Fellowship a Fine Beginning to the Epic to End All Epics

As you may have guessed from my name, I am in fact a hobbit. At least, I like to reiterate the famous quote by Professor Tolkien, and I have always considered his first furry-footed protagonist to be my literary counterpart. I tend to think that there is more about me than people suspect. And if I could find some way to settle in the Shire, you’d better believe I would! It is through Bilbo that I found my way into Middle-earth, and The Hobbit will always occupy a sacred space in my hierarchy of beloved books. But I’ve already reviewed that tome, though it was my second review here and didn’t begin to do the book justice. One day I’ll rectify that, but for now, on to bigger and better things.

The other day I went to a local book sale and happened upon a 40-year-old paperback copy of The Fellowship of the Ring. It interested me particularly because of the warning on the back, drawn from the preface, in which Tolkien appeals to his fans to buy this edition of his book and not one of the many unauthorized versions floating around. “It seems to me a grave discourtesy, to say no more, to issue my book without even a polite note informing me of the project: dealings one might expect of Saruman in his decay rather than from the defenders of the West… Those who approve of courtesy (at least) to living authors will purchase [this paperback edition] and no other.” Tolkien’s eloquent wit here made it one of the best investments of 20 cents I’ve ever made. And why shouldn’t he have such a say in the distribution of his work? Tolkien’s accomplishment with The Lord of the Rings was monumental, and he had every right to feel possessive of it, even though Middle-earth soon grew to be a domain claimed by millions, many of whom were just as passionate about the material as the author himself.

I recently re-read Lord of the Rings, though of the three volumes, Fellowship is the only one I can in all honesty say I technically “re-read.” I read it myself in ninth grade, but with all the schoolwork surrounding me I didn’t have time to get bogged down in The Two Towers, the murky middle section that so often stumped its author. It took my dad three years to read Lord of the Rings to me. It took him two years to read The Two Towers. It was a combination of fearing the slog through this second volume and not wanting the break the sacredness of having had the book read to me by my dad that kept me from reading through the entire book until this year.

Part of the charm of Fellowship is that, in the first couple chapters, you can see its origins as sequel to The Hobbit. Initially, Bilbo is front and center, with Gandalf, that other key player from The Hobbit, also in prominence. The narration is much more detached, but there are still traces of the cozy conversational style that drove its predecessor. At first, there’s even the slight possibility that it might be Bilbo’s further adventures we are following, rather than Frodo’s. At any rate, we are dealing with hobbits, and it takes quite a while to get out of the Shire. Many readers complain that it takes too long for the book to get going, but I love the gradual departure from the hobbits’ idyllic homeland and all the enchanting opportunities it affords. Although the Nazgul first make their appearance early on, and we also are treated to the independent malevolence of Old Man Willow and the barrow wights, there’s a sense in which this doesn’t truly depart from the formula of The Hobbit until the fateful meeting more than 200 pages in with the mysterious stranger in Bree known as Strider.

Before this, we’re treated to Bilbo’s grand party in the opening chapter standing in marvelous contrast to The Unexpected Party. We’re introduced to the Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin, the four young hobbits who will play such a vital role in the epic adventure to come. We get the strange momentary peek into a fox’s thoughts as it observes the hobbits in his woods and the long dalliance at the home of the anomalous Tom Bombadil. My brother’s literature teacher complained to the class once about how stupid Lord of the Rings was; it was just about eating and taking baths. This struck me as a patently ridiculous statement, but if you don’t read any farther than Bree, it’s actually not completely off base. Nonetheless, the opening leg of the journey allows us lots of time to see the hobbits in their element and grow to love them before their camaraderie is interrupted by the inclusion of other members in the Fellowship and, eventually, circumstances that will separate them from one another for a long time.

One enjoyable aspect of Fellowship is that it is so straight-forward. We follow the same people on a journey that they make together. The number of companions grows from three to nine, but they all follow the same path and we don’t have to follow them in separate directions until The Two Towers. This makes Fellowship easily the least confusing of the three, and it allows the most opportunity for character development. The interactions of the Fellowship members are uncluttered by all the outside forces and complicated scenarios that fill the later volumes. There is particular beauty in how each remaining member deals with the iconic descent of Gandalf towards the end of the book.

Though Sam becomes the most heroic figure in Return of the King, I am perhaps most in love with him here. His sweet simplicity, gentle wisdom, innate comedy, connection to the earth and humble spirituality all come to light in Fellowship, and my biggest disappointment with the superb film was that these aspects of his personality were not tapped into more fully. In fact, they were often subverted, a decision that I still have trouble finding justifiable. For instance, one of my favorite Sam moments is when, after being charged with the task of accompanying Frodo, he responds in the following manner: “‘Me, sir!’cried Sam, springing up like a dog invited for a walk. ‘Me go and see Elves and all! Hooray!’ he shouted, and then burst into tears.” While I love the beginning of this scene in the film, the utter absence – and apparent reversal – of its enthusiastic and awe-filled conclusion struck me as one of the movie’s most unfortunate omissions. The filmmakers did such a beautiful job with Pippin’s characterization in Fellowship. Why couldn’t they extend the same courtesy to Sam?

Another particularly nice aspect of Fellowship is the abundance of poetry. Now, there are probably many who would disagree with me on this point, as I have come to understand that Tolkien’s verse is generally not very highly praised. Still, I like it, and I am particularly fond of Sam’s poem about Old Tom and the troll. When Dad first read that to my brother and me, we loved it so much that we demanded he read it again. After a second recitation, my brother, then nine, declared the moral of the story to be that “a boot in the booty makes you feel fruity.” Whatever that means… Other favorites include the epic of Earendil the Mariner, composed and recited by Bilbo in Rivendell and considered by many to be Tolkien’s best poem, and Frodo’s eulogy for Gandalf. Though there is some verse scattered throughout Two Towers and Return of the King, the vast majority can be found here.

Fellowship is the journey-before-the-journey, fraught with harrowing adventures but only a premonition of the travails to come. Although I love the whole of Lord of the Rings, this installment is my favorite. If you’ve never given the book a try, let yourself be drawn into the beauty of the Shire and the utter malignance of the force that threatens it. And at least read as far as Bree before you dismiss it as being a boring tome obsessed with eating and bathing.

"Why Not Another W/O? WO" Until I Come Up With Another Real Review...

1) Age:

I am 23 biologically, 10 at heart.

(2) Sex:

Female

(3) Children?

Nope.

(4) Siblings?

Yes, two - one brother in college and one in high school.

(5) If so are you older or younger?

I'm the oldest in the family, though I sometimes feel like the youngest.

(6) Favorite Color?

Blue. It's such a cool, soothing color. Or green, because it reminds me of Ireland.

(7) Do you collect anything?

I collect a lot of stuff, and would collect more if I could. I have collections of bells, stamps, coins, trolls, Winnie-the-Pooh stuff, Simon and Garfunkel stuff, Lord of the Rings stuff, books... Yeah, lots of stuff.

(8) If you could be any animal what would it be and why?

Probably some kind of bird so I could fly.

(9) Who is your favorite actor?

There are so many actors I like... I'd probably have to go with Tom Hanks, but I've got a real soft spot for Haley Joel Osment, and Billy Boyd is divine.

(10) Favorite actress?

Probably Julie Andrews; LOVE Sound of Music and Mary Poppins. Current-day, maybe Nicole Kidman.

(11) What do you hate more than anything?

War and cigarettes.

(12) If you could be the President for one day what would you do?

I don't want that much responsibility...

(13) Who is your best friend?

I'm never good at picking favorites. I'll be a cop-out and give a nod to my little brother Nathan. He's one groovy dude.

(14) Are you passive or aggressive?

Very passive.

(15) What is your dream job?

I really want to be a writer, but I've got to get my groove back...

(16) What is your worst habit?

Probably my anxiety. I guess that's not really a habit, but it certainly causes me a lot of problems.

(17) What is your greatest asset?

I've always said it was my writing ability, but that seems to have been rather lacking lately, particularly my ability to come up with stories.

(18) Would you rather :(a)WALK (b)DRIVE (c)FLY?

Walk. I've got a definite Luddite strain in me. I think I've got a built-in disdain for cars; maybe that's why I always get carsick. I'm 23 and I don't drive and I don't want to. Airplanes make me nervous...

(19) If you went camping, you would sleep:(a)IN A TENT
(b)UNDER THE STARS (c)IN A HOTEL?

Who camps in a hotel??? I guess I'd have to say in a tent, because I always do, but under the stars would be cool.

(20) If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

I want to be able to fly!!!

(21) Favorite cartoon character?

Winnie-the-Pooh. I'm such a big Pooh fan and I've got a huge collection. I think he is fairly akin to hobbits, and the Hundred-Acre Wood is like the Shire. I want to live there.

(22) Party: ALL NIGHT LONG OR WHAT'S THAT??

What's that??? I am definitely not a party animal.

(23) How many reviews have you written?

This makes 536 reviews. I keep wanting to do one per day or something like that, but I can never keep it up...

(24) How many members trust you?

103 now. Yay!!!

(25) Who was the first member to trust you?

It's too long ago for me to remember, and the "date added" doesn't go back that far.

(26) Who was the first member you trusted?

Ditto to number 25.

(27) Favorite category to write in?

Sometimes music, sometimes movies.

(28) What is the best review you have written?

Hm. I've written an awful lot of reviews. Well, the longest was of the Simon and Garfunkel concert. I don't know if it's my best, but it's probably one of them.

(29) What is the worst review you have written?

One of my early reviews. I wrote a ton of reviews when I first joined, but a lot of them were really short and shoddy.

(30) If you could be one member, who would it be and why?

I can't pick just one!

(31) If you could change one thing about WOT??

Maybe something to indicate when a member takes me off their trust list. Sometimes somebody stops trusting me and it takes me a long time to figure out who it is.

(32) If you could change one thing about Rating?

I wish I didn't have to give numerical ratings in my reviews. I'm not much good at that.

(33) If you could change one thing about Writing?

I can't ever seem to come up with anything anymore. Sometimes I think, aside from reviews, I've lost my ability to write, and that's a really depressing thought.

(34) If you could change your member name, what would you change it to and why??

I like my name, but if I changed it the new name would probably have something to do with Simon and Garfunkel. Maybe BridgeOverTroubledWater or something. Or SilverGirl... I like the idea of Art Garfunkel sailing behind me!

*****DRUM ROLL*****
I know this one is going to be hard for most of you, but we are all grown here, answer honestly...and just ONE!!

(35) Who is your mentor here at Epinions?

I've been a member here for four years, and there have been so many. I'm sorry, I just can't do it!!

Leavin' On a Jet Plane, Don't Know When He'll Be Back Again

I am drawn to movies for a variety of reasons. One of them, which does not happen terribly often and is perhaps a silly excuse to see a movie, is that the preview contains a song that I like very much. It was the playing of Simon and Garfunkel’s America in the trailer that first attracted me to Almost Famous, and it was the melodic strains of a lovely cover of John Denver’s Leavin’ on a Jet Plane that grabbed my attention when I first saw a trailer for The Terminal. I cannot claim, however, that my interest stemmed from the song alone. I am generally a big fan of both Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Throw John Williams into the mix, and that’s one heck of a winning combination. I added it to my list of films I wanted to see.

I suspected that I probably wouldn’t catch The Terminal while it was still in the theater, but Mom proposed a trip to Tinseltown as a capper to Father’s Day, with this as the movie of choice. I’ve heard and read a number of negative reviews of this movie, though my favorite critic, Good Morning America’s Joel Siegel, loved it. As is generally the case, I agree with him. This will probably not go down as one of the major films in either Hanks’ or Spielberg’s career, but it is a perfectly enjoyable movie nonetheless.

Hanks turns in one of his most endearing performances yet as Viktor Navorsky, the gentle traveler from the fictional Krakozhia who becomes stuck in limbo at the airport when a coup breaks out in his homeland and his visa is declared invalid. He comes across as a very simple man, partly because his command of the English language, even at its best, is shaky, but also because of the naive decency he constantly displays. It’s not that this character lacks intelligence, but rather that he boasts a certain spark that can’t help but touch many of the airport denizens with whom he comes into regular contact. In addition to his overabundance of common courtesy, his skills as a builder and artisan are considerable and help him to pass his days in the airport in a useful manner.

Though Hanks is the film’s focal point and his performance is a brilliant mixture of befuddlement, devotion, charity and charm, the supporting cast members all enhance the film with their unique characterizations. Stanley Tucci brings an interminable twerpiness to the role of Frank Dixon, the airport administrator who antagonizes Viktor after the latter refuses to enter the United States through illegal or dishonest means. He’s an annoying fellow who generally lacks both common sense and compassion, yet Tucci brings a comedic touch to the role that prevents us from disliking him too much.

Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Amelia Warren, a stewardess with a knack for landing in bad relationships. Viktor is smitten with her on their first meeting, while she gradually comes to realize that he is unlike the men she has unsuccessfully romanced in the past. Although they have several sweet scenes together, the female cast member I most enjoyed was Zoe Saldana as Delores Torres, the icy security clerk softened by Viktor’s visits to her as romantic liason for his lovestruck friend, food service worker Enrique Cruz (Diego Luna). When she finally melts entirely, she is luminous.

Along with Enrique, Viktor bonds with Joe Mulroy (Chi McBride), a gentle baggage handler, and Gupta (Kumar Pallana), a crusty old janitor who gets his jollies from watching people slip on his freshly mopped floors. These three help Viktor navigate his way through life in the airport, providing equal helping of heart and humor along the way. Also very enjoyable is Barry Shabaka Henley as Ray Thurman, Dixon’s personal assistant. He is the first major character we meet after Viktor, and his quiet, sometimes statuesque manner stand in contrast to Dixon’s manic panic. Although his interactions with Viktor are limited, Thurman subtly demonstrates to the audience Ray’s growing respect and affection for the unintended guest. Aside from Hanks, he probably gave my favorite performance in the film.

Although this is a drama, at no point could I take the movie as seriously as, say, The Green Mile or Forrest Gump. There is a fairy tale air about it. We never have a sense of Viktor being in any real danger or discomfort. He’s such an easy-going guy, it seems as though he would be content in any circumstance, and if you’re going to be stuck somewhere for weeks on end, an airport isn’t such a bad place to be stuck in. Moreover, Viktor’s ability to re-align rows of chairs to his liking, support and repaint an entire wall and construct an intricate work of art on airport property without being stopped seems highly suspect. But it didn’t bother me. Balancing out the more unnatural aspects of the film are brand-name establishments, which reeks of product placement to some but which made it easier for me to accept this as a functioning current-day airport.

I found The Terminal to be funny and heart-warming. I enjoyed hearing Hanks take on an accent other than some sort of Southern dialect, and the character he produced stands among my favorites of his. Although the film is rated PG-13, there is little within its two-hour span to merit that rating. The profanity in the film is unusually sparse, there are only a few passing references that would make a prude squirm and the most violence we see is some silent video footage of a war-torn Krakozhia. With a cast of fine actors and an engaging story, The Terminal is a feel-good, family-friendly movie that I would readily recommend.

My Little Zoo a Grand Old Time

For the past couple years, one of the most anticipated events in Erie, PA – my hometown – was the opening of the new Children’s Zoo at the Erie Zoo. That section of the zoo had always been a favorite and had undergone major renovations before. When I was little, one of the focal points was Rock Candy Mountain, a mountain featuring colorful outcroppings designed to look like gumdrops. I was always a little mountain goat, going out of my way at playgrounds and during creek-walking trips to find the most complicated and dangerous way to climb up a structure or a cliff face, so I loved scrambling up the narrow staircase to the top, where I could overlook the rest of the Children’s Zoo from my high vantage point. But the Mountain did not exactly afford the safest climbing experience, and it was shut down as a hazard when I was still pretty young.

The zoo has undergone many changes since then, some of which I got to experience directly during my one-year stint as a zookeeper in the Children’s Zoo. While we went about the daily work of cleaning pens, feeding animals, brushing llamas and giving talks in the pavilion, we heard about the progress of the Kiboka Outpost, the extravagant African exhibit that was being added to the other end of the zoo. Extravagant is, of course, a relative term; a trip to the zoo in Columbus, Cincinnati, or Washington, D.C. would render anything in our zoo rather puny by comparison. That’s typical of my city, however. Our amusement park, our zoo, our much-hyped Bicentennial Tower that is dwarfed by almost every building surrounding it… We don’t do big in Erie. But we can do cozy.

As small as the Erie Zoo is, it continues expanding, both outwards and simply in terms of the quality of its exhibits. When it first opened in the 1920s, it consisted of a series of small concrete enclosures. It stayed that way for decades, and my mom recalls going to the zoo as a rather depressing experience because all the animals seemed so miserable. Conditions were so deplorable that the Erie Daily Times ran a series of articles in complaint, inspiring the community to take action. The past four decades have seen the zoo redesign all the animal enclosures for a more spacious and natural habitat and place a greater emphasis on the educational opportunities the zoo could provide to visitors. In addition to interactive displays and informative plaques near each exhibit, the zoo offers many classes and day camps, several of which I took advantage of when I was younger.

Getting into the zoo is pretty reasonable: $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and $3 for children. Those prices are slightly lower during the off-season. If you live in town and plan to visit the zoo often, it’s worth it to get a zoo pass for $50-$60, depending on how many people will be using it. This pass also provides a discount at a hundred other zoos and aquariums throughout the country. The first thing you’ll see upon entering the zoo is the gift shop, complete with a wide variety of animal-related items at a reasonable price. My favorites are the plastic animals, which come in a range of sizes. I have a collection featuring every big cat available in the smallest size. As I recall they cost about $4 each. For a really cheap souvenir, you can stop just outside the gift shop and get a pressed penny. They’ve added several penny machines throughout the zoo; I haven’t even managed to collect all the different designs that have become available. Each features a different animal that lives in the zoo.

Right next to the gift shop is the train station, which usually ends up being the last stop of the day. Tickets will set you back $1 if you’re a zoo member, $2 if you aren’t. You can also indulge in a snack or two from the concession stand one window over. Your first stop will probably be the main zoo building, which is where the elephant used to be housed. Though Kya was one of the zoo’s most beloved residents, he went to another zoo when it was determined that living alone was not good for him. He had lived with his mother Shawnie for several years, but the elder elephant died several years ago. The other stars of the building are the gorillas, particularly Rudy, a grumpy-looking silver back who is the oldest male of his species in captivity. When I was little, I remember watching him watch TV. He no longer has a television in his display, though he may still have one somewhere we can’t see it. He seems to enjoy sitting up against the glass and glaring at the children who pass by while idly picking his nose, much to the children’s delight. Other residents include two different types of lemurs, both of which are equally capable of making a racket, a large display of meerkats, the entertaining little critters who became famous with the inclusion of Timon in The Lion King, and a fenced-in pool that’s home to several types of birds as well as turtles. When I worked at the zoo, one or two of the birds was often wandering around outside the fence when I came in. Another feature is the leopard exhibit, which has included cubs more often than not over the past few years.

Once you leave the main building, you can stop and take a peek in the barn. It’s not very full at the moment, inhabited only by a horse and her foal, a donkey, a miniature horse, a pig, a llama, and an exhibit full of bats. The animals in the barn get switched around rather frequently, though you can always count on a horse being there. When I was little, the bat exhibit was occupied by marmosets, adorable little primates that would fit in the palm of your hand. During high school, it was the on-again, off-again home of Zorro, the miniature zebu that I sponsored for several years.

Just up from the barn is the greenhouse, which is interesting if you like plants but pretty unpleasant during the middle of summer. To the left are the spectacle bears, so named because of the white patches on their face, but I prefer to think it’s because they like to make a spectacle of themselves. They seem to understand that they are being watched and often put on quite a show. The polar bears are also popular, though usually much more sedentary. If you’re very lucky, you might catch them swimming in their pool, in which case it is probably so hot out that you’ll be jealous of them. The zoo is currently in the process of trying to gather funding for a refurbished polar bear exhibit. Next to the bears are the lions, which rarely do anything other than sleep during zoo hours, especially in the summer. Same goes for the tigers, one white and one orange, which share an enclosure and can usually be seen sprawled out on a flower bed or in the shade of a cave.

Kiboka features two warthogs, which were initially brought in temporarily but have since become permanent fixtures. The outpost itself boasts a number of educational displays and a colorful safari guide, Dr. Max Zeller, a pseudonym for a college biology professor by the name of Dr. Masteller with a particular passion for insects and arachnids. Other animals include a pair of rhinos, a cheetah that can be observed from within the outpost or on the second floor observatory overlooking its enclosure, and a herd of zebras, as well as a variety of smaller animals.

When I was younger, the zebras were still up in this part of the zoo, as well as the bison (who now seem to be absent aside from one roaming free in Safariland, through which the train runs). It wasn’t much of a trip from the tigers to the bison, but once we reached the zebras we had a treacherously steep descent to the giraffe house. I can’t imagine this was up to ADA code; just walking down the path seemed dangerous. This pathway has since been replaced with a boardwalk, which is much more easily traversable. At the bottom of the hill are the giraffes, which are usually outside during the summer. It’s not unusual to see them sticking out their long black tongues to nab a tasty leaf or two. Their plot of land is surrounded on two sides by a large pond, which is home to several swans and a constantly variable number of ducks. I’ve never seen the swans leave the water, but the ducks venture out all the time to beg French fries off the patrons of the main concession stand across the way. I don’t believe any of these ducks are actual zoo animals. Mill Creek runs through the middle of the zoo, just under the bridge connecting this section to the Children’s Zoo, and I suspect that is where the ducks come from. Nonetheless, they are a constant presence in the pond, almost always outnumbering the swans. In the middle of the pond is Monkey Island, home to the zoo’s spider monkeys, which are conveniently afraid of water.

The Children’s Zoo is considerably different than it was when I worked there. The carousel is now nestled in an indoor pavilion just outside the entrance, and rides are $2 a person. Inside the Children’s Zoo is a configuration of buildings connected by cobblestone walkways. The old staple of the petting zoo is still in place, though it’s smaller than it used to be and seems to have fewer animals. Miniature zebus, donkeys and llamas fill other pens, and some of the smaller animals that used to live in the Children’s Zoo barn now have a place in the educationally oriented Adventure Center. Entirely new exhibits include Mystery Mountain, a safer reincarnation of Rock Candy Mountain. The top is an observation deck, while the path underneath is a great way to cool off on a hot day. The old children’s play area has been replaced with a new one resembling a Chuck E. Cheese crawl but utilizing an animal motif. The most anticipated addition is a penguin exhibit, which can be viewed at eye level or underwater. The large pool takes up much of the exhibit, and the penguins seem to have a great time zooming through the water. The other exciting new exhibits are the aviary, where visitors can feed nectar to a colorful variety of Australian lorikeets, and the Australian Walkabout, where visitors are encouraged to take a stroll with a kangaroo.

On your way up from the Children’s Zoo, be sure to pay a visit to the otters. Their underwater antics are as entertaining as the penguins’. Next up is Wild Asia, the section of the zoo that was built after Kiboka and before the new Children’s Zoo. The entrance is an ornate archway decorated in an Asian motif. The majority of Wild Asia is inside and includes such animals as red pandas, Indian muntjacs (small, primitive members of the deer family) and the wildly popular pair of orangutans with their still-tiny one-year-old, Leela.

The changes to the zoo are impressive and exciting, though they do leave me wondering about a number of animals that seem to have disappeared. I wonder whether they are still on zoo grounds somewhere out of the visitors’ viewing area and whether they will ever be put back on display. In addition to the bison, the flamingoes have gone missing, as well as a large number of animals in the Children’s Zoo, unless I missed them. I didn’t see the Sika deer, pygmy goats, capybaras, porcupines, arctic foxes, white ducks, tortoise, or most of the animals that were in the barn. I know that animals come and go over time; I haven’t seen Zorro in years, and the raccoons that once were exhibited across from the duck pond have been gone almost as long as Rock Candy Mountain. But it’s a bit of a shock to see so many animals depart at once, even if it means that new animals have the opportunity to come in.

All in all, the Erie Zoo is a wonderful place to take the family for the afternoon in spite of its small size. It’s easy to view each exhibit; you’ll never have to leave feeling as thought you didn’t get to see everything. In fact, it rarely takes more than a couple hours to get through the zoo. If you want to make even more of a day of it, pack a picnic in the car and head next door afterwards for a leisurely lunch in the picnic grove and some splashing around the creek. The Erie Zoo has always been one of my favorite places to visit, and I would recommend it to anyone whose idea of a good time involves fur, fins or feathers.

Poetry and Pet Lovers Will Love This Book

A couple weeks ago, I was taking a break in the back room of the bookstore where I work and I noticed a small book sitting atop a pile of books behind me. Always a sucker for a good dog story, I saw the title Love That Dog and thought I’d take a look. I read the back and then proceeded to open the book to the first page. By the end of the break I was several pages in and determined to finish the roughly 90-page book off during my half-hour lunch break. My lunch was good, but the reading was even more nourishing.

Although Sharon Creech’s Love That Dog is subtitled “a novel,” the print is unusually large and the writing on each page is quite sparse. It is, in fact, a type of epistolary novel, filled with entries in the classroom poetry journal of a boy named Jack. After he writes his reactions to the day’s lesson, first reluctantly but with growing enthusiasm, his teacher arranges his prose so that it looks like poetry.

The book reminded me a bit of Beverly Cleary’s Dear Mr. Henshaw. Like Mr. Henshaw, Jack’s teacher gives advice and instruction to which we only see the response. Furthermore, like Leigh, the protagonist in Dear Mr. Henshaw, Jack is inspired by the work of a particular author and proceeds to write to him. In this case, the author is Walter Dean Myers.

Throughout the book, several well-known poems are mentioned. I was amused by the reference to the William Carlos Williams poem The Red Wheelbarrow, which my class studied during my sophomore year of high school. The poem reads in its entirety: “so much depends / upon / a red wheel / barrow / glazed with rain / water / beside the white / chickens.” Jack’s reaction to the poem was similar to my own. Why does so much depend on the wheelbarrow? And what makes this one descriptive sentence a poem?

It also brought to mind the Guy Noir sketch on Prairie Home Companion in which poet laureate Billy Collins assists Guy Noir in apprehending the distributor of numerous shoddy imitations of several Williams poems, most prominently This is Just to Say. For instance: “This is just to say / I have buried your cat / which you left with me for the weekend / and which you were expecting to pick up on Monday. / Forgive me. / She was dead. / So stiff / and starting to smell funky.” Jack’s imitation of The Red Wheelbarrow is the first of many in this book, leading up to his revelation of the poem written in mimicry of Myers’ Love That Boy.

I recognized most of the poems in Love That Dog, and those familiar allusions added to my enjoyment of a book which is simultaneously a very quick read and a very moving story. This is a book about poetry and its power to help those who write it to work through even the most painful of circumstances. Along with that, it’s the simple tale of a boy and the dog that he adores, making this a winner for the literarily minded and animal lovers alike.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

When I was in elementary school, I made no secret of my passion for Middle-earth and its inhabitants. In first grade, I begged to stay in from recess so I could sit at my desk and draw portraits of Bilbo Baggins. (These tended to look suspiciously like Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter; apparently hairy feet were not enough for me.) In third grade, I cheered when our reading textbook included Sam’s poem about oliphaunts. In fifth grade, I dressed up as Bilbo, complete with pipe and padded stomach, for the class’s wax museum. That same year I wrote a three-page poem about The Lord of the Rings and brought it in to school to show my teacher.

Both of these fifth-grade incidents caught the attention of the middle school English teacher, Mrs. Lucht, an avid Tolkien fan herself. Sixth grade proved to be an especially productive year for me. Mrs. Lucht let me direct the class in a play I had written, and that resulted in my getting written up as a “Can-Do Kid” in the newspaper. At the annual awards assembly on the last day of school, Mrs. Lucht presented me with a special gift: A Hobbit’s Journal, a sturdy paperback tome filled with Middle-earth illustrations and plenty of room for writing.

As is my unfortunate custom with journals, especially one this nice, I kept it secret and safe as the Ring without marking more than half a dozen pages. But when a pile of them showed up in the bargain bin at the bookstore where I work, I couldn’t resist picking up a couple more. I may give one to another Hobbit-loving friend, but the other I’ll keep for myself. Maybe one day I’ll fill them both.

Though this journal originally sold for $5.95, I only paid two dollars this time around. It’s a bargain even at the original price. Each page is heavy and resembles an old piece of parchment. There are no lines to write on, making things a bit tricky if your writing tends to slant as mine does, but the unlined pages allow for more creativity. When my boss at work looked at one of the journals, she said her daughter would enjoy trying to copy the drawings on each page. A Hobbit’s Journal is equally accommodating to writing and drawing, and if you’re inclined to give Middle-earth script a try, this is the ideal space in which to practice.

The book’s cover features a drably colored illustration of the Fellowship making its way from Rivendell. It’s a lovely drawing with a different feel to it than the rest of the drawings in the book, which are all very detailed sepia-tone line drawings. All have a very soft sense about them, as though they might dissipate altogether if you leave them for a moment. Accompanying the drawings are labels written in exquisite letters that could have been penned by a hobbit’s hand. They heighten the aesthetic quality of an already gorgeous book.

The book begins with a brief history fabricated by the illustrator, Michael Green, explaining that Samwise, after setting about the task of completing Frodo’s account of their quest, had decided that drawing his companions and their adventures might finish the story more effectively than words. Finding himself lacking in the required talents, he sought an artist to whom he could dictate the story, and Green traveled to Hobbiton to offer his services, leaving Sam so satisfied with the result that he couldn’t bear to sully the pages with his simple words. The introduction does seem a tad self-congratulatory, but I suppose that can be forgiven. After all, I’ve barely been able to bring myself to do any writing in the journal myself.

Most of the characters in Lord of the Rings have a place here; I wish more of the locales did as well. This is a very talented artist, and I would have enjoyed seeing his interpretations of such Middle-earth stops as Hobbiton, Rivendell, and the Grey Havens. The characters are beautifully rendered, though there are choices I find a bit perplexing. The elderly Sam is made to look like Santa Claus, and Elrond looks too much like a human monarch. The position of his hair does not allow his ears to be seen, and, like Sam, he has a significant amount of facial hair, which is inappropriate for both hobbits and elves. Meanwhile, a picture of Arwen portrays her idly offering a flower to a unicorn. Now, I love unicorns, but I can’t recall that Tolkien ever mentioned them as having a place in Middle-earth. Somehow, I can’t imagine them there, so I found this illustration jarring.

For the most part, though, the drawings are very pleasing. I particularly like the Hobbits and Gandalf, whose personalities come across very effectively. I’m also very fond of the final page, which features a quietly smoldering mountain surrounded by vegetation and approached by several birds in flight. The page is topped with the words “In the end, the shadow is but a passing thing,” a quote from the moment towards the end of the novel when the sight of Middle-earth’s most sacred star instills in Sam a powerful sense of hope.

For Lord of the Rings fans, this little book is a treasure not to be missed. Whether or not you use it for its intended purpose, the drawings make the pages worth perusing time and again. And for the price, you might as well pick up a spare. Who knows when it might come in handy?

Epinions Then and Now Write-Off: Here's to the Next Four Years!

Well, I just happened upon this write-off celebrating Birdfeather's 100th review and, feeling a bit nostalgic, decided to go ahead and crash the party. Way to go, Birdfeather!

1. How long have you been a member of Epinions?

I have been a member of Epinions since January 5, 2000 - more than four years now!

2. Which member invited you to join or did you stumble upon the site?

I stumbled upon the site looking for a place where I could submit book reviews.

3. Is there anything you miss about Epinions that has changed and/or no longer in force?

Well, I really miss the first month, when I made 10 to 30 cents per hit, and even getting one cent per hit was pretty nice. Plus, some members I like a lot haven't written much lately.

4. Who are your Top 3 Epinion members and why?

I'm seriously no good at favorites. Ask me that about anything and I'll have trouble. There are so many amazing writers and wonderful people here on Epinions, it's really hard to single out anybody. Just to stretch it, here are 4 of my favorites...

ByronSummers - Yeah, aside from one review in January, he hasn't written in two years, but few members have stood out so powerfully to me. I still remember the first time I read one of his reviews. I love the skill, warmth, and passion each review displays, and the personality with which he infuses his writing makes reading it especially enjoyable.

JediKermit - Quinn is a darn funny guy. His razor-sharp wit leaves me laughing out loud time and again, yet in the course of the same review he can move me nearly to tears. I happened upon Quinn pretty early in his Epinions career and watched him gradually pass me by; with almost 200 reviews between us now, I doubt I'll ever catch up. But if that means always having one of his reviews to read, that's OK by me.

IanGrant - His incredibly detailed music reviews are great for a music lover like me, especially since we have such similar taste. I've particularly enjoyed exchanging comments with him about Simon and Garfunkel.

Panguitch - I read dozens of reviews of The Return of the King, many brilliantly written, but I never found one to top Andy's. That distinction placed him firmly in my high esteem, and his other reviews are just as illuminating.

5. What is your favorite thing about Epinions?

I love having a place where I can write post reviews without having to go through anybody, and getting comments on them is especially nice. Every once in a while I'll get an e-mail from somebody because they read one of my reviews, and that's especially cool. I also love reading reviews and encountering lots of terrific people.

6. What are your goals for the next year here at Epinions?

I'd really like to regain my top reviewer hats in movies and music. I lost them when I went to England in 2001 for five weeks and didn't write any reviews while I was gone and haven't managed to get them back since. I'd also like to not have so many stretches of several weeks without reviews. (The two, I imagine, complement one another...)

7. If you could change one thing about Epinions, what would it be?

I want my penny-per-hit back!

8. What do you think of the Epinion dolls? Cute or Uglee??

I guess they're kinda cute.

9. What is your favorite pastime at Epinions...Reading or Writing?

As much as I love reading the many wonderful reviews here, it was the writing that drew me here, and in no small measure it's what keeps me here. No matter how great my writer's block, I can always find something to write a review about, which in turn makes me feel productive. And that's a good thing.

10. What is your favorite Write-Off and who was it hosted by??

I don't do write-offs too often. I don't think I can really pick a favorite. Each one has its merits.

Well, there ya go! I've been hanging around more than four years now, so I won't be going away any time soon. Here's to the next four years!

Jekyll and Hyde and Seuss, Oh My!

Last month, when I went to pick up the latest installment in the VeggieTales series, I encountered an advertisement for the next video. It was apparently long-awaited, originally having been slated for release late last year, but I had never heard of it before, so I was thrilled to discover that yet another addition to my collection would be arriving in a few short weeks. Moreover, the previews left me prepared for one of the greatest Veggie offerings to date, riddled with allusions and hearty helpings of humor and heart. I am an absolute Veggie devotee, and ranking the episodes would prove a task too strenuous for my hierarchically challenged mind, but A Snoodle’s Tale would almost certainly land in my top five.

I enjoyed it so much that I did not even miss the asparagi (both Junior and family and Archibald), Pa Grape, Laura Carrot… The only regulars who appeared here were Bob, Larry, Scooter, and Jimmy Gourd. Silly Songs with Larry also featured the unfortunately named Akmetha, the batty leek (I think?) who first graced the screen screeching her love of puppies before the king in Esther and has maintained a silly song presence since. At least her singing voice has improved…

A Snoodle’s Tale segues directly out of The Ballad of Little Joe; it begins with Bob awaiting Larry’s return from Danish Immersion Camp with a large “Velkommen Hjem Larry” sign. But when Larry arrives, he reveals – to Bob’s horror – that a canoeing incident on the first day left him stranded at the Overdone British Literary Adaptations Camp. This means that he doesn’t even know enough Danish to translate the “Welcome Home” sign, let alone fill the role of the Danish truck driver in the story that Bob prepared for the show. However, it does leave him qualified to tell another equally satisfying tale…

The Strange Case of Dr. Jiggle and Mr. Sly takes us back to the streets of London, which appeared before in The Star of Christmas and An Easter Carol. But this time, all the action takes place at night, lending this portion of the video a dark and gritty feel entirely opposite to the second half. This Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde spoof also carries hints of Sherlock Holmes and Watson in the interactions of Butterbun (Scooter) and Pool (Larry). But the object of scrutiny is the kindly but portly Dr. Jiggle and his mysterious new boarder, Mr. Sly, who dresses and dances as though he stepped right out of Saturday Night Fever. Though the original tale is a horror classic, there’s nothing scary in this riotous tale about a self-conscious gourd and his disco aspirations.

There is only one song in the first portion, reprised once. It begins soft and wistful and builds to an over-the-top, operatic chorus, resulting in an effect that is at once impressive and comical. The silly song, “Sport Utility Vehicles,” employs a similar approach, with soft, lovey-dovey verses and a loud pop chorus that climaxes with delusions of grandeur that we hear in the music as much as the words. (The instrumentation in this part was slightly reminiscent for me of the heroic version of the Into the West chorus that accompanied Sam’s Frodo-laden trek up Mt. Doom in Return of the King, an interesting observation since the Snoodle’s hike up Mt. Ginches in the main story reminded me of the same thing. Maybe not so interesting… I probably still just have hobbits on the brain! Then again, I was mesmerized by the comfort of the stranger’s home in A Snoodle’s Tale, but it was not until Mike Nawrocki referred to its hobbitishness on the commentary track that I connected it with Tolkien. Now a VeggieTales Lord of the Rings parody – that would be perfection…) At any rate, Sport Utility Vehicle is an entertaining duet, part love song, part ode to the SUV, and all over-the-top. It’s also the last song in the video, unless you count Qwerty’s “What We Have Learned” ditty.

The title tale is a throwback to The Story of Flibber-o-loo, which is featured after the credits as a bonus. Both are done entirely in rhyme very much in the style of Dr. Seuss, but Snoodle takes the Seussian inspiration a step further, incorporating brightly colored, wildly imaginative sets and dozens of bizarre words of which the good doctor would no doubt approve. The lush settings are the most aesthetically pleasing I have ever seen in a VeggieTales videos, and that’s saying quite a bit. Furthermore, the Snoodles are an entirely different type of creature, something we’ve never encountered before. Their appearance is rather gourd-like, but their skin is pastel and they sport wings, tufts of hair, and hands (but no arms).

This beautifully told story borrows some of its phrasing from The Lorax and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the two books which I believe were Seuss’s finest achievements. For instance, the introduction to the idyllic lands surrounding Snoodleberg bears a remarkable resemblance to the Onceler’s initial description of the forest he destroyed. Moreover, there is an ironic correlation between the snoodle-creating tower in the center of town and the Onceler’s old factory, as well as between the stranger’s home at the top of Mount Ginches and the Grinch’s cave. This is a brilliant homage to Dr. Seuss.

Bob, who narrates the story, is the only familiar character. This story focuses on one particular snoodle, a young fellow (voiced by an actual child, as opposed to Junior Asparagus) whose belittlement by the larger snoodles around him causes him to leave home, deflated. His journey of self-discovery takes him to the peak of Mount Ginches, which he is disturbed to find populated by more than just birds. But he soon discovers that this stranger is unlike all the others. While they shower him with scorn, this snoodle makes the youngster feel welcome and assures him that he is special. The sequence with the stranger is quite remarkable; we never see his face, but his warm British voice and the way the animators showed his surroundings reacting to him yield an incredible sense of compassion and comfort. This incomplete revelation is utterly appropriate for this presence at the heart of each Veggie video who did not manifest himself until this moment.

This latest Veggie episode more than lived up to my expectations. By turns inspiring, heartwarming and hilarious, it is a brilliant addition to any Veggie lover’s collection and, in spite of the allusion to Little Joe, I would recommend it to the uninitiated as evidence of the Veggie team’s intelligence, emotional depth and dedication. Here’s to a job well done!

That Doggone Dog...

That Ribsy! He may be one of the most agreeable dogs on the face of the planet, but he’s also one of the most likely to get into trouble. In Henry and Ribsy, this spells trouble for his owner, Henry Huggins, who has his heart set on joining his dad on a fishing trip. When he first mentions the possibility, all that his dad says is, “We’ll see.” That sounds like a “yes” to Henry, but when he inquires again, shortly after Ribsy snatches the lunch out of a police officer’s car, Mr. Huggins tells him he can only go if he keeps Ribsy out of mischief. It sounds easy enough, but Henry soon realizes the job is going to be a lot harder than he thought.

To make matters worse, his parents decide to assign Henry the task of taking out the garbage every day. Sure, it means an extra fifteen cents in his allowance each week, but Henry isn’t sure dealing with all that smelly trash is worth it, especially when Ribsy inexplicably frightens the garbage man away, leaving Henry to deal with an overflowing can of extra-gross refuse. Just as unfortunate for Henry is the fact that his mother acquired a pair of clippers in order to give him a home haircut. His worries about his mother’s haircutting skills are realized when he looks in the mirror to discover a head full of chewed up hair, and just before the first day of school, too!

But the book doesn’t only spell disaster for Henry. Ribsy makes up for his recent misbehavior when he impresses Henry’s friends with a spur-of-the-minute stunt, and when he’s accused by the neighborhood busybody of terrorizing Ramona, the sage school principal sees the reality of the situation and defends Ribsy in front of the whole PTA. It looks like Henry will get to go on that fishing trip after all, but with Ribsy along for the ride, Henry endures his most chaotic encounter of the book, emerging with a fish tale he’ll be happy to recount again and again.

I recently re-read these books out of order, but that did not detract from my enjoyment of them. All of Cleary’s chronicles are written with such heart and humor, they are a delight no matter what order they are read in. And while they were written specifically with the juvenile crowd in mind, their appeal does not dim when being read by adults. Three cheers for Beverly Cleary!

A Boy and His Bike

In Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books, Ramona longs for a bike of her own. She only gets to ride a bike when her friend Howie lets her borrow his. Henry and Beezus finds Henry Huggins in the same situation. He wants nothing in the world more than his very own bike, which he then hopes to use to help him get a paper route. The trouble is, bikes are expensive, and Henry’s parents don’t have the money to buy him one. If he’s going to get one, the task will fall to Henry to earn the money for it.

Henry knows exactly which one he wants: the beautiful shiny red bike that he passes in the shop window every day. But it costs $59.95, which is an awful lot of money for a young boy without a paper route to produce. With a little help from Ramona’s older sister Beezus, Henry launches a business selling chewing gum that has both lucrative and disastrous results. He’s thrilled when the sometimes chummy, sometimes antagonistic Scooter McCarthy asks him to cover his paper route while he’s away, but first Henry must untrain his dog Ribsy, who, in an attempt to be helpful, has recently taken to collecting all of the newspapers in the neighborhood and depositing them on Henry’s porch. In this endeavor he receives some unexpected aid from Ramona, who is just as pesky as ever in this volume.

It’s interesting to note the differences in characterizations between the Ramona books and the Henry books. Ramona, of course, never comes off so badly from her own perspective. Meanwhile, though the Ramona books generally show Beezus as rather boring and prissy, the Henry books always emphasize that she is “very sensible, for a girl,” and it’s always Beezus who is willing to help Henry out of a jam, no matter how unladylike that requires her to be. She also seems to have a crush on Henry. Beezus is always popping up in the Henry books, but oddly enough, Henry scarcely makes an appearance in the Ramona books at all, and when he does it is usually only as a haughty crossing guard.

Henry, as usual, finds himself in all sorts of unusual situations in this book. It looks like his hopes for a bike are about to derail when he discovers that Ribsy is the recipient of a parking ticket whose fee will just about exhaust his bike fund. Then, when he finally does get his hands on a bike, courtesy of Beezus, it turns out to be such a clunker that none of his repairs are capable of rendering it rideable. It’s no surprise that Henry finally attains his prize at the end of the book, but it’s the unpredictable steps (and mis-steps) along the way that make Henry and Beezus a very satisfying read, worthy of standing alongside Cleary’s other accomplished Henry and Ramona novels.