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

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

Me please! Short cut to mushrooms please and no poems or singing. :)

[ex-lbilover.livejournal.com]

Okie doke!! You're all signed up. *hugs*

[ex-lbilover.livejournal.com]

Here's your section from Chapter 4, Stef:

Frodo sat for a moment looking at the fire, but his only thought was how on earth would they reach the Ferry. 'I don't know what to think,' he said at last.

'Then I'll tell you what to think,' said Maggot. 'You should never have gone mixing yourself up with Hobbiton folk, Mr. Frodo. Folk are queer up there.' Sam stirred in his chair, and looked at the farmer with an unfriendly eye. 'But you were always a reckless lad. When I heard you had left the Brandybucks and gone off to that old Mr. Bilbo, I said that you were going to find trouble. Mark my words, this all comes of those strange doings of Mr. Bilbo's. His money was got in some strange fashion in foreign parts, they say. Maybe there is some that want to know what has become of the gold and jewels that he buried in the hill of Hobbiton, as I hear?'

Frodo said nothing: the shrewd guesses of the farmer were rather disconcerting.

'Well, Mr. Frodo,' Maggot went on, 'I'm glad that you've had the sense to come back to Buckland. My advice is: stay there! And don't get mixed up with these outlandish folk. You'll have friends in these parts. If any of these black fellows come after you again, I'll deal with them. I'll say you're dead, or have left the Shire, or anything you like. And that might be true enough; for as like as not it is old Mr. Bilbo they want news of.'

'Maybe you're right,' said Frodo, avoiding the farmer's eye and staring at the fire.

Maggot looked at him thoughtfully. 'Well, I see you have ideas of your own,' he said. 'It is as plain as my nose that no accident brought you and that rider here on the same afternoon; and maybe my news was no great news to you, after all. I am not asking you to tell me anything you have a mind to keep to yourself; but I see you are in some kind of trouble. Perhaps you are thinking it won't be too easy to get to the Ferry without being caught?'

'I was thinking so,' said Frodo. 'But we have got to try and get there; and it won't be done by sitting and thinking. So I am afraid we must be going. Thank you very much indeed for your kindness! I've been in terror of you and your dogs for over thirty years, Farmer Maggot, though you may laugh to hear it. It's a pity: for I've missed a good friend. And now I'm sorry to leave so soon. But I'll come back, perhaps, one day – if I get a chance.'

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

Thank you! The reformed Terror of Buckland part!! :D

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

I posted my part! It's here:

http://frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com/374583.html

[ex-lbilover.livejournal.com]

Yay! Thanks! I'll listen to it tomorrow.