I do enjoy this tale; however, there is so much going on stuffed in one book. It's quite clearly an epic. Good character development. ( )

What a fucking slog. Never again. ( )

As a young reader, I made it only about a third of the way through this book before setting it aside. Coming back to this after about 35 years, this time I made it out of the Shire! The early slow chapters are certainly a lot more suspenseful than I remembered, probably an affect of having seen the films and knowing the danger that the hobbits were in from the beginning, before they realized it. From Bree onward, the pace is exciting, but still finds quiet moments of reflection, particularly when a song or poem is recited.



( )

Ah, the first book of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. What a classic. This is one of my all-time favorite adventure stories, and the movie that it is based on is one of my all time favorites as well. There is something so incredibly magical and wondrous about the first entry of this trilogy that sets it apart even from the other entries in this series. To me, that something is the sheer amount of distance covered through Middle-Earth by the Hobbits and, eventually, the Fellowship. They traverse through grassy hills, then two forests, then wide, scary plains with zombies in them, then a dark village filled with snitches and enemies on every corner, then a utopia-like valley, then tunnels going through dark, dwarf-made stone passages and cavernous halls within giant mountains, then a magical forest, and finally through a massive river flowing from the northern edge of Middle-Earth to its southern edge. The landscapes are all brought to life by Tolkien's incredible ability to describe the geography and geology of the world in vivid details. I know it sounds hackneyed, but Tolkien genuinely brought this world, all of which came from his brain, to life.

I've already mentioned in my review of "The Hobbit" what my chief complaints about this series are, but I'll repeat them again for good measure. The dialogue and character work left A LOT to be desired. Apart from minor differences, practically every character of a certain race feels exactly the same as all other members of said race. This is primarily due to the extremely repetitive and boring lines of dialogue they utter. With the only exception being Gandalf, very few characters have wildly unique and discreet personalities and identities that set them apart from the other members of their race. They almost all feel like carbon copies of each other.

I also dislike how much plot armor the protagonists have. From what I know, orcs are meant to be cowardly creatures who flee at the sight of danger and don't attack unless they're in a group, but it honestly got a little ridiculous at times. They would all flee at the most convenient and necessary times for the protagonists. This also applies to Wargs and the Ringwraiths. The fact that only Gandalf dies in this book (temporarily as well) and it was to a freaking Balrog shows how taking the main characters down almost seems like a bigger task than taking Sauron down. They just constantly survive the most unlikely of scenarios.

Anyways, I still love this book. It brings so much more depth, lore, and richness to the world of Middle-Earth than does "The Hobbit", and it is filled with action-packed, high-stakes events at every other turn. Sure, some of the "respite" sections (when the characters rest in one place, such as Rivendell and LothLorien, after a dangerous journey,) drag on for a little while, but, in the end, I found this book to be a fast-paced, thrilling, and entertaining read from start to finish. ( )

It's been YEARS since I've actually reread this trilogy, and there was so much to revisit! Sure, there are some drawn out bits and unnecessary characters (coughTomBombadilcough) but this book remains such a fantastic story! I love the songs, the friendships that form between members of the Company, the intricacies of the struggles faced, and the fully-realized world Tolkien has created. ( )