GeekMom discussion

I hope everyone is still enjoying our March read, The Hobbit! Here are the questions for this week, but feel free to pose any questions or ideas you have on this book.

During one of the most famous and important scenes in The Hobbit, Bilbo plays a game of riddles with Gollum. He ends up winning by asking “What have I got in my pockets?”, which Gollum is unable to answer. How do you think you would have done if you had been playing the riddle game instead of Bilbo? Do you think Bilbo cheated by asking a question at the end that wasn’t strictly a riddle?

First of all, I'm horrible with jokes and riddles so it probably would have gone poorly for me :) And, yes, I do think Bilbo accidentally cheated... but Gollum agreed and considered the question part of the game. Seeing as how there was no independent judge standing around, if both parties agreed, it was a fair question.

I don't think well on my feet. This scene always "scared" me more than any other thing they encountered. Trolls I could try and run away from but riddles, I'm awful at them. Gollum would have won. I do think that Bilbo cheated as he did not ask a riddle, but since Gollum didn't object until he had lost the game he did accept the question as valid for the game they were playing. Is it a trait in all of us, that we will accept the rules be bent when we think it will turn out in our favor? We only object when it turns events against us.

I similarly have a hard time with that scene. I think the riddles started out really clever but then seemed to get a bit hokey at the end. Maybe I'm picking on Tolkien a little by saying this, but I wondered if there's a more clever way to get Bilbo to have won that ring...

And Sarah: I think you're right, it's human nature to want the rules to work in our favor. That deep down everyone wishes the rules weren't so strict?

I'm so close to the end I can taste it! I think I'll be done by tonight and I can squeeze in a GM review book before next month's read!

I know I would have failed on the first riddle. I'm really bad with riddles. I do think that they were both getting desperate by the end and had used up their better riddles at first.

And I think the way that Bilbo won actually fits his character and the fact that he was completely out of ideas *L*

I remember the first time I read riddles in the dark. I'd already read Lord of the Rings and was aware of what was happening. I also had a much better understanding of the ring, Gollum, and what had happened to poor Smeagol. I felt cheated by Bilbo. What kind of Riddle is, "what am I carrying in my pocket?". I really couldn't believe that Gollum fell for that! And with him carrying in about his Precious, in that one moment he doesn't think of it? I mean that would really have done Bilbo in, wouldn't it?

Reading it again, I can see more of the things already written above. Also knowing that Smeagol was Hobbit-like, it's completely reasonable that if Bilbo thought it was a truly permissible question that Gollum would as well.

I would be horrible with it! My wit is at it's "wit end" and I would have given up. I think Billbo did cheat. It was kinda a floppy way of getting out of something.

I would have lost at the first question, I'm absolutely terrible with riddles! As for the final question, well yes I do think it was cheating a bit but if Gollum agreed then it was fair.

I'm terrible at riddles so would have fallen at the first hurdle. I do think both parties got pretty desperate at the end. Knowing that Gollum never intended to play in the first place I have no problem with Bilbo's last question and Gollum did seem to except the question. Is it bad that it kind of reminded me of Holy Grain - what is your favourite colour? lol