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A review by leesmyth
The War of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
5.0
I don't really get into the chronology or the maps, but development of the plot and characters is often fascinating. Théoden's afterlife under the green mound, flowing forth gold or silver, and warning his people's descendants in times of peril? Legolas -- rather than Gimli -- freaked out by the Paths of the Dead? Éowyn and Merry riding openly into battle, with Théoden's knowledge and consent? Denethor actually speaking to Faramir with some sensitivity? All the things that seem so inevitable, so right, in The Lord of the Rings were once up for grabs.
Sadly, I didn't see any real evolution in specific details I've been paying attention to recently (certain aspects of the Mouth of Sauron scene and Gollum's near-repentence). But that sure as heck isn't due to any lack of diligence of Christopher Tolkien's part! It might be that those details sprang fully-formed from Tolkien's pen, or they were overwritten, illegible, or otherwise lost. We may never know. But still, what we have is a gem.
Sadly, I didn't see any real evolution in specific details I've been paying attention to recently (certain aspects of the Mouth of Sauron scene and Gollum's near-repentence). But that sure as heck isn't due to any lack of diligence of Christopher Tolkien's part! It might be that those details sprang fully-formed from Tolkien's pen, or they were overwritten, illegible, or otherwise lost. We may never know. But still, what we have is a gem.