Review: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – J.R.R Tolkien
Hi!
Anyone who has read my previous post today will know that this week I have been dedicating most of my time to this book.
GoodReads – Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
I actually began reading this maybe just over a year ago but I found it hard work and ultimately didn’t finish it. I don’t know about you fellow readers, but I hate abandoning books. I will only do so with very good reason. If I’d rather pluck my eyes out instead of read the book, then I know it’s time to call it a day.
I’m glad I came back to this actually. I recently just watched the film covering the first book and that is what actually made me pick this one up again. I don’t think I’ll be the first to say that his writing isn’t the easiest in the world. Let me know if you disagree however. I find I have to concentrate a lot just so as not to miss anything.
Thankfully, I remembered what had happened for about the first 20 per cent of the book when Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas are tracking the Orcs and the hobbits Merry and Pippin across the fields of Rohan. I read up to about 30 per cent (apparently) when the hobbits escaped the Orcs but I truthfully hadn’t remembered that part or anything else thereafter.
A large portion of this book (probably about half) doesn’t even cover Frodo and Sam in their travels to Mordor which surprised me. We meet a variety of other characters and I hope this set up of the movements of the remaining Fellowship members comes to some significance in the Return of the King. A lot happened and not a lot had current relevance from my perspective, if you see what I mean. I can’t decide if Saruman is playing his own games or truly is a servant of the evil one. How will the host gathered together by King Theoden and Gandalf meet the enemy to save Middle Earth?
I feel I have left the book with a lot of questions, but not unhealthy ones. I think this can all be answered in the final installment.
When we finally go back to Frodo and Sam they spend the majority of their time being guided by Gollum (or Smeagol – depending on which side of the good/evil fence he is sitting that day). I found myself spending the entire time praying they would ditch him but alas, if they didn’t follow him willingly he was going to follow them anyway. Why on earth they trusted him I don’t know. Desperate times lead to desperate measures I guess. Credit to him in a way, Frodo and Sam would never have gotten so far without him, but I still don’t like the slimy little creature and never will.
The descriptions as always with Tolkien are fantastic and so detailed – in a way I feel I know more about the landscape of the land than I do about what has happened on it! I love the songs in between too as it almost brings a brief glance of lightheartedness in times of peril. There are small glimmers of joy at least.
I did really enjoy the last chapter and I think it has been written really well. We get to see Sam’s conflict of loyalty and duty, over which loyalty prevails even in the darkest of times yet seen in Middle Earth. I feel things are still going to get darker yet; there is much uncertain about the quest ahead. What will become of the Fellowship, and will their burden be lifted on completion of the task? I will find out in due course.
Thanks for sharing! Reading LOTR transformed my life.
Mine too!! Which was your favourite book and why? 🙂
All three! But the return to the Shire in book 3 was a nice surprise.
I agree. I’m glad in a way that things weren’t quite back to normal and didn’t have a “happy ever after” end as that would be too idealistic. Actions have consequences and it didn’t feel like that was the end for the hobbits.
Exactly! But I’m ok with PJ cutting it out of the movie.
I’m curious… why is that? I find that inconsistencies like that can annoy me, but I suppose thinking about it the films will target a wider audience than the books. I can appreciate why this was done in that case.
In my quiet opinion, filmmaking is an art-form. So movie directors portray books and screenplays in their own light. Some directors butcher them while others like PJ create something new and beautiful. Besides, after making 3 drawn-out Hobbit movies, wouldn’t a 4th LOTR be overkill?
I have to agree with you there, yes. I personally find the new films based on the Hobbit (one book to three films) to be way too long. I don’t think they should have dragged it out to any more than two films, but that’s just my opinion.