded trolls and goblins, riddled with Gollum and Smaug, found a magic ring, dined with elves and a bear-man, and persevered through sheer heroic decency.

Rereading The Hobbit, two things are remembered: the writing is approachable, plain, and unpretentious, and the book is very funny.  Neither of these qualities are possessed by The Lord of the Rings, although the trilogy has other, greater virtues.

Deceptions

Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong
453 Pages


"Olivia Taylor Jones's life has exploded. She's discovered she is not only adopted, but her real parents are convicted serial killers. Fleeing the media frenzy, she took refuge in the oddly secluded town of Cainsville. She has since solved the town's mysteries and finds herself not only the target of its secretive elders but also her stalker ex-fiancé. Visions continue to haunt her: particularly a little blond girl in a green sundress who insists she has an important message for Olivia, one that may help her balance the light and darkness within herself. Death stalks both Olivia and the two men most important to her, as she desperately searches to understand whether ancient scripts are dictating the triangle that connects them. Will darkness prevail, or does Olivia have the power to prevent a tragic fate?"

So I find the overall plot development and progression to be good enough for me to continue to read the series.  However there are a few annoying flaws with the writing.  One of the main characters is written to what the author must believe portrays a brooding and sensitive soul.  However he really comes across as a pouty, childish twit.  The other thing that is annoying is there a few parts of romance/sex plopped down in the book that really don't do much to advance the plot.  If someone is stalking you and threatening your life, perhaps you shouldn't keep taking time out to have sex in dark alleys/forests/abandoned buildings! 

The Silmarillion

The Silmarillion: The Myths and Legends of Middle-Earth by JRR Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien, 304 pages

This the book that JRR Tolkien spent most of his life trying to write and never quite finished.  Begun during the First World War, the stories were written and rewritten over and over again until the author's death in 1973, layers building upon layers like a Monet lily-pond.  The story of the composition of the material included in The Silmarillion takes up the better part of the 12 volume History of Middle Earth.  It is doubtful it ever would have been published had Tolkien not half-heartedly decided to use some of the names in a children's book he wrote called The Hobbit and its somewhat larger sequel.  As it is, it was cobbled together by his son Christopher for posthumous publication.

The Silmarillion begins with the creation of the world and an enumeration of the powerful spiritual beings who shape and guide it, for good or ill.  This is the section most likely to cause readers to simply give up on the book.  It continues with the tale of the Silmarils, their creation by the elf-lord Feanor, their theft by Morgoth the Enemy, the awful oath of the sons of Feanor, and the long war between the elves and Morgoth.  This section includes some of the most beloved tales of the Tolkien legendarium - the romance of Beren and Luthien, the tragedy of Turin Turambar, and the adventure of Earendil.  The book continues with the tale of the rise and fall of the island kingdom of Numenor, and concludes with an account of the forging of the Rings of Power.

Poetically digressive, light on character, and lacking a central plot, this is not for everyone, certainly.  Casual fans of Tolkien will undoubtedly struggle, fans of the movies should definitely start with the books the movies were based on, and chronological order be damned.  The Silmarillion should be recognized as what it is, however - not merely fantastic but truly magical, deeply humane, the greatest work by perhaps the greatest author of the twentieth century.

When Elves Attack

When Elves Attack by Tim Dorsey, 129 pages

It's Christmas time in Florida and Serge and Coleman are determined to help end the supposed war on Christmas. On the run again the pair don elf suits and move back onto to Trigger Fish Ln. where they also meet up with their longtime acquaintance Jim Davenport. Jim, whom Serge idolizes, then has to put up with super sized Christmas trees, extreme caroling, and a Christmas light display torture device. All the while trying to keep his wife and visiting mother happy, or at the least not being openly aggressive to each other.

This a wonderful holiday story complete with all of the characters we have grown to love in the series so far. Dorsey also even remembered to include the Davenport's youngest daughter in all of her rebellious but family loving glory. While shorter than the other books in this series Dorsey still manages to tell a great story with all of the usual strangeness we've come to expect.