I’ve been curious about the fantasy world of Tolkien’s since high school and having read other fantasy series, I never had a real opportunity to step into his grand epic. While I eventually read “The Hobbit”, it gave me more interest into trying to jump into “LOTR”. I finally stepped in and while reading it with the beautiful 2021 illustrated edition, I found one rich fantasy masterpiece.

It all begins when a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins strangely vanishes during his birthday celebration. Frodo, the nephew of Bilbo, is now entrusted by the great wizard Gandalf with a powerful ring that must not fall in the grasp of Sauron. With a fellowship accompanying him including his friends Merry, Pippin and Sam, they set off on a long quest to reach Rivendell where the ring will be in safer hands. That quest will become one full of characters that will help them along the way, moments of danger and suspense, and even see them separated the further they will come.

It is a long quest, but a phenomenal fantasy that never stops being worth every page. The way it’s told never gets tiring and its tone feels so sobering. I was won over by the series’ lore as it’s so rich with characters and settings. In the end, it’s an alluring and adventurous fantasy about good vs. evil and you’ll go back to Middle Earth, as well as Tolkien’s other tales, to soak it in again and again. A (100%/Outstanding)

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

What can you say about a book that has been so foundational to an entire genre and shaped so many readers? This is a story I’ve wanted to read my entire life, something I’ve always considered one of my “bucket list” reads. I’ve tried multiple times, but I never made it much more than a third of the way in before I lost all momentum and put it down. I don’t know why I struggled so much, but I never gave up hope that I would finish it one day. It seems as though the fifth time was the charm for me, because when I started it this time, it finally clicked. I ended up enjoying The Lord of the Rings just as much as I always hoped I would. Better late than never, I suppose.

Because I feel as though nearly everyone has a basic knowledge of this book’s plot due to its classic status and the Peter Jackson films, this is going to be less of a coherent review and more of sharing of my thoughts and feelings from my personal reading experience. In other words, I apologize in advance for the following word vomit. I’m just so thrilled to have actually completed something that has been a goal for so much of my life that I can’t seem to get said thoughts and feelings into any kind of respectable order. Consider yourself warned, and thank you in advance to any readers who stick around and wade through the randomness below.

This was my fifth time reading The Fellowship of the Ring. Yes, fifth. But for some reason, I always get bogged down in the Treebeard chapter (despite my fascination with the Ents) and tap out 50 or so pages into The Two Towers. But this time I was determined not to give up, and I’m so glad I pushed through. From there, things started picking up a bit, but the story really snapped into place for me with, strangely enough, the introduction of Faramir. I’m not sure why that was what made the story really click for me, but there we are. Something about Frodo’s interaction with Faramir just entranced me, and I was fully invested for the rest of the book.

I think the reasons I’ve struggled with Tolkien in the past are the very reasons he’s beloved by so many. The world building of Middle-earth is so lush and dense that it feels self-indulgent, especially when it comes to chapters regarding Tom Bombadil or Treebeard or the like. Tolkien can lose himself so thoroughly in the world itself that the plot takes a backseat for chunks of the book. Also, while the writing grew on me over the course of the novel, the prose tends to be flowery bordering on purple, and the style feels somewhat archaic. Don’t get me wrong; this style definitely works for the story in the long run. And I can see how much it has shaped fantasy as a genre. But those were some of the reasons I initially had a hard time connecting to the narrative; the writing got in the way until I acclimated to it.

I’ve always thought that the Peter Jackson films were exquisite, and they seemed like very faithful adaptations. I stand by that, but even with the length of the extended editions, some things obviously had to be cut for time’s sake. For instance, I had no idea there was a full-on hobbit war when Frodo and company returned to the Shire at the end. And more context was given to the final parting scene in the book, which made it both more respectable a decision and far more poignant to me. I also loved that Tolkien took so much time to revel in victory. I feel like that’s not something we get very often in fantasy. We tend to see the final battle being fought and won, and sometimes get a brief epilogue tacked on showing that world so many months or years later. Not so, here. We get to witness all of the celebrations and the reaping of rewards. I found that refreshing.

Speaking of the films, I found it fascinating to compare the changed made to certain characters. Some characters, such as Frodo and Faramir, were in my opinion infinitely more noble and likable in the book. Others, like Aragorn and Arwen, are more compelling to me by far in the films. But nothing I encountered changed my favorite character: Samwise Gamgee. He’s equally wonderful on page and on screen, and is to my mind the true hero of the entire tale. He’s simply one of the bravest, most loyal, purest of heart beings to ever be penned, in my opinion.

After completing The Lord of the Rings in its entirety, I understand why Tolkien was so persistent that it was one long book, not a trilogy. This is definitely meant to be read in one go, and I think that’s why I failed to complete it in the past. Treating it as one contained work instead really helped me to stick with it, even when I was feeling a bit bogged down. Another thing that helped tremendously was deciding to tandem read the physical with the new audio versions, narrated by Andy Serkis. His audio made all the difference. Once that decision was made, I was never tempted to put this down again. His range as a reader is astounding. Not only does he perfectly voice Sméagol, the character he played in the films, he brilliantly captures the rest of the cast, the majority of whom sound amazingly like the actors who portrayed them. I was captivated by him as a narrator, and having him in my ear as I read along was one of the most immersive experiences of my life as a reader.

I’ve seen Christians call Tolkien’s writings an allegory for Christianity, which has always cracked me up as Tolkien had a distinct distaste for allegories as a whole and wrote as much in the prologue to The Lord of the Rings. Lewis’s Narnia? Yes, definitely an allegory about Christ? Middle-earth? Absolutely not. However, it is very easy to see that Tolkien had a Christian worldview and wrote through that lens. Obviously it’s not explicitly Christian in any way; but it feels Christian somehow, in its portrayal of good and evil. I love when such a worldview subtly permeates a work not because the author has any kind of agenda, but because that’s simply how they see the world and it was impossible for them to divorce their art from it.

I think I’ve rambled on long enough. Suffice it to say, I enjoyed my journey through The Lord of the Rings so much more than I expected, especially considering my past attempts. I can also see myself revisiting it in the future, which surprises me more than I can express. This ended up being more than the checklist item it had become, and I’m so pleased by that fact. Because of my earlier struggles, I feel like I can’t give this a 5 star rating for personal experience, but it was a solid 4. For cultural significance, it’s obviously a blazingly bright 5 stars. So I decided to cut that in the middle and give it a 4.5 star rating. That feels right for me. Middle-earth has also been a beautiful world to me because of the films, and the original source material has made it even richer and given it an even firmer foothold in my heart.

2024 Review
*loosely gesticulates while weeping*

I've been wanting to read LOTR over Hobbit Day since falling in love with it again, and I finally did it this year! I just love it so much. This reading was extra-special, not just due to the Hobbit Day timing, but because I read it after seeing The Lord of the Rings: A Musical Tale (review forthcoming on my newsletter). Seeing the tale performed live, all the ups and downs in one evening, was the very wine of blessedness.

This time through, I read the lovely editions illustrated by Alan Lee. He adds so much life through his pictures, though he does not sugarcoat the darkness nor let it overtake the good things. (I do wish a painting of the mallorn tree in the Shire had been included.) My long-loved paperback copy of LOTR is worse for the wear, though I cannot bear to part with it (The Two Towers is broken in the middle). I wasn't sure I would cotton on to this edition since I am Attached to my other copy, but I really loved it.

It is always bittersweet to finish reading this story. Farewell until 2025, I suppose!

2023 Review
And all the host laughed and wept, and in the midst of their merriment and tears the clear voice of the minstrel rose like silver and gold, and all men were hushed. And he sang to them, now in the Elven-tongue, now in the speech of the West, until their hearts, wounded with sweet words, overflowed, and their joy was like swords, and they passed in thought out to regions where pain and delight flow together and tears are the very wine of blessedness. (933)

I love Lord of the Rings a little bit more every time I read it. Sometimes I just can’t believe that a text of this beauty exists in the world! I feel that way about a few books, but LOTR has the benefit of being longer than most of them with more space for loveliness.

In my quest to re-read more this year, I have been marking favorite passages. I’ve found that I often pick up my favorite books to look up certain passages (see below) and have a hard time finding them, so page flags are my rescue.

Tolkien’s male characters draw me to this story over and over. They are tender, kind, gentle, valiant, greathearted, and virtuous. They say “I love you” to each other and call each other “dear.” They weep and embrace and sing and heal and love that which they defend more than defending it. They are gardeners, poets, servants, and friends. (Wait, that’s just Sam.) Their identities are not tied to their swords alone. Most of their page time is not given to violence. They dread war and loss, but choose rightly even unto death. I can tell on every page that Tolkien was deeply formed by close friendships with men who spurred him to virtue and excellence, and he honors them in these pages.

Tolkien’s women, the few of them who exist bodily in this narrative, seem a little more lifted from a medieval epic than real as characters. (At least Tolkien's ladies live a little more than Hostage [no other name given] in William Morris's The Story of the Glittering Plain!) But I couldn’t shake the feeling in this reading that Tolkien was working through his experience in the Great War. By the time he wrote this, he was a husband to a beloved wife and father to a little girl. And I don’t blame him for not wanting to put women at the center of this narrative, placing them in horrific moments of a battle-scarred imagination. Yet, he does anyway, working out a lifelong grudge against Shakespeare’s Macbeth with Éowyn and Merry ex machina against the Nazgûl. At the very least, none of the women are simpering, spineless, or sexualized. Heavens, can you imagine if he'd sexualized Gimli/Galadriel like the Hobbit filmmakers did with Kili and Tauriel? Spare us, good Lord.

Knowing that this text will always be there for me is incredibly comforting. I would love to live in the Shire, I thirst for a taste of Elvish hospitality, and I desperately want to apprentice myself to Ioreth.

BRB, going to cry over “The Houses of Healing” again.

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“He told them tales of bees and flowers, the ways of trees, and the strange creatures of the Forest, about the evil things and good things, things friendly and things unfriendly, cruel things and kind things, and secrets hidden under brambles.” (127)

“Leaf and branch, water and stone: they have the hue and beauty of all these things under the twilight of Lórien that we love; for we put the thought of all that we love into all that we make.” (361)

“So you live in holes, eh? It sounds very right and proper.” (454)

“Here Spring was already busy about them: fronds pierced moss and mould, larches were green-fingered, small flowers were opening in the turf, birds were singing. Ithilien, the garden of Gondor now desolate kept still a dishevelled dryad loveliness.” (636)

“‘For myself,’ said Faramir, ‘I would see the White Tree in flower again in the courts of the kings, and the Silver Crown return, and Minas Tirith in peace: Minas Anor again as full of old, full of light, high and fair, beautiful as a queen among other queens: not a mistress of many slaves, nay, not even a kind mistress of willing slaves. War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend: the city of the Men of Númenor; and I would have her loved for her memory, her ancientry, her beauty, and her present wisdom. Not feared, save as men may fear the dignity of a man, old and wise.’” (656)

“For it is said in old lore: The hands of the king are the hands of a healer. And so the rightful king could ever be known.” (842)

“His grief he will not forget; but it will not darken his heart, and it will teach him wisdom.” (851)

“It is best to love first what you are fitted to love, I suppose: you must start somewhere and have some roots, and the soil of the Shire is deep.” (852)

“‘They need more gardens,’ said Legolas. ‘The houses are dead, and there is too little here that grows and is glad. If Aragorn comes into his own, the people of the Wood shall bring him birds that sing and trees that do not die.” (854)

“Yet it is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule.” (861)

“But Sam lay back, and stared with open mouth, and for a moment, between bewilderment and great joy, he could not answer. At last he gasped: ‘Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. Is everything sad going to come untrue? What’s happened to the world?” (930)

“And no one was ill, and everyone was pleased, except those who had to mow the grass.” (1000)

“The first of Sam and Rosie’s children was born on the twenty-fifth of March, a date that Sam noted.” (1002)

“Well, here at last, dear friends, on the shores of the Sea comes the end of our fellowship in Middle-earth. Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.” (1007)

This is the entire, epic Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien created an imaginative and incredibly detailed world with an unforgettable struggle between good and evil, played out on so many different levels, and in different ways with various characters. It's not necessarily an easy read - Tolkien can get a little dry at times - but there's so much richness and depth to it.

*sigh* I really need to reread this sometime soon ...

Awesome Book! This is my fav book in Lord Of The Rings. This book is full of adventures and a beautiful scenery. My fav characters are Prince Aragorn and Legolas. An introduction to the LOTR series. The beginning of the story. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy and the Middle Ages. But also all others. Because its fantastic book, which will take you to the world of dreams. You definitely won't be bored while reading this book :)

Frodo saattaa olla Sormuksen kantaja, mutta minulle Aragorn on koko tarinan sydän ja Samvais Gamgi sielu.

En voi sanoa mitään.



Kaikki tähdet maailmassa.

"As for any inner meaning or ‘message,’ it has in the intention of the author none. It is neither allegorical nor topical…. I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence." — J.R.R. Tolkien (Foreword to the second edition of The Lord of the Rings).

Which is also why he despised the ham-fisted Chronicles of Narnia.

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In sum, the books do not represent the Boomer counter culture, WW I, or the Christian End Times. They are just stories drawing from the author's favorite mythology.

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Interesting little background piece on how LOTR found success years after the books were released....

https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-...

I will write three separate reviews and combine them here as I think all three books cover so much that I need to put my thoughts down.

n  So here is my review-within-a-review for
The Fellowship of the Ring:n

I read this the first time as a young teen but really didn't appreciate it much. I came to know about Hobbits through school mates who kept talking abpout the then upcoming first movie by Peter Jackson. I went to watch it but was unimpressed, almost bored even (until the last quarter at least). I loved the mythology but little else. Nevertheless, I got the book (and went to the trouble of finding and buying a special edition which was not easy back then). I read it but most went over my head.
Today I want to spank myself (and not in a good way) for ever thinking like that. Because if you know the book, and maybe The Hobbit as well, you can see just how much of a fan Peter Jackson is. Sooo many details only insiders will recognize. And the book is a thing to behold. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

This first part introduces us to the world of Middle-Earth (Arda). There, elves, trolls, hobbits, goblins, orks, giant eagles and wolves, but also more sinister things dwell. And wizards, though I think that name is misleading here. Great evil has this world seen in the past and while it was defeated, it is on the rise again as these things are wont to do. Sauron is the name of the great evil here and a long time ago he forged a ring of power to bind all other rings as well as people of Middle-Earth. And just like a certain dark wizard of a more modern tale, he poured his soul into this master ring so it didn't matter when his body got destroyed thousands of years before the events of this first book. But this ring has been found now - by one of the most innocent creatures in this world, of all things.
The alliance that failed to vanquish evil from the world thousands of years ago is now represented in the titular fellowship comprising of a dwarf, an elf, two men, a wizard and four hobbits. And they march to destroy the ring - and thus evil - before Sauron can restore himself to his full power again.
Their quest leads them through forests, over mountains, on streams and through mines. But that is not the most important part, actually.

Most important is the fact that Tolkien was a wordsmith. He was not only a scholar at one of THE most famous universities in the world; he was not only fluent in several languages; he was not only keen on any mythology you can think of. He combined all of that in his writing. Apparently, he didn't write it to get published, thinking nobody would be interested, and thus wrote to his heart's content.
He included songs and poems, stating more than once that true magic lies in both (as is represented by the elves for example). His nature descriptions are not only sweeping and vivid, but also utterly beautiful. His dialogues, while being quite wordy, are fluent and artistic.
He INVENTED several languages for this book - complete with grammar and all. Linguists have marvelled over Tolkien's affinity and mastery for generations and I feel the same. Many authors use made-up languages but not a single one of them actually sat down and drew up one as whole as Tolkien did.

Thus, Tolkien has truly created an entire world, complete with art, history, mythology, geography (look at those gorgeous maps), politics, different peoples, languages ...

The only thing he didn't manage to convey as wonderfully as Peter Jackson with his films was the action. At least not here in the first book. It is suspenseful, but the impact of the encounter with the Balrog for example was much more touching and shocking in the movie (at least to me). The same goes for Arwen and Frodo being chased by the Black Riders until they cross the stream around Rivendell.
Maybe it's because he was fed up with war (he fought in WW1) or maybe he wanted to hold back and then hit the reader with full force in the end battle. Or he just didn't have the same concept of action as most of us do nowadays. I'm not quite sure. Nevertheless, one feels the pathos (look up the original word and its meaning), one believes the characters when they act out of integrity and honour and never once thinks it's pretentious of them (again, the Boromir-scene in the movie makes me cry, the one in the book didn't).

I've re-watched the (extended version of the) first movie and I've noticed sooo many details I had missed before, it was astonishing. The tale (in any medium) is packed with details enriching both the world and the reader's/viewer's experience on a level unmatched and I'm more than happy that Peter Jackson was able to translate that so wonderfully onto the screen (it doesn't happen often).

n  Here is my review-within-a-review for
The Two Towers:n

This second book had fewer songs and poems and yes, I missed them. Oh, there are some, like the funny songs of Sméagol/Gollum or some of Sam's rhymes, but it's not the same as the elaborate songs of the elves.

In this second part of the trilogy, the fellowship has broken up. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas are persuing the Uruk'hai and orks that have taken Merry and Pippin while Frodo and Sam are trying to find their way to Mordor. The former soon meet the horse lords of Rohan and find out that a lost friend has returned while the latter encounter Sméagol/Gollum and let themselves be guided by him. Whether or not that is a good idea remains to be seen.
Moreover, Saruman is showing his true (multi) colours and thus sends an army to destroy Rohan and its inhabitants. But he didn't count on Merry and Pippin making some new friends in Fangorn forest and then there are also the Rohirrim, the formidable cavalry of the horse lords.

This second volume certainly saw more action. However, much like in the first book, many of those scenes were handled slightly better in the movie (I shall re-watch the second one tomorrow or the day after).
What the book has that the movie simply couldn't have, is a certain depth.
All the history of the last big battle against Sauron and what happened to the alliance of elves and men back then, the people of the south and their tendency to immediately follow Sauron, the proud but hopeless people of Gondor that we glimpse through Boromir's brother Faramir, ... there is sooo much to tell and not enough time or not enough pages to do so. However, Tolkien letting some characters tell of their experiences or their ancestors' experiences was a brilliant way of including the history of Middle-Earth that has passed into legends. And since every creature experiences history differently, we get a multi-faceted look through different eyes of different corners of the world.

Most interesting to me were the Ents. Not just Treebeard but the others, too, especially the mysterious loss of the Ent-Wives. There are one or two possibilities what Treebeard means when he says "we lost them" and it was fun for me as a reader to dwell on what the most likely story was. Not to mention that I love trees and everything green and the message of the Ents' struggle through time is clear enough (especially nowadays what with the even more apparent results of climate change). However, it was also extremely satisfying to see them fighting back and kicking ass.
Nevertheless, here, too, there was a scene I preferred in the movie as that one conveyed an additional message seen throughout Peter Jackson's trilogy: that nobody can just sit this one out, that all people/races must come together, work together, if they want evil to be defeated. We are seeing it with the elves and the tree shepherds aren't any different.

As I mentioned in the beginning of this mini-review, this second volume had a bit less of Tolkien's wordshmithery, his awesome poems and songs. Instead, we got more fast-paced action sequences that were also slightly better done than the ones in the first book. But never fear, the writing style is still gorgeous and the descriptions astonishingly vivid and colourful, opening up distant corners we hadn't been to yet and introducing even weirder creatures of Middle-Earth than we've seen so far.

n  So here is my review-within-a-review for
The Return of the King:n

The conclusion of the trilogy has us follow Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn as they lead the realms of men against the Army of Darkness while we also still follow Sam and Frodo (yes, surprise, he's not dead after all ;P) on their way to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring.
As such, we see Saruman imprisoned by Treebeard and his Ents, we learn of and see in action the Army of the Dead, we still shudder because of a certain giant spider, fret over Boromir's little brother and we wait for Gollum to make a comeback to get is prrrrrreciouzzzzzz. Most of all, though, we see a massive clash of forces and have the privilege of seeing some truly delightful characters beat the living shit out of the bad guys (Eowyn, anyone?) before evil is conquered and the Hobbits get an adventure in the Shire that people who have only seen the movie will never know about (and which was pretty epic).
In the end, we get to say goodbye to all these lovely creatures we've journeyed together with, that we've laughed and cried with, whom we care about and kept our fingers crossed for. For, sadly, the age of magic is over and the age of man is upon us. And no, I don't like it one bit.

Tolkien ramped up the action for this one the most. The satisfying conclusion to all the build-up and while I still think that the movie managed to make me gasp more, he turned out to be wonderfully skilled in describing honourable sacrifices as much as impressive sword fights. My favourite is, of course, Eowyn taking out the Witch-King of Angmar. Granted, that, too, was done better in the movie (there, though she did take Merry into battle with her, she fought him alone and therefore also stood victorious alone), just like the succession of Rohan's rulers was better in the movie. While I always try to factor in the time any given book was written in and the environment in which the respective author grew up in, I know from other material, material written before LOTR, that Tolkien could do better female characters so Eowyn and Arwen felt like a waste (especially when compared with how wonderfully Peter Jackson had done them). Still, it's not exactly awful - you could say this is nitpicking on the highest level. *lol*

The writing style never wavered, never got any less impressive and awe-inspiring than in the previous chapters. One of the most amazing things is that I really got the impression of having been on a journey for a year or more with these people, so much has happened and so realistically did Tolkien portray the events as much as the sceneries.
Moreover, here, we had more songs and poems again and the magic they envoked was palpable for me as a reader once more. The heaviness of the Mordor chapters was immediately lifted when Sam would start up a tune or a rhyme so Tolkien was right about the magic.

We all know that this story isn't about Frodo. On the surface some might presume so, but they'd be utterly wrong. Anyone can see clear as day that it's Sam's story. But for those who needed a moment longer, I shall simply quote the author and indeed the character himself:

n  “Come, Mr. Frodo!' he cried. 'I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you.”n

Makes me cry EVERY.DAMN.TIME.

So yes, this is as epic as it comes advertised and I don't think anyone could doubt why it had such an influence on the writers and readers and movie / TV show creators of this world.

I shall re-watch this last movie, too, of course and am already looking forward to discovering yet more details I couldn't know about the very first time I saw the movie. I already learned a bit of trivia that astonished me (like the fact that I discovered only now that Aunt Zelda of the new Sabrina series is Eowyn! or that that actress only got the role after Elsa from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade declined the role - I can so NOT picture that woman as Eowyn)! You see: lots to see, every time and I'm glad we, as readers (but in this case also as watchers) have such impressive realms to dwell in and so many lessons to learn there, too.

This concludes a re-read of epic proportions and I'm glad I let myself be persuaded to do it as I had indeed forgotten most of what made the books be different and I have to (still shamefacedly) admit that my much younger self absolutely did not appreciate the richness portrayed in the author's linguistic craftmanship as much as I should have back then.



Edit: I've re-watched the last movie today and have to point out once again how much I love that Peter Jackson makes Faramir give up whatever position he might have gotten in Gondor in favour of following his wife because SHE is a ruler. Just like I love that Theoden came up with the idea of making Eowyn his heir and no Eomer in between, simply because she was the right choice.

It's been about 20 years since I've read The Lord of the Rings in High School. That's... let's just move on... I do remember that I loved this story and, upon finishing it, there was no question as to it being my favorite book of all time. It’s now, most recently, been finally supplanted by The Way of Kings so I felt it appropriate to revisit Middle Earth.

The Fellowship of the Ring
Our story starts off in the Shire, home of the Hobbits. Our story continues in the shire until about the 20% mark too. Hobbits aren't known to make quick decisions on adventures, you see. Tolkien will spend a lot of time describing the history of the world and people throughout this tale. It is tedious and did cause me to not read as fast as I normally would. Things pick up a little after leaving the Shire but grind to a halt with the entrance of Tom Bombadil. He's an interesting character who, like others in this book, overstays their welcome by a couple of chapters. The pacing picks up after his exit and I thoroughly enjoyed everything from Rivendale onward. The best part, as it was in the movies, was the journey through the Mines of Moria. Tokien can set a scene exceptionally well and across all three books you'll notice he sets up despair like none other.

A few notes: I can't help but love Sam. He is stout of heart and lacks no amount of courage. He is always the first one to spring to action, often while other characters are in awe or confused about an incoming attack. He also is the only one that truly knows Frodo and understands how he thinks. For that reason, he is able to spot him before he leaves the company when all else thought Frodo would logically do something else. The Fellowship of the Ring is a solid opening tale but it also drags the most. It isn't all set up of characters either as a lot of it is unnecessary side characters backgrounds or otherwise useless worldbuilding in the sense that most people won't care about it. It does show, however, Tolkien's genius and masterful ability to create a world and entire history! See the appendixes at the end for that.

The Two Towers
Much like The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers has a lot of secondary characters that we spend way too much time with or get to know more background history than we'd ever care to learn. This time around, it's primarily the Ents, and their trademark slow speech, that bog down the tale considerably. Fortunately, once you get past them, and Aragaorn's endless hunt for the Orcs, where you get to live through all of the days, the story really picks up. The Battle of Helm's Deep is, of course, the highlight, but I do have a big problem with how Tolkein wrote it. It's probably more of a product of modern fantasy, and the brilliance of authors like Brandon Sanderson when it comes to action scenes, that I am spoiled. I want to read about the epic battles and the one-on-one duels with my favorite characters. Tolkien, frustratingly so, tends to have a character get knocked out and then told the tale in more detail later or he sums up the battle in a few swift sentences essentially saying 'a lot of men died' and that's it.

Another thing that I'm not used to because of how modern fantasy does it, is the multiple points of view are found in completely different 'books'. Book 3 (the first of 2 in The Two Towers, confused yet?) is from the Aragorn/Merry/Pippin point of view of Helm's Deep and Rohan. Book 4 is all about Sam and Frodo on their trek toward Mordor. Fantasy books nowadays would have alternating chapters so you won't be confused about the timeline of events or wonder what's happening with the other characters for 200+ pages. It is a bit jarring and takes some getting used to. Speaking of Sam and Frodo, I found I really enjoyed their adventure more this time around. In High School, I was all about the action scenes, war! Blood! Violence! So naturally Aragorn was my favorite character and those large battles what I looked forward too.

Now that I'm more... seasoned... I found the companionship between Frodo and Sam and their struggles as they draw nearer to Mordor the most interesting and inspiring even. Sam, ever a steady companion and faithful friend, shows how much he desires to help Frodo at every turn. He has his wits ever about him as he is wary of Gollum in every way. I also enjoy how Tolkien shows the power of the Ring and the immense burden Frodo bears as it gets heavier with his ever step closer to Mordor. If you don't feel for Frodo and Sam on their journey, well, you may just not have a heart. I do remember in high school getting to the end of The Two Towers and being mortified since I hadn't seen the movie yet. Even knowing didn't make it any less harder to read. Also, Faramir rocks in the book much moreso than in the movies.

The Return of the King
The final act of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King is also the shortest and fastest paced. We do get a great deal of setup before we get to any of the impending action at Minas Tirith because, well, it's Tolkien. If he went into as much detail on descriptions of every setting and person like Robert Jordan, this book would easily be 2000 pages. Fortunately, he just describes the history of places and people. Once the battle rages though, we are in for a treat. More descriptions of the battle are found here than at Helm's Deep and the battle is glorious. Many character arcs come to a satisfying conclusion here and I enjoyed every moment with Gandalf and Theoden. Denethor has an added layer of depth to his character that the movies couldn't fully do justice, though the actor that played him nailed the character perfectly. I did feel my heart racing as I read the battle scenes and enjoyed Tolkien's writing when it came to the King of the Nazgul. There is truly some beautiful prose here that flaunts his talent as a writer.

Sam and Frodo's journey is equally harrowing and I found myself getting nervous for them often despite knowing the eventual outcome this readthrough. Once again, Frodo and Sam's despair are poignantly written and you can feel the pain that every step brings to Mount Doom (a name fit for pirates). It wasn't hard to find empathy for their plight and wish some eagles would just fly in and save them. One thing I didn't expect to enjoy and, in fact, dreaded getting to based on my first readthrough experience, was the return to the Shire. This time through, I found myself captivated and nervous for our companions on their return home. I know Tolkien was writing from experience in what it must have felt like returning home from World War I and find that life was anything but sunshine and rabbits with a problem-free life. Expertly done and enjoyed every minute of it.

Conclusion
Even though I rate this at 5 stars, it is, by no means, a perfect work. I suppose nothing really is, but it has more flaws than most of my other 5 star ratings. The slow parts and expounding on the history of the world, while interesting, took me out of the story on multiple occasions. That being said, this is a classic literary work that blazed a trail for the fantasy genre as a whole and many authors have been influenced or inspired by it. That in and of itself isn't a reason to give a 5 star rating, of course, so it's good that it's a fantastic story that has many memorable moments and deep commentaries on life with strong characters. You may laugh, you may cry, you may do neither, but you will remember Samwise and Frodo's adventure and feel their emotions. Tolkien is is the Fantasy Professor as far as I'm concerned and he set the bar high for worldbuilding in the genre. I would recommend The Lord of the Rings to anyone new to the genre to act as a gateway to epic fantasy and the like. Professor Tolkien is the master and his book is every bit worth reading.

“Home is behind, the world ahead,
and there are many paths to tread
through shadows to the edge of night,
until the stars are all alight.”

The Lord of the Rings stands as one of the best Fantasy novels even more than 66 years after its release. It quickly cemented itself as my personal favorite book of all time and I do not see that changing in the near future.

The Hobbit felt like a true adventure which is something I have come to crave in my fantasy. The Lord of the Rings takes that same base and amplifies everything a hundredfold. Every aspect is taken apart and made grander in comparison. Tolkien managed to create something truly marvelous that will stand the test of time for ages to come.

“But in the end it's only a passing thing, this shadow; even darkness must pass.”

The biggest achievement Tolkien managed is the expertly crafted world. Middle-Earth remains one of the most well-realized and believable in fantasy for a very good reason. Tolkien was an expert in crafting myths and sprinkling history into his novel. There are references and nods to the history of Middle Earth on almost every page. Whether it be in form of songs or old tales the reader is constantly reminded that this is a world that has stood for many millennia. From the languages to the culture - everything just has so much depth to it. I have no doubt in my mind that Tolkien could have written thousands upon thousands of pages concerning everything that has ever happened in Middle-Earth but some things are better left as a myth and a mystery (Even with The Silmarillion there is a lot that we will never know - and I love it!)

“Frodo: I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

Another thing that managed to pull me into the novel was the writing style. I know that it might feel a little dated to some modern audiences, although to me everything about Tolkien's use of words is just utterly beautiful. The prose is objectively quite immaculate in my eyes and I had joy experiencing it. The expertise of actually writing and crafting beautiful sentences is something that is rarer and rarer these days so I deeply appreciate every work that incorporates even a little of that style.

“I am Aragorn son of Arathorn; and if by life or death I can save you, I will.”

The plot and characters are something I will not delve on for long as most people have a clue of what is going on in this story through popular media. I will say that I deeply encourage people who only know of The Lord of the Rings through said media to pick up the book as well since a lot of aspects are expanded upon that are simply missing from different adaptions. From tone to character motivations - aspects of the story are deeply expanded upon or even completely changed at times and it is worth checking out the novel just based on that alone. For myself, the original stands taller than all other visions of this story and should be experienced by any Fantasy fan.

One thing I do want to point out as well is that this is a traditional Good vs. Evil story which might put some more modern fans off. Right now most of the main trends in Fantasy gravitate towards being morally grey but I believe good stories can be told in any format or direction and I would not write off this story based on that alone as The Lord of the Rings has a lot to keep even modern fans invested.

“I would rather spend one lifetime with you, than face all the ages of this world alone.”

“Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.”

I believe The Lord of the Rings is a crowning achievement within the entire Fantasy genre. All aspects of it are crafted with love and care and it just picks you up, whisking you away to a mysterious world with many wonders to behold. To me this is a near-perfect work and fully deserves the 10/10 rating I give it and a place among my favorite literature ever created.

"Un Anillo para gobernarlos a todos. Un Anillo para encontrarlos, un Anillo para atraerlos a todos y atarlos a las tinieblas en la Tierra de Mordor donde se extienden las Sombras."

Realmente es admirable lo que han logrado autores como J.R.R. Tolkien así también como H.P. Lovecraft, George R.R. Martin, C.S. Lewis o J.K Rowling.
El hecho de que estos escritores puedan crear todo un universo entero, una mitología de personajes, lugares e historias es algo realmente poderoso y muy difícil de imitar y considero que son autores tocados por la genialidad y difícilmente puedan ser igualados en la literatura.
Lo que J.R.R. Tolkien ha hecho creando esta historia del Señor de los Anillos es épico y genial.
Por primera vez decidí apartarme de la literatura clásica o tradicional para adentrarme en este mundo mágico creado por este prolífico escritor inglés.
Hace mucho tiempo me había comprado una hermosa caja con los tres libros y sentía que era el momento de darle una oportunidad y aunque había visto las películas a las cuales tengo en dvd no recordaba muy bien el desarrollo de la historia, razón por lo cual decidí leer la trilogía.
Independientemente de su fantástica mente capaz de crear todo el mundo de paisajes, historia y personajes de la Tierra Media, me resisto a creer que Tolkien no se haya inspirado en distintos libros clásicos de la literatura universal (aunque esta es mi postura personal, no la que realmente haya sucedido) puesto que en muchos casos las similitudes son llamativas y saliéndome del análisis de esta grandiosa trilogía que para mí no es necesario ya que se solventa por sí misma; me gustaría señalar algunas cosas que pude descubrir mientras la leía.
Investigando un poco me entero de que su inspiración tal vez se inició en "El anillo de los Nibelungos", obra maestra del compositor Richard Wagner, así también como el poema épico "Beowulf", la epopeya finesa "Kalevala" y toda la mitología nórdica.
Yo por mi parte encuentro que algunos capítulos en los que Tolkien describe las batallas a las que deben enfrentarse Aragorn, Gandalf, Boromir, Théoden e incluso los hobbits, (tomemos por ejemplo el caso del capítulo "El abismo de Helm" de "Las dos torres"), poseen componentes que aluden a la “Ilíada” o la “Odisea” de Homero como también a “Ivanhoe” de Sir Walter Scott, los caballeros templarios y todo lo inherente a la época medieval, más precisamente en lo que a descripción de las batallas respecta.
Incluso podría decir que las novelas de caballería clásica -sea “Don Quijote de la Mancha”, el “Orlando Furioso” y hasta me atrevería a nombrar el “Amadis de Gaula”- son una referencia clara cuando el autor describe físicamente a Aragorn o al rey Théoden y a sus acciones en batalla.
Es más, encuentro algunos diálogos profundamente shakesperianos.
Algo similar sucede en el viaje que inician Frodo y Sam hacia los dominios de Mordor, ya que la descripción gráfica, desoladora y verdaderamente terrorífica que Tolkien hace de la Ciénaga de los muertos previo a las puertas de Mordor es digno del "Infierno" de "La divina comedia" de Dante Alighieri por los escalofríos que produce leer ese pasaje.
En otro momento de la novela, en la lucha entre Sam y Ella-Laraña, cuando Sam le clava la espada élfica de Frodo, Dardo, en el vientre me llevó a ese instante épico en el que el capitán Ahab le clava el arpón a Moby Dick antes de ser engullido por la ballena blanca en el mar.
Y el viaje de Aragorn por el Sendero de los Muertos inexorablemente remite al descenso de Eneas a los infiernos en la “Eneida” de Virgilio.
Repito que lo que escribo en esta reseña es mi visión personal de lo leído y de ningún modo afirmo que Tolkien haya tenido tales inspiraciones. Usualmente cuando leo, suelo realizar todo tipo de asociaciones literarias que van surgiendo en mi cabeza.
Lo que me ha dejado muy impresionado también es la concepción de Tolkien de toda la mitología, de los nombres de los personajes que estimo ha partido de la mitología nórdica, de crear un nuevo lenguaje, el élfico y de la invención de los distintos pueblos, ciudadelas, la Comarca y muchas locaciones más.
Es realmente brillante. No hay otra manera de describir semejante poderío imaginativo y conceptual, aunque hay que entender que Tolkien invirtió toda su vida en el desarrollo de este universo.
Me llevo la más grata impresión de la lectura de esta trilogía y siento que me pude dar un gusto que a veces los puristas lectores de clásicos tratan de esconder.
Siempre digo que en literatura hay que tratar de leerlo todo y los mundos de J.R.R. Tolkien son una buena oportunidad para hacerlo.

È giunta la fine e già ne sento la mancanza....ma ci rivedremo presto