Gandalf "falling" in Moria.

[ringbearer]

The first time you read LotR...how did you feel in this part?
I freaked! I must admit, that my first reaction was to grab The Two Towers, and look for his return. I am unsure wether I would have continued to read the story without Gandalf! He was(is) my favorite character.


EDIT...wow, just noticed, my 100th post!

[Erewe]

My initial reaction was shock, then denial. I called my friend Mike (who had introduced me to Tolkien) that night and kept saying "He can't be dead! He can't!" But, whether fortunately or unfortunately, he *kind of* spoiled it for me by saying (and I still remember the exact words) "Gandalf: the Grey is dead. That's all I'm gonna say." Once I got to his reappearance I punched the air and went "Yeah! Go Gandalf!"

--Erewë

Edit: Sorry I forgot to congratulate you on your hundredth post. That's my next goal.

[ringbearer]

Yes! My reaction was similar to Legolas'...if I had an arrow, I would have shot it into the air! I only peaked ahead because I did not know anyone else who had read LotR at the time. Nobody "turned me on" to Tolkien...I just happened to be in a bookstore in the 70s and saw the paperbacks...and being 15 at the time, thought they "looked cool" so I bought all three...best purchase of my life, as the story has changed my life...for the better...(I hope).

BTW your friend Mike's response to you was WAY COOL..."Gandalf: the Grey is dead. "

Long Live Gandalf the White

[bombcar]

At the time of the reading of Gandalf's death, I was very sad. I think most of our responses could be likened to Sam and Frodo, almost weeping as we hurridly read along, hoping against hope that something would happen.

[Ñólendil]

I unfortunately saw the movie first, so it spoiled it for me. Actually I think I saw The Return of the King movie and than Bakshi's Fellowship/Two Towers movie, so I knew Gandalf made it through. I was probably around four years old. I really wish I had read the books first. They were never new to me and I have since developed some feeling of loss.

[jediguy]

The first time I read that I thought:

'Bugger, he can't be dead!'

But in the Two Towers, it was great how he re-appeared. I was so sure it was Saruman.

[Selwythe]

I was shocked and I knew that he wouldn't kill him off. He would fall in a Great Battle, not in Moria. So I flipped to the appendices and saw Gandalf's name in LOTS of pages in Two Towers and Return so...hehe, I was expecting him to come back anytime.

[Spock]

I was 306 when I first read LOTR and I just felt it part of the story and hoped, based upon what I knew then about G. that he would survive.

[andustar]

hehehe, I got FotR from my uncle but didn't have the rest of the books. When I read of Gandalf falling, I thought "it's not true. I bet he's coming back." but... not having the other books... rereading that bit over and over again... eventually I thought he really was dead.

And then a friend told me he would come back

but when Aragorn and the others first saw Saruman, I confess to bursting out laughing, sure it was gandalf

[Ñólendil]

Ah, but it really was Saruman. Cf. Gandalf's remark 'you certainly did not see me'.

[andustar]

well, yes, and I did feel a bit "oops..." when I read that just afterwards

Incidentaly (spl?) does anyone here have a reason for Gandalf's actions when he first encounters Aragorn and the others? I mean, I've heard the theories that in Lorien he would only have been called Mithrandir and never Gandalf, but I still don't think that covers it all. Why didn't they recognise him quicker? I'm sure he had the power/ability to make it so, but why ? the whole incident is a bit... I don't know...
Although it makes a lot of sense when you think of from the 'Tolkien was just trying to tell a story' point of view, I really love that bit But Tolkien didn't do things like that without a reason. So... any ideas? or do you think I'm wrong in seeing something different/strange about that scene? (hmmm, perhaps this should go in a new Topic...)

[Ñólendil]

You'd forget who your friends were too, and your name if you died, left the Universe and then went back in for an Eagle ride off a mountain. Let us not forget that Gandalf really did die, leave the Circles of the World and meet God, before being lifted up in power and all that and clothed in White. He is specifically in the Letters said to have died, and in the revised editions Gandalf does use the word 'death'. Evidently Eru didn't go in for calling him 'Gandalf'.

[andustar]

LOL I'm not dusputing the fact that he really died or that he was not called Gandalf until he saw the Company

I'm not saying I'm 'Right' because there never can be one when we talk about your interpretation of the same character as mine... it just took me as a little odd that he was so secretive at first, if that is the word for it. You know- giving them just that little bit of information about the hobbits, which if you read it is JUST enough to get them worried- as they did not recognise him, a 'stranger' saying that sort of thing, knowing that much, it's pretty scary. The whole way he acted was... well, was it intentional or not? thinking of it from Gandalf's point of view. HE knew who they were, why scare them like that? why act so... "put away that bow, Master Elf" ?what purpose would that have, assuming he DID do it all on purpose?

On the other hand, you could say that he had really had forgotten all of this, and was not acting like that intentionally. That only when they called him Gandalf did he remember it all... I don't know. It's probably all in my head. But it just doesn't seem right. To me, anyway.

That said, it still remains among my fav parts of the book It may not make sense in that way, but I can think of no better, more dramatic, exciting way to have him come back. I really, really like it. So don't get me wrong I'm not saying it should have been different, just asking if anyone here has a reason for it. (I'm not going to reread this post before sending it. I'm half asleep and probably rambling, but never mind... I mean it all...)

[Spock]

Andustar; I agree totally with your reasoning. Are you sure you're not part Vulcan.

[andustar]

heey, someone agrees with me <points> look everyone!

[Ñólendil]

On the other hand, you could say that he had really had forgotten all of this, and was not acting like that intentionally. That only when they called him Gandalf did he remember it all

That's sort of what I was saying. He left the World That Is completely and wasn't long back before he met the Three Hunters. He could see with amazing clarity events far off, in space or in time, but things near him in both those aspects were rather dim. I know of one poster on another forum that found Gandalf to be the most annoying character in the story, citing The White Rider chapter.

I'd have to re-read that chapter to come up with the sort of answer you're looking for. Chiefly I think Gandalf's behavior was like to one who has not slept in three days.

[hiku747]

Inoldonil, like you, i first saw the movie and i knew that gandalf comes back *phew*... i get a great feeling of being lost when he falls in moria, the company is unsure what to do, even without the advice of aragorn. but alas, gandalf comes back!!!

[Sakata]

I suspected that Gandalf wouldnt be killed off so quickly, but reading how he went down, I did have my doubts. Unfortunatly I had to wait a week before I could convince someone to drive me to the library to get the next book

[ringbearer]

Must have been a tough week!

[Gandalf]

I must say I almost got a heart attack.
I was in 1st grade (7th grade for you Americans), and a friend encouraged me to read it, just as I finished the chapter of Moria my mom told me to go to bed. I had the most HORRIBLE dream ever, I kept dreaming I was Gandalf and I fell and fell and fell. (hence the name), I was totally freaked out the next day, I could not believe that he was gone!

But luckily he came back.
Which is quite an interesting thing really ... he came back *with* a body, not "without" a body as some may claim, he simply re-incarnated -- be it stronger and smarter -- into his body. He healed physically in LothLorien, not mentally or psychically. And the reason why he at first could not remember his name "Gandalf, yes that was my name" was because of the reason he himself gave: he learnt many new things and forgot many old things.

- Bram