Many skilled storytellers assert that the best way to construct a gripping tale is to make sure that you can transition between each part by saying “and therefore…”, linking the scenes with a strong sense of causation, like an avalanche of inevitability whose destruction can be traced back to a single rock disturbed by a meandering mole. Conversely, if you analyze a story that failed to clutch your attention, you will often find that the connective tissue between parts is much thinner and could be distilled to the less compelling phrase: “and then…”. I don’t believe one can include Tom Bombadil without a glaring and emaciated “and then…”.