A review by robertrivasplata
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

adventurous dark mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

First (or second) installment of Tolkien's mythologically-based invented languages song and poetry vehicle. The novel quickly transitions from the lighter tone of The Hobbit to the darker tone of the rest of the Lord of the Rings books. It takes almost half the book for Frodo & his friends to make it all the way out of the Shire. The various settings the fellowship pass through (familiar lanes, magical woods, lonely hills, desolate roads, jagged mountains, ancient ruins, mines, dales, duns, downs, vales, valleys, & so on) are often more characterized than the fellows themselves, especially during the journey between Rivendell & Moria. Merry, Pippen, Legolas, & Gimli hardly say anything during this time, & they aren't even mentioned that much either. At least Merry & Pippen got to have some personality during Frodo's flight from the Shire. Gimli had to wait until they were most of the way to Moria, & Legolas had to wait until they were all the way through it. Boromir got more characterization, but that's because he was constantly being kind of a prick. I forgot how much of a prick Boromir is! (However, the line “One does not simply walk into Mordor” does not seem to be in the book). The landscapes & settings really are a big reason to read this book. The desolate ruins of long vanished kingdoms combined with the elves always saying they should be leaving now creates the vibe of a workplace that is going out of business. Makes me remember my old neighbor Richard saying how the landscapes in Lord of the Rings are always friendly or hostile, but almost never neutral or indifferent. The death of Gandalf makes me think about what kind of book it would be if Gandalf stayed dead, which makes me wish we'd seen more of Radagast. I like Tolkein's speculation in the Forward about how the plot of Lord of the Rings would have been different if it had been an allegory for World War 2.