Discussion of The Two Towers, Book Four, Chapter Five

* Video of Andy Serkis performing his new versions of the LOTR audiobooks (coming out this September): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sez-kWSsHr0 *

Join Cam and Maggie for a provocative, character-focused chapter of The Two Towers. The headline of these pages has to be the innumerable comparisons between Faramir and Gandalf the White, being new and improved evolutions (or ghosts!) of two deceased members from the original fellowship, Boromir and Gandalf the Grey. We break down the similarities between these characters, from their introductions to the way they prove themselves to our existing heroes. Ghosts and claims about magic and structural echoes abound – it’s nice when the nerdier stuff pays off. Gandalf the Grey is invoked / conjured back into the story at every turn, and we have fun theorizing about his weather powers and heavenly connections. We also analyze the broken horn of Gondor, Tolkien’s careful balancing act to keep Sam from outshining Frodo, and Frodo’s continuing, worrying adventures through faith, fate, and predestination. Cam forces a Macbeth comparison too, and Maggie drops an Inception reference like it's 2010 and she just discovered "sophisticated" art.

In our Second Breakfast, we reflect on our recent visit to Beyond Van Gogh in Austin, Texas (https://vangoghaustin.com/) We describe the unlikely pitch of the exhibit – an all-digital presentation of Van Gogh’s work without any of the actual paintings – and then spend a lot of time marveling at its revolutionary presentation of even Van Gogh’s most well-known work. This could be something new, a universal and startlingly accessible way for modern audiences to connect with works from an otherwise distant and difficult time. Comparing this experience to a traditional museum visit is like comparing a traditional movie theater to your first brush with IMAX technology. Extremely exciting stuff, with a surprising relevance to our discussion of LOTR and audiobooks. Go figure.

* Check out our two-part guest appearance on That’s What I’m Tolkien About: https://tolkienaboutpod.podbean.com/ *

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