Do you have an old, worn piece of clothing? Perhaps that sweat shirt that you can’t wear anywhere except to bed or walking your dog? Perhaps it is an old blanket, a pair of shoes, maybe it’s a stuff animal. Regardless of what it is, every time you touch it or smell it, you feel peace, warmth, or perhaps, even home.

Know what I’m talking about? Good, that’s how The Lord of the Rings feels to me. I don’t how many times I’ve read the trilogy itself, let alone each book. I do know that I had to buy another edition after I wore out my first. (Technically, if you count my borrowing my mother’s copies when I was kid, I’ve had three editions). To me the whole story is like that worn out piece of clothing.

The Lord of the Rings starts with this book The Fellowship of the Ring. Even today, after I must have read the series at least twenty times, I opened the book, and I’m there. I’m in Middle Earth with Frodo and crew.

This is strange because I know, on an intellectual level, that LOTR is not a perfect book or series. In fact, all the flaws are on heavy display in this first part. It’s true, that the story does meander. That the pacing at times is slow. It is also true that Terry Pratchett is correct when he says if you believe the LOTR is the best written book ever, you haven’t read enough (I’m paraphrasing that).

And yet, it is one of three works I return to year after year.

Because it is the THE LORD OF THE RINGS!

At the very least, if you like fantasy literature, you should attempt to read this. Regardless of how one feels about Tolkien’s style, he is highly influential in fantasy literature. Some writers, such as Brooks and McKiernan, have “ripped off” the series. Other writers, such as Tad Williams and Marion Zimmer Bradley, have written in reaction to him.

But influence doesn’t explain entirely the attraction of this work. And this is supposed to be a review of The Fellowship of the Ring, so I best start (and finish at this point) with it.
The Fellowship sets the stage and is told in two parts. The first part of the book deals with the flight of Frodo and his friends to Rivendell. The second tells the story of the Nine Walkers as they set out to destroy the one Ring, a device of evil, a power that corrupts. The destruction of the Ring will stop the Dark Lord (No, not Voldemort. This is where Rowling got the idea), and save the land of Middle Earth

The heart of the story, the bulk of this book, is the friendship and courage of the Hobbits. It is the Hobbits that in many ways allow the reader access to the story. There is a very simple reason why.
Hobbits are normal. True, they are normal in a big hairy feet kind of a way, but they are far closer to those of us in the real world then elves, dwarfs, wizards, or even, the men that inhabit Middle Earth.

It is from Tolkien that most fantasy derives its treatment of elves. In The Fellowship the reader is introduced to a great many elves (most of who seem to have names starting with the later G). The reader is told a great many things about elves, like the fact that they can run on top of snow and have good eyesight, as well as living forever. Dwarves too have they strangeness, being long lived and short. Even the men, such as Strider and Boromir are different. Boromir is far closer to your everyday human than Strider, who lives long and has a rather interesting family tree. But even Boromir isn’t quite real.

The Hobbits, despite their age and hairy feet, are. Frodo, Merry, Pippin, and Samwise are all templates of people the reader might know. I watched Errol Flynn’s Robin Hood at an extremely young age. Therefore, any being that uses a bow is the most awesome creature ever. I like elves. I could marry Legolas, even in his Orlando Bloom incarnation. Yet, I identify more with the Hobbits because they are not warriors. Because, outside of Frodo, they go on the quest for friendship. Not for glory or because the quest is the right thing to do, but because the quest is the right thing to do because of their friendship with Frodo. That is something wonderful. Too often in modern novels the quest is undertaken for an encompassing reason, a save the earth reason. And this is true of everyone who takes it up (outside of the odd twit who goes to get the guy to notice her), but Sam, Merry, and Pippin do it out of loyalty. A friend is in trouble and they want to help. It is this desire, this trait that makes people human. It is one of our most basic instincts, and it is not a bad one.

The Hobbits are also attractive because they are little people in a big world and who doesn’t feel like that sometimes? Unlike The Hobbit, the superior tone of the narrator is not present. The Hobbits could quite easily be overwhelmed by what they encounter, but they are not. They plug away and keep going. There is something human about that. Not a Cunclucian against the waves type of feel, but a life feeling that one does get from the other characters. They are the everyday people in the quest. The everyday solider in the war.

It is also important to remember that The Fellowship is in the tradition of a saga. While The Hobbit seems to be designed to be read aloud, LOTR seems to beg to be told over a fire with a tankard of ale in hand. The style resembles that of the Old Norse sagas and tales that Tolkien draws upon. There is no large of amount of hand wringing, or deep discussions of feelings. It is a quest, and it reads like one. While it is not necessary to have read these old sagas before starting The Fellowship, it does help, at least for older readers, to keep in mind this influence.

Like the Old Norse legends, Tolkien seems to be dealing with the concept of Raganork. While the quest is one to save Middle Earth, it is also a quest with a coast. As the reader reads the book, sentences appear about how so and so will never be in X again. There is the leave taking of the elves. The idea seems not only to be the coming of the Age of Men, but also the presentation of a quieter, gentler end of the world. In some ways, The Fellowship prepares the reader for death in all its raiment’s.

Despite this fading, the world seems real. Not only do the Hobbits, Strider, and Gimli believe in their world, but so does Tolkien, and he paints it so that the reader sees it as well. It is true that the beginning of The Fellowship is little more than a description of Hobbits, but after this, Tolkien world builds and does it extremely well. There are references that the characters know, but the reader doesn’t. Yet, this is done in such a way that the reader doesn’t feel stupid or left out. It is done as it would occur in reality.

There is much to be said for this level of description.
It’s more than Tolkien’s world building. In parts of the book there are wonderful sentences that convey want, loss, truth, and love – all in one sentence. Not only that, but in a sentence that works wonderfully well, that doesn’t bang itself over the head of the reader.

It’s also true that in this book, there are not many women. In fact, there are two. And one of them doesn’t say anything. But the one who does. Galadriel rocks! And she has more than one of those wonderful sentences.

The overwhelming theme of The Fellowship is, in fact, Fellowship. At the heart of this book is a wonderful portrait of friendship and sacrifice that moves the reader. It is a rebuke against the idea of a man or a people as an island.

Amended 12/7/12 - Butterburr is the best barkeep!

The hobbits are back, and this time they're walking even farther than ever before. Obviously, it's still one of the best books of all time, with so many layers of narrative and everything else.

Great re-read. This time around I loved the language and also how Frodo and Co have to walk the whole way. There's no skipping over anything, just intense attention to the whole process.

"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them."

Synopsis of The Lord of the Rings
The Dark Lord, Sauron, seeks the one ring, the one he created, and the one that he lost. His shadow clouds the Middle Earth. Land, sky, and sea are filled with his spies bringing cold terror to those who oppose him. The Ringwraiths are back seeking the ruling ring with a vengeance. And here the poor hobbit, Frodo, from the Shire is thrust with the burden of the ring. He, as the ringbearer must destroy it before Sauron could get at it. But the ring can be destroyed only by casting it into the fires of Mount Doom. But to get to this, Frodo must pass through Mordor, Sauron's kingdom. A fellowship is nine is formed in support of his quest, choosing members from all fractions that oppose enemy power. Will they succeed in destroying the ruling ring or will the Middle Earth succumb to the power of Sauron?

The Fellowship of the Ring is part one of Tolkien's masterpiece The Lord of the Rings. Here, the quest of Frodo begins, and with the companions of the fellowship, he must face many dangers and difficulties before he could fulfill his charge. And we follow the company of nine, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin through many perilous adventures as they make their way from Rivendell to Mordor.

The Lord of the Rings is my first proper introduction to the fantasy genre. Although I'm not a keen fan of the genre, this series fascinated me beyond measure. From the first page on I knew I was in for a rare treat. And I was right. This is a rare literary gem that you'll want to cherish. I say this for several reasons. First, I've never read a tale like this, ever. Tolkien has not only written a story, but also has created a unique world, a fascinating one inhabited by hobbits, Wizards, Elves, Dwarves, Men, and many other creatures. And he doesn't stop there. He makes their history, creates their language, thus building a complete world. Only a genius is capable of such a feat. His imaginative power is greater than any I've met in my literary journey. Second, his storytelling is absolutely brilliant. It absorbs the reader completely and effortlessly. As the first part, the story is by no means conclusive; it's only the beginning. But at no point the reader will feel bored or tired. Third, Tolkien's use of the language is absolutely beautiful, beyond any description. It's a pure delight to read. In the use of language Tolkien surpasses all the others I've ever read. And fourth is the cinematic quality he brings with his brilliant writing. Be it the shadow that slowly creeps on the middle earth, the darkness where enemy and his spies dwell, or the light, beauty, and the purity of Rivendell and Lothlorien where the Elves dwell, Tolkien brings all these perfectly into life. The fear, uncertainty, despair, and hope are so strongly captured that readers feel the effects of all these varying emotions. Who but a rare genius can create such a thorough and complete work of literature?

Tolkien's Middle Earth is such a fascinating place to be even with the lurking shadow of the Dark Lord. A magical power draws us in even though every step generates much fear and tension. The company connects with us immediately, and we come to love them all in different degrees. Aragorn was my hero when I first read it twenty years ago, and I find my preference is still intact. :) I'm revisiting The Lord of the Rings after reading The Silmarilion, and that helped considerably to understand and appreciate the history behind the story.

Tolkien wrote that "the prime motive (in writing this) was the desire of a tale-teller to try his hand at a really long story that would hold the attention of readers, amuse them, delight them, and at times maybe excite them or deeply move them". And all I can say is that: Dear sir, you accomplished perfectly all that you set out to do in this masterpiece of yours.

~ 3 stars ~

Well, I finally did it. I have read 1/3 of The Lord of the Rings. This book has been sitting on my shelf since the beginning of summer last year, and I finally pushed through it.

The Fellowship of the Rings follows Frodo Baggins. He has inherited The One Ring from his uncle Bilbo Baggins ( who is our protagonist in The Hobbit ). He goes on a journey with companions to destroy the Ring in the fire of Mordor, before the enemy gets their hands on it, as it would cause great destruction and evil.

I thought that this book had both it's negatives and positives. I think I expected more from this book, but I'm glad I finally finished it. I loved the movies, and I'm looking forward to continuing on with the book.


The plot:

I thought this very much dragged. It took so long for something interesting to happen, that I didn't really care until after they left Rivendell and the real journey started, and only then did my reading experience become easier. Just so much walking and repetitive and unnecessary things happening. It took so long setting up. I liked the ending though. Sam and Frodo's friendship makes it all worth it.


The world-building:

Very interesting. I love the world that Tolkien has created. But what I don't like, is how we got a lot of the world-building through info dumps. But I'm excited to explore more of it.


The writing:

I don't think it's for me. It didn't capture my interest nor helped me become immersed into the story. It's not easy to get through and I am still not completely acoustomed with it especially considering I listened to The Hobbit.

Also I do not like the random song breaks, I skipped those.


The characters:

My favorite part of the book! I liked this cast of characters much more than the ones in The Hobbit. The friendships were wonderful. Sam, my cinnamon roll, I've adopted him in case you didn't know. He's too precious and was my favorite. I still do think we could have known a lot of them better, and that some did not have the same charm as in the adaptation, but overall I like following them and the bonds they are building.


Final Thoughts: Hopefully The Two Towers is better in the aspects I disliked. I mean the concept is interesting, but this was pretty boring. I expected better from this book and it took me so long to read, but it wasn't terrible. It was a middle tier book, so 3 stars makes sense.



•••••
(2/15/21)
Okay, Attempt #2 at reading this. I'm excited to try again, and hopefully I can push through this time!

•••••
DNF @ ≈25%

(November 20th, 2020)

Yes I was enjoying it, and yes this DNF is temporary. But unfortunately I don't have the mental capacity to finish this book nor am I in the mood for a classic. School is just too exhausting and I just want to read a bunch of trashy YA books and books that don't require for me to use more than my 2 remaining braincells. Not to mention the fact that as intresting Tolkien's writing is, it takes a while to get used to it and considering the fact that I listened to the Hobbit on audiobook, I am still not able to completely be immersed. Maybe I'll try it out again during winter break? We'll see.

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

As someone who’ve read more than three hundred fantasy novels, it may come as a surprise to many people that this is, in fact, the first time I managed to finish reading The Fellowship of the Ring. Honestly, there’s nothing new I can offer here; for several decades, there have been many analysts and heavy devout of The Lords of the Rings, Middle-Earth, and pretty much everything related to Tolkien. My knowledge of Middle-Earth contained only what I’ve read from The Great Tales of Middle-Earth, Silmarillion, this book, and from watching the movie adaptations of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogy. Matched to these experts, my knowledge is just a drop in a sea of diligence. What I will write here, instead, is my personal experience; mainly on why it took me this long to finally finish reading this legendary novel for the very first time, and how much I disagree with the illusionary ‘required’ reading surrounding this series.

Picture: The One Ring by Donato Giancola


For many readers, The Lord of the Rings is responsible for being their gateway into the fantasy genre; for me, it was the one that pushed me away for years. The last time I pushed myself to read The Fellowship of the Ring was all the way back in 2012 when The Hobbit movie came out; I DNFed it because I was mindlessly bored, and before that, I have tried reading this book so many times but ended up DNF it every time Frodo met Tom Bombadil. Now now, don’t unleash your Gurthang on me yet, let’s put things into perspective first. Same with many readers, I absolutely love The Lord of the Rings movie—extended, of course—adaptations; it probably will always be my favorite fantasy movies of all time. I have watched it so many times that I lost count now; last year I re-watched the trilogy only to find myself in awe by everything about it, again. I personally think the movies did a great job of rearranging/cutting content for watching enjoyment; in comparison to the novels, they are also so much more fast-paced relatively. Obviously, it’s not fair to compare them like that because they’re different mediums of entertainment; movies will always be faster-paced than the books. However, try putting yourself in the shoe of someone who wasn’t keen on reading novels—I haven’t found my gateway into fantasy novels yet back then—and have known about the main plot of the series from watching the movies so many times, being put into reading The Fellowship of the Ring that’s verbose; it was the opposite of enjoyment, it was boredom. Back then, I found that the forming of the Fellowship of the Ring brotherhood and their adventure took way too long to reach because I’m much more used to the pacing of the movies.

Picture: The Fellowship in Hollin by Donato Giancola


Then, I kept hearing from many fanatics that “you’re not a fantasy reader/fans unless you’ve read and loved The Lord of the Rings!” and not gonna lie, it pushed me off the genre for years; I thought reading epic fantasy novels wasn’t for me because of this statement. I will disagree with this notion that you’re required to read a specific series to be considered as a fantasy reader. Not only this is incredibly disrespectful to countless fantasy authors and readers, but it also speaks heavily of elitism and childish behavior that the world seriously doesn’t need. If you want to feel superior or powerful for having read this series and be condescending towards other people, you should raise your hand to your back and pat your asses three times, because what you just pat is what you’ve become. There’s an unlimited number of amazing fantasy books out now in the whole world, it’s outrageous to gatekeep a gate that doesn’t exist just because they don’t follow your Tolkienism. I love sushi, do I have to fish and eat the first fish that popularized sushi as a popular food so that I can be considered as someone who loves eating sushi? What if I had listened to this garbage statement back then? What if I had completely given up back then because of my sour experiences with this book and the fandom? I would be missing on so many grand and unforgettable adventures I received from reading other fantasy books. It may be shocking, but The Lord of the Rings isn’t the only available fantasy books to read.

There is no ‘required’ reading—other than to read ANY fantasy book—to become a fan of a fantasy; it is an illusion made up by elitists who should not be listened to. Also, this is kinda related, I consider Malazan Book of the Fallen one of my favorite series of all time. For years, I’ve been hearing many angry complaints towards Malazan fanatics, and to be fair, some of them can indeed be annoying when they keep on recommending the series even when the series doesn’t fit the reader’s request for a recommendation. This situation, however, is not exclusive to this series. Any popular and famous series will always have a large fandom filled with passionate readers that’s sometimes transformed into fanatics. I’ve had my share of dispute and grievances with some Malazan fans due to their seniority, elitist, and spoilers galore that ended up taking me a long time to plunge myself into the series. Unfortunately, speaking from my experience, the same can be said for those who worshipped The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien, maybe even much worse due to their tendency for gatekeeping.

n  n   

“Deserves it! I daresay he does. 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.”

n  n

This rambling has gone on much longer than I expected now, and I haven’t even begun talking about what I loved and disliked about The Fellowship of the Ring. That being said, because The Lord of the Rings is technically one big tome divided into three, I prefer doing a full spoiler-free review on The Lord of the Rings when I have finished reading The Two Towers and The Return of the King as well. For now, let me just briefly say that I enjoyed reading The Fellowship of the Ring so much more now than all of my previous attempts. With relatively many fantasy books read now, I was able to tolerate Tolkien’s verbose writing style. If you’re one of those who struggle through reading this book, my advice—if you want to push yourself—is to persevere until Frodo reached the village of Bree and meet Strider. In my opinion, this was the checkpoint where the novel started being engaging. Before that, even reading it now, many parts felt super sluggish; Tom Bombadilo’s singing and sections were pure nonsense that I wouldn’t mind skipping. There aren’t enough praises I can give to Tolkien for the depth of his world-building (remember, this was published more than 60 years ago) and creating some of the most iconic scenes in the fantasy genre that led to a myriad of beautiful fan art like this:

Picture: The Shadow and the Flame by Anato Finnstark


And speaking of iconic scenes, what we read in The Fellowship of the Ring is merely a small taster of what’s to come in The Two Towers and The Return of the King. Although I’m not a huge fan of Tolkien’s prose—the singing was a bit too much, and he uses third-person omniscient narrative which I’m not too keen of—there’s this sense of being transported into another world by reading his writing. Plus, let’s not forget that he wrote some of the most memorable quote; this one is timeless:

n  n   

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and 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 us.”

n  n

I am not denying the importance of Tolkien’s role in the fantasy genre; it would be insane to deny that. The Fellowship of the Ring and the next two parts of The Lords of the Rings were and still some of the most important fantasy novels that shaped and made the fantasy genre popular. However, I personally wouldn’t recommend this series as a fantasy-gateway series for people who are looking to get into reading adult fantasy for the first time. Same with all books I reviewed, my rating is based on reading enjoyment, not on a technicality, achievement, or any other external factors. Unlike the existence of The One Ring to Rule Them All, there isn’t one fantasy series to rule them all as a foolproof recommendation. This is also what makes fantasy fantastical and wonderful; it’s truly a favorite genre of mine that is filled with boundless and infinite imaginations. Instead of banishing fantasy readers for not reading/loving The Lord of the Rings, I definitely prefer to welcome them with recommending other fantasy books that, in my opinion, would work for them more. Let’s do better.

n  n   

“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.”

n  n

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Ahhh this was AMAZING!
Why did I not read this sooner? It's just beyond me.

The world building is so rich, so immersive, so detailed, it's so easy to get lost in it. Yes the pacing is slower than what I expected it to be but it still continued to keep me interested.

I love the characters especially (and obviously) Aragorn. He's just written so perfectly. I might need some more time to warm up to Frodo tho, I preferred the movie version of him.

Idk why I thought the book was not going to end on a cliffhanger

This is where my love of fantasy began. Tolkien is the foundational author of epic fantasy worlds, and to this day, I've yet to read his equal for world-building. Middle Earth's geography, history, peoples, languages, and cultures feel as real to me as the world we live in. He built the original found family—the fellowship embodies the acceptance, sacrifice, protection, honor, duty, and purpose that I hold every other band of heroes to. This foundational quest has the stakes, the tension, the stacked odds, and the desperate hope that every other quest aspires to. This book is the answer to the question "Why do you read" and it is the standard to which I compare all other epic fantasy books.

Thematically, I reference this text for friendship, wisdom, hope, personal responsibility, identity, temptation, power, simplicity, greed, unity, peace, stoicism, courage, ambition, purpose, death, honor, glory, grief, longing, healing and letting go. It encompasses the whole of the human experience and articulates the best of what we are capable of, unlike any other fantasy book.

It's essential and fun and beyond beautiful. It's transcendent.

I read this decades ago and it somehow found its way to my currently reading list. I think everything possible has been said about this story. It enthralled me and brought me into Tolkien's world with nary a bit of struggle. Thank goodness!

“One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.”

4.5 stars!
This was an action-packed and epic fantasy about friendship, power, choosing your path, and resilience in the face of challenges. The Fellowship of the Ring follows Frodo Baggins, a hobbit and cousin of Biblo as he goes on an epic journey to destroy a powerful ring and prevent the Dark Lord from fulfilling his plans. Along the way Frodo meets new friends and faces several challenges.

This book was so good! The pacing in the beginning was slow, but once the pace picked up I was completely immersed in the fantastic and detailed world that the author created. The world building was amazing, I loved the learning about the intriguing world full of elves, orcs, wizards, hobbits, dwarves and more. The characters are very complex and realistic. My favorite characters are Aragorn, Sam, Gandalf, and Legolas. Aragorn is charming, kind, strong, and brave. Sam is loyal, wise, brave and kind. Gandalf is wise, powerful, and helpful. I also liked Frodo, he is resilient, courageous and stubborn. The side-characters were also great, I liked that they each had their own personalities and challenges. The character development was excellent I really liked learning about the characters and seeing them grow. The author is a great writer and the descriptions allowed me to picture everything vividly in my head. The ending was action-packed and surprising! I can't wait to read the next book! I recommend this book to anyone to loves epic fantasy, great characters and excellent world building.

4.75/5 stars

“Moonlight drowns out all but the brightest stars.”

I don't even know how to start this, so I might as well start with a story.

I was about 8 or 10 years old and sick again (I was a very sickly kid), with either a very bad flu or a very bad cold (there was a lot of coughing). So my dad borrowed from his coworker 4 books and brought them home to me (I grew up in times when people borrowed and shared, not just shopped and shopped). The books obviously were The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings "trilogy" (it's one book really, just split into 3 upon publishers intent). So I started reading. Suddenly I wasn't sick in my room anymore, I was in The Shire, I was guessing Gollum's riddles, I was running from Smaug I was in Rivendell bound under elven beauty and all I needed to do, all I must do was get that ring to Mordor to be destroyed. I was in love. Then many years passed and after all of 3 movies were released they were showing them on TV. I remember sitting at the foot of the couch and waling for 10 minutes at the Boromir scene, I just couldn't stop.

I don't remember how many times I read the books, but this is my very first time reading it in English. And anyone who says that the books are hard to read because of the way they are written, honestly needs to purchase a dictionary because they really are not. The language is beautiful. Sure, Tolkien gets off topic and could ramble a bit, but that doesn't make it hard to read at all.

​“Three Rings for Elven-Kings under the sky
Seven for the Dwarf-Lords in their halls of stone
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie”

Here is what Tolkien in his own words had to say to those who dislike his books:
"Some who have read the book, or at any rate have reviewed it, have found it boring, absurd, or contemptible; and I have no cause to complain, since I have similar opinions of their works, or of the kinds of writing that they evidently prefer."
He was a sassy sweet old man! :)

Lord of the Rings (and all of the books set in that world) are not just books. They aren't something to be submitted to publisher because of the due date, or not something to be filled and stretched out because of the word count requirements. He spent 12 years writing Lord of the Rings. They are a labor of love - and it shows. It shows in every word, every description - it doesn't feel like fiction (which was Tolkien's true intent), it feels like a historical recollection of fantastical things that truly happened. That's why you don't just read the books, you go to Middle Earth and you live it.

I was pleasantly surprised when I learned that P.Jackson adopted that same approach to making his movies - he didn't just make them, he lived them, which also shows in every second of the three films.

In the diverse universe of different races my favorite are the elves. And not because they are so ethereal and graceful, but because of their affinity and relationship with nature. Elves are always sad because they know that earth is dying and the they won't be able to slow and stall that process forever. They respect nature above all and they live in harmony with it. Unlike orcs and goblins who only see nature as materials for making their weapons and other scary things.

Tolkien himself disliked technology and how fast it was advancing. He liked things true and simple. He liked the countryside, he liked his old house set in the greenery of nature - his haven in a fast changing world.

​Next after elves were hobbits in their love for nature. Hobbits didn't like technology either, and in the Shire they truly lived in their own world. If you read the prologue you will learn that except the plow and a windmill hobbits really didn't have any other advanced tools (I know a windmill is not a tool, but it's a means of making things). Hobbit's philosophy is simple and beautiful - give a hobbit a garden and he's happy. They liked their comfort, and they liked there tea, they also liked to eat 6 times a day, which I totally get on board with. I won't go into any other races, except this two that are my favorite, because then my review will be half as large as the first book.

“He loved mountains, or he had loved the thought of them marching on the edge of stories brought from far away; but now he was borne down by the insupportable weight of Middle-earth. He longed to shut out the immensity in a quiet room by a fire.”

The book starts with an extensive genealogy and history of hobbits, which is important to know to understand them. Because even with danger at the front door a hobbit will still want his second breakfast. If you read the books and watched the movies they are quite a few differences, especially in the first part of it. I like both ways of starting up - one sets you up with a lot of information which you really need to truly grasp the feel of the things, and the other creates a very fast paced chase which glues you to your screen.

The scope of Tolkien's creation is tremendous - he had so much material that it's still being published. He created a separate language for his books, he created a whole world of extensive mythology - I honestly don't know how he kept his notes straight. The man, and his works are pure genius. Also, all of this was done before google. Just let that sink in.

I feel like modern fantasy authors should strive to write more like Tolkien did. And I don't mean in the same style or anything. But with love. Treat their books as if they were real, not merely a fiction. Step into the world they create and live the story, not just write it. Nowadays authors try to either shock the reader, or to trick the reader - and while it often works, it shouldn't always be the case.

​The first book doesn't bring much in a sense of human interaction, or much action, due to it being weirdly split at a point - remember to threat the books as one. It's a one long and epic journey, and book one is merely a set up for it. Lord of the Rings itself is merely a drop in the vast ocean of Tolkien's universe, and I plan to drink the whole thing (just kidding you can't drink salt water). I will swim in it.

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به کتاب دین و زندگی سال دوازدهم خوش اومدین. اینجا در سه بخش رو براتون اثبات و تثبیت و بهره وری می کنیم. (خب، ایده ی اولیه این بود که به پیروی از جنآب شین و پیمان با آیه های قرآن ریویو بنویسم ولی خب من کجا و اون ملائک کجا؟ من تهش ور میدارم به جفت قرآن و ارباب حلقه ها گه میزنم) ارباب حلقه ها کتاب مقدسه. فعلا همینو داشته باشین
با یه جمله ی آسمانی که هیچ ایده ای ندارم کی گفته بودش آغاز می کنیم
"بهشتو واسه خودتون نگه دارین. من میخوام برم میدل ارث"
سینای عزیز اشاره کرد جمله برای مارتینه*
اگه در حقانیت فانتزی شکی دارین به ریویوم از نام باد مراجعه کنین
نام باد
و یا اگه در هر نقطه ازین متن طولانی حوصله سر بر به سوال"خب که چی"رسیدین تو ریویوی ملکوت به غیر منطقی ترین شکل ممکن براتون توضیح دادم
ملکوت
(وقتی حال نداری جفنگیاتتو دوباره توضیح بدی)
سه بخش از این قرارن که چون حس تایپ کردن همش یه جا نیست هر کودومو تو ریویو یکی از کتابا مینویسم
1-برای عوام، به پاس آشنایی و منظر گشایی
2-برای تالکینیست ها، به پاس فنگرلینگ
3-برای کافران، که شاید حق بر آنان آشکار گردد و دل های خاموششان به اذن استاد نورانی
باشد که همه در سایه ی رحمت تالکین سال جدید را زنده بمانید
و در ضمن کم شدن یه سال دیگه از سالای تخمی ای که باید زندگی کنین مبارک

کتاب دین و زندگی دوازدهم متوسطه، فصل اول، برای عوام، به پاس آشنایی و منظر گشایی

وردست آفریدگار

یه پیمان ناگفته بین فانتزی باز ها هست که میگه: وقتی یکی ازتون میپرسه از یک تا پنج به ورلد بیلدینگ(دنیاسازی...؟) یه کتابی چند میدین شما تو دلتون اینطوری میگین که خب از یک تا ارباب حلقه ها ورلدبیلدینگ این کتابه چطور بود؟
مثال نیاز دارین؟ اینم مثال
تصور کنین یه نقشه ی آردا* دارین. یدونه خیلی خیلی بزرگش. اندازه ی کف اتاقتون مثلن. اگه بپرین روش(شوخی می کنما. اگه نقشه آردا گیر اوردین مسیج بدین آدرس بدم نپرین روش) برای نقطه ی دقیقی که انگشت کوچیک شما قرار گرفته تالکین موجود و گونه ی گیاهی و گونه ی جانوری و آب و هوا و زبان کامل و خلق و خوی ساکنینش و آواز های محلیشون و روابطشون با موجودات دیگه و تاریخشون در طول سه دوران اصلی و بعضا قبل و بعد اون رو نوشته. میتونین حتا تصورش کنین؟ یه دنیای کامل. کامل کامل. اصلا شوخی نمی کنم
یه نمونه فقط برای وسعت افسانه ها بخوام بگم اول کتاب اول(یاران حلقه) یه شعر کوچیک هست که داستان دوتا از الفا قبل جنگ اول حلقه رو میگه. برن و لوتین. داستانشونو خلاصه تعریف می کنه و رد میشه. برای برن و لوتین یه کتاب جداگانه نوشته شده. یا یه شخصیت فرعی هست به نام تام بامبادیل که حضورش تو کتاب کلن سی صفحست. برای اونم کتاب جداگانه نوشته شده
تصور من از اون دنیا اینه که خدایان لبشونو میجوئن اینطورین که فاکککک لوکیشین جدیدو چیکار کنیم؟ تالکینو بفرستین بیاد
دوازده جلد تاریخ سرزمین مسانه، کلی نقشه، جزئیات همه چی، روایت دنیاسازی فوق العادش به بهترین نحو...اگه همه ی اینا کافی نبوده جادوی تالکین هنوز تموم نشده. نه نه نه. زبان شناس هنوز از رشتش استفاده نکرده

زبان آسمانی
وقتی سازمان ملل به این نتیجه رسید که انگلیسی واسه زبون بین المللی بودن خوب نیست از همه جای دنیا زبان شناس احضار کرد که بشینن زبون بسازن و اونا خودشونو پاره پاره کردن و نتیجه شد زبون اسپرانتو که به جز خودشون و بچه هاشون هیشکی یادش نگرفت. بعضیاشون تجربه ی ساختن یه زبون جدیدو سخت ترین کاری که تاحالا انجام دادن نام گذاری کردن
تالکینم یه زبون جدید ساخته؟ نمیشه که. غیر ممکنه. ینی یه زبون کامل؟ با گرامر و همه چی؟ همشم از خودش در اورده؟
Tancave!
که به کوئنیا میشه آره
کوئنیا یکی از 15 زیر شاخه ی الفیه که در دوران سوم که وقایع ارباب حلقه ها و هابیت در اون دوران اتفاق میفتن برای مکالمات رسمی استفاده می شده
علاوه بر این 15 زبون که هرکودوم تلفذ، گویش،گرامر،کلمات،اصطلاحات،ضرب المثل ها و تیکه کلام ها و نوشتار خودشونو دارن تالکین برای موجودات دیگرش مثل انت ها، هابیت ها، دورف ها،انسان ها، اورک هاو بیشتر زبون ساخته.(به علاوه ی یه زبون اشاره برای دورف ها چون گفتارشون خیلی بلند بوده)که مارو به فری تیل زیبایی میرسونه که توضیح میده کتاب مقدس فانتزی چطوری نوشته شده
ورژن کوتاهش اینطوری میشه: تالکین اولین زبون خودشو وقتی نوجوون بوده میسازه. به سی و پنج تا زبون معاصر و باستانی مسلط میشه و حتا برای فان به خودش فنلاندی یاد میده. کلی زبون میسازه.زبونا رو دستش می مونن. میگه خببب چیکار کنم اینارو؟ آهان یه کتاب مینویسم که توش زبونارو به کار ببرم. اوپسسس شاهکار تاریخ ادبیات گمانه زن شد. چه اتفاق جالبی
به قول پسرش he invented words and needed speakers
آیا تمام این زبون ها کاملن؟ بستگی داره منظورتون از کامل چی باشه. آیا معادلی برای "هیدرواسید فضازمانی تکینگی سیتوپلاسمی" تو زبونای تالکین وجود داره؟ نه. آیا قابل استفاده و مکالمه هستن؟ با تمام زبونای تالکین میشه آوازای قدیمی خوند و یا یه مکالمه ی عادیو پیش برد. با نصفشون میشه به عنوان یه توریست گلیمتونو از آب بیرون بگشین. با سه تاشون میشه زندگی کرد
که از این سه تا زبون به اصطلاح "کاربردی" دوتاشون استفاده میشن و متکلمای زیادی در سرتاسر دنیا دارن. کوئانیا و سیندارین که هردوتاشون زیرشاخه های الفین. در واقع میخواستم ریویورو سیندارین بنویسم ولی خب به ذهنم رسید چند نفر به اندازه ی من تالکینیست(بخونین بیکار)هستن که بشینن الفی یاد بگیرن؟ حالا اگه آروِن بخونه و هیچی نفهمه تقصیر شماست
تالکین درحالی از دنیا رفت که نود درصد کاراش منتشر نشده بود. بخشی از اونارو پسرش، شوالیه ی آردا کریستوفر تالکین، منتشر کرد و هنوز خیلی از نوشته هاش منتشر نشدن و توی دانشگاهای مطرح دنیا مطالعه میشن
https://www.marquette.edu/library/arc...


از رگ گردن به شما نزدیک تر

تالکین خیلی واقعی می نویسه. بهتر از این نمیتونم توضیح بدم. فقط با تک تک جزئیات و دنیاش و زبوناش و شعراش جوری مسحورتون می کنه که سرتونو از رو کتاب بردارین و برین یه چیزی بخورین ناخودآگاه به بیلبو که سر میز نشسته داره چپق می کشه سلام می کنین. شوخی نمی کنم(که یادم میندازه یه مثال دیگه از وسعت دنیاسازی تالکین اینه که بیست و خورده ای صفحه صرفا درمورد علف چپقی که هابیتا می کشن مطلب هست که خلاصش تو ضمیمه ی کتاب اول اومده)

شاعر ملائکه

بله بله. اگه هنوز به نبوغ تالکین پی نبردین یه فصل درمیون با شعرای بی نظیرش غافلگیرتون می کنه.شعر میخونه ای، شعر معمایی، شعر توصیفی در وصف یه رود،شعر به زبونایی که خودش ساخته، همه چی

پدر؟

نه. تالکین پدر فانتزی نیست. حتا با حضورذهن ماهی مانند منم میتونم ده دوازده تا کتاب فانتزی ارزشمندو نام ببرم که قبل ارباب حلقه ها نوشته شدن. تالکین یه جورایی وارث پیشین تاج و تخت فانتزیه. مثلا اگه فانتزی ادبیات پوچ گرایانه باشه تالکین بوکوفسکیه.. یه همچین چیزی(یه چیز بی ربط. تالکین.سلین. هم قافیه بودنشون نکته داره؟ شاید...)

!!کفر نگویید

نه. شخصیت پردازی تالکین بد نیست. فوق العادست.بهترینه. این که با معیارای مدرن سازگار نیست دلیل نمیشه تک بعدی و تخت باشه. اگه زمین تخته شخصیتای تالکینم تختن. با توجه کم تالکین به شخصیتا همینشم عالیه. کشمکش شخصیت زاهد مسلک آراگورن و پادشاه درونش. برومیر. گالومو که دیگه نگم. کفر نگین دیگه

مثل خانواده

تالکین نویسنده ی مهربونیه. یهو نبوغشو نمی کوبه تو صورتت. اول یکم از فرهنگ هابیتا برات میگه...یکم ماموریتشونو جلو میبره...شخصیت اضافه می کنه...قصه میگه...بعد یهو یه ارجاع به تاریخش می زنه یا یکی از زبوناشو به کار می بره که بهت یاداوری کنه چیکارا بلده. هیچوقت بهت نمیگه: نگا من چقد دنیای بزرگی ساختم.نگا چقد جزئیات. از من بترس. نه بهت میگه: سلام فرزندم خوش اومدی.درباره ی چی دوست داری یاد بگیری؟ و دستتو میگیره و میبرتت

موسیقی خلقت

آره...باید اینارو تو بخش شعر میگفتم ولی نمیخوام. ریویوی خودمه
محققا مطالعه کرده بودن که چیه تالکینو انقد خاص می کنه؟چیه بهش این قدرت روایت بی همتارو میده؟ در نهایت عنصر اصلی نوشته هاشو "موسیقی" تعیین کرده بودن. از موسیقیای سنتی الفا تا مرثیه هایی که مث دیزنی یهو میخونن. قدرت تالکین جویبار آوا ها و کلمات موزونشه. همونطور که در میدل ارث موسیقی عنصر حیاتیشونه، تو ذهن شماهم خواهد بود

سیمای اساطیر

یه ضمیمه ی عالی اول جلد اول هست به نام "فرمانروای حلقه ها در سیمای اساطیر" که نوشته ی مازیار میرهادی زاده ی عزیزه. کامل ترش تو سایت آردا وپژوهشایی که انجام شده تو اینترنت هست. یه توضیح مختصر میده که چطور زمینه ی اکثر شخصیت ها، اتفاق ها و یا شعر ها در ارباب حلقه ها الهام گرفته از اساطیر و یا متون کهنه. مقاله رو میتونین اینجا بخونین
http://ensani.ir/fa/article/288827/%D...


نکات

وقتی شما به زبونهای تالکینی مسلط شدین تک تک اسامی مکان ها و اشخاص رو میتونین ریشه یابی کنین. همینطور آوای زبون هر گونه با شکل ظاهریش هماهنگه. همینطور زبون ها بازتاب تاریخچه و اعتقادات هر نسل هم هستن. همین

من و جناب رضا علیزاده و همه ی تالکینیستای فارسی زبان متفقیم که فرمانروای حلقه ها از چندین لحاظ ترجمه ی درست تریه ولی چه میشه کرد. یه چیزی که میفته تو زبون مردم نمیشه کشیدش بیرون

mae g'ovannen, Arwen
Gi melin!
Gellon ned i galar i chent lîn ned i gladhol.
(محض احتیاط اگه آرون داره میخونه)

لغات
آردا: دنیایی که کارای تالکین توشون روایت میشه. آردا یه کلمه ی الفیه
middle earth: سرزمین میانه یا خطه میانه سرزمینیه که تمرکز اصلی حوادث اونجاست
تالکینیست: کسایی که به کارای تالکین تسلط دارن و یا به شدت طرفدارشن
سیندارین و کوئانیا: دوزیرشاخه از الفی

آیا من ارباب حلقه هارو پیشنهاد می کنم؟
نه
اگه فانتزی بازین تا الان خوندین و یا تالکینیستین یا کافر و نیازی به معرفی من ندارین
اگه فانتزی باز نیستین پیشنهاد می کنم از کارای ملو تر شروع کنین. به همون دلیل که اول راهنمایی فیزیک هالیدی نمیدن.

خب...اگه تا اینجا خوندین به تام بامبادیل میگن بهتون شلغم طلا بده. جدی. خودمم حال ندارم کامل بخونمش
تا درس بعدی
novaer mellonin

I remember that my Mum -a Librarian, bless Her!- gave me this book to check out when I was 10, but apparently I was too young for it. I could not get past the introduction "About Hobbits", I found it unappealing.

But 7 years later, a friend of mine was all enthusiasm about how I would love it, if I gave it another chance and boy, DID I LOVE IT! I was equeally charmed and fascinated. After reading the books in under 4 days, it became a habbit for me to read it every year, and for some reason, always in winter. I did this annual re-read for at least 15 years or so.

I am happy to say, it still doesn't disappoint and I like the narrator, Rob Inglis very much.
His interpretation has tradition to it, which is a great set-off to the very spectacular, but undoubtedly "modern" exposition of the Peter Jackson films.