The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
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Book Reviews of The Lord of the Rings
Book Review: Unsurpassed
Summary: 5 Stars
One may be tempeted to question the purpose of reading these books in light of the fact that Peter Jackson has just recently graced the world with his towering exploration of them in visual format. The answer to those who would so question is what I have always said, even before the films were made. This book is, I believe, unsurpassed by any other work in human history aside from the Bible. It is impossible to really do the work credit with any sort of brevity, however, for the sake of the reader's patience I will comment on what I believe to be the most important points.
Firstly, if it is of any interest to anyone, in a world full of writers who become immensely popular despite very poor writing, here is a genius. Tolkien's masterpiece is written in somewhat antiquated language, which tends to add to it's mistique and prowess rather than to distract the reader. With a mixture of glowing description, intelligently crafted dialogue, and a combination of genres from narrative, to poetry, to prophecy, The Lord of the Rings will not leave you bored if you are intelligent enough to appreciate the style. When I first read the book I found the descriptions to be somewhat tedious, cutting off the story as they did (I was 15), however, having now read the books four times I have an appetite for good writing, not just an urge to find out what happens next. The dialogue can be rather long as well, as in the chapter, "The Council of Elrond," where upwards of 20 characters speak, the majority of whom you have heard little or nothing about. However, I have come to enjoy that chapter much more as I have grown older because of its hinting at a much greater world than the one we are exposed to.
Secondly, the tale is captivating. It is a story of increasing intensity as the reader progresses and he is drawn in so easily and so fully that he may come out of it half believing that this quest actually happened. You feel Sam's joy and being sent with Frodo; you feel the Hobbit's terror at the Barrow Downs; your hurts are healed with the Fellowship at Lothlorien; you are captivated by the mustering of the Rohirrim; you are petrified by Shelob; you are laughing at Merry and Pippin the whole way. The genius of Tolkien creates a complete empathy on the part of the reader for the characters. I would be interested to know how many other people are actually in tears at any point in the reading of this book. I am at several, I will admit.
Lastly, and I believe, most importantly, it is necessary to uncover some of the timeless thematic elements of this masterpiece. Books like, Finding God in the Lord of the Rings, have failed to do this book justice in their exploration of such themes, unfortunately. I do not wish to comment on all such themes b/c to do so would take far too long. However, I will make bold to say that I believe the overarching theme of the book to be self-sacrifice. Ultimately, self-sacrifice amounts to love, as far as I can see it, b/c it is a giving of one's self in the interest of others w/o expecting any good for one's self to come out of it. Just think, Frodo had no hope of ever making it back from Mordor, but it didn't matter. He had a task to complete for the saving of the rest of the world. Sam, Merry and Pippin went with Frodo, having no idea what they were going into, and not caring. It did not matter to them; all that mattered was that they could give of themselves to him. And finally, when Aragorn, Gandalf and Prince Imrahil marched with their armies to the black gates and had no hope whatsoever of victory, it was only with the hope that they might provide a lengthy enough distraction to enable two small Hobbits to make it to the Cracks of Doom without being discovered by the Enemy. I wish to comment on one other point before being finished b/c I believe that to those of the Christian Faith it should be encouraging. When Sam and Frodo are going with Gollum through Ithilien they come to the Cross-Roads and there is a statue of a king seated, however his head has been thrown down and there is a big ugly eye, the symbol of Sauron, where his head should be. As they walk there is suddenly a beam of light where the sun manages to search through the darkness, that blazes out upon the head of the king which is lying by the road. A vine of flowers has grown around his head and Sam says, "Look! The King has got a crown again." Such hope have we as well.
I would make a passing remark about this edition. Though the size may make it somewhat difficult to read it lays open nicely so reading it in bed is quite nice if one likes to lay on one's stomach to read. The illustrations are very true to Tolkien's own vision as can be seen in, "Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator."
Book Review: On The Lord Of The Rings And Tolkien's Writing
Summary: 5 Stars
I don't actually own this particular edition of the series so I can't review it as I normally would, but I couldn't find my edition. So I would just like to express my perception of the story to perhaps change the perspective people view this with. Read on.
Okay, I'm seriously tired of people not understanding why the content is as it is. What I mean is people complain about the lack of stylized storytelling as they are accustomed to in modern literature. One person said that there shouldn't be an introduction describing the hobbits because those details should be unfolded in the story, one said that there are characters with backgrounds that aren't expanded on, many say the language is too flashy and complicated.
Of the language problem, all I have to say to that is: So's the Bible. Really, you have to look at them kind of the same. While The Silmarillion may be the one that is stylized after the Bible, this "trilogy" (really one story and not a trilogy) is also a historical document, but just of Middle-Earth. Historical documents are often written in language uncommon to our own; they sound more dated and mostly are. The misunderstanding of this not being an actual series of isolated novels actually answers the other questions as well, and this is something Peter Jackson clearly did not understand when making the movies. The Lord Of The Rings is not the story of Frodo, the Ring, and the Fellowship, but actually a part of the story of Middle-Earth that focuses on them. That is why the back story is not revealed in the text; it's already covered in past sections of this big story that the series fits into. In the original DVD of The Fellowship Of The Ring, I remember Peter Jackson talking about why he decided to cut out stuff like Tom Bombadil. His reason was that he had to look at it and say, "What relevence does this have to the story of Frodo and the Ring?" If you can see it from my point of view, that is the wrong question. I think it is ludicrous to cut out plot pieces that could only make the story bigger, better, and more expansive (and Tom's appearance would have been a fine piece of cinema. It could have added to a sense of surrealism and some mystery in the story of the first movie, plus I would love to see his dwelling - accurately - translated onto the big screen).
Let me reiterate. There are so many parts of the book irrelevent to Frodo and the Ring because they are not the real subject. You read the Silmarillion and it does not seem as though you are reading a collection of single stories about events in Middle-Earth, instead you feel you are reading the history of the world. You must look at these the same way. Someone may quip that The Hobbit was practically a novel, and I agree there and would have to say I think I like it better for that, but I'm just saying you must understand the context of these stories. Why Tolkien didn't supply us all this backstory information beforehand I do not know, but I think it may have to do with the fact of how it was published. See, the appendix was supposed to be put in The Fellowship Of The Ring after the decision was made to split the one story into three smaller editions because of the post WWII publishing costs. But time and money didn't allow for this to happen so it wasn't until months later when The Return Of The King was published when the appendices were available. So perhaps the backstory was meant to be summarized for you from the beginning but it just didn't end up that way.
If you can see it this way I can't guaruntee more enjoyment, but maybe a better understanding as to why it was written in this style and won't complain about it using language you don't understand and not being very traditionally written (although its language style is very traditional). But anyway, to make this a review, I see this as definately being 5 star material and I'm sure just about everyone else in the world does. Who hasn't read these books now? If you haven't, do it soon.
Clearly from the vastness and style of these stories this was meant to be no ordinary novel and I hope that someone out there can read my view and maybe adapt theirs before my review becomes inevitably covered and lost in other people's.
Book Review: One "Ring" to rule them all
Summary: 5 Stars
Though J.R.R. Tolkien was not the first or most critically-acclaimed fantasy writer, he remains the most beloved and influential, even though "Lord of the Rings" is decades old.
Now with the epic movie trilogy based on this book, new waves of readers are discovering the unique power of the "Lord of the Rings." Tolkien's classic is a timeless tale of good and evil, written in a detailed, powerful style, set in a fictional world of staggering detail and haunting beauty.
Following up on events in "The Hobbit," "The Fellowship of the Ring" opens with the hobbit Bilbo Baggins departing from the Shire, after many years of living as the town eccentric. He reluctantly leaves his treasured ring of invisibility to his adventurous nephew Frodo, and vanishes into the wild with some dwarves.
But Gandalf the wizard, informs Frodo that the Ring is really the Ring of Power, a powerful item that the demonic Dark Lord Sauron has poured his essence and power into. And if Sauron can regain the Ring, he will be able to conquer Middle-Earth. Aghast, Frodo joins a fellowship of Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, Men and a wizard, to go to the one place where the Ring can be destroyed: Mount Doom.
"The Two Towers" begins directly after "Fellowship," after Frodo Baggins flees with his friend Sam into Mordor, with no one to protect them. His cousins Merry and Pippin are kidnapped by orcs from the renegade wizard Saruman. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli begin a frenetic search for the hobbits, and receive unexpected help from unlikely allies. Meanwhile, the Ring weighs more heavily on Frodo, as he is forced to get help from one of the people he most despised: the Ring's slave Gollum.
"Return of the King" brings the trilogy to an action-packed, slam-bang and ultimately poignant finale. Sam barely rescues Frodo from Sauron's orcs, and the two resume their journey to Mount Doom, barely escaping Sauron's forces. As Aragorn leads the desperate battle against Sauron's armies at the city of Minas Tirith, Frodo falls increasingly under the seductive spell of the Ring.
"Lord of the Rings" is indeed a powerful book, and its timeless messages and quests have shaped the fantasy genre, and crossed the boundaries of literary fiction. At its core it's about the fight of good versus evil, and how "little people" can have a strength and willpower that the great and mighty can't even begin to understand.
And Middle-Earth is a pretty astounding universe -- not just because Tolkien created a rich back-history for it, but because of the feeling of mystery that hangs around its corners, whether it's dead soldiers or slumbering tree-men. And of course rich cultures of Men, ancient wizards, the stately melancholy elves, and the tough dwarves -- as well as the idyllic Shire, a sort of ancient British countryside which is threatened by corruption.
Tolkien's writing is evocative and descriptive, though not to extremes; an elf rider is simple described as shining like a light behind a veil. The story is wrapped in a wide range of dialogue -- from Sam's folksy chat to the Elves' ethereal, formal songs -- and the pacing is slow and gradual, but kept alive by sudden twists of the plot. The first several chapters are kind of slow-moving, but by the time our heroes get to Bree, the pace picks up.
Frodo Baggins is an everyman hero, who dreams of adventure but begins to treasure the simple, boring life that he had once he is deprived of it. His deteriotation is saddening, all the more so because he is aware of it. The equally vibrant cast also includes Gandalf the crabby grandfatherly wizard, Sam Gamgee the loyal gardener, and a variety of kings, elves, dwarves, and more lovable little hobbits.
Even after all the years, J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" still rules the fantasy genre and has become an integral part of modern literature. It's an epic for all ages, and few books have even come close to equalling it.
Book Review: Best available box set
Summary: 5 Stars
This review compares the new 3 book hardcover box set illustrated by Alan Lee (ISBN 0618260587, pub Nov 2002) to the single volume hardcover edition which also contains the Alan Lee illustrations (ISBN 0395595118, pub Nov 1991).All of these books have the typical fabric covered cardboard dust jackets, and each jacket cover is emblazoned with a sample of the artists' work. The binding of the 3 book set seems superior to that of the single volume and will probably last longer, especially when you take into account the fact that with one book, there are 3 times more pages to be held together!
One of the biggest differences between these books is the quality of the paper. The paper in the single volume is white, non-gloss, and unsuitably thin; the text of an underlying page can easily be seen. On a positive note, the pages that contain the art work are thicker with a glossy finish; the art is on one side and the opposite side is blank. The paper in the 3 book set is white, semi-glossy, and fairly thick. Pages that have art work on one side have text on the back.
There are also differences to be found in the printed text. The single volume is bolder, coarser, and very easy to read. The 3 volume set employs a more delicate and elegant style of type, which makes it slightly harder to see from a distance, but nonetheless is easily read.
Both volumes do a good job of presenting Alan Lee's art. The pictures are placed to follow the story, and I think Mr. Lee does an excellent job of using Tolkiens words to create a visual presentation of the characters and locations. Some people have complained that the colors are a little drab, and in some cases I would agree, but I think that one of the reasons for this is the fact that all of these pictures were done in watercolor. One thing I noticed was that the colors in the one volume set seemed a little more vibrant and are probably truer to the original paintings than those in the box set, but this will not be noticeable unless you have them side by side. In addition, the maps in the single edition are all printed on the same thin paper as the rest of the text and are located in the back of the book. In the box set, the maps are printed on the inside covers of the dust jackets.
In summary, I feel that this box set is probably the best hardcover edition you can buy, illustrated or not. It is very well constructed and I think you are getting a lot of value for your money. I would also like to mention that there is an Alan Lee illustrated hardcover version of "The Hobbit" which is the same size as this boxed set and looks good on the bookshelf together. It is ISBN 0395873460, pub 1997. For anyone wishing to see the artwork contained in these books as well as other Tolkien inspired art,. John Howe is another well known artist of Middle Earth who, along with Alan Lee, served as a creative consultant for the current 'Lord of the Rings' movies. Ted Nasmith has also created some very nice interpretations of Tolkien's work. Keep in mind that some of the pictures are from books other than the 'Lord of the Rings' such as 'The Hobbit' and 'The Silmarillion'.
Book Review: Lord of the Books
Summary: 5 Stars
I had heard of LOTR quite a few times over the last ten years or so, but never really thought about reading it, until The Two Towers came out. After seeing the two movies, I was mildly interested, so I read The Hobbit. After having read The Hobbit and then all three (well... six, actually) LOTR books, I was left at a loss for words.The world that is painted in the pages of the books is fascinating - truly, the movies do not do them justice (nor will any, ever, in all likelihood). There are hundreds of pages omitted from the book in the course of the movie, and quite a few plotlines are heavily modified (not always for the better). As great as Peter Jackson's efforts are, comparing the book to the film is like comparing living a life to watching a film. As an example, consider the road from Hobbiton to Bree - largely uneventful in the film, while it comprises a good half of the book, including an encounter with Tom Bombadil (entirely missing from the film) and a brush with Barrow wights, which is where the Hobbits obtain most of their swords (one of which Merry uses to ... well... I'd rather not ruin the _real_ story).
It is often said that Tolkien describes things in extreme detail, and I don't disagree with that - he often goes on for a page or two describing history, lands, objects, etc... However, this only goes to show the rigor of Tolkien's efforts - one does not read LOTR so much as experience Middle Earth. Parts of it (history, geography) often appear within the story in various places, only increasing one's curiosity in what exactly happened before the War of the Ring. As for the fact that the songs and snatches are extraneous in the story - that's just silly. They're as big a part of LOTR as pretty much everything else.
The third book contains a hefty set of appendices full of history, meanings of words, information on the origins of languages of Middle Earth and its people. In short, the amount of work and effort that has been spent on LOTR is obviously staggering. There are maps that one can follow as the story develops, and illustrations also go to a great extent in providing windows into Middle Earth through the eyes of Alan Lee.
Having read the books has left me with a desire to go through appendices, perhaps re-read the book, and more importantly, read The Silmarillion, which describes the Middle Earth before the War of The Ring - history parts of which are described in LOTR in various places.
In short, I can't recommend this book enough. I only wish I had read The Lord of the Rings when I was a kid - though perhaps having read it later in life has made me appreciate Tolkien's work all the more.