How well do you remember 'The Princess Bride'? Can you recall every achingly small detail? If you think you can, then prove it!

How well do you remember 'The Princess Bride'? Can you recall every achingly small detail? If you think you can, then prove it!
Happy birthday to Miguel de Cervantes! The Spanish author wrote one of the world’s most famous comedic novels back in 1605. To honor him and his work here is a quiz on Don Quixote that is hopefully as amusing as the book itself is.
Eighty-three years ago today, J.R.R Tolkien’s The Hobbit was published. In celebration of the tale that introduced readers to Middle Earth and started the rise in epic fantasy with The Lord of the Rings, we’ve compiled this list of quotes from The Hobbit to celebrate the thrill of budding adventure.
It’s interesting that Bilbo, a hobbit who is originally dead-set against anything that interrupts his routine, would come to see such a radical growth in character. At the onset of the tale, he proclaims, “I don’t want any adventures, thank you. Not today!” He calls them “nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!” And yet, he soon finds himself launching out of his cozy home and racing over the hills shouting, “I’m going on an adventure!”
When Bilbo is unexpectedly thrust into the path of adventure, he discovers something alive within himself; something waiting to explore. Yes, he often misses the safety of his hobbit hole, the warmth of his fireplace and a singing kettle, but he realizes that these comforts are not nearly enough for him. There’s a life that calls to him beyond the gardens and glades of The Shire. There’s an adventurer in Bilbo, buried deep in his ancestry and blazing in his heart.
Sometimes the real obstacles are those inside us, rather than before us. The darkness that can be found in the mind is more impenetrable than the darkest cave. And sometimes, taking the first step is the hardest hurdle to overcome.
There is nothing more thrilling, and frightening, that standing at the threshold of new terrain. And this delight, mingled with fear, sets your heart pounding, reminding you that you’re alive. Your racing pulse is sparked from stepping outside of your comfort zone, and the transition from what you have experienced so far to what you’ve never encountered. Gandalf describes this intermediate period as “the Edge of the Wild,” though Wild is more than an adjective for Bilbo. It’s a definitive and dangerous place. A spot on the wizard’s aged map where all the untamed and unkempt are kept. At the very Edge of the Wild, an adventure begins in all of its sheer and honest danger.
Whether wandering into a terror-filled forest or skulking into a dragon’s cave, there is always the promise of entertainment. Comfort alone may lead to boredom, whereas excitement follows a fearful journey.
This passage comes as the party departs the safety they find in Rivendell after a perilous beginning. They originally left The Shire with a goal in their hearts and treasure in their mind’s eye, but after meeting a few hungry trolls, they know that the rest of their journey will be much harder. It’s never easy to leave a comfortable dwelling. It’s almost painful to step into uncertain danger, and most certainly aggravating to step into wet shoes. It’s even harder to return to this mode of travel after a nice, warm rest. However, they know that victory is achieved for those willing to put their small treasures aside in search of a greater one, so they continue on.
The party’s shape shifter friend and gracious host, Beorn, leaves them with this pearl of insight at the end of his warnings for their further journeys through the Wild. He means it to say that there isn’t much he can give them to aid the beasts they will meet along their path, but doubtless, encouragement is found inside the admonition. There is hope in their luck and in their courage, even when all other hope to prevail seem dim.
When you can defeat a foe on an empty stomach, you know you’re living out an adventure.
It’s one thing to begrudgingly partake in adventure, or even to set off on one and wish you hadn’t, but it’s entirely another to take life by the horns (or, in this case, fangs). After Bilbo’s first use of his sword, when slaying the giant spiders, he doesn’t just name his tool, but also renames himself. He’s not just a whiny hobbit any longer, but a warrior that can stand in his strength to defend his friends. In overcoming this trial, Bilbo has discovered his resolve, his luck and his courage, and he is now someone worthy of a sword with a name.
Whether you’re one for comfort or for the riches of the world, The Hobbit teaches us all one thing for sure: Whichever pathway you decide to take in life, there’s no end to adventure.
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The American Dream - a term used so loosely in recent years, that it is hard to capture its true essence. But the idea behind it remains the same; an offer of a land of freedom, a life of freedom, and emancipation from any hardships that came before.
Don’t worry, with these five books you won’t have to wait long after reading for the adventure to continue. Go check them out!