Fellowship of the Ring/Summary

Summary

Book 1

Chapter 1: A Long-Expected Party

• Shire
• Bilbo's 111th birthday party
• Gandalf arrives
• Party preparations
• Bilbo says farewell
• Gandalf meets Bilbo back at Bag End
• Discussion about Bilbo's plans
• Bilbo tries to leave with the ring
• Bilbo departs
• Frodo arrives
• Gandalf doesn't say much about the ring
• People coming to get things from Bag End
• Gandalf and Frodo have a discussion in the evening
• True story of how Bilbo obtained the ring
• Gandalf begins to wonder about the ring
• Tells Frodo not to use it
• Gandalf departs, Frodo does not see him again for a long time

Quotes: Fellowship of the Ring/Quotes#Chapter 1

Chapter 2: The Shadow of the Past

• Shire
• This chapter covers a lot of time between the birthday party and the beginning of Frodo's quest
• Rumors of strange things, strangers passing through the Shire, elves going west
• Gandalf does not appear for several years
• Sam introduced as Frodo's gardner
• Gandalf first appears 3 years after the birthday party
• Shows up frequently for 1-2 years
• Disappears for nine years
• Gandalf appears one day
• Gandalf tells Frodo about the rings of power
• Mortals do not die/do not grow/merely continues
• The ring will change shape/size
• Gandalf recounts the White Council discussing how to drive Sauron from Mirkwood (just before the Battle of Five Armies)
• Bilbo lying about the ring to claim it (parallels Smeagol behavior)
• Gandalf raises prospect of Sauron invading the Shire
• Ring is thrown into the fire, ancient Elvish characters but language of Mordor
• Gandalf reveals that it is the One Ring
• Sauron discovered the ring was not lost, gathering strength in Mordor, looking for the ring
• Some history on the ring
• Isildur (Elendil's son) cut the One Ring from Sauron's hand
• Sauron retreated, eventually fled to Mirkwood
• Isildur attacked by Orcs, ring fell into the Great River
• Deagol/Smeagol story
• Smeagol wanders, begins obsessing, stealing, takes name Gollum
• Retreated into the Misty Mountains, Sauron knew nothing of the ring
• Similarities between river folk (Smeagol) and hobbits (love of riddles)
• Gollumn growing to hate the dark, hate the light, hate the ring
• Ring of power looks after itself
• Gandalf reveals he has talked with Gollum, found him, interrogated him
• Precious (peculiar way of talking)
• Gollum had discovered where Bilbo came from (Shire)
• Gollum did not go to the Shire, but tried to
• Mirkwood Wood-elves helped track Gollum
• Gollum's trail went cold, Gandalf let him go and let him be
• Trail was cold after he took it up again on Bilbo's 111th birthday
• Gandalf got help from Aragorn
• Tracked Gollum down entire length of Wilderland
• Gandalf discovers Gollum went to Mordor
• Gollum lurked around Morodr, was finally caught and interrogated
• Sauron learned that the One Ring was found again
• He heard "hobbits" and "Shire"
• Pity and mercy, deserving death/life
• Frodo asks why the Ring hasn't been destroyed
• Gandalf instructs him to throw it in the fire, Frodo is reluctant
• Must be destroyed in the Cracks of Doom in the depths of Orodruin, the Fire-mountain
• Frodo offers the ring to Gandalf
• Realizes he must leave the Shire
• Frodo torn between the call to adventure and the desire to stay in the Shire
• Mr. Underhill
• Sam eavesdropping
• Gandalf orders Sam to go with Frodo

Quotes: Fellowship of the Ring/Quotes#Chapter 2

Chapter 3: Three is Company

• Gandalf encourages Frodo to leave Bag End and leave the Shire
• Frodo reluctant to leave, but makes his mind up to leave on his 50th birthday (17 years after Bilbo's 111th birthday)
• Gandalf recommends Frodo go to Rivendell
• Frodo sells Bag End to the Sackville-Bagginses
• Gandalf stays in the Shire for two months (May and June)
• Gandalf then leaves to get news
• He promises to come back for the farewell birthday party
• Frodo does not hear from Gandalf
• Merry and Fatty go to the house in Crickhollow
• Stranger (dark rider) talking to Gaffer (Sam's father)
• Frodo, Pippin, and Sam leave Bag End
• After lunch, a black rider comes along the road
• Sniffs around
• Frodo has desire to use ring
• Black rider leaves
• They continue on
• As they are preparing to sleep for the night, another Black Rider comes along the road
• Gets off horse, begins crawling toward them
• Distracted by Elves (in the Woody End, from beyond the Tower Hills)
• Gildor Inglorion (House of Finrod)
• Hobbits mention black riders, Elves escort them
• March to woods on the hills above Woodhall* Sam sleeps curled up at Frodo's feet
• Frodo and Gildor have one on one time, talking about goings on outside the Shire
• Gildor knows Frodo is leaving the Shire, and is pursued by the Enemy
• Gildor learns that Gandalf has told Frodo nothing about the Black Riders, so he doesn't tell Frodo anything either

Quotes: Fellowship of the Ring/Quotes#Chapter 3

Chapter 4: A Shortcut to Mushrooms

• Sam agrees to go with Frodo, leave the Shire
• They agree to head for Bucklebury Ferry
• The group sets off through a shortcut through the forest
• They spot a black rider across a bank
• Continue on for several hours
• Hear screeching of black riders
• Farmer Maggot's farm
• Pippin good friends with Maggot, Frodo scared of his dogs
• Attacked by his dogs
• He invites them in
• Tells them about dark rider asking about Baggins
• He agrees to help them get to Bucklebury Ferry
• They leave after supper
• Carriage gets stopped, it's Merry
• Maggot drops them off at the Ferry

Quotes: Fellowship of the Ring/Quotes#Chapter 4

Chapter 5: A Conspiracy Unmasked

• The four hobbits reach the other side of the river
• They look back and see someone that looks like a dark bundle crawling or searching on the ground
• Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin stop in to see Fatty at Crickhollow before departing
• They have a bath and dinner
• Frodo tells them he has to leave the Shire
• Merry and Pippin agree to join
• Merry reveals he knew about the ring
• Frodo makes plans to stay the night and leave the next day
• Going through the Old Forest

Quotes: Fellowship of the Ring/Quotes#Chapter 5

Chapter 6: The Old Forest

• Four hobbits set out with five ponies
• Merry leads the way through the forest
• Bonfire Glade
• They reach a hill and can see East Road and the Barrow-downs
• River Withywindle
• Merry explores
• Everyone feels sleepy
• Merry and Pippin caught inside a tree
• They start a fire, put it out
• Tom Bombadil
• They follow him to his house

Quotes: Fellowship of the Ring/Quotes#Chapter 6

Chapter 7

In the House of Tom Bombadil

Quotes: Fellowship of the Ring/Quotes#Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Fog on the Barrow-Downs

Quotes: Fellowship of the Ring/Quotes#Chapter 8

Chapter 9

At the Sign of the Prancing Pony

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Chapter 10

Strider

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Chapter 11

A Knife in the Dark

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Chapter 12

Flight to the Ford

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Book 2

Chapter 1

Many Meetings

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Chapter 2

The Council of Elrond

Quotes: Fellowship of the Ring/Quotes#Chapter 2 2

Chapter 3

The Ring Goes South

Quotes: Fellowship of the Ring/Quotes#Chapter 3 2

Chapter 4

A Journey in the Dark

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Chapter 5

The Bridge of Khazad-Dum

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Chapter 6

Lothlorien

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Chapter 7

The Mirror of Galadriel

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Chapter 8

Farewell to Lorien

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Chapter 9

The Great River

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Chapter 10

The Breaking of the Fellowship

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