The Taming of Sméagol [Two Towers, Ch.12]

<p>Discussion of <em>The Two Towers,</em> Book Four, Chapter One</p> <p>Join Maggie and Cam for their first Frodo + Sam chapter in <em>eleven</em> weeks! Tolkien takes us back in time to find out what our hobbits have been up to – lots of wandering and backtracking, apparently. Discussions of moral ambiguity abound in a grey landscape filled with grey magical objects, pale grey light, fishy choices, and our favorite fish-loving friend, Gollum. We question the trustworthiness of Gollum/Sméagol, along with the agency of our hobbit heroes themselves. If <em>Two Towers</em> is a book about the villains, who is our villain for Book 4? Cam brings in some fun spider and vampire comparisons, and Maggie asks if Tolkien’s infamous landscape is to blame. <em>Game of Thrones</em> makes an appearance here (you know, for a change), as we break down the structure of <em>Two Towers</em> and the splitting up of characters and plotlines. We also spend a weirdly large amount of time discussing rope. What is this, a game of Clue?</p> <p>For our Second Breakfast, enjoy tucking into a conversation about binging – no, not on bacon and eggs, we mean with stories. Does binging a book, comic series, show, or movie emphasize or hide the flaws of a work of art? How does the speed with which you consume a story change the way you see it? Should we have perhaps binged LOTR instead of critically reading it at a glacial pace? Maybe that would have helped us deal with Tom F@%#ing Bombadil. We bring in Donny Cates’s <em>Venom</em> series, as well as Iain Reid’s <em>I’m Thinking of Ending Things</em> for comparison.</p> <p>Follow us on Instagram: @secondbreakfastpod</p> <p>Send us your feedback and theories: <a href= "mailto:secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com">secondbreakfastpod@gmail.com</a></p> <p>Check out our illustrated YouTube clips page: <a href= "https://bit.ly/2OT6RP3">https://bit.ly/2OT6RP3</a></p>