Sign-up for Chapters 4 & 6

[ex-lbilover.livejournal.com]

It's that time again! This round of Reading LOTR Aloud will work a little differently. I've been counting up chapter pages, and Chapter 4 is a very short one at only 12 pages, as are most of the following chapters up until 'The Council of Elrond' (which is a whopping 32 pages long and will present a different challenge!) Tolkien clearly wasn't consistent with his chapter lengths, lol!

Because of the shortness of the upcoming chapters, my fellow mods and I have decided it would make more sense to do two chapters at once rather than severely limit the number of participants or give each person only a few paragraphs to read.

When I did a trial run of this project a while ago, the chapter we read was Chapter 5, A Conspiracy Unmasked. For that reason, we will be skipping over Chapter 5 and instead read Chapters 4 & 6. (I will post links to the previous reading of Chapter 5 when we are done with this month's readings.)

I hope this is as clear as mud! :)

Ideally, it would be great to have 20 readers, 10 for each chapter, without duplication if possible so everyone has a chance to participate. In signing up, if you have a preference for either Chapter 4, A Short Cut to Mushrooms, or Chapter 6, The Old Forest, please let me know. I will do my best to accommodate everyone's requests. If you don't have a preference, I'll randomly assign a section to you.

Additionally, if you are one of those brave souls who doesn't mind reading a bit of poetry or singing a song, let me know! I already have the names of a couple of people who are willing to do this, but it's helpful to know in advance who else is game for the challenge! :)

So, sign-ups will run from today until next Monday, January 19th. You will then have a week to practice and the actual readings will begin on January 26th.

I'm really looking forward to another reading!! Yay! :D

ETA: we have a full complement of readers! Thank you all so much!

Comments

[baranduin.livejournal.com]

Count me in if there's still space available! My preference is The Old Forest but either is fine of course!

[ex-lbilover.livejournal.com]

There is still space, and I can definitely give you part of The Old Forest. Yay, I'm very happy you're participating again!

[ex-lbilover.livejournal.com]

Okay, here is your section from Chapter 6 to read:

The hobbits began to feel very hot. There were armies of flies of all kinds buzzing round their ears, and the afternoon sun was burning on their backs. At last they came suddenly into a thin shade; great grey branches reached across the path. Each step forward became more reluctant than the last. Sleepiness seemed to be creeping out of the ground and up their legs, and falling softly out of the air upon their heads and eyes.

Frodo felt his chin go down and his head nod. Just in front of him Pippin fell forward on to his knees. Frodo halted. 'It's no good,' he heard Merry saying. 'Can't go another step without rest. Must have nap. It's cool under the willows. Less flies!'

Frodo did not like the sound of this. 'Come on!' he cried. 'We can't have a nap yet. We must get clear of the Forest first.' But the others were too far gone to care. Beside them Sam stood yawning and blinking stupidly.

Suddenly Frodo himself felt sleep overwhelming him. His head swam. There now seemed hardly a sound in the air. The flies had stopped buzzing. Only a gentle noise on the edge of hearing, a soft fluttering as of a song half whispered, seemed to stir in the boughs above. He lifted his heavy eyes and saw leaning over him a huge willow-tree, old and hoary. Enormous it looked, its sprawling branches going up like reaching arms with many long-fingered hands, its knotted and twisted trunk gaping in wide fissures that creaked faintly as the boughs moved. The leaves fluttering against the bright sky dazzled him, and he toppled over, lying where he fell upon the grass.

Merry and Pippin dragged themselves forward and lay down with their backs to the willow-trunk. Behind them the great cracks gaped wide to receive them as the tree swayed and creaked. They looked up at the grey and yellow leaves, moving softly against the light, and singing. They shut their eyes, and then it seemed that they could almost hear words, cool words, saying something about water and sleep. They gave themselves up to the spell and fell fast asleep at the foot of the great grey willow.

Frodo lay for a while fighting with the sleep that was overpowering him; then with an effort he struggled to his feel again. He felt a compelling desire for cool water. 'Wait for me, Sam,' he stammered. 'Must bathe feet a minute.'

Half in a dream he wandered forward to the riverward side of the tree, where great winding roots grew out into the stream, like gnarled dragonets straining down to drink. He straddled one of these, and paddled his hot feel in the cool brown water; and there he too suddenly fell asleep with his back against the tree.