The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

Based on how long it has taken me to read this many people assume that I don’t like the book, but that is not true.  I am simply a Grad student.  One thing I realized is that though these are no short chapters I enjoyed this much more when I read several chapters at once.  I think the reason is Tolkien’s world is so thorough, so dense that you need to get into it and let it seep in if you really want to enjoy it.  Overall I loved this book and I loved this series.  There is a sense of harsh reality within this fantastical world.  In the end, good wins (I’m not ruining anything for anyone that has ever even heard of Tolkien), but to me the beautiful part is that some people get to enjoy it but you are not allowed to forget the sacrifices made by others.  And so the journey continues.

Edit: Almost every other book has the cover that I own but honestly I own the movie covers of these which I hate so here is something pretty for you.

(This is the third book of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.)

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

I was just thinking that I don’t really know what to write because my opinions are much the same as they were for the first book.  One thing I had forgotten is how minor women are in the books.  By the end of this book I think Galadriel is the only one who has spoken more than a sentence and she was actually in the first book.  The most major female character in this book is Shelob, quite the contrast.  I love his detail and I think that is part of what makes it hard to look at the books separately because they are all so cohesive even when you switch from the rest of the fellowship to Frodo and Sam you don’t feel jolted back and forth.  Anyway onto the third.

Edit: Almost every other book has the cover that I own but honestly I own the movie covers of these which I hate so here is something pretty for you.

(This is the second book of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.)

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

The first thing that comes to mind is… The hobbits are not that stupid!  Okay so I read the trilogy back in the fourth grade, but it had greatly faded from memory by the time the movies came out.  So as I read I understood some of the shortenings that the movie used, but the fact that the hobbits are so stupid in the movie but not so in the book… anyway.  I was wary starting off because of other people’s opinions, but I have to admit that I love Tolkien’s details.  He immerses you in a way few other writers do.  I do find it frustrating that the appendixes and such are all at the end of the third book because when I’m carrying the first one around campus I can’t look things up.   Story wise though of course it is wonderful.  It is a classic.

Edit: Almost every other book has the cover that I own but honestly I own the movie covers of these which I hate so here is something pretty for you.

(This is the first book of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

I’m pretty sure it was over ten years ago when I last followed the adventures of Bilbo, but as I read I was amazed at how well the details of his adventures had stuck with me through the years. The story is one of those well rounded tales with plenty of friendship and hardship, happy times and dangerous times. It also has everything a fantasy needs including dragons, elves, dwarfs, dark forests, shape shifting men, great treasure and of course a wizard. The adventure resembles a coming of age tale even though in Bilbo’s mind he had been set in his ways for years. An enchanting tale suitable for all ages.