On the third side

So … I read The Lord of the Rings again. I do this every year around Christmas, and thought I should be a bit ahead this time.

I always try to find a new angle, some new theme or person I have not considered before. During this readthrough, I dwelt a bit at Denethor, and tried to consider his life. The appendices give a bit background information, and it is quite depressing reading, actually. Growing up watching his father and the whole people loving this stranger captain Thorongil of Gondor’s armies and fleet (Aragorn in disguise), and feeling threatened by him. Then, getting older, perhaps unable to love her as she deserves, seeing his wife wither as in a cage, and then die. Then being lured by the power of the palantír, watching the country he loves and rules being attacked and threatened to destruction by the power of the dark lord. Later finding his eldest and most loved son killed in an outrageous stupid attempt to destroy the only thing that his foe fears. In his anger, considering the love of his other son stolen by the wizard that tries to supplant him with the rival from his youth, he pushes the last heir of his house to an Uriah’s post in a reckless defense by the river. And when his last son is deadly hurt, and he is unable to reconcile with him, he finally despairs to madness. The life of Denethor could have been a rich novel by its own.