A quote from LOTR

Posted by Lewis on July 19, 2004

In Reply to: A quote from LOTR posted by cn on July 19, 2004

: I have been wondering the meaning of the quote below and would very much like to know what it means. Could anyone help? THANK YOU in advance. If possible, in detail please.
: I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."
: -- J.R.R. Tolkien

It is Bilbo's godbye speech to the people of the Shire. In it, he acknowledges that he does not truly know all the people (I don't know half of you as well as I should like) and that everybody is harsh in their judgments of others (I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve).

he is making a general and final farewell and he is making his peace with anybody with whom he has ever fallen out - he was probably thinking of the Sackville-Bagginses, his (odious) relations.

I'm waiting for the Directors cut to see if the SvBs feature in Saruman's wrecking of the Shire. Quisling.

• A quote from LOTR cn 20/July/04