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headinthebooks's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
AHHH! This made my heart burst with happiness! I love it so much! I can't wait to read The Two Towers! My heart singings for the adorable Samwise Gamgee! (:
AHHH! This made my heart burst with happiness! I love it so much! I can't wait to read The Two Towers! My heart singings for the adorable Samwise Gamgee! (:
lukas_braziulis's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.75
sarahd0825'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
theloosepage's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? No
3.5
alice_nel_paese_dei_libri's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
leslie_c's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
stevetw's review against another edition
5.0
The classic fantasy tale that started the modern genre. Excellent, as it was 20 years ago in college. Still some of the best prose I have ever read. The classic good and evil story. While I realize that there are very few cases of all good or all evil, and I definitely like my stories with nuance, sometimes I just like a story with clear lines. Plus, the massive world that he built is still even in light of the size of some of the worlds in newer books with more words written on them, this is still one of the most complete fictional worlds ever written. Even the likes of WoT and Malazan, the worlds are not done as completely as Arda.
The book is not, however, without its flaws. Maybe it's not so much a flaw as the product of its time. The writing definitely doesn't flow as easily to my eye as more recent works, but then Tolkien is a man of the early 20th Century, and somewhat the upper crust of Britain at that. I still like the style, but it does take more effort to read that some other works.
The last problem honestly, is the way he describes skin color in the book. While I have seen no evidence of him being racist, and certainly having no writings as troubling as his contemporary HP Lovecraft, I can't help but notice that the whiter the character's skin, the better they are. The elves have the whitest skin, while many of the groups of men who have sided with Sauron are describes as "swarthy", ass are likewise even those members of mostly friendly groups, the few hobbits and men in league with evil have darker skin. Again, I'm not sure one could read too deep into it, but it is noteworthy. Maybe it changes in later books, but I have yet to see a good character described as having anything besides pale white skin.
All in all, an excellent book. Even those who started reading fantasy with newer works, I think would gain much by reading the work that began it all. Even today, over 60 years later, this man influences fantasy in inummerable ways, and will for decades to come.
The book is not, however, without its flaws. Maybe it's not so much a flaw as the product of its time. The writing definitely doesn't flow as easily to my eye as more recent works, but then Tolkien is a man of the early 20th Century, and somewhat the upper crust of Britain at that. I still like the style, but it does take more effort to read that some other works.
The last problem honestly, is the way he describes skin color in the book. While I have seen no evidence of him being racist, and certainly having no writings as troubling as his contemporary HP Lovecraft, I can't help but notice that the whiter the character's skin, the better they are. The elves have the whitest skin, while many of the groups of men who have sided with Sauron are describes as "swarthy", ass are likewise even those members of mostly friendly groups, the few hobbits and men in league with evil have darker skin. Again, I'm not sure one could read too deep into it, but it is noteworthy. Maybe it changes in later books, but I have yet to see a good character described as having anything besides pale white skin.
All in all, an excellent book. Even those who started reading fantasy with newer works, I think would gain much by reading the work that began it all. Even today, over 60 years later, this man influences fantasy in inummerable ways, and will for decades to come.
coffeedog14's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
How do I rate a book that's so foundational to the things I love? A book that inspired my childhood, even if it wasn't directly part of it?
The movies are some of my favorite movies of all time, but I don't know if I can say the same for the books. It's like saying that the Odyssey or the Bible are your favorite. It's not a wrong choice, but they're so influential that they no longer seem as revolutionary as they were. People have been iterating on the elements of Lord of the Rings for decades, nearly a century, and I got to see many of the best iterations before I read this book.
Unlike those books however, I still enjoyed reading Fellowship of the Ring. The landscapes are given lush and beautiful description, the world feels just alien enough to be exciting, and Tolkien weird little obsessions with things like songs and Elves comes across as delightful rather then troublesome. I wanna know what these little weirdo hobbits get up to next as they bumble along!
The movies are some of my favorite movies of all time, but I don't know if I can say the same for the books. It's like saying that the Odyssey or the Bible are your favorite. It's not a wrong choice, but they're so influential that they no longer seem as revolutionary as they were. People have been iterating on the elements of Lord of the Rings for decades, nearly a century, and I got to see many of the best iterations before I read this book.
Unlike those books however, I still enjoyed reading Fellowship of the Ring. The landscapes are given lush and beautiful description, the world feels just alien enough to be exciting, and Tolkien weird little obsessions with things like songs and Elves comes across as delightful rather then troublesome. I wanna know what these little weirdo hobbits get up to next as they bumble along!
kristincaro7's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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? No
4.5
danidep's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0