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A review by dingakaa
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Having read these decades ago, the movies have replaced them in my mind for how The Story is set up. The plot progression diverges wildly in TT from the movies (not that this changes the enjoyment at all, just a notable).
It seems Tolkien has fully grown past explicitly using a "narrator sitting by the fire telling a tall tale" voice which, at this stage, is appreciated. It was a nice touch for The Hobbit which feels like a very long bedtime story for children, and the remaining vestiges of it was charming in FOTR. With the story over half done and the characters fully developed, it would feel odd had it carried through this installment.
There are too many thoughts and opinions to state them all in a measly review (if you've come this far, just read the book). One thing I noticed on this read is the ease with which the narrator refers to the lore and mythology of the age as they come up in the story. Other fantasy writers will often take the time to "explain" it, through the narrator, to the reader, essentially breaking the fourth wall. While that mechanism is appreciated, Tolkien refers to old tales, gods, and legends as if they are self evident. It could be because The Hobbit/LOTR as a series are actually the memoirs of Bilbo and Frodo, and so it is not actually Tolkien writing it for us, but the Bagginses writing for Middle Earth.
It seems Tolkien has fully grown past explicitly using a "narrator sitting by the fire telling a tall tale" voice which, at this stage, is appreciated. It was a nice touch for The Hobbit which feels like a very long bedtime story for children, and the remaining vestiges of it was charming in FOTR. With the story over half done and the characters fully developed, it would feel odd had it carried through this installment.
There are too many thoughts and opinions to state them all in a measly review (if you've come this far, just read the book). One thing I noticed on this read is the ease with which the narrator refers to the lore and mythology of the age as they come up in the story. Other fantasy writers will often take the time to "explain" it, through the narrator, to the reader, essentially breaking the fourth wall. While that mechanism is appreciated, Tolkien refers to old tales, gods, and legends as if they are self evident. It could be because The Hobbit/LOTR as a series are actually the memoirs of Bilbo and Frodo, and so it is not actually Tolkien writing it for us, but the Bagginses writing for Middle Earth.