While I was mincing my way around Spain this summer, I had as my constant companion “El Hobbit”.

There’s not much that’s sexy in The Hobbit – it is, after all, a children’s book. However, the description of one character made the fine hairs on my boyish arms prick up:

Standing near was a huge man with a thick black beard and hair, and great bare arms and legs with knotted muscles. He was clothed in a tunic of woll down to his knees, and was leaning on a large axe.

Page 118

Yep. I was attracted to a man who could turn into a bear at will!

And then he is described as “growling” and having a “deep rolling voice”.

Oh my!

I am sure Professor Tolkien would be scandalised to know that he’d made a little gayboy go weak at the knees!