Exploring Tolkien

Latest Episodes
128. A Courageous Hobbit and Disloyal Dwarves : The Hobbit #16
Bilbo makes it out of the Misty Mountains with more courage than ever before, while the dwarves prove their disloyalty.
Revisiting Tolkien’s Lost ‘Noel’ Poem
This poem, Noel, was written by J.R.R. Tolkien before The Hobbit was published, and only just discovered in 2013. Heres how that happened!
127. Where War of the Rohirrim went Wrong – In Depth Review
We all had high hopes when War of the Rohirrim was announced a few years ago. Are those hopes realized in this anime Lord of the Rings film?
126. Why Did Tolkien Change The Hobbit (and what did he change)? : The Hobbit #15
Once Tolkien finished writing The Lord of the Rings, it became clear to him that The Hobbit needed to change--particularly Bilbo and Gollum's interaction. But what exactly did he change?
125. Bilbo Trembled and Found Pity : The Hobbit #14
The 2nd half of "Riddles in the Dark" is the most rewritten part of The Hobbit in the 1951 rewrite! And it's where Bilbo takes a giant leap (so to speak) into the future of his adventure.
124. Miserable Riddles in the Dark : The Hobbit #13
"Riddles in the Dark" is not only the most memorable event from all of Middle-earth -- it's also the turning point that ultimately let to The Lord of the Rings.
123. Nightmare in Moria : The Hobbit #12
The goblins of moria grab the dwarves (and hobbit) who decided to camp out on their "front porch", leading to some real terrifying moments!
122. The Real Misty Mountains : The Hobbit #11
The first part of Chapter 4, Over Hill and Under Hill, is unique for it's direct correlation with Tolkien's own past. We discuss: Tolkien's hiking experience and how it influenced this section of The Hobbit VERY obviously. Stone Giants... are they e
121. Tolkien Gave Up on Fixing The Hobbit : The Hobbit #10
When Tolkien attempted to rewrite the Hobbit in 1960, he just gave up halfway through Chapter 3. In this episode we look at: Changes in time and distance Changes in Prose and style Why he gave up His detailed notes on timeline and itinerary that
120. Where the Children’s Story Ends and the Epic Story Begins : The Hobbit #9
In the second half of Chapter 3, A Short Rest, Tolkien seems to start a shift from a children's story to more of an epic quest.