The Last Homely House

Our Middle-Earth Madness Tournament begins! We start out with the bottom left region of the bracket: Book 4 of the Lord of the Rings versus the Silmarillion. What do you think of our picks? Who did you have moving on?

We're continuing our look at what gets handed down in Middle-Earth, moving from the short-folk to the big-folk! What are some of the things that get handed down by Men? Join us as we discuss power, household heirlooms, and inherited friendship.

We're starting a new season and a new series, looking at all things "handed down." How do heirlooms, heritage, inheritance (and the like) play into Tolkien's world (and specifically into his stories)? We start out this week looking at the Hobbits and all of the things Bilbo hands down to Frodo (his home, his ring, his adventuring gear, and also his 'Tookish' adventuring spirit).

Because we can't leave well-enough alone, we dive a little deeper into the alleged connection between Sauron and Bombadil (suggested by their poetic style). We speculate together and offer explanations that range from plausible to ridiculous. How would you explain the similarities?

With all of our hosts back together, we take one (final?) swing at the collection of Tolkien's poetry. This time we look at their selections from the Lord of the Rings. Which were our favorites? Do we think they did a good job choosing a representative collection? Also...why do Sauron and Bombadil write poetry the same way!?

Since Jasmine was out of town for last week's episde, we return to Volume 3 of Tolkien's collected poetry and talk about a few more of our first favorites. Tragedy written in bouncy couplets. A slow and terrifying dragon. And a purposely unfinished work by...Arwen?

Jon and Ron dive in and share some of their "first favorites" from the third volume of Tolkien's Collected Poetry. We talk nostalgia, Germanic sagas, and limmericks. (Basically, we're all over the place when Jasmine isn't here!)

We cracked open the box a bit last week talking about portrayals of Aragorn and Arwen's romance in the upcoming Hunt for Gollum. This week, our hosts go back to the source material to discuss their relationship, how it is portrayed in Jackson's films, and how it might be brought into the new film well.

We're just over a year away from more Tolkien on the big screen, with The Hunt for Gollum expected to hit theaters in late 2027. And, while there's not a lot of official news yet, there have been rumors floating around concerning who will (and won't) be returning to reprise some beloved characters. Join our hosts as we engage in one of our favorite passtimes: SPECULATION!

25 years after its original release, Jon and Jasmine finally got the chance to see it in the theater (Jon also got to watch Two Towers and Return of the King). We chat about our experience seeing these masterpieces on the silver screen. Did any else get the chance to see the anniversary screenings?

Our hosts chat about a new book, Tom Racine's "Doomed to Die: An A-to-Z of Death in Tolkein" and then discuss Tolkien's own assertion that all human stories are about one thing...the inevitability of death.

One episode in volume 2 was not enough! We needed a few more minutes to talk about some of the great stuff we found in the second part of the new poetry collection.

After taking a few weeks away from Tolkien's Collected Poetry, our hosts return to the collection and share some of their favorites from Volume 2.

Join our hosts and they think back over the last year of podcasting and look forward to a new year full of fun new discussions to be had! What were your favorite episodes this year? What would you like to hear us talk about next?

Have you ever wondered which Middle-Earth location corresponds to which modern Holiday? Have you ever thought about how New Years Day might be celebrated around Middle-Earth? No? Well, you're about to!! Join us for our unhinged end-of-the-year special!

Within the recently published poetry collection, we look at a beautiful Christmas poem first published by Tolkien in 1936 and at a silly poem sent to his children at Christmastime in 1938.

Our hosts spend more time with the first volume of Tolkien's collected poems (spanning 1910-1919), looking at how his experience in war comes out in these works, as well as how the beginings of Middle-Earth begin to peak through.

Far from being experts on Tolkien's early poems, our hosts spend some time talking about what were the early stand-outs in Volume 1. Greek myths. Shadows of war. And hints at a Middle-Earth to come.

We've finally got our hands on the recently published collection of Tolkien's poetry! What are our first impressions of this impressive, 3-volume collection? Tune in to find out!

After the darker subject matter of the last two weeks, we decided to do something a little more light-hearted. Can Ron and Jasmine determine what quotes are authentic Tolkien and which ones are not? Can you? Join in the game and let us know how you did!

Building off of last week's conclusion, we discuss how different the Lord of the Rings would have looked with different fantasy authors at the helm. What do you think of our darker, Martin-esque LotR? What about the lighter (shorter) Lewis-inspired LotR?

How can the deaths of one actor (Sean Bean) be so illustrative of two very different kinds of fantasy storytelling? Our hosts compare the death of Boromir in Fellowship of the Ring and Ned Stark in Game of Thrones and talk about some of the important ways Tolkien's fantasy differs from Martin's.

Our hosts switch gears from their summer (and early fall) of book club and talk about the new photos released from the Rings of Power season 3 set. What (if anything) do we learn from the shots? What are our hopes (and fears) for what's coming in the new season?

The last two hidden kingdoms fall to ruin and Earendil sails west on behalf of the two kindreds. Will the host of Valinor save the day? (Spoilers: they do.) The Quenta Silmarillion wraps up, and we add on the Akalabeth (on the destruction of Numenor) and "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age" which...talks about the Rings of Power...and the Third Age.

Beren and Luthien wrest a Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth, the Battle of Unnumbered Tears is waged, and Turin...gets himself into trouble.

The Noldor depart from Valinor in pursuit of the Silmarils. It...does not go well... Wars are waged. Hidden kingdoms are established. The Noldor lose two kings. Men appear on the scene. Morgoth slowly gains the upper hand.

We had so much fun with our Book Club, we extended it by a month! We're spending October in the Silmarillion! Today's episode takes us from the Ainunlindalë (when the Ainur sing the world into existence) to the Darkening of Valinor (when Morgoth and Ungoliant consumed the light of the two trees and stole the Silmarils).

Never content to leave well enough alone, Tolkien follows up the masterfully told tale of the Ring with appendices of all kinds. From tales of years long past to random notes on translation and pronunciation. What do you think is the most interesting part of Tolkien's appendices?

The Fellowship, reunited at long last after the completion of their quest, begins to part ways. The hobbits head west to the Shire (which is not as they left it) and then Frodo departs to head even further West...

Sam rescues Frodo and the two begin the hopeless trek across Mordor and, against all odds, complete their mission...quest...thing.

Eucatastrophe on the Pelennor Fields as victory is secured in the nick of time. But will it be enough? Our victorious heroes march to certain defeat at the Enemy's very gate.

Pippen and Gandalf arrive in Minas Tirith. Battle arrives in Minas Tirith. The Rohirrim arrive (just in time) in Minas Tirith.

Smeagol is saved after trespassing in the forbidden pool...and then leads Sam and Frodo to certain death. Talk about ungrateful...

We go back in time and catch up with Sam and Frodo, east of the Anduin. They travel with their newfound guide to the edge of Mordor and meet an unanticipated ally in Ithilien.

We pick up our story with the battle at Helm's Deep and end with Gandalf and Pippen racing toward Minas Tirith.

With the Fellowship broken, our story first follows the kidnapped Hobbits and the heroic hunters who pursue them (and find more than they're looking for)!

The fellowship rests in Lothlorien, they travel down the Anduin, and ultimately go their separate ways. What were your favorite parts of these chapters? What change/growth have you seen in the characters so far? What are you watching for in the next book?

Frodo is reunited with Gandalf in Imladris only to lose him to tragedy in the dark under the mountain. These few chapters are full of ups and downs (and SO much information). What parts stood out the most to you?

From the threshold of Bombadil's door to the threshold of Rivendel, our hosts follow the growing fellowship through the Barrow Downs, into Bree, to Weathertop, and eventually to the Ford of Bruinen. What stood out to you in these chapters?

One book down, three to go! Our hosts begin their discussion of Fellowship by escaping the Shire with Frodo (only to find greater peril in the wider world). What were your favorite part of these early chapters?

We take a quick diversion from Middle Earth to look at one of Tolkien's short stories (Smith of Wooton Major). Does it show some similarities to the Hobbit? Can it teach us anything about Tolkien's opinion on Faery stories?

We wrap up our first book for the summer! Bilbo's courage and wisdom save the day and the finally makes his way back home. What did you think? If it was your first read, how did you like it? If you've read it before, what stood out to you this time around?

We continue our read-through the Hobbit with chapters 11-15. (or as Ron would call them, the DRAGON CHAPTERS!!) We go from the dwarves (and Bilbo) first entering the mountain to the point when they barricade themselves inside against those who want a part of the treasure. What were your favorite parts of this section?

Our hosts talk about the next five chapters of the Hobbit, taking them from their run-in with the wolves all the way to their safe arrival in Laketown.

At long last, we begin our read-through of the Hobbit, going from Bilbo's unexpected party to the riddle-battle under the mountain. What are your favorite parts of those first few chapters?