Literary theorizing about hobbits

[mrissa]

timprov proposed a question, and I think we have an answer that satisfies me, but I want to run it past you people:

Have Merry and Pippin read There and Back Again, or haven't they?

The answer we came up with is that Merry has and Pippin has not. Because Merry is all cautious and alarmed by things and Pippin wants to poke his nose around and find what's what, and this "do not meddle in the ways of wizards" proverb does not seem to carry as much weight with him. But Merry is kind of looking like someone who is clear from the get-go that Gandalf is not just a source of fireworks and smoke-rings and can be a right bastard when he needs to.