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kendoll_renea's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
4.5
dain03's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
belle_abeille's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.5
_dilliam_william's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? Yes
4.75
I couldn’t put this book down, I am loving this series so much!
With this book I am seeing the vision a bit more about deciding to print it as its own book. It works much better independently than Fellowship. The ending is still abrupt but I was still satisfied with the book as its own reading experience and as a part of this FANTASTIC STORY.
I really liked the first part. Since the first novel only follows the perspective of Frodo and Sam for the most part it was interesting to get the perspective of characters who are less vulnerable. Just three unkillable dudes doing some tracking through the woods and fighting a big battle (my only note on this is that after seeing all the maps and appendices for like EVERYTHING in Tolkien’s world I just would’ve also liked a diagram of Helm’s Deep cause people are doing flips and shit and I don’t know where the hell anyone is).
And folks, the second half, OH LORD the second half. There is just so much to talk about that I couldn’t do it in just this review. The crazy character exploration of Sméagol was super interesting, like his past and what he’s been up to and his weird relationship to Frodo is just SO INTERESTING. Also, I almost peed myself when Shelob showed up, CREAKING AND BURBLING GOOD GRIEF HELP US ALL.
And finally, my final note, the boys. THOSE SWEET BOYS. Frodo and Sam’s developing relationship, it’s so tender and there’s push and pull (like they’re not perfect, WHICH MAKES THEM GREAT) and it’s just so nice! I liked this book so much and I’m so excited for the final book. I have really loved how this series has kept me company through a big shifting year. CANT WAIT FOR THE KING GO RETURN.
marleyrollins's review against another edition
4.0
FINALLY. After what feels like a million years, I finally finished this book, and it feels so good. Thank god it’s over.
Let me just say: I think Tolkien is a genius. Nobody does intricate, beautiful world building like Tolkien. The incredible research, the preparation, his passion for the worlds he creates, it really shines through. Everything feels so detailed and believable that it could truly be real, and you find yourself getting lost in it very easily. The songs, the languages, the lore, it’s all proof of his unbelievable skill and unrivalled enthusiasm for his art.
However, and it’s a big however, this book is SO BLOODY LONG. As much as I really wanted to lose myself in the adventure and fall into it, by the 12 hour mark, it’s starting to get really really grating, and I realise that I’m basically just listening to get it over with. The magic is definitely wearing off.
I don’t know whether Tolkien had some dirt on his editor, or maybe he didn’t have an editor at all, but you could easily have cut 200/300 pages out of this book and the story would have remained intact. For example, there’s pages and pages and pages of repetitive walking, and I know this is supposed to make the reader feel how arduous the journey is, but all I was feeling was how arduous the reading experience was. They have the same conversations over and over with Gollum about not giving him the ring for example, these very easily could have been removed. And while the backstory and the world building is amazing as I said, I really really didn’t need that much of it to understand the narrative.
Honestly, I don’t want to be ousted from the nerd community, but the best thing Peter Jackson ever did was act as the editor that Tolkien should have had, because ngl, the film is better. There, I said it.
But, the journey is incredible, the monsters are great, particularly Shelob, and as always, I’m a huge Sam stan, so overall I do like the book, I just wish it was more concise. So while this seems like a really negative review, it’s really not. I love the world of Lord of the Rings. I love the history, the escapism, the beauty and the majesty of the landscapes and the people. I just don’t love how much time it took to get through it.
Let me just say: I think Tolkien is a genius. Nobody does intricate, beautiful world building like Tolkien. The incredible research, the preparation, his passion for the worlds he creates, it really shines through. Everything feels so detailed and believable that it could truly be real, and you find yourself getting lost in it very easily. The songs, the languages, the lore, it’s all proof of his unbelievable skill and unrivalled enthusiasm for his art.
However, and it’s a big however, this book is SO BLOODY LONG. As much as I really wanted to lose myself in the adventure and fall into it, by the 12 hour mark, it’s starting to get really really grating, and I realise that I’m basically just listening to get it over with. The magic is definitely wearing off.
I don’t know whether Tolkien had some dirt on his editor, or maybe he didn’t have an editor at all, but you could easily have cut 200/300 pages out of this book and the story would have remained intact. For example, there’s pages and pages and pages of repetitive walking, and I know this is supposed to make the reader feel how arduous the journey is, but all I was feeling was how arduous the reading experience was. They have the same conversations over and over with Gollum about not giving him the ring for example, these very easily could have been removed. And while the backstory and the world building is amazing as I said, I really really didn’t need that much of it to understand the narrative.
Honestly, I don’t want to be ousted from the nerd community, but the best thing Peter Jackson ever did was act as the editor that Tolkien should have had, because ngl, the film is better. There, I said it.
But, the journey is incredible, the monsters are great, particularly Shelob, and as always, I’m a huge Sam stan, so overall I do like the book, I just wish it was more concise. So while this seems like a really negative review, it’s really not. I love the world of Lord of the Rings. I love the history, the escapism, the beauty and the majesty of the landscapes and the people. I just don’t love how much time it took to get through it.
marwareadss's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4.5/5
Frodo, Sam, and Gollum are my favorite trio ever. Also, obsessed with Faramir.
[Finished on April 19, 2024]
Frodo, Sam, and Gollum are my favorite trio ever. Also, obsessed with Faramir.
[Finished on April 19, 2024]
missbiss's review against another edition
5.0
The highlight of this book for me is Gollum. He is a complex character that has to fight his mind all the time while deciding whether to help or achieve his goal… his precious. I loved this book.
wellreadashlee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
jenni_elyse's review against another edition
3.5
I’m not sure how to review The Two Towers. I have a lot of feelings about it and I’m not quite sure how to word them. I can say that some of my feelings are mixed. But, overall, I liked The Two Towers a lot.
I love how epic the journey is. I love how complex everything is. While I enjoy simple stories, I really enjoy complex ones that have a lot of facets to them. You can tell Tolkien really thought through the overarching story and not just the current story in the current book.
As I said in my review of The Fellowship of the Ring, I really love Tolkien’s writing style. I didn’t at first when I started The Hobbit, but it’s definitely grown on me. But, I have to admit that I was a little happy there were less songs this go around.
I still love Sam. I think he’ll remain my favorite to the end. And, I love Faramir. He’s so honorable, slow to react, intelligent, and compassionate. I loved every scene with him in it. He’s such a stark contrast to Boromir. He’s now my new favorite secondary character.
Okay, now for my mixed feelings. Now that I’ve finished The Two Towers, I didn’t like the way the book was split. Having two “parts” in the book is fine, but I didn’t like that the first half was just Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Merry, and Pippin and the second half was just Frodo, Sam, and Gollum. I want the chapters to be interspersed. It might make it a little harder to follow, but I think it would make it more intense. And, at the same time, it would cure the cliffhanger ending! I really hope that I don’t have to wait until Book 6 to know what’s going on with Frodo and Sam.
Also, why did Tolkien have to add giant, creepy spiders to the story! Shelob totally creeped me out. I swear I tweeted more during the last two chapters of The Two Towers than I did for the entire rest of the book. I’m going to have nightmares! At least, that’s over with and I can enjoy The Return of the King without worrying about her anymore.
I’m very excited to finish this trilogy. I can’t wait to see how it ends book-style.
I love how epic the journey is. I love how complex everything is. While I enjoy simple stories, I really enjoy complex ones that have a lot of facets to them. You can tell Tolkien really thought through the overarching story and not just the current story in the current book.
As I said in my review of The Fellowship of the Ring, I really love Tolkien’s writing style. I didn’t at first when I started The Hobbit, but it’s definitely grown on me. But, I have to admit that I was a little happy there were less songs this go around.
I still love Sam. I think he’ll remain my favorite to the end. And, I love Faramir. He’s so honorable, slow to react, intelligent, and compassionate. I loved every scene with him in it. He’s such a stark contrast to Boromir. He’s now my new favorite secondary character.
Okay, now for my mixed feelings. Now that I’ve finished The Two Towers, I didn’t like the way the book was split. Having two “parts” in the book is fine, but I didn’t like that the first half was just Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Merry, and Pippin and the second half was just Frodo, Sam, and Gollum. I want the chapters to be interspersed. It might make it a little harder to follow, but I think it would make it more intense. And, at the same time, it would cure the cliffhanger ending! I really hope that I don’t have to wait until Book 6 to know what’s going on with Frodo and Sam.
Also, why did Tolkien have to add giant, creepy spiders to the story! Shelob totally creeped me out. I swear I tweeted more during the last two chapters of The Two Towers than I did for the entire rest of the book. I’m going to have nightmares! At least, that’s over with and I can enjoy The Return of the King without worrying about her anymore.
I’m very excited to finish this trilogy. I can’t wait to see how it ends book-style.