Hobbits and Treasure Seeking

I have just read The Hobbit, for the first time, as unbelievable as that sounds. 

The Hobbit

The book was always on the bookshelf when I was a kid, and this is the copy Aimo has had on the bookshelf since long before I knew him.  Our kids were read it for bedtime stories many times, but still I have never read it until now.  I have bought all kinds of books of Tolkien inspired art, I have visited the studio-gallery of Linda and Roger Garland, famous illustrators of Tolkien, but still I have never actually read any Tolkien.  I have even read Tom Shippey's defence of Tolkien's literary achievements, but still not read even The Hobbit.

J R R Tolkien

Until now.  Now I'm moving straight onto The Lord of The Rings Vol I, while I've got some momentum.

This afternoon I've watched Jane Eyre (2011). 

Jane Eyre (2011)

Miss Aimson had pointed out the brilliant deleted scene: Bertha Rips Jane's Veil.  I watched the film, then the deleted scenes.  I was horrified to see they had deleted the scenes with the supernatural and gothy content.  Why would you make a beautiful misty grey Jane Eyre with naturalistic hauntings then delete them?  Big mistake. 

I have exhibited at Art Fairs at Haddon Hall where it was filmed, and had some stuff in the gift shop once.  The people there were very entertaining with their behind-the-scenes filming anecdotes.  Also a local needlework emporium had supplied the veil.  Also, I saw the costumes exhibited at Bronte Parsonage Museum when we took Miss Aimson for a visit (every English Lit. student should really go, it's compulsory).  It's a good version of the film, beautiful and true to life, similar to the last Wuthering Heights, but prettier and less gritty.  It would be very very good in the supernatural cut.

Watching it I was reminded of the "money grubbers" argument at The Green Man Gallery.  One faction thought the gallery should be more "art for art's sake" and less money-grubbing (strangely enough, they had pensions to live on).  The other faction thought there was nothing wrong with selling art for money in an honest business transaction, and that living by your efforts and work is not sordid in any way, but a noble calling.  I might give as evidence for this argument the fact that the Bronte sisters set out to write their books as a money grubbing exercise, and a bloody good job they did, or we wouldn't have some of English's best-loved classics.