The Hobbit Read-Along discussion

Thranduil, the elvenking, is one of the more complex characters in the book. His greed and dislike for the dwarves wars with his wisdom and desire to do what's best for his people, which results in an almost contradictory series of decisions. This thread is for discussing the elvenking's motivations, actions, and words. Was a greedy king or a wise leader? Was a cool business partner to the men of Laketown, or a generous ally? How would you compare his dealings with the dwarves to those of Elrond?

Also, please remember that this is a "NO MOVIE DISCUSSIONS" thread - there is an identical thread in the "may include movie discussions" folder for anyone who wants to discuss how Thranduil was portrayed in the films.