Shire

People love Tolkien despite his turgid writing because, well, the Shire is a golden place filled with lovely people you'd like to meet.

A World Like A Hug 2005

If the Shire is a suburban garden, Sauron and his henchmen are that old bourgeois bugaboo, the Mob - mindless football supporters throwing their beer-bottles over the fence the worst aspects of modern urban society represented as the whole by a fearful, backward-yearning class for whom "good taste" is synonymous with "restraint" (pastel colours, murmured protest) and "civilized" behaviour means "conventional behaviour in all circumstances".

Boing Boing: December 22, 2002 - December 28, 2002 Archives 2002

The Shire-folk introduced one small innovation of their own (eventually also adopted in Bree), which they called Shire-reform.

The Lord of the Rings Tolkien, J. R. R. 1954

(Yes, the Shire is now safe, but no, he can no longer live in it.)

Writer Unboxed » Blog Archive » Myth: This Will Solve Everything (part 1) 2010

Yet, in contrast, the pictures of 5,000 drunk "shire boys" (the Sutherland Shire is Cronulla's surrounding district) bashing anyone with skin that was not darkened by the sun alone was disquieting, to say the least.

insanity, twice 2005

The Shire is an enclave cut off, geographically by sea and bush.

insanity, twice 2005

I called Shire directly and we filled out an adverse reaction report.

xml's Blinklist.com 2008

I’m using Cascade 220 Superwash in Shire for this one, and I adore the color.

The Fiber Fulcrum – Shawls, Stoles, Scarves & Socks « Looking for Roots 2010

These rogues began to seize power, and by the time the White Wizard's staff was broken at Orthanc, the Shire was almost entirely under Saruman's control.

Archive 2007-08-01 2007

Behind that world is epic and saga, legend and fairy tale; behind the Shire is a sort of Chestertonian myth of Merrie England, a much thinner affair.

Does Frodo Live? Smith, Janet Adam 1972