I’m not going to write a normal review; it’s almost impossible for a fantasy fan to do so in this case. Instead I’m going to give you a series of ten points to explain exactly why I love this particular book. Take from it what you will. There will be spoilers. Here goes:

1. The wizards!

"“Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.”

Now I do love wizards. Who doesn’t? The wisdom of Gandalf is unmatched. He is, in effect, the leader of the forces of light. He is the commander in chief, the battle general and the tactician. He organises everything. From Aragorn’s coming, to the hobbits bearing the ring, Gandalf is behind it all. He has walked middle earth for thousands of years. He has seen it all. And he understands the perilous nature of the quest better than most. He is the grand optimist, the man who sees the best in people. He should have been the leader of the Isatri. He was the most pure. He is nothing like the changeable leader of his order.



Contrastingly, Saruman is the realist. He is neither light nor dark, but a being who can adapt to the circumstance. He saw only defeat for man, so he turned his cloak and helped to usher in the doom of middle earth. His mind was poisoned by the palantir, Sauron fed of his ambition and bent him to his will. Something Saruman didn’t fully conceive. He considered himself the equal of Sauron. In reality, if Sauron had regained the ring, he would have crushed Saruman like a bug. And if Saruman had gained the ring first, things would have become much different. It would have been a war between the two, one that would have unforeseen circumstances.

2. A desperate quest

The quest itself, the sending of just nine people to destroy the conduit of darkness, speaks of desperation. The elves are not what they once were in the first age. Their power has diminished: their people are leaving these lands. They do not have the power to stand against the tide. The Dwarves are shattered and broken. Their leadership in Erabor has their own problems to deal with. They, too, face invasion. And men, men, are weak. Well at least according to Elrond. So sending of a small party of mighty heroes, and a few untested hobbits, is a back door attempt of destroying the evil that infests middle earth. And I love it. Have you ever read about a quest so unlikely and so improbable?

“I will take the Ring", he said, "though I do not know the way.”



3. A Hidden King

Other than the obvious wizard, the agile elvish prince, the stalwart dwarf lord, the fellowship has a secret weapon. Aragorn, the heir to Isildur, has finally come forth.

“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”

He alone has the power to unite the failing world of men. Only he can save the white tree of Gondor and insure that men do not fall into darkness. And the darkness, it genuinely fears him. He is the last hope of men: he is their salvation. His ancient ancestor Isildur struck the ring from the hand of evil; thus, Sauron fears his coming. However, he is more powerful than Isildur. He has lived amongst the elves, and he has learnt how his ancestor failed to crush the darkness in his vain weakness. Aragorn will not make the same mistake. He will do better.



4.Loyalty

The party itself, the Fellowship of the Ring, are bound together with a mutual goal. But it’s more than that; they are dependent on each other. Each has skills the others could never possess. And each brings with him the hope of a people. Simply put, these heroes cannot fail. Middle earth depends on them. They are the best of their races, the most representative of their cultures, and their participation speaks of a will to conquer the shadow that approaches. It speaks of commitment.



5.Finding your courage

Not all the party have been fully tested. With them travel four young hobbits, the most unlikely of companions for such a journey. They are the overlooked, the forgotten about, the race that is casually discarded and considered insignificant in the wider world. And perhaps this has been the downfall of society in middle earth previously. The forces of darkness exploit everything they can get their hands on, from giant spiders to rampaging trolls, from dragons to orcs, from men of the east to the undead, Sauron tries to wield it all. This is something the forces of good have not fully considered until recently. Within the bosom of the hobbit beats a strong heart of fortitude and resilience.

“My dear Frodo!’ exclaimed Gandalf. ‘Hobbits really are amazing creatures, as I have said before. You can learn all that there is to know about their ways in a month, and yet after a hundred years they can still surprise you at a pinch.”

They carry with them the key to destroying the dark. Bilbo showed them how he could resist the ring. The hobbits are an almost incorruptible race, and because of this they are Sauron’s doom. It is something he has overlooked.

“It would be the death of you to come with me, Sam," said Frodo, "and I could not have borne that."

"Not as certain as being left behind," said Sam.

"But I am going to Mordor."

"I know that well enough, Mr. Frodo. Of course you are. And I'm coming with you.”



6.The Rich History

Middle earth didn’t pop up overnight. This word has been around for thousands of years. Such can be seen from the ruined statues and monuments that dot the landscape, to mentions of historic battles and finally to kings long since departed. This is a world that has seen a lot. This moment in the third age, which is arguable the most important series of events this world will ever see, is merely the surface. Go read The Silmarillion. Go see how old and beautiful this world is. I could lose myself in Middle-earth. And this book carries with it all the baggage of what came before. It’s extraordinary.



7.The Diverse Languages and Races

And with this history comes the language of the people. The elves, the men, the dwarves and Sauron’s creatures of darkness all come with their own developed languages. This isn’t some random phrases stuck in the book, which you may see with other fantasy novels, but actually fully developed languages. They have their own grammatical forms, syntax styles and sound qualities that reflect the speaker. The languages are real. Naturally, the elvish language is a personal favourite of mine:



8.The Power of Redemption

It is easy to judge Boromir of Gondor. He tried to take the ring from Frodo, though for all his misguidedness, he was trying to do right by his people. He naively believed, due to his farther Denethor, that the ring could be wielded against the evil. So when a young hobbit is trying to destroy his people’s supposed salvation, he strikes.Until that moment he doesn’t fully understand the evil it holds, until his desire for it twists his heart and turns him violent. But, afterwards, after he sees what he has become, his willpower does prevail: he understands. He later dies defending the Fellowship of the Ring, a bloody end, but one that saves his honour.



9. The Forces of Darkness

One evil binds them all. Sauron tried to make himself the ultimate tyrant, and claim dominion over all lands: he wanted to be the de facto ruler of middle earth. He failed. Those that followed his initial claim are forever left in the dark. Their souls are black, their hearts corrupt: their bodies no more. The Nazgul have become the living dead; they are complex figure, driven by hate and a will no longer their own. These men have become something else. Do they wish to rest? I do not know. Do they wish to carry out their master’s work or are they driven by his domination? I do not know. Orcs are mere tools for the darkness, the Nazgul are something much darker. They are the perfect harbingers of their lord.



10. The Elves

The elves are my favourite part of middle earth. I should have been born an elf. I would love to spend a few years in Rivendell, especially in Elrond’s library relaxing by the waterfalls reading the histories of middle earth. Doesn’t that just sound like so much fun? The best thing about reading fantasy like this is the pure escapism it provides, the worse thing is realising how shit the “real world” is in comparison.



To quote another fine author of fantasy, and to conclude this review, I will simply repeat these words:

n  n    "They can keep their heaven. When I die, I’d sooner go to middle Earth."n  n

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You can connect with me on social media via My Linktree.
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Where would the fantasy genre be without Tolkien? He gave us the first deeply developed fantasy world, and character and plot tropes that are still go-tos for fantasy writers. Are these tropes now overused? Yes, as are tropes in other genres. As King Solomon said, “There’s nothing new under the sun.” We are constantly reusing the ideas of others while trying to improve upon them and make them our own. And we have Tolkien to thank for many of those ideas. I respect him and the Middle-Earth he created immensely.

All that being said, I have always struggled with The Lord of the Rings. There’s something about Tolkien’s style of writing (excepting his style in The Hobbit, which is radically different and more easily accessible, in my opinion) that bogs me down instead of sucking me in. His scenery is beautiful, his characters interesting, his plot intriguing. I should be engrossed, but I’m not. It’s a classic of the genre, and one that I hate I can’t seem to get through. I know this is blasphemy, but I think that Peter Jackson’s movies did a better job of presenting Tolkien’s story and engaging an audience than Tolkien managed himself.

This is my second reading of The Fellowship of the Ring. It was just as difficult as the first reading. There were sections that were wonderful, but those were sprinkled throughout sections that I had to trudge through. A couple of things that the book has over the movie: First, Frodo is so much cooler. He’s not whiny and helpless, as he’s portrayed by Elijah Wood. In the novel, Frodo is funny and sturdy and dependable. Not as dependable as Sam, perhaps, but he isn’t the burden the film makes him out to be. Second, the book has Tom Bombadil! He’s one of the most interesting, mysterious characters in fiction, and I hate that he was cut from the films. But other than those two aspects, I have to admit that I really enjoyed the movie more. I give this book four stars simply because I respect so much the legacy it left behind.

Re-read in 2017 and guess what? I still love it! Who'd-a-thunk-it? This is actually the first book I've re-read since I've been on Goodreads... 9th May 2017

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What did you like most about The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring?
It's impossible to choose just one thing; I love the whole saga far too much! Perhaps Tolkien's phenomenal world-building?

Who was your favorite character and why?
It has to be Frodo. A truly inspirational figure; in many ways the least of the Fellowship but that is exactly why he is the perfect choice to be the Ring-Bearer. You only have to look at how some of the more 'powerful' characters are manipulated by the ring.

Have you listened to any of Rob Inglis’s other performances? How does this one compare?
I have Rob Inglis' reading of 'The Hobbit' on CD and it was his great narration on that book that gave me the confidence to buy the LOTR books on Audible.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I don't want to give away any spoilers but the interaction between Boromir and Frodo in the last chapter always moves me.

Any additional comments?
I love this book and have done all my life and Rob Inglis' reading of it on Audible does justice to the material but I have to say that I'm annoyed that each book of the Lord Of The Rings saga has been broken into two on Audible.
If this had been done for length reasons, I could understand it, but Audible offers a reading of 'War And Peace' that is all in one piece and that's over 60 hours long! This leads to the saddening conclusion that Audible have split up LOTR out of pure greed. Very disappointing.

Taken from my original review on Audible.co.uk

I consider the Lord of the Rings trilogy the best fantasy, and perhaps the best fiction, ever written. Middle Earth is a beautiful, rich, complete land to which Narnia pales by comparison (don't get me wrong, I very much like Narnia, too).

The beginning of the quest, which starts innocently but dives into a much larger, darker world than its protagonist, Frodo Baggins, could have ever imagined, is absolutely spellbinding. A small portion of the near-infinite background is revealed and armed with a shallow knowledge of the lore of the One Ring, Frodo embarks on a mission deeper and more dangerous and impactful than he could ever possibly have fathomed.

The depth and beauty of Tolkien's work stems from his obsession with language and how world events impact its evolution. To create this book and its wealth, Tolkien developed 14 complete languages, all of which can be learned and spoken, written, and read. He created the lore and legend that each population clung to for their heritage. The relationships, distrusts, friendships, and animosities between the races stem from ancient and powerful roots. The detail of the world before the series lends it a believability that is virtually unparalleled even in many nonfiction works.

I've read this series 4 or 5 times, which is something I have not done with any other work, aside from formative Christian religious texts. No one book is complete without the other two, so I consider them all to be the same book, divided into several parts--so as to allow for the faint of heart to enter Middle Earth in safer, smaller pieces.

This was one of the most enchanting and brilliantly crafted books I’ve ever read!

n  Herewith Follow Notes On The Fellowship Of The Ring From A First-Time Lord Of The Rings Reader Who Was Enchanted By The Peter Jackson Movies:n

•I wish I had read these books when I was younger! Tolkien creates an entire world, and it would have been so cool to have been swept up in this tale of hobbits, dwarves, elves, wizards, Orcs and goblins when I was a young lad. Then again, I’m sure it would have got me to play Dungeons & Dragons, which likely would have made me even more geeky than I already was.

•Wow. Frodo is in his 50s when he sets off on his journey! Who knew?

•Pippin is the youngest of the hobbits, younger than Merry, who’s in his 30s, and much younger than Frodo! That kind of explains all the mischief he gets into.

•Tolkien has many skills, but writing comedy is not one of them. A lot of the hijinks in the Shire feel forced. Bilbo’s gossiping, grasping relatives: these scenes really go on too long. So I was quite glad when Frodo & Co. finally left.

•Gandalf the Grey: total, utter coolness. Ian McKellan was great casting.

•The Old Forest: Wow. Stunning descriptions, really creepy and atmospheric.

• Tom Bombadil! Fantastic, jolly character who speaks entirely in rhyme (and who resists the eponymous ring!)! And he’s with a woman (who are pretty rare in Book One), the River Daughter! But I understand why Jackson cut him from the movies; he'd have seriously affected the momentum.

•The songs and poems: So many! I suppose they are there to lend a feeling of authenticity – Tolkien showing off his knowledge of Old English ballads and narratives. But I can’t be the only one whose eyes sort of glazed over when yet another character put down his pipe to recite something, right?

•The Council of Elrond: Such an inspiring and stirring scene in the movie! Such a baggy bit of monologues and backstory in the book!

•Saruman turning bad: nice bit of exposition! But why didn’t Jackson show us his multi-coloured robe? That would have been great on film.

•Strange that we’re not shown Strider/Aragorn reforging his broken sword in the book. The idea of heroes forging swords is a staple in myth and legend, and it was such a powerful scene in the movie. It’s merely told matter-of-factly in the book: missed opportunity for a bit of patriarchal, phallic symbolism.

•Gimli, son of Gloin. Adorable dwarf, but not nearly the jokey dispenser of one-liners he is in the films.

•Boromir comes across quite clearly in the book (impulsive, quick-to-anger, powerful), whereas I felt he seemed more generic in the film (perhaps because he and Aragorn had the same straggly-haired look?) I love that Boromir calls the Hobbits “Halflings.”

•Moria: some of Tolkien’s best descriptions. He managed to make me see all the levels of those caves, even in near darkness. And the drumbeats and sounds of Tap-tom, Tom-tap and then Doom-doom were very effective.

•Lothlorien: I loved everything about the scenes here, from the Fellowship sleeping in the trees before they arrive, to the whole business of blindfolding everyone – after Gimli refuses to be the only one blindfolded.

•Galadriel’s gifts: Just awesome. Silver belts. Three strands of hair for Gimli (a hair fetishist?). A box for Sam with the letter “G” on it. Oprah (“A new car for everyone!”) Winfrey has nothing on the Lady G.

•Gollum: I really like the way his sad story is gradually revealed through this book, from the opening prologue to the business with his relative Déagol, how he lost the ring, tried to get it back, was imprisoned, tortured for information, escaped, and then follows the fellowship, ever so creepily, in the final third. And this description late in the book, when Gollum is pursuing Frodo and friends on the Anduin River, is eerie (I love the “lamplike eyes” and “hiss of intaken breath”):

A long whitish hand could be dimly seen as it shot out and grabbed the gunwale; two pale lamplike eyes shone coldly as they peered inside, and then they lifted and gazed up at Frodo on the eyot. They were not more than a yard or two away, and Frodo heard the soft hiss of intaken breath. He stood up, drawing Sting [his sword] from its sheath, and faced the eyes. Immediately their light was shut off. There was another hiss and a splash, and the dark log-shape shot away down-stream into the night.

•Sam Gamgee: Probably my favourite character in the book. His devotion to Frodo is total and sweet. I’m not sure why he keeps calling Frodo “sir” or “master.” He’s just his gardener, right? But his forthright personality, his love of nature and animals (I didn’t know their pony had a name: Bill!), his shyness around Galadriel, his good common sense – all of this is completely endearing.

***
Some final thoughts:
There’s a LOT of geography in this book, especially name-checking places the fellowship passes or is thinking of journeying to. Occasionally I’d look at the map at the back of the book, but just as often I’d keep reading, thinking, “Well, if it’s important it’ll come up later.”

I also got tired of the “Behold, I am X, son of Y” construction. And I’ve already mentioned the songs and poems. But this is justifiably a fantasy classic: exciting, (mostly) well-written, carefully plotted.

I think all great books have deeper meanings, perhaps symbolic ones, and in reading this one I sense Tolkien’s love of England’s people and countryside, with fears about encroaching industrialization.

I also think that the idea of a group of people from disparate races working together for a common goal is inspiring to read about – at any age.

Will I read Book Two, The Two Towers? What are you, high on pipe-weed? Of course!

I'm so thankful for these books.

Many, many years ago, teenage me thought Lord of the Rings was somehow related to a flea circus. Where did that thought even come from? Honestly my mind works in mysterious ways. Either way, it meant this book held zero interest for me.

Then, mid-2001, I saw a preview for the first film and it looked right up my alley. Of course, being the loyal book nerd I am, I vowed to read at least The Fellowship of the Ring before seeing the film.

So it was that I first read this book, and began a lifelong love affair with the series. I read it a second time before the second film was released, a year later.

I remember loving the book but, having seen the film too many times to count, events were beginning to blur in my mind. I remembered the book as dense, full of words I didn't understand and long explanations about things I didn't really care about. I remembered everything up til Rivendell being something of a chore to get through.

It's a good example of why it doesn't hurt to re-read books, particularly if decades have passed.

This third read has been such an incredibly enjoyable experience. Having become a little obsessed since those early years, I relished all the little details this time around and got so much pleasure out of being fully immersed in this world. Tolkien had a gift of painting detailed pictures with only a few words, and it draws you into the world completely. There's never too much revealed about what any one person is thinking, and yet we learn their characters so completely. They are developed brilliantly and each has their own journey.

It's certainly a darker sort of story, with this cloud of evil constantly hanging over them all, but I think that's what makes the relationship between the characters so strong. There are some really beautiful moments when they turn to one another, or even when they annoy each other but stick together all the same. The relationship between Gandalf and Pippin is particularly priceless. Sam is basically Frodo's servant at the beginning of the book, but becomes his most trusted and loyal friend. Boromir is proud of his ability to protect others, and Aragorn is a reluctant leader who leads well all the same.

The book is divided into two, and the first is certainly not nearly as action-packed as the second. There is a lot of travelling in much the same vein - they walk, they rest, they eat, they sleep, they set out again - but there is also a lot of world-building, and telling of the history of the rings. The songs and poems can get a little tiresome but they're also an efficient way to touch on histories relevant to the story, so I had a lot more tolerance for them this time around.

The second book is one adventure after another, as the Fellowship makes their way south through perilous terrain. It's impossible to predict and there is always more information to latch onto. There is also just a lot of fun to be had in learning about these characters and watching them interact.

So much about this story is epic, and the world is rich with detail. At the same time, Tolkien really did work magic in packing so much lore and action and adventure into a nice, tidy size. He doesn't waste time with pages of character musings - he just tells the story, with the passion of someone fully immersed in this world.

I love everything about it, and I'm glad I felt the urge to re-read it because I got so much more out of it than I did in my teens. Sure, there are some things due to its age that may rub people the wrong way in this PC age - not enough women, Sam being a slave, all of the characters being white, etc. - but if you just relax into the story none of that stuff matters. It's just an epic adventure.

It also gives me such great respect for what PJ did with the films, and how he managed to be so faithful to the parts of the story that really mattered. The adaptation of this book to film is a work of genius. Both mediums are epic and brilliant in their own right and I will never stop loving them both equally.

Tolkien created an entire world, with detailed maps, races, and history. This book begins the expression of that, and the detail is what makes this story so powerful and enduring. It has timeless themes that can be interpreted by successive generations.

It's a classic, and one that only gets better with each read. It absolutely changed my world, and for that I will never stop being thankful.

Review for The Two Towers HERE
Review for The Return of the King HERE

***5 stars***

This was a re-read (or re-listen, actually) for my book club.

Whoever knows me, knows that I am the biggest LOTR fan. But fan of the movies, that is. Because there are some isolated cases when I think that the movie is actually better than the book and this is, sadly, one of them. Yes I said it, the movies were better and I'm not taking it back!

The reason why I think so is two-fold:

1. I have watched the movies first. In some cases when this happens, I tend to enjoy the movie more than the book, because I see the story unfold right before my eyes and if the book is different from what I saw, it feels... wrong. Like, I find myself thinking "well, this is not how it happened

n  n   

“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”

n  n

Every year a man comes to my house
and he knocks at my door. . .



He wears a pointed hat and he has a staff
and he tells me that it is that time of the year again.



I open the door and he looks around while i pack my bag
and i tell him how i thought he wouldn't come.



And then I grab my coat, wear my hat, tie my boots
and then we start our journey to Middle Earth.



He takes me to so many places
And on our journey he tells me of the fellowship. . .



He tells me about the ring
How it was once the source of great evil.



And he tells me about how the fellowship defeated the great evil
How they stood against the darkness when no one else dared.



He tells me of Frodo
How he was not fitting for the journey, responsibility, or endeavor, but he were made to rise up to the challenges.



How he was brave in the face of evil
and his will did not yield and he struggled on.



He tells me of Samwise
Who saw the good in the world and fought for it.



Who left the world a better place than it was before
who stayed loyal until the very end.



He tells me of Pippin
who didn't know what the journey may bring yet he stayed with his friends.



He tells me of Merry
who was unhappy at many times yet at no time was his self-pity of more importance to him than the welfare of his friends.



He tells me of Boromir
who fought until the end to protect his country and his people. . .his friends.



He tells me of Legolas and Gimli
who fought together, with each other and forgot their past differences.



He tells me of Gollum
who put himself on a lonely road and it destroyed him.



He tells me of Eowyn
who was born in the body of a maid but had a spirit and courage the match of men.



He tells me of Faramir
who pushed himself to the limits of endurance and sanity.



He tells me of Elrond
who worked behind the scenes trying to do it all for the greater good.



He tells me of Saruman
whose hastiness brought him to his ruin.



He tells me of Galadriel
who was at once mighty and valiant.



He tells me of Arwen
who made the ultimate sacrifice for love.



He tells me of Sauron
who became enamored with the kind of order that could be produced by domination and tyranny only.



And then he tells me of a Ranger
whose name was whispered in the dark.



He tells me of Elessar
who never turned his back on his friends.



He tells me of Aragorn
who, even after his long and perilous journey, still had enough strength to battle on.



And then i ask that man, the wizard
"Did you ever see them again Gandalf?"



And he tells me that some friendships last lifetimes
and then we come back to my home.



Every year i ask him if i can stay
Every year he tells me to wait.



So now i sit in my chair
and wait for the wizard to knock at my door again.



I will wait until i reach the age of thirty three
and maybe then he will come again.



I will wait till i reach the age of fifty
and maybe then he will take me to the Misty Mountains.



But if one day i disappear
and you don't hear a whisper then know that i will finally be at my true home.



n  P.S:n If it wasn't obvious from my overly emotional review this is one of my favorite series of all time.

This was long overdue and I am so happy to have finally read the first book. Finishing Books 2 and 3 will be among my early goals of 2018. I can't say enough about how much I loved this book. It's always fun to read about a character who is on the move. The constant action, even if it's as repetitive as avoiding a trail and walking through the woods for two days, kept the narration grounded, which was important in painting a picture of how vast middle earth was.

I love the movies in their own right, but I think I prefer Frodo in the books over the movies. Nothing against the direction Peter Jackson took it, I just thought Frodo came across as far more mature and wise in the book. We had the benefit of hearing his internal dialogue, rationalizing his decisions.

I know there is not much I can add to reviews that haven't been said already. This is one of the most read books of all time for a reason though and I'm glad to finally see first hand what that reason is; they are as good as people say they are (or at least the first one is)

n  ‘All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.’n

If you’re into epic adventures, a lovable band of misfits, and a good sprinkle of magical chaos, The Fellowship of the Ring is your jam. Tolkien kicks off The Lord of the Rings trilogy with a story so rich in world building that you can almost feel the grass of the Shire under your feet and smell the orc breath in Moria (though, honestly, you might not want to).

The book starts with Frodo Baggins, an unassuming hobbit who inherits a shiny ring that’s a little too powerful for its own good. What follows is an adventure across Middle earth, where Frodo teams up with a dream team of a wizard, a ranger, a dwarf, an elf, and some fellow hobbits. It’s basically the ultimate road trip, just with fewer snacks and more mortal peril.

Tolkien’s prose can be… let’s say, intentional. He doesn’t just tell you there’s a tree, he describes its history, its vibe, and maybe even its family tree. But once you settle into his rhythm, it’s like sinking into the most detailed fantasy world ever created.

Gandalf’s “You shall not pass!” moment is iconic. Samwise Gamgee is the MVP of friendship goals and the camaraderie between characters, despite their differences, is heartwarming (or heart wrenching, depending on the chapter).

In short, The Fellowship of the Ring is a fantasy classic for a reason. It’s got heart, adventure, and enough lore to keep your inner geek happy for years. Whether you’re a first time reader like me or revisiting Middle earth, this is a journey worth taking.

It’s not a light read, but it’s a rewarding one. The Fellowship of the Ring delivers in spades!

My Highest Recommendation.

n  ‘The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say’n

Merry Christmas Everyone! xxx

Review to come when I can recover. I hope that my fellow Frodo, Sam and Aragorn will continue onto Two Towers with me!



It's re-read and buddy read as of 1 July with the lovely:

Fuzaila/Frodo
Bhavik/Sam
Fares/Merry
Rusty Grey/Aragorn/Bill the Pony

And me, Pippin. Because I'm a ditz. Don't worry Fuzaila, book Frodo is awesome :)

I've decided we're all Hobbits since there are four of us.
I love the diversity of our read - two African and three Indian readers :D

Obviously. The best book in the universe deserves as much.