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e_storygr 's review for:
Die Rückkehr des Königs
by J.R.R. Tolkien
slow-paced
6,5/10 - 3,25/5
Reread after 10+ years.
After loving book 2 part 2 I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t feel the same for book 3 part 2. It was still better for me than book part 1 but it didn’t have the same effect?? Idrk. Even though the stakes are higher! It just feels a bit disjointed I think?
The action and tension of book 3 part 1 was a bit lack-luster.
The final battle is really unimpressive and i get why they cut it from the movies (did they??? I think?? might update after a rewatch).
And Eowyn’s moment in battle is really nice ofc! But I like that in the movies they actually made it impactful about HER. Tolkien was afraid of women or gay *cough cough* and it really shows because it feels like he rememered that he needed a speaking woman in the last book and that’s what she became. Also… why did she need a romance with faramir to patch her up? as if she couldn’t live without being loved?
I thought the return to the Shire would be anticlimactic but I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. Satsifactory to see how much the hobbits had grown.
But??? Wdym Frodo leaves??? I think I haven’t watched the third movie in a long time cause I didn’t expect that IN THE SLIGHTEST. I think I even shed a tear at that.
-Series Review-
This was part of a reread where I read the hobbit and all lotr books after 10+ years again. I have watched the movies multiple times.
One thing is safe to say: this series has been formative for the fantasy genre. It was revolutionary in that sense. Many books since have based their lore in a middlearth style world. Elves, dragons and orcs are a staple of fantasy.
Tolkien created a language and based its world and lore around it. That's impressive. Of course he didn’t invent dragons and other mythical creature but he repackaged it all into a completely new world which pushed the boundaries of what a fantasy book could do.
Sadly, the books don't hold the magic they once did for me. I suppose I've gotten too accustomed to the movies. Now that I'm older and a little less stuck up about 100 % book fidelity I can appreciate the movies so much more. As adaptations they did a fantastic job and I even approve of most changes they made.
My biggest gripe with the series is that it somehow lacks depth. Not the world, the world has much lore, but it also isn't shown that much.
There are passages where someone talks about the ancient past, that's where you get most of the lore, but it's not that much. Many things are told in the books apart from lotr and consequently there's a bit of worldbuilding and lore lacking in the lotr itself. You can FEEL the depth because everything works and the ramblings are really interesting but it's like you only get a peek behind a curtain where all the good stuff is hidden.
The bigger problem, though, are the characters and their relationships.
I couldn't feel for any of them except for Frodo and Sam, who in my opinion have the strongest characterization both individually and for their relationship.
Or rather, my issue isn't lacking characterization because just like with the worldbuilding you can see the characters are different and have distinct personalities behind what is shown but you cannot FEEL it.
I can tell you surface level info about the fellowship but not exact details about their personality and life.
For example Legolas and Gimli's friendship just happens kind of overnight and you don't really get any insight into that, which is really sad since their friendship is so special (being between an elf and a dwarf).
Only Frodo and Sam get a deeper relationship and that one is probably the best part of the books because it is so deep and unwavering. But it's the only defined relationship which is really sad.
The fellowship itself doesn’t feel that much like one either. Like, how many lines have Legolas and Frodo/Sam exchanged?? As a whole it just doesn’t feel like this super loyal group on a personal level, more like they are loyal to the cause. Which is okay ofc but it’s a bit sad.
That's where I see an improvement in the movies. Obviously, since there are actors you have many more senses that can distinguish and characterize the character.
Another issue I have is probably partly a me-problem. Older books tend to be written differently. The modern style of writing and many rules that have slowly been established weren’t in place back then. The books are like 70 years old by now and ofc you notice that.
In some ways that’s positive, like the prose. But what I do find difficult is the tension or rather lack thereof. Rarely do you feel tension because you are so far away from the characters and the narrator quite often drops hints about the future and how things are gonna end. This is simply due to the narration style which always keeps you a foot away from the characters. I’ve gotten so used to trying to get where the plot is going and guess twists that certain things in these books that were repeated dozens of times until I got quite annoyed by it. How many times does someone repeat that gollum could be useful before it all ends? We get it, don’t we?
I’m not a fan of the divide in parts in book 2 and 3 either. Completely separating Sam/Frodo from the rest’s story just feels a bit off. I feel like it would’ve been more balanced out if you got the two at the same time, especially since many things happen simultanously. In the beginning of book 2 I was also just waiting and waiting for Frodo/Sam and it took sooo long.
This is even more offputting in the final battle because while the tension is high(er) and the story is almost over it isn’t becaue you have to get through Sam/Frodo and their whole shtick before you finally get to the point where the two timelines converge.
Nowadays Tolkin would def have not done it that way. Idk if that just was unusual back then but now it’s absolutely the norm and that’s not without reason.
I know the books are a product of their time but I was shocked by how racist they were.
At first I raised an eyebrow but accepted it as normal for that time but book by book it got so much more and more intense and impossible to ignore.
The good guys are the fair-skinned Nordic people while the bad guys are the easterners (middle easterners) and the haradrim (black people). Whenever a skincolor other than white or fair is described the person is evil.
The evil human who stole the ponies in book 1 is slit eyed, the orcs are slit eyed.
There's even talk about upper, middle and lower humans!!! And ofc the lower ones are the haradrim/eastlings. Adding to that there's this obsession with the quality of ancestry, like the ancestors of the Numenorians are the best of the best and the rohirrim are just acceptable middle humans.
It's just fucking crazy.
Like, this book was written 70 years ago. AFTER ww2, i would think ppl would know better than THIS. Like that's not subtle at all 😭😭 it's eugenics but without the killing.
Women are also extremely lacking in the series. It’s not that Tolkien doensn’t want to have strong women (see Eowyn and Galadriel) but that he really doesn’t know how to write them, as he has admitted himself. As a woman myself it gets a bit annoying to read the dozen same-ish descriptions of a young fair maiden so beautiful and pure.
But unlike the racism part it is mostly subtle and nothing really bad, it’s just a bit corny and annoying to read.
Regarding Frodo and Sam… I’m so sorry to be that one but the homoeroticism is so strong and it only gets stronger as the series progresses.
I think male-male friendships are really important and I recognize that during those times male-male skinship wasn’t that frowned upon and that men could hug without screaming no homo but still… despite going into it with that mindset…
Sam is blushing in sooo many of those scenes omg. My heart fills too if I cuddle with friends and some reactions may be similar to a romantic situation but I wouldn’t blush lmao.
Or if my friend and I were in a life-threatening situation I wouldn’t think abt touching and seeing them a last time. OR WAKE UP HOLDING HANDS WITH THEM. and i love cuddling with my friends!! It’s just that the little details are written like they would be in a romantic relationship. Really, it’s all in the subtlety.
I found it really hard to review and rate these books because of how different they are to the books I usually read. Also because it took me 3 months between starting the first book and finally finishing the reviews. Honestly, I partly just have no idea what to write!! Even now I feel like I should be writing more to justify my opinion but irdk what to. Maybe I’m just so out of the loop with more complicated books and don’t get these, I don’t know.
I’m thankful for the world and legacy Tolkien created and think his detail in worldbuilding and lore is unmatched (albeit not really shown in the lotR series… gotta read silmarillon &co) but these are not books I would recommend and honestly they’re not that memorable to me.
11 year old me would be devastated to hear that I now am a bigger fan of the movies than the books as they once were my favorite books. Sorry little one… The movies still are flawed and I will also complain abt those but while the movies are still in my heart it appears the books are no longer.
The Fellowship - 6,5/10
The Two Towers - 7/10
The Return of the King - 6,5/10
Reread after 10+ years.
After loving book 2 part 2 I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t feel the same for book 3 part 2. It was still better for me than book part 1 but it didn’t have the same effect?? Idrk. Even though the stakes are higher! It just feels a bit disjointed I think?
The action and tension of book 3 part 1 was a bit lack-luster.
The final battle is really unimpressive and i get why they cut it from the movies (did they??? I think?? might update after a rewatch).
I thought the return to the Shire would be anticlimactic but I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. Satsifactory to see how much the hobbits had grown.
But??? Wdym Frodo leaves??? I think I haven’t watched the third movie in a long time cause I didn’t expect that IN THE SLIGHTEST. I think I even shed a tear at that.
-Series Review-
This was part of a reread where I read the hobbit and all lotr books after 10+ years again. I have watched the movies multiple times.
One thing is safe to say: this series has been formative for the fantasy genre. It was revolutionary in that sense. Many books since have based their lore in a middlearth style world. Elves, dragons and orcs are a staple of fantasy.
Tolkien created a language and based its world and lore around it. That's impressive. Of course he didn’t invent dragons and other mythical creature but he repackaged it all into a completely new world which pushed the boundaries of what a fantasy book could do.
Sadly, the books don't hold the magic they once did for me. I suppose I've gotten too accustomed to the movies. Now that I'm older and a little less stuck up about 100 % book fidelity I can appreciate the movies so much more. As adaptations they did a fantastic job and I even approve of most changes they made.
My biggest gripe with the series is that it somehow lacks depth. Not the world, the world has much lore, but it also isn't shown that much.
There are passages where someone talks about the ancient past, that's where you get most of the lore, but it's not that much. Many things are told in the books apart from lotr and consequently there's a bit of worldbuilding and lore lacking in the lotr itself. You can FEEL the depth because everything works and the ramblings are really interesting but it's like you only get a peek behind a curtain where all the good stuff is hidden.
The bigger problem, though, are the characters and their relationships.
I couldn't feel for any of them except for Frodo and Sam, who in my opinion have the strongest characterization both individually and for their relationship.
Or rather, my issue isn't lacking characterization because just like with the worldbuilding you can see the characters are different and have distinct personalities behind what is shown but you cannot FEEL it.
I can tell you surface level info about the fellowship but not exact details about their personality and life.
For example Legolas and Gimli's friendship just happens kind of overnight and you don't really get any insight into that, which is really sad since their friendship is so special (being between an elf and a dwarf).
Only Frodo and Sam get a deeper relationship and that one is probably the best part of the books because it is so deep and unwavering. But it's the only defined relationship which is really sad.
The fellowship itself doesn’t feel that much like one either. Like, how many lines have Legolas and Frodo/Sam exchanged?? As a whole it just doesn’t feel like this super loyal group on a personal level, more like they are loyal to the cause. Which is okay ofc but it’s a bit sad.
That's where I see an improvement in the movies. Obviously, since there are actors you have many more senses that can distinguish and characterize the character.
Another issue I have is probably partly a me-problem. Older books tend to be written differently. The modern style of writing and many rules that have slowly been established weren’t in place back then. The books are like 70 years old by now and ofc you notice that.
In some ways that’s positive, like the prose. But what I do find difficult is the tension or rather lack thereof. Rarely do you feel tension because you are so far away from the characters and the narrator quite often drops hints about the future and how things are gonna end. This is simply due to the narration style which always keeps you a foot away from the characters. I’ve gotten so used to trying to get where the plot is going and guess twists that certain things in these books that were repeated dozens of times until I got quite annoyed by it. How many times does someone repeat that gollum could be useful before it all ends? We get it, don’t we?
I’m not a fan of the divide in parts in book 2 and 3 either. Completely separating Sam/Frodo from the rest’s story just feels a bit off. I feel like it would’ve been more balanced out if you got the two at the same time, especially since many things happen simultanously. In the beginning of book 2 I was also just waiting and waiting for Frodo/Sam and it took sooo long.
This is even more offputting in the final battle because while the tension is high(er) and the story is almost over it isn’t becaue you have to get through Sam/Frodo and their whole shtick before you finally get to the point where the two timelines converge.
Nowadays Tolkin would def have not done it that way. Idk if that just was unusual back then but now it’s absolutely the norm and that’s not without reason.
I know the books are a product of their time but I was shocked by how racist they were.
At first I raised an eyebrow but accepted it as normal for that time but book by book it got so much more and more intense and impossible to ignore.
The good guys are the fair-skinned Nordic people while the bad guys are the easterners (middle easterners) and the haradrim (black people). Whenever a skincolor other than white or fair is described the person is evil.
The evil human who stole the ponies in book 1 is slit eyed, the orcs are slit eyed.
There's even talk about upper, middle and lower humans!!! And ofc the lower ones are the haradrim/eastlings. Adding to that there's this obsession with the quality of ancestry, like the ancestors of the Numenorians are the best of the best and the rohirrim are just acceptable middle humans.
It's just fucking crazy.
Like, this book was written 70 years ago. AFTER ww2, i would think ppl would know better than THIS. Like that's not subtle at all 😭😭 it's eugenics but without the killing.
Women are also extremely lacking in the series. It’s not that Tolkien doensn’t want to have strong women (see Eowyn and Galadriel) but that he really doesn’t know how to write them, as he has admitted himself. As a woman myself it gets a bit annoying to read the dozen same-ish descriptions of a young fair maiden so beautiful and pure.
But unlike the racism part it is mostly subtle and nothing really bad, it’s just a bit corny and annoying to read.
Regarding Frodo and Sam… I’m so sorry to be that one but the homoeroticism is so strong and it only gets stronger as the series progresses.
I think male-male friendships are really important and I recognize that during those times male-male skinship wasn’t that frowned upon and that men could hug without screaming no homo but still… despite going into it with that mindset…
Sam is blushing in sooo many of those scenes omg. My heart fills too if I cuddle with friends and some reactions may be similar to a romantic situation but I wouldn’t blush lmao.
Or if my friend and I were in a life-threatening situation I wouldn’t think abt touching and seeing them a last time. OR WAKE UP HOLDING HANDS WITH THEM. and i love cuddling with my friends!! It’s just that the little details are written like they would be in a romantic relationship. Really, it’s all in the subtlety.
I found it really hard to review and rate these books because of how different they are to the books I usually read. Also because it took me 3 months between starting the first book and finally finishing the reviews. Honestly, I partly just have no idea what to write!! Even now I feel like I should be writing more to justify my opinion but irdk what to. Maybe I’m just so out of the loop with more complicated books and don’t get these, I don’t know.
I’m thankful for the world and legacy Tolkien created and think his detail in worldbuilding and lore is unmatched (albeit not really shown in the lotR series… gotta read silmarillon &co) but these are not books I would recommend and honestly they’re not that memorable to me.
11 year old me would be devastated to hear that I now am a bigger fan of the movies than the books as they once were my favorite books. Sorry little one… The movies still are flawed and I will also complain abt those but while the movies are still in my heart it appears the books are no longer.
The Fellowship - 6,5/10
The Two Towers - 7/10
The Return of the King - 6,5/10