I actually finished this book last week, but have yet to write a review for it. It seems to be a trend that I procrastinate everything from school work to book reviews, but yet I keep saying: better late than never!
This book delves into the fantasy world of Middle Earth where, as most of you know from the polarizing movie trilogy, Frodo is on a quest to destroy the one ring of power in the fires of Mt. Doom. As I said in the last review on the Fellowship of the Ring, the plot synopsis is not necessary because of how intricately tied our culture has become to this story.
Much of what I said about the Fellowship applies here: the text is lush and eloquently written. It is almost like enjoying a rich desert that melts in your mouth as you are able to taste the smallest details in the concoction. It really is a pleasant read. But it is not always the most understandable read. Many of the words are archaic in nature and perhaps even a little alienating because of Tolkien's English heritage. Either way, I was able to fall in love easily with the main characters because of how relatable they are. Frodo has been given this enormous task to deliver the ring to Mt. Doom but the irony here is he is only a halfling. He is not even tall enough to blend in with an orc. But the beauty behind this is no matter how big the task is, not only does he accept it's challenge but he makes huge strides in finishing his goal; not without the one and only Sam. Sam tries his hardest to protect his master, even if he stumbles a little on the way and does more harm than good. Nevertheless, his courage to put his master's well-being before his own is admirable, and he does it without compromising the weight of his master's mission. It would be easy to help Frodo carry the ring, but Frodo has been tasked with this undertaking, not Sam and he cannot interfere no matter how much he might want to when he see's Frodo's burden.
One more side note: the actor that portrayed Gollum did such a superb job when matching his performance to the standard of the book. It is actually kind of freaky how well he played that out.
As I have said before, I understand now how these books have become enshrined in our culture fifty years after they were written. The story is excellent and the detail is impeccable. I look forward to finishing the trilogy this week!
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