Reviews

I’m so excited that I’ve finally finished reading The Fellowship of the Ring. And, I don’t mean finally in an oh-my-gosh-this-book-was-so-horrible kind of way. I mean finally in an I-can’t-believe-I-waited-this-long-to-read-it kind of way.

At times, the book was very slow, but it was always interesting and I always wanted to keep going. Never once did I feel the desire to stop. When I started to read it back in 2010, I read the prologue. This time I skipped it. While I love learning about hobbits, I’d rather do it by way of a story than what seems like reading a textbook.

Before reading The Fellowship of the Ring, I had little knowledge of Middle Earth. I’ve read The Hobbit and I’ve seen Peter Jackson’s movies. Other than that, I had no idea what to expect. There were times I was frustrated because I expected things to happen because of the movies that didn’t. But, overall, I liked the book much better.

I do love Tolkien’s writing style. I love all his descriptiveness. It makes it easy to envision what he saw in his head. There are times when his flowery language makes it a little difficult to follow, but not very often. And, I especially love all the Britishisms. I wish books weren’t Americanized nowadays. I’m not a huge fan of all the songs. But, they have started to grow on me. By the time, I’m done with the trilogy, I may downright love them.

My favorite character so far is Sam. I love him! He’s so kind, loyal, and selfless. I think based on my knowledge from the movies, but I’m not sure yet, he may be the true hero of this epic tale. I have two favorite scenes involving him. I love when he sneaks into the secret council in Rivendell. When Frodo volunteers to take the ring, the following exchange happens:

“But it is a heavy burden. So heavy that none could lay it on another. I do not lay it on you. But if you take it freely, I will say that your choice is right; and though all the mighty Elf-friends of old, Hador, and Húrin, and Túrin, and Beren himself were assembled together, your seat should be among them.”

“But you won’t send him off alone surely, Master?” cried Sam, unable to contain himself any longer, and jumping up from the corner where he had been quietly sitting on the floor.

“No indeed!” said Elrond, turning towards him with a smile. “You at least shall go with him. It is hardly possible to separate you and him, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not.”

I also love the scene at the end of the book when Frodo is trying to escape the fellowship to save them. Sam guesses what Frodo is doing and stops him. The exchange between the two is beautiful:

“Coming, Mr. Frodo! Coming!” called Sam, and flung himself from the bank, clutching at the departing boat. He missed it by a yard. With a cry and a splash he fell face downward into deep swift water. Gurgling he went under, and the River closed over his curly head.

An exclamation of dismay came from the empty boat. A paddle swirled and the boat put about. Frodo was just in time to grasp Sam by the hair as he came up, bubbling and struggling. Fear was staring in his round brown eyes.

“Up you come, Sam my lad!” said Frodo. “Now take my hand!” … “Of all the confounded nuisances you are the worst, Sam!” he said.

“Oh, Mr. Frodo, that’s hard!” said Sam shivering. “That’s hard, trying to go without me and all. If I hadn’t a guessed right, where would you be now?”

“Safely on my way.”

“Safely!” said Sam. “All alone and without me to help you? I couldn’t have a borne it, it’d have been the death of me.”

“It would be the death of you to come with me, Sam,” said Frodo, “and I could not have borne that.”

“Not as certain as being left behind,” said Sam.

“But I am going to Mordor.”

“I know that well enough, Mr. Frodo. Of course you are. And I’m coming with you.”

I love that Sam has no thought for his own well-being. He only thinks of Frodo. He wants to keep him safe and help him with his task. As I said, I think he may be the true hero of this epic tale.

I’m very excited to keep reading this trilogy. I can’t wait to see how it unfolds. I can’t wait for the surprises that lie ahead since there are bound to be many differences from the movies.

binbent's review against another edition

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5.0

While the slow pace of the book can throw some off, allowing yourself to get sucked into the world and Tolkein's vivid descriptions of Middle-Earth provide a reading experience like no other. The characters feel incredibly life-like and the world they inhabit is incredibly rich and full of history. They are faced with difficult decisions and tragedy, yet also wonder. This book sets the standard for fantasy and it's a high one.

thundrflap's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

zoeba's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

🤷🏾‍♀️

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