Reviews with content warning for Violence - The Two Towers

Andy Serkis as the narrator makes this book bearable for me. Tolkien is the master of "tell, don't show". I love the story of Lord of the Rings so much, yet this book was a slog. I actually really enjoyed the first book in comparison because it felt like more happened in it. Or maybe the things that happened in the first book were just more interesting. If I didn't already know how this series ended, I would abandon it after reading The Two Towers. The filmmakers should be praised beyond measure for taking this book and turning it into such an interesting movie.

2.5 stars mostly because the writing is so unengaging. Plus, it's racist and sexist, as can be expected of its time. The rating would have been lower if not for Andy Serkis, he's that good of a narrator.

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itsreirei's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful tense slow-paced

4.0

Tolkien reeeeeally wants you to know where the characters are and what the surroundings look like....
The characters also be like "let me tell you my life story" whenever they interact with another living being...plus they must erupt in a song whenever possible! There's a verse in their pocketsses for every occasion, fear not!

One thing I certainly preferred in the book was Faramir: I liked him and his arc in the small amount of time we saw him in the movie but in the book...so much better. We don't really know if he's an ally, is he going to try to seize the ring and mess up the mission, what's he gonna do? Alas no, he's a proper gentlemen, I loved his demeanor, his actions, his take on the war, ahh! Also, in the movie they made it seem like they f*cked Smeagol up hence why he reverts back to Gollum but nah, Gollum was just a shithead all along, sry

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lorriss's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

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manu_k's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Amazingly written, and beautifully immersive. So much better than the first one, where I was constantly frustrated with Frodo. Finally everyone is using their braincells, and the story is moving faster. Love that this book gives more dimension to the 'side-characters' and shows us how every person has something to contribute.

Special shoutout to Sam, who is so gloriously in love, and is honestly one of the more intelligent characters in the story.

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studiomikarts's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

While in most trilogies I find the middle entry to be my least favorite, that has never been the case for The Lord of the Rings. This novel, The Two Towers, stands just as strong as its bookends. One of the biggest elements that makes it so appealing are the horse-rearing people of Rohan; they have been my favorite group of mankind in Middle Earth since I was a child. But this time, I also felt the Ents and their trees were just as interesting and awe-inspiring. Perhaps it's because I've become vegan since I last read these books, which has given me a greater interest in and respect for plant life, but I think it's also the idea that the forest and its keepers were here long before any humanoid life, which is rather scientific, since trees did evolve much sooner than mammals in reality.

Before I comment on the audiobook in particular, which was my format this time, I also want to mention that The Two Towers is so much better in its original format (book or audiobook), versus the 2000s live-action movie adaptation. Sam, my favorite character of all, is still nasty to Gollum, but not in the despicable way shown in the movie. His unkindness in the original is much more justified, and he's more shrewd than his movie counterpart, keeping his mouth shut when it's prudent, watching and waiting, looking before he leaps. I found this to be the case for many characters, actually. Faramir is more reasonable and less meatheaded, "wizard-like" as Sam puts it, and even the orcs are more relatable thanks to their long dialogues that give glimpses into their lifestyles and culture.

As for this audiobook, narrated by Andy Serkis, I feel there's not much more praise I can add to what I've already sung in my reviews of his readings of The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring 😅 It is simply excellent. I have no complaints whatsoever, and although I feel it might be nice to listen to my old CD and cassette tape versions of the Middle Earth books someday, I might just be too addicted to Serkis's masterful delivery to listen to anything else!

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