RATING: FIVE STARS
Frodo Baggins is the Ring Bearer, the one charged with carrying the One Ring of Sauron the Deceiver to Mount Doom. Only here can it be destroyed to end the life and dominion of the Enemy forever. His quest has been long and arduous, filled with peril and pain. Of the nine companions he set out with, only Samwise Gamgee still stands at his side and they are both weak, close to death as they search a way through the arid plains of Mordor. It is the last leg of their quest, but Sauron's orcs are everywhere as His army masses behind his Black Gates, worse still are the Nazgul, the sleepless Ringwraiths that seek their master's prize as devotedly as He. For Sauron is seeking the Ring and means to have it, to the ruin of all . . .
Yet Frodo and Sam are not the only members of the Fellowship that are in danger. Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimili, Meriadoc and Pippin . . . All ride to war against Sauron, desperate to protect the World of Men which is the focus of the Dark Lord's wrath. Sauron has not forgotten that it was Elendil who cut the ring from His finger three thousand years ago and He knows that the heir of Gondor yet lives: Aragorn, son of Arathorn, high blood of Numinor who is Westernesse. All of Gandalf's plans seek to return Aragorn to the throne of Minus Tirith, for only Aragorn has the strength to lead his people and buy Frodo the time he needs to reach Mount Doom.
The Good
The Return of the King is a superb ending to The Lord of Rings and resolves J. R. R. Tolkien's story perfectly. I'm sure that you're already familiar with its plot and events, so I won't really go into them. Needless to say, the novel (and series) tells one of the greatest stories ever to grace fantasy and birthed the genre as we know it. It's filled with mythology and culture, possessing a backstory that is truly remarkable in scope and fascinating to delve into. Furthermore, the novel is the most action-packed of the series and contains the pinnacle Battle of Pelennor Fields (the Siege of Gondor) and the Battle of Morannon outside the Black Gates of Mordor.
The Bad
Once again criticising Tolkien's work feels wrong, almost like blasphemy, but you should be reminded that this will not be the easiest book to read due to the sheer amount of description in Tolkien's prose. The story does read quite slowly, but I have to say that's it's well worth perseviring with!
Final Thoughts
The Return of the King concludes one of the greatest stories ever told in the epic fashion only Tolkien can manage. It is filled with danger, peril and the unflinching commitment of those who stand against evil. If you're only familiar with Peter Jackson's cinematic adaptations, it's time to add The Lord of the Rings to your reading list and experience the story in the scope and depth that the father of fantasy intended!
Showing posts with label J. R. R. Tolkien. Show all posts
Showing posts with label J. R. R. Tolkien. Show all posts
Saturday, 8 October 2016
Wednesday, 9 March 2016
The Two Towers - J. R. R. Tolkien
RATING; FOUR STARS
The Fellowship of the Ring has broken. Fearing for the safety of his friends and the corrupting nature of the One Ring, Frodo Baggins fled Amon Hen with his faithful gardener, Samwise Gamgee, at his heels. But Frodo had not considered his lack of geography and Gandalf the Grey, as wise as he was, did not divulge his plans for entering Mordor before he fell in Khazad-dûm. The two hobbits quickly become lost in Emyn Muil's tumbling crags and must accept the help of an unlikely and dangerous ally if they ever hope to reach the Black Gates and achieve their goal of destroying the Ring in the fiery chasms of Mount Doom.
Meanwhile Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are not about to abandon Merry and Pippin to Saruman's torture. They set off in pursuit of the Uruk-hai that captured them, chasing the new breed of orc through the rolling pastures of Rohan. But they quickly discover that all is not well in the Westfold and the mind of the land's once great king has fallen prey to Saruman's treacherous enchantments. Aragorn knows that the fight for Rohan is no less important than that for Gondar and it is in Helm's Deep, the ancient fortress of Helm Hammerhand, where the first blow against the world of men is struck in one of the greatest battles of the Age . . .
The Good
Once again, the depth and scale of Tolkien's beloved story is amazing. Tolkien continues to delve into the history and culture of Middle Earth, while outlying the struggles of the free peoples in two distinct parts, which feature Frodo and Sam in one, and Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli in the other. Both parts are as captivating and full of peril and each other and I was quickly reminded of why The Two Towers was always my favourite instalment of The Lord of the Rings when I was younger!
The Bad
I have very few issues with The Two Towers and it is undeniably a masterful work of fantasy, but, once again, I did find it a bit dry in places and the level of Tolkien's description did slow the story down a bit. As I said in my review of The Fellowship of the Ring, however, this was the style of the era in which Tolkien wrote and is easy to forgive for such a captivating and well-loved story.
My Thoughts
The Two Towers is a deep and exciting sequel to The Fellowship of the Ring and continues The Lord of the Rings saga on in an epic manner. It's the best instalment of the trilogy in my opinion and many of the events it contains, such as that of Helm's Deep, are probably better known than many battles that actually happened in real life! It's certainly worthy of its place on my Shelf of Fame and I strongly suggest you try and give the series a go if you haven't already read it!
The Fellowship of the Ring has broken. Fearing for the safety of his friends and the corrupting nature of the One Ring, Frodo Baggins fled Amon Hen with his faithful gardener, Samwise Gamgee, at his heels. But Frodo had not considered his lack of geography and Gandalf the Grey, as wise as he was, did not divulge his plans for entering Mordor before he fell in Khazad-dûm. The two hobbits quickly become lost in Emyn Muil's tumbling crags and must accept the help of an unlikely and dangerous ally if they ever hope to reach the Black Gates and achieve their goal of destroying the Ring in the fiery chasms of Mount Doom.
Meanwhile Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are not about to abandon Merry and Pippin to Saruman's torture. They set off in pursuit of the Uruk-hai that captured them, chasing the new breed of orc through the rolling pastures of Rohan. But they quickly discover that all is not well in the Westfold and the mind of the land's once great king has fallen prey to Saruman's treacherous enchantments. Aragorn knows that the fight for Rohan is no less important than that for Gondar and it is in Helm's Deep, the ancient fortress of Helm Hammerhand, where the first blow against the world of men is struck in one of the greatest battles of the Age . . .
The Good
Once again, the depth and scale of Tolkien's beloved story is amazing. Tolkien continues to delve into the history and culture of Middle Earth, while outlying the struggles of the free peoples in two distinct parts, which feature Frodo and Sam in one, and Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli in the other. Both parts are as captivating and full of peril and each other and I was quickly reminded of why The Two Towers was always my favourite instalment of The Lord of the Rings when I was younger!
The Bad
I have very few issues with The Two Towers and it is undeniably a masterful work of fantasy, but, once again, I did find it a bit dry in places and the level of Tolkien's description did slow the story down a bit. As I said in my review of The Fellowship of the Ring, however, this was the style of the era in which Tolkien wrote and is easy to forgive for such a captivating and well-loved story.
My Thoughts
The Two Towers is a deep and exciting sequel to The Fellowship of the Ring and continues The Lord of the Rings saga on in an epic manner. It's the best instalment of the trilogy in my opinion and many of the events it contains, such as that of Helm's Deep, are probably better known than many battles that actually happened in real life! It's certainly worthy of its place on my Shelf of Fame and I strongly suggest you try and give the series a go if you haven't already read it!
Wednesday, 16 December 2015
The Fellowship of the Ring - J. R. R. Tolkien
RATING: FOUR STARS
When young Frodo Baggins inherits Bag End and a strange ring of invisibility from Bilbo, his eccentric uncle, he pays no mind to it and settles down for the quiet life of a respectable hobbit. Little does he know the significance of the ring and that his possession of it will lead to a dark and arduous adventure. For the ring is none other than the Ring of Power itself and the dark lord Sauron has returned to Middle Earth. His thought is bent on finding the Ring and his only lead as to its whereabouts comes from the creature Gollum. Searching for 'Baggins' in the 'Shire,' Sauron's Ringwraiths speed from Minas Morgal to seize it for their master.
Frodo is forced to flee his home in the Shire and is determined to bring the Ruling Ring before Elrond in Rivendell as Gandalf the Grey instructed. Yet even delivering the Ring to a sanctuary deemed safe is not enough and Frodo is the only one the quarrelling Free Races trust to carry it forth and forever destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor. Frodo becomes one of the Nine Walkers to oppose the Nine Riders and, with the help of Aragorn, Gandalf, Boromir, Legolas, Gimili, Merry, Pippin and Sam, means to end Sauron forever.
The Good
So where do I start here?! The Lord of the Rings is still one of the finest works of fantasy ever written and it has a depth to it that has inspired an entire genre. J. R. R. Tolkien is the grandfather of fantasy and The Fellowship of the Ring is a reflection of that. The mythology behind it, the cultures of the races, the history of Middle Earth... The scope of all of these things is staggering and no other author has come close to it as of yet. This book has inspired every generation since it was published, which speaks for the story's enduring quality! It is superbly written and is filled with detail and back-stories that an avid fan can literally lose months of their life reading about.
Furthermore, it's exciting and full of peril. The quest to destroy the Ring truly "stands upon the edge of a knife" and the Fellowship has to give everything of itself for the quest to succeed. I'm sure most people have seen Peter Jackson's stunning film, so I don't really need to go into the plot and characters too much - you all know what it's about!
The Bad
Criticising The Fellowship of the Ring feels like blasphemy, but, to be brutally honest, it was written in a time where authors emphasised description over dialogue and events. The book is quite dry in places and doesn't make for the easiest, page-turning read. In fact, Tolkien spends the first part of the book constructing a very detailed backstory which can get a little stale at times.
My Thoughts
The Fellowship of the Ring is a little dry and over-descriptive at times, but don't let that put you off reading it. It's worth every dry page and the scope of Tolkien's story is simply mind blowing. It really is like you're reading a story from a real world, with a long established history, and the fact that it has birthed the entire genre is evidence enough of its mastery. It's more than worthy of its place on my Shelf of Fame and is a must read for anyone who has only seen the film.
When young Frodo Baggins inherits Bag End and a strange ring of invisibility from Bilbo, his eccentric uncle, he pays no mind to it and settles down for the quiet life of a respectable hobbit. Little does he know the significance of the ring and that his possession of it will lead to a dark and arduous adventure. For the ring is none other than the Ring of Power itself and the dark lord Sauron has returned to Middle Earth. His thought is bent on finding the Ring and his only lead as to its whereabouts comes from the creature Gollum. Searching for 'Baggins' in the 'Shire,' Sauron's Ringwraiths speed from Minas Morgal to seize it for their master.
Frodo is forced to flee his home in the Shire and is determined to bring the Ruling Ring before Elrond in Rivendell as Gandalf the Grey instructed. Yet even delivering the Ring to a sanctuary deemed safe is not enough and Frodo is the only one the quarrelling Free Races trust to carry it forth and forever destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor. Frodo becomes one of the Nine Walkers to oppose the Nine Riders and, with the help of Aragorn, Gandalf, Boromir, Legolas, Gimili, Merry, Pippin and Sam, means to end Sauron forever.
The Good
So where do I start here?! The Lord of the Rings is still one of the finest works of fantasy ever written and it has a depth to it that has inspired an entire genre. J. R. R. Tolkien is the grandfather of fantasy and The Fellowship of the Ring is a reflection of that. The mythology behind it, the cultures of the races, the history of Middle Earth... The scope of all of these things is staggering and no other author has come close to it as of yet. This book has inspired every generation since it was published, which speaks for the story's enduring quality! It is superbly written and is filled with detail and back-stories that an avid fan can literally lose months of their life reading about.
Furthermore, it's exciting and full of peril. The quest to destroy the Ring truly "stands upon the edge of a knife" and the Fellowship has to give everything of itself for the quest to succeed. I'm sure most people have seen Peter Jackson's stunning film, so I don't really need to go into the plot and characters too much - you all know what it's about!
The Bad
Criticising The Fellowship of the Ring feels like blasphemy, but, to be brutally honest, it was written in a time where authors emphasised description over dialogue and events. The book is quite dry in places and doesn't make for the easiest, page-turning read. In fact, Tolkien spends the first part of the book constructing a very detailed backstory which can get a little stale at times.
My Thoughts
The Fellowship of the Ring is a little dry and over-descriptive at times, but don't let that put you off reading it. It's worth every dry page and the scope of Tolkien's story is simply mind blowing. It really is like you're reading a story from a real world, with a long established history, and the fact that it has birthed the entire genre is evidence enough of its mastery. It's more than worthy of its place on my Shelf of Fame and is a must read for anyone who has only seen the film.
Sunday, 30 December 2012
The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
RATING: FOUR STARS
I have to say that along with J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, The Hobbit was one of my favourite books when I was a child. Due to this, I was overjoyed to learn that Peter Jackson was turning the book into another of his amazing films and decided to re-read the novel before going to watch it (which I have now seen by the way, and would recommend watching).
And having recently read the book, I've decided to review it here. The problem I face however, is what can I really say about such a renown book to do it justice? Probably not much, but I'm going to give it a go anyway!
So, as you would expect from a novel hailed as a "timeless classic", The Hobbit is a delightful read throughout and Tolkien manages to encapsulate the very real air of danger that surrounds Thorin's party of dwarves, Mr. Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the wizard masterfully, describing their adventures as they embark upon their quest to reclaim the lost kingdom of Erebor from Smaug the Magnificent.
Throughout the book, Tolkien's style is light-hearted and his vivid descriptions of the events and locations of the story keep it interesting throughout and make it fun to read, with the language used being easy to understand for most children. His use of characters is also light-hearted and they are easy to engage with, having realistic reactions to the misfortunes and hardships that befall them - a factor that adds an air of plausibility to the book that is lacked by some works of fantasy.
So, overall, I would recommend reading The Hobbit to anyone, regardless of whether you're a fan of fantasy or not! Furthermore, it describes how Mr. Baggins finds the One Ring and acts (kind of) as a prequel to The Lord of the Rings - another timeless classic that helped to spawn the whole genre of high fantasy!
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