I'm kind of neutral to Tom, while my brother always hated his character. I kind of disliked him on the first read, but became neutral on the 2nd. I think this was because I knew the 2nd time that most people hated him and was waiting for it to hit, but it never really did for me.
Oldest and Fatherless: The Terrible Secret of Tom Bombadil (2011)
151–160 of 349 posts
Re: Oldest and Fatherless: The Terrible Secret of Tom Bombadil (2011)
#152Tolkien on Tom in Letter 144: I might put it this way. The story is cast in terms of a good side, and a bad side, beauty against ruthless ugliness, tyranny against kingship, moderated freedom with consent against compulsion that has long lost any object save mere power, and so on; but both sides in some degree, conservative or destructive, want a measure of control. but if you have, as it were taken 'a vow of poverty…
This has always been my understanding of Bombadil as well. The most popular/accepted view of who he is among Tolkien-dom that I've heard is that he represents the lands of the West themselves (or perhaps all of Middle-Earth?). In the Tolkien legendarium power comes from knowing the right names for things and the right words to say to them. Tom Bombadil is the most powerful being in Middle-Earth because he is so old t…
Tom Bombadil is quite clearly what Tolkein referred to as a "subcreation echo" of biblical Adam. Oldest, fatherless, unaffected by original sin and thus not tempted or influenced in the least by the ring, literally living his life as uncontested master of a lush garden. He is Adam, if Adam had contented himself with a Gold Berry instead of that apple...
Re: Oldest and Fatherless: The Terrible Secret of Tom Bombadil (2011)
#153I enjoyed this quite a bit, thanks for the post. Clever, fun, even if not necessarily accurate analysis and speculation. But, that's just my two cents to add to all the other bikeshedding.
Re: Oldest and Fatherless: The Terrible Secret of Tom Bombadil (2011)
#154Earlier quoted context omitted.
Absolutely thought "I must be living in a bubble" when I read this: I don't think I've spoken to a single book-reader who wasn't vocally disappointed by the omission of Tom from the films. He was certainly one of mine & my sibling's favourite characters.
> He was certainly one of mine & my sibling's favourite characters. Why? He doesn't actually do anything except drone on and on about the color of his boots. He doesn't advance the story in any way (which is why it is so easy to omit him in adaptations).
Tom represents the Great Mystery, the great unknown of the beyond that is all seeing and all knowing and all powerful. Omitting him is like omitting the whole premise of the book.
It's like making a movie based on the Bible but omitting the Resurrection of Jesus.
Re: Oldest and Fatherless: The Terrible Secret of Tom Bombadil (2011)
#155If you enjoyed this, you might also enjoy the same writer's take on R2D2 being the central character of Star Wara: https://km-515.livejournal.com/746.html
Well R2 is the only character who's present throughout all of the movies with an intact memory.
Re: Oldest and Fatherless: The Terrible Secret of Tom Bombadil (2011)
#156> Possibly the least liked character in The Lord of the Rings. A childish figure so disliked by fans of the book that few object to his absence from all adaptations of the story. I've been a fan of Tolkien for decades, and this doesn't match up with my experience at all...Tolkien fans seem to generally love Tom, and many were deeply disappointed that he wasn't in the movies (even though his exclusion makes perfect se…
100% agree with you. Tom was my favorite character and an essential one in my opinion. I was one of those people that was deeply disappointed by his absence. Tom is entirely beyond caring about "good" or "evil". His peace is such a vital contrast to every other character and has stuck with me over time.
A good point. He is an indifferent character, much as nature is indifferent to humanity. However, to “humans” experiencing peril, indifference can feel like evil.
Re: Oldest and Fatherless: The Terrible Secret of Tom Bombadil (2011)
#157Tolkien on Tom in Letter 144: I might put it this way. The story is cast in terms of a good side, and a bad side, beauty against ruthless ugliness, tyranny against kingship, moderated freedom with consent against compulsion that has long lost any object save mere power, and so on; but both sides in some degree, conservative or destructive, want a measure of control. but if you have, as it were taken 'a vow of poverty…
Though it has to be said that this aloofness is a lot easier to maintain during a war when you're as immensely powerful as Tom apparently is. Hobbits, for example, did not have the choice to remain neutral and unconcerned; the Scouring came to them.
Re: Oldest and Fatherless: The Terrible Secret of Tom Bombadil (2011)
#158This reminds me of the fan theory that Tom Bombadil is secretly the Witch-King of Angmar: http://www.flyingmoose.org/tolksarc/theories/bombadil.htm
The Witch King would immediately seize the One Ring for himself.
Although the notion of a ringwraith singing and dancing is amusing.
Re: Oldest and Fatherless: The Terrible Secret of Tom Bombadil (2011)
#159Earlier quoted context omitted.
Absolutely thought "I must be living in a bubble" when I read this: I don't think I've spoken to a single book-reader who wasn't vocally disappointed by the omission of Tom from the films. He was certainly one of mine & my sibling's favourite characters.
> He was certainly one of mine & my sibling's favourite characters. Why? He doesn't actually do anything except drone on and on about the color of his boots. He doesn't advance the story in any way (which is why it is so easy to omit him in adaptations).
He's extremely mysterious and in a good way. He is one of the only characters able to just casually put on the one ring with seemingly no effect and then give it back immediately afterwards. I think he gives off eldritch horror vibes, but in a mostly benevolent way. If everyone else were ants, he would be an etymologist intrigued by our behavior or something.
Re: Oldest and Fatherless: The Terrible Secret of Tom Bombadil (2011)
#160> Possibly the least liked character in The Lord of the Rings. A childish figure so disliked by fans of the book that few object to his absence from all adaptations of the story. I've been a fan of Tolkien for decades, and this doesn't match up with my experience at all...Tolkien fans seem to generally love Tom, and many were deeply disappointed that he wasn't in the movies (even though his exclusion makes perfect se…
I absolutley agree with you! I remember reacting badly seeing first movie in cinemas when they had left out Tom. I brought it up many times with friends that it was the biggest mistake to exclude him, but many argued he is not central to the story. I have never ever heard anyone dislike Tom.
I even read the Tom Bombadill songs child book.