I am having SUCH a hard time with Manon’s chapters

Is her story going to get more interesting? It feels like a chore reading her parts

With it being Valentine’s Day today, I’ve obviously been thinking a lot about love and relationships, and not just the romantic kind. I thought Tolkien does us a good job at portrayed all of the kinds so I wanted to have a discussion!

Tolkien gives us a bit of romance, but he primarily centres the more deep emotional bonds in friendship, thinking of Frodo and Sam, Merry and Pippin, and the loyalty of the Fellowship itself. These relationships are built on devotion, some shared hardship, and choosing one another again and again and you know, sometimes with more emotional weight than the love stories we usually celebrate this time of year.

So I’m curious what others think:

How do Tolkien’s friendships compare to his romantic relationships? Do you think bonds like Frodo and Sam’s carry the same (or even greater) emotional importance than romances like say, Aragorn and Arwen’s? If not, why?

Could some of these friendships be read as “platonic love”? And if you think so, how does that broader definition of love deepen the story and the world of Middle-earth?

Valentine’s Day always tends to focus on romance, but lately I think it's been shifting away to celebrate all of the different types of love we feel. Tolkien does a great job at reminding us that love can look like loyalty, sacrifice, and walking beside someone to the very end. I’d love to hear your thoughts!!

jesus and i thought book 3 was slow. 140 pages in and we’re still on the same bloody morning of the same day the book started on

Bit anxious about this one, not gonna lie. It's chonky. And no idea if this is a good starter Stephen King...

But am going in anyway. Wishing myself luck