1)Do you think Tolkien used a different characterization of Elves in The Hobbit
and was then forced to reconcile the two views?
I can see why readers could form that impression if they read The Hobbit
first. We saw more of the merry elves in the Hobbit, and more of the
splended elves in LOTR. I think Tolkien more made a good call about what
kind of Elf would fit better in each story.
2) How many elves are there in Rivendell anyway? Hmmm, Curious
makes a good point that Elrond's abode was a house, plus it was at the bottom
of a narrow gorge, so there probably weren't thousands of people there.
On the other hand, I always imagined Rivendell like it was in the movie: more
of a small complex attached to a house. A large conference room (i.e.,
the Great Hall) can hold a few hundred people. So my totally speculative
guess would be 1,000 people (including all races) in Rivendell.
3) As for Arwen, I caught on to her being Strider's girlfriend the second I
read about her. Maybe it's because I first read it at 'that age' when who
was seeing whom was high up on my list of important things to note. :)
4) Did you form definate ideas about the appearance of Glorfindel, Arwen, and
Elrond? If I had to pinpoint exactly what I though they looked
like, I wouldn't be able to do it. I guess the best I can do is say: take
the most beautiful women and the most handsome men, then make them even more
beautiful and handsome. So it's impossible for me to say they look like
this person or that. While I love Hugo and Liv, neither one lives up to
what's in my
head.
"I don't suffer from insanity...I enjoy every minute of it!"
