"A Long-Expected Party" (IV)

I had decided that today was going to be the day that Gandalf entered the narrative when I realised that I've made a mistake. Although it is true that this part of the text is not very precise concerning dates ("Days passed and The Day drew nearer. An odd-looking waggon laden with odd-looking packages rolled into Hobbiton one evening and toiled up the Hill to Bag End"), I should have read what I'm reading now almost a week ago, since Gandalf makes his entrance "At the end of the second week in September". This year, September started in the middle of the week, on a Thursday but, officially, the first week of September ended on Sunday 4th, so now we're almost ending the third week and Gandalf is running late. The dwarves have already been introduced, some of them remained at Bag End and now it's Gandalf's turn. He's waiting.

"At the end of the second week in September a cart came through Bywater from the direction of Brandywine Bridge in broad daylight. An old man was driving it alone." And then Gandalf is described. With a series of brushstrokes, Tolkien created an indelible image of the wizard in my mind when I first read the book, one that corresponded very much with the one Bakshi had envisioned for his 1978 film. From that moment on, I was hooked. Gandalf had grabbed my imagination and my journey had started. 

Tolkien hints at so much about Gandalf in over one paragraph. What about the mystery "His real business was far more difficult and dangerous but the Shire-folk knew nothing about it." Gandalf is much more than fireworks, and in his brief conversation with Bilbo at the end of page 37 we already sense that there's going to be much more to Bilbo's birthday party than hobbits expect.

More carts rolled up next day (sorry I'm not waiting till tomorrow since I'm already reading late) and invitations are beginning to pour out; in fact, they have been doing so all this week and acceptance cards have already being received. It's a busy period in Hobbiton, and an exciting one!

Fast-forward to 2016, it's not being a very exciting day (well, this is exciting, I looked up and it's 20.20!) I'm travelling on Sunday to Alicante for a Ph.D. viva and I'm making the final comments to the thesis. I'm tired, have had a new extractor hood installed today and I'm cleaning up the kitchen between readings. Not as exciting as Bilbo's Party, is it?