> > Here's a quiz for everybody. What the *heck* was Tom Bombadil's purpose in the story? He
> > didn't do *anything* as near as I can tell except save them from the barrow-wights--whoopee,
> > all that buildup just so he can do that?
>
> Comic Relief. Only thing I can figure. Of course, I'm sure Tolkien had the entire guy's life
> mapped out, and he probably could of written a whole book on him

This probably explains it, actually. He'd created this great character, and wanted to fit him into
the story *somewhere*.
I've had characters like that.

> (did he? Was there a Tom Bombadil book published by his son?).

_The Adventures of Tom Bombadil_ is a collection of Poetry From Middle-Earth. Tom hisself isn't in
more than one or two of the poems, from memory.



(And since I couldn't add to this thread without having my say: I got through FotR and tTT without
too much trouble. It was the endless scenes of Frodo and Sam trekking across the wasteland in
RotK that really gave me problems.)