First Read 1978

Second Reading 1999

Third Reading 2023

I have reviewed the three volumes that comprise The Lord of the Rings — The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King — each separately. This review of the work entire is to share my thoughts on where and how this work fits into our literary culture.

Tolkien’s cultural impact is undeniable. The Lord of the Rings became a touchstone to the Flower Power generation, when many a hippie scrawled the graffiti “Frodo Lives!” as a tribute to their obsession. In the 1970s, Tolkien’s work was behind the boom of heroic fantasy as a genre publishing phenomenon, as publishers rushed to find Tolkien clones to feed an insatiable market. Ralph Bakshi’s animated 1978 film, The Lord of the Rings, though it made a profit, disappointed fans, who had to wait for Peter Jackson’s trilogy of live action films a generation later before Hollywood elevated Tolkien’s work into a fully realized and lasting pop culture megalith.

What is often overlook about The Lord of the Rings, rather, is its literary impact. Tolkien was an officer in The Great War, and was clearly affected by that dramatic conflict. Yet he is rarely mentioned alongside the generation of writers who were shaped by that war and went on to shape 20th century literature. Hemingway, Cummings, Dos Passos, are all widely seen as being shaped by their experiences in the First World War, and their breaking away from the old romantic forms of literature is viewed as pivotal in shaping what literature would become in the 20th century. Tolkien’s war experience sent him on another path. He reinvented the romantic forms rather than abandoning them. The mythological epic that he created reimagined the old forms, keeping the romantic tradition alive and refreshed in a generation that had largely turned away from it in favor of Modernism. Though rarely acknowledged in academia, Tolkien rescued the romantic tradition and passed it on for the enjoyment of the children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren of the generation who abandoned it.

Every reading journey has a beginning, even if that beginning comes across as lame as hell in the retelling. My beginning with this particular book occurred on a wedding anniversary date. I was a few cran and vodkas over the limit and had decided that a nice leisurely stroll through the bookstore would help clear my head before venturing on to our next destination, the grocery store. Yes, you read that right. My anniversary date celebration consisted of booze, books and groceries. I’m pretty sure if you google anniversary gifts by year for the modern working couple with children you will see this exact scenario listed under year sixteen. If it isn’t there I vote it should be because silver hollowware, who actually wants that?

ANYWAY

When I happened upon this ginormous book in all of its leather bound glory I knew that I had to possess it. I realized that buying it would force me to read it sooner than later and it was a book that had lived on my mental to-read list for a very long time. What I didn’t consider was the size of the book and how difficult it would be for me to lug it around everywhere I went. Sober me would have thought of this and went for the story broken out across three books instead of one. Tipsy me saw the fancy binding, smelled the pages and could care less about my future suffering. I saw my precious and nothing was going to stop me from making it my own, especially not commonsense.

My reading stretched on for weeks on end and every day the book got heavier and more cumbersome (if you aren’t singing 7M3 right now then you can’t call yourself my friend). A few chapters in and I decided to get a tote to make my traveling easier and to protect my precious from rain, stains and torn pages. I was Frodo and the tote became my Sam. Without my durable new friend I would have been miserable and it would have taken me a hell of a lot longer to finish one of the best stories I have read in a while. I also wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the characters I had fallen hard for in all of the various locations I was able to visit because of it. Exciting locations such as the doctor’s waiting room and a hotel room in Texas, to name a few.

Five stars to a book that taught me to appreciate epic journeys and all of the friends you might find along the way and zero stars to a specific edition of that same book that taught me not to visit the bookstore under the influence of alcohol. (Just kidding, the book is gorgeous and it makes a great new addition to my real bookshelf.)

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

En voi sanoa mitään.



Kaikki tähdet maailmassa.

Nevertheless, here are my little LOTR reviews of each volume:
• The Fellowship of the Ring
• The Two Towers
• The Return of the King


Lego Legolas!

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (BOOK 1)

I have been slowly rereading The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien over the last few months and I’ve loved every moment of it. I read these fantasy books years ago, and I used to watch the films over and over again, so this is a series that has shaped my life.

The Fellowship of the Ring is a fantastic introduction to The Lord of the Rings. We begin the story in the Shire with Frodo and Bilbo Baggins. I love the Shire. It’s depicted in such a way that you can’t help but wish that you could live there!

It’s full of cheery hobbits who are eating, drinking, singing, growing crops, or smoking. It’s a relaxing life and makes for a wonderful few chapters.

If you read this book without knowing anything about the series then you might think that the ending of The Fellowship of the Rings doesn’t feel quite right – there isn’t an overarching plot as such.

That’s because you need to read the whole trilogy – or better yet, the full The Lord of the Rings book – as that is how the story is designed to be consumed. I’m not a fan of the structure of the individual books, but that doesn’t mean The Fellowship of the Ring is bad in any way!

The first part can feel a little slow, but as soon as Frodo, Pippin, Merry, and Sam leave the Shire, the story really does take off. The main threat of this book is the Nazgûl, and they are terrifying! They are chasing the ring and have the name “Baggins” to search with.

History, lore, and language in The Fellowship of the Rings are incredible. Songs and poems are often told, depicting grand adventures or love stories – tales that have been told over decades. The amount of worldbuilding that J. R. R. Tolkien managed to slip into dialogue and descriptions without having huge exposition dumps is frustratingly incredible.

If you don’t fall in love with the story, then you’ll fall in love with the characters or the world or its history or the complexity of names and language. There is so much to appreciate in this book that I don’t think I could ever reread it enough in my lifetime to soak in every last detail.

THE TWO TOWERS (BOOK 2)

-possible spoilers for The Fellowship of the Ring-

Two stories are written in parallel to one another, rather than chronologically, so this review for The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien will be done in two parts.

The book begins (essentially) with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli following Saruman’s Uruk-hai
This plotline leads us to seeing and experiencing much more of Tolkien’s world than we had in The Fellowship of the Ring. This is where the story becomes epic – in every sense.

A lot of the information we get in The Two Towers is done through dialogue – whether that is the main characters talking to one another, or them overhearing other characters talking.

It’s a writing style that was a little jarring at first, but when the plot of The Two Towers starts to take over from what has been told (the “off-screen” scenes), it begins to pick up the pace and we are soon wrapped up in the adventure.

There are several moments of great character development with certain characters. It’s wonderful to see such complexity in the characters, and to watch as they grow and begin to fend for themselves.

There is a battle at one point (generalising so there are no spoilers) which is incredible. I’ve never read a battle depicted in such beautifully crafted language.

Unlike a lot of modern fantasy, the scenes are of course more classic, heroic scenes, rather than the brutal stuff we see in R. F. Kuang’s The Poppy War or George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. The scenes are, however, filled with tension and sometimes it’s nice to feel like we’re witnessing an epic adventure from classical myths.

The second plot arc follows Sam and Frodo as they make their way to destroy the ring
This is the slower of the two stories in The Two Towers, but it’s still fantastic as we see even more of the world and experience the wonderful friendship of the two hobbits. I think we can all agree that Sam is the best friend we all want in our lives.

The complexity of Gollum’s character was surprising as so often in fantasy from this era, the villains are just evil, but Gollum is of two minds and there are moments where we see him from Frodo’s perspective where we not only feel sorry for him too, but might also trust him.

Overall, this book has one story arc (the Aragorn plot) that feels like a complete story and the other is more of a bridging arc (Frodo and Sam) for what is to come in The Return of the King.

We see so much more of the world than in The Fellowship of the Ring and it’s wonderful to experience both the complex present and deep histories through the eyes of our main characters.

THE RETURN OF THE KING (BOOK 3)

-possible spoilers for The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers-

The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien is one of the most satisfying and epic conclusions to a fantasy series. The plot splits off even more than in The Two Towers, so there are more arcs and characters to follow, and even more of the world to experience and explore.

Gandalf and Pippin’s storyline in The Return of the King is one of my favourites. Denethor – the Steward of Gondor – is an incredible character – he’s incredibly loyal to the world of men, but he’s broken and that is his greatest flaw.

I was surprised by how much I respected him, even with the events that occur. Pippin, however, manages to surpass all expectations and develops into a real heroic character through the threats that he faces.

Merry, like Perrin, also develops very quickly into an unlikely heroic character. Tolkien seemed to want his heroes to be the little guys who were full of honesty, love, and loyalty. The hobbits often surpass even Aragorn in their bravery and heroic accomplishments.

Despite Aragorn being such a strong character in the previous two books, the first third of his arc in The Return of the King was almost a disappointment in comparison.

His victory felt cheap, but he soon redeemed himself in the final third. Again, I do believe that this was supposed to be the case, with the hobbits becoming the more heroic characters. His actions after the battle at Minas Tirith really did do an incredible job of showing that he deserves the respect, loyalty, and love of his people.

Sam and Frodo’s final journey is surprisingly character driven. The plot might be driven by the events of the world around them, but it is their character arcs which make their scenes feel so real.

Frodo struggles against the power of the ring, and Sam’s loyalty to Frodo – as well as his resistance to the ring – is a remarkable work of characterisation. Their story is one of strong friendship and love – something that I feel that many books could continue to learn from.

The finale goodbyes are surprisingly emotional, but the way Tolkien wraps up every arc in The Return of the King in a satisfying conclusion is wonderful. It may not feel as realistic as some more modern fantasy, but because of the style this book is written in, it feels right.

To have it done any other way would feel jarring – this is a heroic story of epic proportions, so it’s just right when our heroes find the peace they deserve.

“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.

Una historia de amor y amistad; un relato épico; lucha contra el mal; superación personal; magia; etc, etc, etc, y todo ello en un mismo libro.
Una obra de arte.

A story of love and friendship; an epic tale; fight against evil; personal growth; Magic; etc, etc, etc, and all in the same book.
A work of art.

can be summarised as: walking, walking, walking, bit of fighting with orcs, walking, walking, walking, anguish, walking, walking, walking, bit more fighting with orcs, walking, walking, walking.

Wow - I have just stumbled on this fantastic quote about Tolkien from China Mieville (via GR friends Traveller and Cecily!) and it absolutely sums up the problem with Tolkien - even though I read him many years ago and even though I was enthralled and read him all over again, every word here is true :


"Tolkien is the wen on the arse of fantasy literature. His oeuvre is massive and contagious - you can't ignore it, so don't even try. The best you can do is consciously try to lance the boil. And there's a lot to dislike - his cod-Wagnerian pomposity, his boys-own-adventure glorying in war, his small-minded and reactionary love for hierarchical status-quos, his belief in absolute morality that blurs moral and political complexity. Tolkien's clichés - elves 'n' dwarfs 'n' magic rings - have spread like viruses. He wrote that the function of fantasy was 'consolation', thereby making it an article of policy that a fantasy writer should mollycoddle the reader.

That is a revolting idea, and one, thankfully, that plenty of fantasists have ignored. From the Surrealists through the pulps - via Mervyn Peake and Mikhael Bulgakov and Stefan Grabinski and Bruno Schulz and Michael Moorcock and M. John Harrison and I could go on - the best writers have used the fantastic aesthetic precisely to challenge, to alienate, to subvert and undermine expectations."

- China Mieville

I have read J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings probably (and this truly is but a very conservative estimate) at least fifteen or more times since my mid twenties (I did first attempt it at the age of twelve but my English language skills were at that time not sufficiently fluent to appreciate The Lord of the Rings for the masterpiece it is, so I am glad I gave up to try again later). And indeed, I have also never once perused The Lord of the Rings as an actual trilogy, as I have always considered it as ONE entity and a single reading period of time (mostly because I have never even remotely believed that The Fellowship of the Rings, The Two Towers and The Return of the King should in any manner be considered as stand alone novels in and of themselves and therefore that they really do require a perusal as one all encompassing work of epical fiction, and by the way, not as an allegory, as I have also and indeed never believed those critics who claim that The Lord of the Rings is supposed to represent an allegory against war or against National Socialism).

And indeed, and in my humble opinion, one does absolutely and yes without question need to read and approach The Lord of the Rings as an epic and to equally realise and understand that because it has been written by J.R.R. Tolkien like and as the latter (like and as an epic) it is for the most part very (if not even almost one hundred percent) plot driven with an abundance of specific physical (and yes sometimes very much minute) details (about Middle Earth, about both the positives and negatives of Middle Earth, about the threats that are both obviously and insidiously stalking Middle Earth and the many reasons for this) and therefore and definitely with much less of a deliberate emphasis on getting into the internal workings of the multitude of characters presented and depicted/described by Tolkien (by the author) within the pages of his The Lord of the Rings. And no, I am not in any manner saying or claiming that the characters of The Lord of the Rings are somehow unimportant or lesser, but simply and yes indeed, that like with the epical narrarives and stories of Antiquity and the Middle Ages, the tale of the threat of The Ring of Power, of Sauron's reawakening and restrengthening and of Frodo, Samwise, Gandalf, Aragon, Legolas and the rest of the Fellowship setting out on their quest to take the one ring back to Mordor to be destroyed in the volcanic fires of Mount Doom is much, is considerably more essential and necessary knowledge and information than detailed analyses of character and having the latter with nuance and psychology developed at the potential detriment to plot and storylines.

But furthermore, I also do very much and personally understand and appreciate that for some readers the vast amount of writing (and especially the myriad of inserted song like poems) can have the tendency to make The Lord of the Rings potentially or even actually much daunting and off-putting. However, I also do have to say and claim that I have actually only one time (and this the very first time I tackled LOTR in its entirety at the age of about twenty-five) read ALL of the poems (as well as the myriad of foot and endnotes) that are part of The Lord of the Rings and that whenever I do reread LOTR, while I always read slowly, deliberately and with appreciation of and for Tolkien's eye for detail and description, I also tend to skim and skip a goodly number of the inserted songs (but always do read and even sing my personal favourites such as the song of the merry old inn and the beautiful but heartbreaking lament for Boromir) and yes those parts of in particular The Two Towers section that I for one always find tedious and dragging (mostly when Frodo and Samwise are trudging through the marshes with Gollum, simply because I just happen to find the story threads that feature Aragon, Legolas and Gimli considerably more interesting, engaging and even sometimes a bit humorous). And while some LOTR completists and fundamentalists might well find my way of reading anathema and problematic (and perhaps even an insult to J.R.R. Tolkien's work and legacy), for me, coming to The Lord of the Rings selectively and occasionally if not even often skimming (and skipping) those parts that I am finding (and have always found) a bit tedious and dragging, this has also made me enjoy and appreciate Tolkien's oeuvre all the more and all the more lastingly (with me not only ranking The Lord of the Rings with five stars but also always being both willing to reread and indeed very much looking forward to rereading The Lord of the Rings ever two to three years).

n  Three Rings for the 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.

One Ring to rule them all,
One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all
And in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.n

Three thousand years after the defeat of the Dark Lord Sauron before the slopes of Mount Doom, a magic ring falls into the care of Frodo Baggins, a young hobbit from the Shire. Aided by his gardener Samwise Gamgee and the mysterious wizard Gandalf the Grey, he takes the ring on a journey to Rivendell, a hidden refuge of the Elves. But evil stirs in the fell lands of Mordor, and black riders scour the countryside in search of their master’s most prized possession…

Thus begins the most legendary saga in the history of fantasy.

n  "It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to."n

I’ll kick off this review by telling a little story. A story starting, as the stories often do, with 'once upon a time'...

Once upon a time, there was a little boy who have never read a fantasy book. Thinking back on it, it does seem like an awfully sorry state of affairs. He was a devoted reader already as a quite small child, but he mostly read children’s books like The Hardy Boys and other juvenile and boyish stories like them. The one day he discovered this huge brick called The Lord of the Rings, and started reading it. It would change his life forever. There were other books at the time, for instance the immensely popular Harry Potter series, which was being published back then, but none of them could ever hope to compare to what was now the little boy’s favourite book.

The little boy grew into adolescence. He read other books, few of them fantasy. He discovered a passion for history, and started reading that. He read classics and sci-fi and mysteries and even religious texts. He read books considered by some as among the best books ever. And none of them could ever hope to compare to what was still the boy’s favourite book.

Later that little boy would grow up to become a man (though he probably never will grow up completely, mind you). And he started reading fantasy again. A Song of Ice and Fire was one of the first attempts, and it quickly turned into a favourite. But compared to The Lord of the Rings? Nothing. It was followed by tons of other fantasy series, among them Narnia, The Inheritance Cycle, Shannara and so on. And he loved them all. But every once in a while, he had to go back to this huge brick to remember that there existed something even better.

n  "Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow."n

I have been struggling for years to describe The Lord of the Rings. How do you actually describe the book you both love more than any other, and also consider the best book ever written from a more or less objective point of view?

I recently dumped into the word sublime, which I’ve only heard used on a few occasions before. I knew what it meant, but not the exact definition. So I checked.

- Of high spiritual, moral, or intellectual worth.
- Not to be excelled; supreme.
- Inspiring awe; impressive.
- An ultimate example.

And that is pretty much exactly how I would describe it. Sublime it is. I realised that I would never come closer to an actual description of The Lord of the Rings. This is to me not only the main pillar on which the fantasy genre stands, but the ultimate masterpiece of literature.

I’ll use a far-fetched example to make my love for this book sound totally crazy put my love for this book in perspective: if I had to choose between reading this book once and having unlimited access to all the other books ever released, then I would choose this. No contest even.

I am so very grateful to have been given the chance to come along on the journey of the Fellowship of the Ring. To visit so many wonderful places in a land of myths and magic. To meet so many fascinating men, elves, dwarves and other legendary peoples and creatures...

Are there any negative things to mention? No. In my mind there are none at all, but I’ll say this: Tolkien’s characters are not the best I have encountered, and the storyline of this book is not perfect. That’s the closest you’ll ever come to witness me criticizing this wondrous gem, and the only things you’ll ever hear from me about it except for fanatical ravings and unsolicited praise.

n  I sit beside the fire and think
of people long ago
and people who will see a world
that I shall never know.

But all the while I sit and think
of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
and voices at the door.n

If perfection exists and is obtainable, then Tolkien’s worldbuilding is perfect. There is nothing in either fantasy or any other genre to match it. It certainly surpassed all the magical worlds that had come before it, and none created since that time have been able to surpass it in turn. Writers like Robert Jordan and George R.R. Martin have made their attempts, and now we’re talking about more of my all-time favourite fantasy worlds and series, but in my eyes, none of them have even come close.

I have had tons of delightful experiences while venturing into magnificent worlds of fantasy, in Westeros and Narnia and so many others. But Middle-Earth is like a fictional home. I seem to have left behind parts of my heart and soul by the waterfalls of Rivendell, the ancient trees of Fangorn forest, the plains of Rohan and the marble walls of Minas Tirith. And I do not regret that for one second.

Most of my standards for comparison also derive from this tome. I have yet to encounter a mentor character in fantasy who can compare to Gandalf, or a fictional love story that can compare to the tale of Aragorn and Arwen. I have yet to encounter a setting as detailed or writing as flawlessly eloquent as this. And those are only a few examples of aspects in which I consider The Lord of the Rings to be superior to all others.

These musings can only begin to describe how much this book means to me. It sparked my passion for reading at a young age. It made me love the fantasy genre and all that came with it. It made me start creating worlds of my own, and in the end find one in particular that I liked so much I started writing stories set in it. Why, it even made me intrigued by poetry eventually. But I have yet to read anything by any famous poet that can match Tolkien’s utterly incredible poems.

On my third and fourth and fifth reads of this book, I started looking beyond the immediately visible. And I found something more to admire: the man himself. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien went on to become my most important role model, and despite having been gone from this world for forty years, he’s been heavily influencing my personal opinions and choices for more than a decade. And not only literarily, but historically, politically and philosophically as well.

This book is definitely the one single object that’s had the most impact on me, and it’s meant a lot more to me than one should think any object could be capable of. But then again it’s not really an object after all. It is so much more. A legend trapped in words on pieces of paper. A magical gateway to the most amazing world you’ll ever see.

This is to me the apex of human creativity and imagination. The very best form of art a human mind can produce.

There have been many books that I have cherished through the years, and I expect there will be many more to come. But The Lord of the Rings will always be the one I treasure the most of them all.

It has changed me forever. As it once changed the world forever.

n  "I amar prestar aen, han mathon ne nen, han mathon ne chae a han noston ned 'wilith."n

So that's all I have to say for now. I'm afraid this was not so much an actual review as simply a story about my experience with and passion for this book. If you've been patient enough to read to the very end, I thank you for your attention. I'll leave you with the most beautiful passage Tolkien ever wrote, and my favourite literary quote of all time...

When a book defines a genre
There is nothing you can say anymore,
That will add or detract from the volumes and volumes
Of all that has been said before:
So a book review I'm not attempting,
Though the GR site is sorely tempting;
Just paying my respects from the bottom of my heart
And raising my hat to the Master of the Art.