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gvstyris's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
I wonder if people will ever say, "Let's hear about Frodo and the Ring." And they'll say, "Yes, that's one of my favorite stories. Frodo was really courageous, wasn't he, Dad?" "Yes, m'boy, the most famousest of hobbits. And that's saying a lot.”
Definitely a tougher read than Fellowship, primarily because of long passages with little action. Tolkien’s nature descriptions remain beautiful, though, and I really enjoyed learning about Rohan. The last chapter in particular was such a highlight — I have a newfound appreciation for Sam from the novels.
Honestly, from a reader’s POV, I would argue that this volume in particular is hindered by its structure: Aragorn/Legolas/Gimli follow a relatively archetypical adventure arc in Towers, which is definitely more ‘engaging’ than Sam/Frodo’s emotional journey. The adaptation is pretty aware of this juxtaposition and wisely changed the sequencing.
Also, side note, but I was surprised to find this Treebeard much more endearing (and bearable 😭) than his film counterpart. Same goes for Pippin and Merry, Peter Jackson really did them dirty.
Graphic: War and Violence
Moderate: Torture, Xenophobia, Racism, Death, and Grief
Minor: Alcohol
i_write_on_occasion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: War, Violence, and Death
Minor: Torture and Racism
bearystarry's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Grief, Colonisation, Animal cruelty, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, War, Violence, and Confinement
Moderate: Racism and Misogyny
potatodel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Minor: Racism
squinnittowinit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
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.
Graphic: Violence, Racism, and War
Moderate: Stalking, Kidnapping, Confinement, Grief, and Death
Minor: Cannibalism and Sexism
Starvation, giant spiders, paralysis, fallingitsreirei's review against another edition
4.0
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!
Graphic: Xenophobia, Violence, War, Murder, and Racism
lorriss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Stalking, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief
Moderate: War, Gore, Murder, Bullying, and Blood
Minor: Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Alcohol, and Slavery
orchidlilly's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, War, Blood, and Death
Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, Racism, Antisemitism, and Torture
puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: War and Violence
Moderate: Death, Grief, Racism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Gore
ran_sophia's review against another edition
- 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? No
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Confinement, Animal cruelty, War, Stalking, Racism, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Slavery, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Grief