Scan barcode
evief_'s review against another edition
3.0
horribly long. was overhyped when someone recommended it to me and then i just thought it was boring.
birks_reads_books's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
kcrawfish's review against another edition
4.0
It’s very cool to think of Tolkien being the originator of much of high fantasy, and now I’m finally sitting down and reading the work that meant so much to the genre!
And to think before this elves were widely known as Santa’s workshop helpers! The characters are what kept me reading through this story. If the pacing ever faltered, I kept on to hear what would happen to Sam or Gandalf or whomever.
This book seemed to be setting things up for the rest of the series, so I’m looking forward to the next books, to seeing the fruit of the seeds planted here.
And to think before this elves were widely known as Santa’s workshop helpers! The characters are what kept me reading through this story. If the pacing ever faltered, I kept on to hear what would happen to Sam or Gandalf or whomever.
This book seemed to be setting things up for the rest of the series, so I’m looking forward to the next books, to seeing the fruit of the seeds planted here.
waferaoife's review against another edition
5.0
Tolkien's descriptions and world building have to be my favourite of reading the Lord of the Rings. It is quite a slow read and in some chapters not that much happens, but I am so fond of the story that this doesn't bother me.
wolfgold's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
stuckerwrites's review against another edition
5.0
A masterpiece. I don't really feel like I can add much on to this that others haven't already said.
vatsal_was_here's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
pellegrinic's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
monicaa_d's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
2.5
I expected to like this book more than I did- I enjoyed the Hobbit, but found myself struggling to finish this. I'm no good with maps or directions, and have trouble keeping track of long or hard to pronounce names, so the fact that this book leaned heavily on the geography and history of the world eventually became a barrier to my understanding of what was being spoken about. The space taken up describing directions and past events was all space that I sorely missed getting to know the characters. I had trouble connecting with any of the party- I thought the size of the group caused the characterization to be stretched too thin among them, so I was less concerned about the dangers they faced. I respect the level of detail in the worldbuilding, but just struggled to get invested. I would like to read the rest of the series, but might watch the movies first (a cardinal sin) to try to get a basic understanding and interest in the story.