My copy of “The Fellowship of the Ring” by J.R.R. Tolkien.
I’m not too good with book reviews. I hated doing them in school, but that was for school, and they were books I usually had no interest in. Nowadays, I read for fun and actually enjoy it. :) So onto the review…
To preface the review, I should say that I’m of the group that’s seen Peter Jackson’s epic movie adaptation. So, when I first started reading the book, I had a certain level of expectation. And I think that’s what lead me to starting the book several years ago, but then effectively giving up on it and putting it on the shelf. Basically the start of the book was very slow paced for me, and there’s a whole part in it that’s notably absent from the film: Tom Bombadil. I totally don’t get the guy. It was quite a queer point in the plot and I can see why they took it out from the film other than to shorten the already long running time.
I’m sure most people are familiar with the plot of “The Lord of the Rings” (which btw, is ONE whole book, NOT a trilogy): The One Ring has been passed onto the hobbit Frodo; and he is set upon a quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom to end its great and terrible power. As the ring bearer, he must achieve this without letting the One Ring be used or fall into the possession of anyone lest they be corrupted by its power. And most of all, it must definitely not be reclaimed by the evil lord Sauron, who forged the One Ring to control and bind the other ones created for Man, Elves, and Dwarves. And all throughout Frodo’s quest, the land of Middle Earth is besieged by the forces of evil, and epic battles for Man’s survival take place.
I was expecting those great and mighty battles off the bat. However, the first book relates the forming of the Fellowship and the beginning of the quest to destroy the One Ring. I can’t believe that I gave up right when the book really gets good, which is when the hobbits reach the Prancing Pony and meet Strider, aka Aragorn. The pace of the story really picks up and gets exciting. Then all the familiar characters from the film come into the fore: Gandalf, Gimli, Legolas, and freakin’ Boromir.
The battles and trials that the Company (another name for the Fellowship) go through are short of breath taking and a testament to the strengths of each of the races of Middle Earth (Man, Elves, Dwarves, and last, but not least, Hobbits). I also get a kick out of Gimli and Legolas growing friendship. Apparently the races of Dwarves and Elves had a falling out sometime, but these two are fast friends when it comes to reaching their common goal and sharing the their troubles.
I’m very glad I picked the book up again. “The Hobbit” and “The Children of Hurin” were both awesome books by Tolkien that I had read, so I can’t believe why I gave up on “The Lord of the Rings.” I definitely recommend it not only for fantasy readers, but anyone who loves a very well crafted story about companionship, overcoming mighty enemies in battle, and determination in the face of overwhelming opposition. I also would like to add how hilarious and witty the Hobbits can be; especially with Sam, who at times would chastise himself for not bringing rope. :P
Photo taken on 03.23.10
