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Loading... The Fellowship of the Ring: The Lord of the Rings, Part I (original 1954; edition 1983)by J.R.R. Tolkien
Work InformationThe Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien (1954)
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I do enjoy this tale; however, there is so much going on stuffed in one book. It's quite clearly an epic. Good character development. ( ) As a young reader, I made it only about a third of the way through this book before setting it aside. Coming back to this after about 35 years, this time I made it out of the Shire! The early slow chapters are certainly a lot more suspenseful than I remembered, probably an affect of having seen the films and knowing the danger that the hobbits were in from the beginning, before they realized it. From Bree onward, the pace is exciting, but still finds quiet moments of reflection, particularly when a song or poem is recited. Ah, the first book of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. What a classic. This is one of my all-time favorite adventure stories, and the movie that it is based on is one of my all time favorites as well. There is something so incredibly magical and wondrous about the first entry of this trilogy that sets it apart even from the other entries in this series. To me, that something is the sheer amount of distance covered through Middle-Earth by the Hobbits and, eventually, the Fellowship. They traverse through grassy hills, then two forests, then wide, scary plains with zombies in them, then a dark village filled with snitches and enemies on every corner, then a utopia-like valley, then tunnels going through dark, dwarf-made stone passages and cavernous halls within giant mountains, then a magical forest, and finally through a massive river flowing from the northern edge of Middle-Earth to its southern edge. The landscapes are all brought to life by Tolkien's incredible ability to describe the geography and geology of the world in vivid details. I know it sounds hackneyed, but Tolkien genuinely brought this world, all of which came from his brain, to life. I've already mentioned in my review of "The Hobbit" what my chief complaints about this series are, but I'll repeat them again for good measure. The dialogue and character work left A LOT to be desired. Apart from minor differences, practically every character of a certain race feels exactly the same as all other members of said race. This is primarily due to the extremely repetitive and boring lines of dialogue they utter. With the only exception being Gandalf, very few characters have wildly unique and discreet personalities and identities that set them apart from the other members of their race. They almost all feel like carbon copies of each other. I also dislike how much plot armor the protagonists have. From what I know, orcs are meant to be cowardly creatures who flee at the sight of danger and don't attack unless they're in a group, but it honestly got a little ridiculous at times. They would all flee at the most convenient and necessary times for the protagonists. This also applies to Wargs and the Ringwraiths. The fact that only Gandalf dies in this book (temporarily as well) and it was to a freaking Balrog shows how taking the main characters down almost seems like a bigger task than taking Sauron down. They just constantly survive the most unlikely of scenarios. Anyways, I still love this book. It brings so much more depth, lore, and richness to the world of Middle-Earth than does "The Hobbit", and it is filled with action-packed, high-stakes events at every other turn. Sure, some of the "respite" sections (when the characters rest in one place, such as Rivendell and LothLorien, after a dangerous journey,) drag on for a little while, but, in the end, I found this book to be a fast-paced, thrilling, and entertaining read from start to finish. It's been YEARS since I've actually reread this trilogy, and there was so much to revisit! Sure, there are some drawn out bits and unnecessary characters (coughTomBombadilcough) but this book remains such a fantastic story! I love the songs, the friendships that form between members of the Company, the intricacies of the struggles faced, and the fully-realized world Tolkien has created.
Masterpiece? Oh yes, I've no doubt about that. Tolkien was a storyteller of genius A triumphant close ... a grand piece of work, grand in both conception and execution. An astonishing imaginative tour de force. A story magnificently told, with every kind of colour and movement and greatness Belongs to SeriesIs contained inThe Hobbit / The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien (indirect) The J. R. R. Tolkien Deluxe Edition Collection: " The Children of Hurin " , " The Silmarillion " , " The Hobbit " and " The Lord of the Rings " by J. R. R. Tolkien (indirect) LORD OF THE RINGS, SILMARILLION, HOBBIT, BOOK OF LOST TALES, UNFINISHED TALES IN 8 VOLS Easton Press by J. R. R. Tolkien (indirect) ContainsLord of the Rings Book 1 Fellowship of the Ring Part 1-1 {Japanese New Edition} by J.R.R. 銉堛兗銉偔銉 (indirect) Lord of the Rings Book 2 Fellowship of the Ring Part 1-2 {Japanese New Edition} by J. R. R. Tolkien (indirect) The Stone Troll [poem] by J. R. R. Tolkien (indirect) Is retold inHas the adaptationInspiredHas as a reference guide/companionHas as a commentary on the textHas as a student's study guide
References to this work on external resources. Wikipedia in English (17)Fantasy.
Fiction.
Mythology.
Inspired by The Hobbit, and begun in 1937, The Lord of the Rings is a trilogy that Tolkien created to provide "the necessary background of history for Elvish tongues." From these academic aspirations was born one of the most popular and imaginative works in English literature. The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume in the trilogy, tells of the fateful power of the One Ring. It begins a magnificent tale of adventure that will plunge the members of the Fellowship of the Ring into a perilous quest and set the stage for the ultimate clash between powers of good and evil. In this splendid, unabridged audio production of Tolkien's great work, all the inhabitants of a magical universe梙obbits, elves, and wizards梥tep colorfully forth from the pages. Rob Inglis' narration has been praised as a masterpiece of audio. "Suffice it to say that this unabridged recorded version ... is marvelous in all respects. The narration is clear and delivered in a smooth English accent of a master storyteller."桲liat. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.912Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1901-1945LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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