From Goodreads: One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find then, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them...
In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit.
In a sleeping village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with the immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.
My Thoughts: I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I am not really into high fantasy but I liked the Lord of the Rings movies so I figured I would give it a whirl. I am so glad I did. I have been told by many people that this was a hard book to get through but I didn't find that to be true at all. The story and characters grabbed me immediately and the world building was amazing. I can't even imagine how creative Tolkien must have been to come up with hobbits, elves, dwarves, etc. as well as Middle-Earth. It must have taken him a really long time to weave together all these characters, lands and events. It is easy to see why this is such a classic and I can't believe I shied away from it for so long.
There are a ton of characters in this book but I feel like you get to know each one pretty well. They all have unique personalities and unique voices so it didn't seem hard to keep track of everyone. I also loved the descriptions of the different places that Frodo and company travel through. It was so interesting to watch to the switch from the dark and forboding mountains to the lush greenery of Lothlarian. I don't want to compare the book to the movie but I think the movie did a good job of bringing the book's scenery to life. I actually really want to watch the movie again now that I have read the book. It has been years since I have seen it and I think I might appreciate it more now. Overall, this was a fantastic read. I am excited to pick up the next two books! 4 stars.
I tried to read this one a few years ago, but just couldn't get into it. Although I think I only read about 50 pages or so before I gave it. Eventually I do want to be able to say I've read these books, so I'm sure at some point I'll give it another try.
ReplyDeleteThe Fellowship of the Ring is a wonderful book. I wonder whether you read The Hobbit before that, though... it is supposed to be a children's book, but I don't subscribe to that view, and it gives you so much insight into the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
ReplyDeleteI came across your blog today, by the way. I like how much you have read this year! I wish I were doing half as well :)
This is actually the first Tolkien book I have read. I definitely plan to read more and I noticed from the Fellowship of the Ring that 'The Hobbit' was mentioned quite a bit. I may go ahead and read it before I move on to The Two Towers.
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
Hi Denise,
DeleteYou should definitely give "The Hobbit" a try. It sets the stage for enchating LOTR series and it's The One Ring to rule the world. I read the books and I watched the movie too but IMHO I feel that the book much much better than the movie.