I finished reading ROTK for the first time earlier this month. It took me almost a year to finish it. In my defence, I will say that I got the books as Christmas gifts last year, read The Hobbit, Fellowship, and Two Towers in a week (about 2 whole reading days for each), then when I started ROTK it was time to get back to school. College kept me occupied all thru the summer too, so I only reached the middle of it until a month ago.
That’s my defence. I also want to say that I like the third part the least. Perhaps because I already had some foreshadowing and spoilers… I mean, this is an epic adventure and heroes win, right? So I knew that part of the end. Also, I got fed up with Aragon is Superman and with Tolkien’s weak attempt of writing romance between Eowyn and Faramir. That whole subplot seem too forced to me, in a novel in which things go rather slow to have such a sudden change of heart and view.
I will reread the Two Towers this Christmas, and probably the Fellowship. The Two Towers is my favorite part of the series.
Karl: And the Heroes win? That would be a teeny bit of an oversimplification eh?
How bout the heroes barely overcome the forces of evil but at great and terrible cost. I’m inclined to think you can make a case for the fact that Aragorn comes out of this with the least damage to his psyche (having gone through enough in his life pre LotR). But the hobbits all have shattered innocence, the Elves see the final death knell of their time on Middle Earth and the Ringbearers are so scarred by their experience that they are forced to abandon the world. Not to mention that
Every time I finsh the book I have this twisted knot of emotion and satisfaction in my gut from a truly complete story.
Note on The Silmarillion: Try reading this for the first time after you have waited over 6 years for anything at all to come from Professor Tolkein to further explain The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, beyond some few poems published in the now [I believe* out of print Tolkein Reader. It was at once both wonderful and maddening. Wonderful, because you finally learned the stories behind the First and Second Ages. Maddening because it wasn’t a novel; it was a condensed history, reading more like the Appendices to LotR than anything else.
As for re-reading the main books, I can’t say that I have ever had any significant gap where I wasn’t at least browsing some portion of the story. I remain convinced today that this literature will enter the required classical reading list, along with Swift and Milton and gag Dickens. Unlike most of the books stuck over on the “Sci-fi/Fantasy” shelves in the bookstores, these were written by a master of writing, a craftsman of words. That he was able to write both juvenile literature that was interesting to adults (as in not only The Hobbit but also Farmer Giles of Ham and Smith of Wooten Major) as well as compelling adult literature that delighted kids is a testament to his skill. To read his real work, find a copy of his translations of Pearl, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight or Sir Orfeo; they are still used today by students of Old English.
It is true that the story “drags” at the start of The Fellowship of the Ring, but that is only because the focus there is on character and storyline development, rather than on fast-paced action. One learns a lot about the characters and their eventual actions by “suffering” through Bombadil. Also, remember that the hobbits have to gradually become accustomed to the wider world outside the Shire, a characteristic of midlands English picked up on by Professor Tolkein (and one equally applicable to some parts of MidWest America; I know of people from central-eastern Indiana who think Toledo is a Big City, and who consider a vacation in the southern part of Michigan a big deal).
Now, to put the books in perspective, read Bored of the Rings…
"The Company stood rooted to the ground in terror. The creature was about fifty feet tall, with wide lapels, long dangling participles, and a pronounced gazetteer. “Aiyee!” shouted Legolam. “A Thesaurus!” “Maim!” roared the monster. “Mangle, mutilate, crush! See HARM.” "
Yes, the heroes win with sacrifice and loss of friends, but they win. Epic stories don’t always end in happiness, but they don’t usually end with evil conquering it all.
I actually liked the Scourge of the shire, simply because it showed a different view of the hobbits. But mostly I struggled thru the last book because I knew, no matter what happened, that the ring would be destroyed. Therefore I had no big hurry to know how it happened, like in the previous two books which had more adventures (from my perspective).
And hobbits shattered innocence? In a way, yes, but if you read what happens afterwards, they seem to prosper and the war and scouring becomes just a memory and the sites memorials. Like it happens after wars, people recover and lives go on.
Yeah, I absolutely hate that. My copy of ‘The Beach’ has Di Caprio on the front, I seriously thought about not buying it just because of that.
I have re-read LOTR about 8 times since I was 12 but I have not read them for about 5 years now(I am now 26).
I have to argue with the people who said TTT was boring, IMO the Fellowship and TTT are equal on thrills and atmosphere.
These two copete for the top spot in my mind and change lead quite often.
TROTK is always going to be the weak one for me as it drags in a lot of places, especially the frodo and sam bits, but maybe I dont like it as much just for the reason that it is the last book and I wish the story could go on forever.
Also I do not understand how someone can reread the 1st and 3rd books but only read TTT once, that for me would leave a big hole in my soul, you might as well miss out whole chapters in the 1st and 3rd that you dont like as well, madness.
Point taken. Frankly I’m not sure if there would be much reason in reading the book otherwise. I suddenly had this image of reading an ‘Epic Fantasy’ and getting to the end.
“And they all live horribly foreshortened lives, ridiculed by their grim overlord and tortured until every last breath was an agony.”
One closes the book and thinks…“I read this why?”
I have a chum who is traumatized when he reads Epic Fantasy that deviates to far from the well established ruts. If any of the ‘main characters’ are killed off he just can’t stand it. Particularly if the author has done a good job making you interested or sympathetic toward that character. I’ve never asked him how he dealt with Boromir and Theoden.
For those who do not like movie tie-in editions, there is a new hardcover 1-volume set featuring 50 illustrations by Alan Lee (including Lee cover art). ISBN 0395595118
or if you prefer a boxed set, The ISBN is 0618260587 (Also Alan Lee cover art+illustrations) for the 3 volume box.
Or if you’d prefer a paperback boxed set look at ISBN 0618002251 for the 4-volume set (includes “The Hobbit”) with Alan Lee cover art, no illustrations other than the standard maps, etc.
Hmmm, any cover art has to be better than the artwork on my old, very dog-eared edition from the late 60’s, with the emus on the cover, and the eggplant tree.
DSYoung, when I was in HS and taking AP Writing, there was a short list (~50) of novels which we were encouraged to read in order to write book reviews and essays. The Rings saga was on the list, so it is on at least ONE list of required reading
First time was 1968, when I was 15. Gobbled them down in one summer. Read Bored of the Rings immediately thereafter.
I read Silmarillion when it was first published, and was disappointed–it was like trying to read the Bible cover to cover.
I read LOTR once or twice more in the 70’s and 80’s, and bought Tolkien calendars every year to feed my habit. But then the Internet was born. I read all the online FAQs, and rec.arts.books.tolkien (and the original balrog wings flame wars), and re-discovered how much wonderful detail there was that I had skimmed in all my previous readings. I re-read Silm (much better this time), FOTR and TTT, to better prepare for the movie–much more slowly and carefully this time.
Tried, tried, tried really really hard to read the LOTR trilogy when I was 13. I got about halfway into the Council of Elrond chapter in FotR when my head exploded from a mix of profound confusion and boredom.
Read the series for the first time about two years ago. I wanted to give up several times during FotR, particularly during the Council of Elrond chapter (when my head almost exploded from a mix of profound confusion and boredom), but I slogged my way through it and considered myself a Better Man™ because of it. TTT and RotK were much easier, although I was still a bit unclear about some of the major plot points when it was all over.
About four months ago I re-read TTT and RotK (there was no way I was going to put myself throught the Council of Elrond again) and enjoyed them immensely. I still remain unclear on some of the minor plot points (hell, some of the major ones, too), but not as unclear as I was the first time I finished the trilogy.
Unless I missed it, I notice no one has mentioned reading Unfinished Tales. That’s a fun read for anyone who’s read LOTR several times. Among the highlights: the description of Aragorn’s hunt and capture of Gollum, a brief history of the Istari (the wizards sent to Middle-Earth, including Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast, and the two “Blue Wizards”), and pre-LOTR stories.
Actually, I have two copies of Unfinished Tales, having received a nice new paperback copy last Christmas, but Huxley’s Point Counter Point took longer than I thought it would to read, so I had to exclude Unfinished Tales from my pre-The Two Towers reading list.
