The Continuing Obsession with LOTR

First of all, for anyone that may not know, LOTR stands for Lord of the Rings. While getting ready for the trip I spent much time agonizing (ok thinking) about what book to bring on the trip -- it needed to be something long (4 months is a long time, especially if I'll be alone a lot), yet interesting (I won't end up spending money on other books because I'm sick of the one I have).

For example: when I traveled in Europe 2 summers ago I brought Simone's The Second Sex. This was both a wise and unwise decision -- it was long enough to maintain the length of the trip, but at times it got boring (way too biology based in the beginning). And it was even a bit too long, since I made it less than halfway through (but that trip was just over 3 weeks, not 4 months).

Yet, I digress. Back to LOTR (and Viggo's extremely high level of attractiveness...... **insert Homer Simpson gurgle**). I had thought, pre-traveling, that I would like to bring The Fellowship for my travels since it's supposed to be both long and interesting. Yet, I allowed my second-guessing (and a certain conversation held with a certain family member over dinner at a certain restuarant in West Chester) convince me of otherwise. So I brought The Invisible Heart, by Nancy Folbre instead. Poor decision. While I do love this book (a typical Katie-style easy-read feminist theory/slightly hostile to capitalism work), I have already read it twice (or has it been three times?) and once within this past year. And it's not that long.

Back to the current time (well yesterday). I had decided to bite the bullet, and buy the Fellowship. Whatever the cost. I stumbled across a secondhand book room (I write room instead of shop since it was just a room in a larger store that sold men's, women's and children's clothes, kitschy doo-dads, postcards, hand cream and many other highly necessary items) and began to look for said book. I was in luck - there was a set of all three books, paperback but with very nice covers -- navy blue and soft. The voyager classic series. Most importanly, they matched! and are pretty! (and are what I was willing to pay for just the first book). So I bought them. And I've read the first 100 pages in less than 24 hours. (Which has begun the worry that I may finish all before I get back to the East Coast, but that worry is yet to materialize, so I shall try to keep it in the back of my head.)

I know this has all been quite interesting to you (whoever reads this). Oh and I saw a hobbit today, just along the side of the road.