The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3) by J.R.R. Tolkien

Apr 07, 2011 mark monday rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: rain-man-reviews, fantastickal-classik

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

a rousing climax to the most ravishing love story of the modern age. tempestuous, tormented Frodo at long last learns to accept the love of his lifemate - the loyal and submissive Samwell Gamgee, bottom-extraordinaire. this is truly a tale of love's labour hard-won, and at such a cost! but love conquers all in the end, and even bitter, militantly hetero villain Sauron cannot stand in the heart's path for too long. in this third book of the torrid trilogy, Frodo's love-hate relationship...more ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

a rousing climax to the most ravishing love story of the modern age. tempestuous, tormented Frodo at long last learns to accept the love of his lifemate - the loyal and submissive Samwell Gamgee, bottom-extraordinaire. this is truly a tale of love's labour hard-won, and at such a cost! but love conquers all in the end, and even bitter, militantly hetero villain Sauron cannot stand in the heart's path for too long. in this third book of the torrid trilogy, Frodo's love-hate relationship with the concept of commitment - deftly symbolized by a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind, designer ring - reaches a dramatic fever pitch, as he wrestles with his awkward feelings about monogamy & gay marriage in the boiling, repressive deserts of "Mordor" (clearly a stand-in for maverick Texazona). fortunately, the maternal Sam is constantly by his side to offer succor - forever the wind beneath Frodo's wings.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

the incredibly racy & erotic atmosphere is filled with a circuit party's worth of soldier types, as well as many classic queer icons: butch trade turned romantic male-model Aragorn; saucy friends-with-benefits Merry & Pippin; the tough & dour yet loveable uber-dyke Arwen; little bear-daddy Gimli; cringing closet-case Oh My Precious; fey pretty-boy Legolas; the exquisite drag queen enchantress Galadriel; and of course, presiding over them all, flouncing from scene to scene, battling his nasty sourpuss of an ex-boyfriend Saruman, and just chewing up the scenery like no one else...the fabulous and effervescent Gandalf the Gay. you go, girlfriend!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

despite the couple dozen unnecessary scenes of Sam staring dreamily into Frodo's sad sad eyes, this is truly a flawless and timeless gay classic, one that boldly states Love Is a Glorious Burden That We Must Ever Shoulder. love knows no boundaries. and even the smallest of men can have the biggest...."heart", i suppose. queer fave Enya even contributes to the soundtrack. Return of the King is a luscious, deliriously homoerotic fantasia.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

oops, forgot i wasn't reviewing the thrillingly fagtastic film version. well, as far as the novel goes, it is perfect. i wouldn't change a word. even the poetry is awesome.(less)

80 likes · like · see review

Jun 30, 2011 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: easton-press, classics, fantasy, quests, 1954-1969

***NEW LAWSUIT UPDATE BELOW (6-30-11)...Lone reviewer continues fight with corporate ~~ASSCLOWNS~~ powers in epic 1st Amendment battle royale.***

4.0 stars. FULL REVIEW (hopefully) to follow after resolution of the lawsuit* filed against this reviewer in the District Court of Narnia by, among others: 20th Century ~~Fucks~~ Fox, Lucasfilms, the Tolkien Estate and Robert Van Winkle (aka Vanilla ~~Asshat~~Ice) in order to prevent the release of an allegedly offensive ~~but in reality just knee-slappingly funny~~ PA...more

50 likes · like · see review

Apr 02, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, 2013, fantasy-sci-fi, fey, gods-myths-heroes, hi-ho-hi-ho-it-s-on-a-quest-we-go, in-by-of-england, romance-with-a-capital-r

Before reading The Return of the King this time, I read Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth. There's a case to be made for reading books out of their historical or biographical context. There's a joy to reading books innocently. I remember reading The Hobbit as a child. I wasn't actually impressed. I didn't love it. I didn't love it so much that I didn't read anything else by Tolkien for almost a decade and I didn't get to The Lord of the Rings until college, when I picked i...more Before reading The Return of the King this time, I read Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth. There's a case to be made for reading books out of their historical or biographical context. There's a joy to reading books innocently. I remember reading The Hobbit as a child. I wasn't actually impressed. I didn't love it. I didn't love it so much that I didn't read anything else by Tolkien for almost a decade and I didn't get to The Lord of the Rings until college, when I picked it up after reading Beowulf and several Old Norse and Icelandic sagas, studying early English history, and loving Guy Gavriel Kay's The Summer Tree. It took me context to love it and once I did I read the series three times within as many years. Hooked. Captivated. How complex! How stunning in scope! How vivid the details! How much more than all the other books that have given us something akin to one or two small parts of this saga.

But there was one part that I still didn't understand (or realize or appreciate) about the books, and particularly, The Return of the King, is how informed these books are by Tolkien's time in the army in World War I. There's an incredible amount of anxious waiting in this book. The feeling of which is oppressive. It's not that I think a writer who hasn't experienced this oppression for himself wouldn't be able to convey this feeling to us; I think that Tolkien knew to put it into the story because of his experience. There's a detail to this story beyond all his linguistic achievements or deft re-weaving of old myths, which doesn't seem to exist anymore. The human weakness. The absolute frailty of people. The inability of good men or women to overcome the sheer might of the enemy, the weight of oppression, the whatever, isn't something I see in stories usually. It is rare. And I think Tolkien's experience brought that to this story. It doesn't matter how brave or strong or determined; there are some things we cannot overcome. (view spoiler)

The other thing I hadn't realized before this reading was how much this book is about loss. For every heroic act (and often as a direct result of doing something "heroic," there's a huge price to pay for it. I wonder if we as a society get so caught up in the successes that we don't pay attention to the losses? And so we don't look at what each victory in this book actually cost. What heroic fiction really comes close to that feeling I find here? Usually the hero makes a mistake that costs him something, but relative speaking, it's a small cost. It doesn't hurt *too* much.

I'm getting far afield here. I mean to say that The Return of the King is special, even among Tolkien's work, and definitely in heroic fantasy tradition, which it in part created, because of the strength of its realism. I'm not talking about the Elves and flying/talking eagles now but the destruction, the horrible odds, the no-win situations, the pain of war that Tolkien brought to the story. The realism, buried in the fantasy, makes this book special as much as his great imagination or his ability to tell a story or the decades of work he put into perfecting his material.(less)

42 likes · like · see review

Aug 20, 2010 Caris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010

How I Spent My Summer Vacation
by: Caris “The O’Malley” O’Malley

This summer was really good. I got to do a lot of neat things. The best part of the whole summer was that I got to spend it with my new best friend Johnny. Johnny is my friend because he’s smart and he tells good stories and his mustash tickles. The stories he tells are filled with creatures and adventures, so they’re really good.

Johnny is really serious about his stories. Sometimes he gets really detailed about little things and I h...more

23 likes · like · see review

May 28, 2009 Keely rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, reviewed, uk-and-ireland

Writers who inspire a genre are usually misunderstood. Tolkien's reasons for writing were completely unlike those of the authors he inspired. He didn't have an audience, a genre, and scores of contemporaries. There was a tradition of high adventure fairy tales, as represented by Eddison, Dunsany, Morris, MacDonald, Haggard, and Kipling, but this was only part of what inspired Tolkien.

His writing was chiefly influenced by his familiarity with the mythological traditions of the Norse and Welsh cul...more

14 likes · like · see review

May 16, 2007 Roly Chuter rated it 1 of 5 stars

I’m sure glad Stevie didn’t bother to read this one:
Sam and Frodo wake up in some swamp/heath/mountain pass
Frodo: We’re lost, oh its awful, I’m hungry, we only have 3 pieces of elfin bread left
Sam: Don’t worry Frodo I’m here for you, you have the bread
Sam and Frodo walk around a bit looking dirty and lost and miserable
Frodo: oh the ring, it’s so heavy, how will I cope?
Golem: Myyy presssciousss [and all that nonsense]
Sam: Don’t worry you have a nice sleep, things’ll look better in the morning you...more

21 likes · like · see review

Feb 08, 2013 Julie Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: desert-island-books

What becomes very noticeable to me at this point, listening as opposed to reading, is the juxtaposition of the two kings and their hobbit observers. One has been brought back to himself after being under the Dark Lord's sway and the other is prideful and arrogant. It is a striking contrast.

Another thing is how touched I was by the description of those coming to the defense of Gondor, early after Gandalf and Pippin got there. They were the few, those coming out of common need to defend themselves...more What becomes very noticeable to me at this point, listening as opposed to reading, is the juxtaposition of the two kings and their hobbit observers. One has been brought back to himself after being under the Dark Lord's sway and the other is prideful and arrogant. It is a striking contrast.

Another thing is how touched I was by the description of those coming to the defense of Gondor, early after Gandalf and Pippin got there. They were the few, those coming out of common need to defend themselves and their lands, in answer to the king's call. It made me understand just how personal war is on that level. It kept coming back to me for hours.

It occurs to me that we are also loathe to let surprises unfold by themselves. I was thrilled at the way Tolkien keeps everyone in the dark over the identity of the stern young man who took Merry up on his saddle, until the crucial moment. Whereas the movie had to let us in on the secret, I suppose in support of girl empowerment. *sigh* Because THAT hasn't been done before.

Listening also allowed me to suddenly notice how Aaragorn's speech has been transformed into something lordly and formal, nobler and grander than when we met him as Strider. It was especially noticeable when he was speaking to Eowyn. "Lady," he would begin every statement to her. In my mind's eye, it was as if he was transformed into the king that we know he is underneath the travel-stained ranger.

The final realization, at this point, is just how the movies lessened the epic scale by making all the heroes less heroic than in the book. They were portrayed with ordinary fears and doubts. I imagine the idea was to give us someone to relate to. However, we already have the hobbits who are, as they themselves would tell us, as ordinary as dirt and happy to be that way. Tolkien's epic storytelling, by contrast, allows the heroes to be imbued with nobility and qualities that emerge as situations require.

We need heroes to look up to who are imbued with something grander than we ourselves have. Otherwise, what is there to strive for? If all our heroes have been knocked down to average, we have only ourselves to look to. And that is not helpful in dire circumstances like those faced in this struggle in Middle Earth.(less)

7 likes · like · see review

Jun 15, 2012 K.D. Oliveros rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to K.D. by: 501 Must Read Books; 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (2006-2010); TFG100 Most Favorite Books; Time 100; Metalist 100 by Newsweek; Guardian's 100

Shelves: 1001-core, 501, modern-library, favorites, time-100, fantasy, series

What else can I say? I enjoyed all these three books included in

The Lord of the Rings

The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)

(5 STARS),

The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2)

(5 STARS) and now

The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3)

(5 STARS).

It has the most tight interesting plot, memorable characters and universal unending theme: the triumph of good over evil. In fact, in the closing scene of the book, Frodo gives the book he wrote to Sam, the world's greatest gardener. The title of the book is The Downfall of the Lord of the Rings and the Return of the King. The "lord" refers to the evil king Sauron...more What else can I say? I enjoyed all these three books included in

The Lord of the Rings

(5 STARS),

(5 STARS) and now

(5 STARS).

It has the most tight interesting plot, memorable characters and universal unending theme: the triumph of good over evil. In fact, in the closing scene of the book, Frodo gives the book he wrote to Sam, the world's greatest gardener. The title of the book is The Downfall of the Lord of the Rings and the Return of the King. The "lord" refers to the evil king Sauron whose disappears in the wind when the ring falls to the Mount of Doom together with Gollum and the "king" refers to Aragorn who comes back as the rightful heir of the king's throne in Minas Tirith, the city capital of Gondor.

No matter in which race, nationality and religion you belong, it is always nice to know that the good persists in the end. The hobbits belong to the powerless race. The elves, dwarves and men in Tolkien's Middle-Earth have all the special powers, skills or natural physique and they helped the hobbits in defeating the evil Sauron and the traitor Saruman. However, if you really think about it, maybe more than half of the effort was contributed by Frodo Baggins (whose sacrifice was both internal and external as he fights the demon that tempts him to use the ring for selfish end), Samwise "Sam" Gamgee (for taking care of Frodo and for being an interim ring-bearer when Frodo was bitten by Shelob), Peregrine "Pippin" Took (for his presence of mind in throwing the elven brooch so Aragorn would find him and his cousin and also for killing the troll officer during the final battle at the Mouth of Sauron) and lastly Pippin's bestfriend and cousin, Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck (said to be the most intelligent Hobbit who figured out the password to the cave of Moria and for killing Nazgul fulfilling the prophecy that the latter would be killed not by a man. Merry was knighted by King Eomer as the Knight of the Mark).

I mean, they are all small creatures, between 2 and 4 feet in height, they don't have special skills and yet they persisted. They are the main heroes of this book. How about us who are more than 4, 5, 6 feet? They are really inspiring, right?

It took me 3 days to finish this book but I spent 5 days reading the very interesting although densely printed appendices. The Numeroneans (Appendix A) are very interesting because it traces the history of Middle-Earth from the first king to the start of the LOTR including the love story of Aragorn and Arwen who marry each other when Aragorn is made king of Gondor at the end of Book 3. Appendix B is useful if you want to know the chronology of Middle-Earth events and you don't have the time to read the long narrative texts. Appendix C has the multi-layered family trees. Appendix D has the Shire Calendar, Appendix E, their language and spelling and Appendix F has the language of the people of the Third Age. I mean, for a low-profile Oxford professor to come out with all details regarding Middle-Earth, it's just unthinkable and something that has been not been duplicated since then, right?

I am still in awe while writing this review. I cannot stop admiring this book. I can go on and on but I don't want to bore you. Just take my word for it: if you don't like fantasy genre because you perceive it as shallow and juvenile, try this. This is the fantasy book that does not insult your intelligence. It is entertaining and bewildering. Unforgettable read. (less)

27 likes · like · see review

Dec 14, 2012 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: jrrt, favorites, lit-english, fantasy-high

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Return of the King is the conclusion to the LOTR; its conclusion and its history, for the book is part appendices to the tale. These appendices include bloodlines and history that is not covered by the trilogy itself or by its prequel, The Hobbit.

In many ways, this book is the best one of the trilogy. It has the most memorable battle in just about any fantasy work, the Battle of Pelennor Fields. It has the most traumatic and heart breaking, yet realistic, end to the quest.

For the best part o...more The Return of the King is the conclusion to the LOTR; its conclusion and its history, for the book is part appendices to the tale. These appendices include bloodlines and history that is not covered by the trilogy itself or by its prequel, The Hobbit.

In many ways, this book is the best one of the trilogy. It has the most memorable battle in just about any fantasy work, the Battle of Pelennor Fields. It has the most traumatic and heart breaking, yet realistic, end to the quest.

For the best part of this book, in many ways, the best part of the trilogy is the scene where Eowyn confronts the Chief Nazgul to defend her fallen uncle. The best lines ever being, “But no living man am I! You look upon a woman.” And don’t forget, she laughs first. I love the fact that Tolkien refers to her as lady or woman, but never girl. I love that. When I first read the trilogy at the age of seven, I couldn’t understand why Aragorn married Arwen. She didn’t do anything in the meat of the story, and Eowyn, she did something big. As I got older and understood more about literature and the inspiration for LOTR, I came to understand and even endorse why Tolkien structured the book this way. In fact, it is fun to see Arwen rob the cradle. (As an aside, why is it usually, mostly, female elves and human males? Would elven males be less likely to give up their immortality, or we can tolerant the age difference in the elf female, but not an elf male with a human woman?). In fact, Arwen’s sacrifice is as brave, if not more so, than Eowyn’s stand. Tolkien may have few women in his story, but he presents them as strong and independent.

It’s undoubtedly true that there is much of Tolkien in the hobbits, but I also think there is something of him in Eowyn. Tolkien is one of the few authors who shows the cost paid by those who stay at home in the time of war. He does this toward the end of the book, but also, most touchingly, with Eowyn when she says to Aragorn, who has bid her stay, “All your words are but to say: you are a woman, and your part is in the house. But when the men have died in battle and honour, you have leave to be burned in the house, for the men will need it no more.” How often in history do we focus on the battle and not the resistance or those who make a stand at home? Tolkien returns to theme of Eowyn and the cost of service and duty in the Houses of Healing when Gandalf points out to Eomer what Eowyn faced during her uncle’s illness and subjection to Wormtongue. It is hard not to see a degree of the survivor of WWI and the father who has to watch his children go to war in the character of Eowyn. The conclusion of her story is most lovingly told. It is not often remembered by many critics, but it should be, that Faramir says, “And if she will, then let us cross the River and in happier days let us dwell in fair Ithilien and there make a garden.” He too is giving up his sword. Both Eowyn and Faramir were unvalued in varying degrees, yet each understands very well. Faramir, outside of Gandalf, is the only character in the book to truly understand Eowyn.

While Eowyn allows Tolkien to make comments on the total cost of war, the most heartbreaking aspect of the novel is the end of Frodo’s quest. For Frodo makes it the total way and fails. “But I do not choose not to do what I came to do. I will not do this deed. The Ring is mine!” Frodo says before puting the Ring on. Tolkien is brave enough to allow Frodo to fail. The only reason why the Ring is destroyed is because of the Judas, Gollum, who dies in the height of joy. This use of the temptation of Christ is stunning and heartbreaking. And wonderful.

The use of parallels and doubling is still here. There are the three rulers -Denethor, Theoden, and Aragorn – who represent various degrees of ruling. There is almost a second Ring and a second Gollum in the Scouring of the Shire chapter. This book balances the whole trilogy.

12/14/12 - Who doesn't like Rosie Cotton?(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Aug 27, 2007 Todd rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

To me, the whole point of reading the first two books of LOTR is to get to this one, because this is the truly masterful part of the story.

One thing I will say is that I really admire how the main heroes of the story, Frodo and Sam, are quite inconsequential in the classic tradition of heroes. They can't fight, they can't cast spells, they can't really do anything except persevere through extreme trial, all so that they can do what they promised to do, to do the right thing. Sam, in particular,...more

21 likes · like · see review

Aug 18, 2007 Tatiana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

The more times I read The Lord of the Rings, the more I love it, and the more important it is for me. I first discovered it in college, starting with The Hobbit (which is my recommended starting point). I deeply love Tolkien, this world, this universe, the legends, the histories, the people, and the story. The Greeks said that everything was in Homer. If you studied Homer, all virtue and understanding, everything you needed to know was in there. I feel the same way about the Lord of the Rings.

Th...more

13 likes · like · see review

Sep 19, 2008 Jon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: fantasy, epic-fantasy, my-favorites, fiction, read-in-my-teens, favorites, starset-kingrise-poem, five-star-favorites, loved-it

I've read and re-read The Lord of the Rings so many times. Why? Because it sings to my soul and sends it soaring.

This last volume, or last few books, of the epic tale of Middle Earth, has always been my favorite.

And it's the relationships and the struggles that appeal most - Frodo and Sam, Boromir and his father, Aragorn and Gandalf, Legolas and Gimli.

At the end of all things, even a perpetually optimistic Hobbit can be tempted, can fall, just like all of us fall short. Yet the sacrifice and...more

8 likes · like · see review

Apr 09, 2013 midnightfaerie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics

The Return of the King was by far the best Lord of the Rings yet. It made me cry several times and had some key elements to it that really made it the best and rounded out the series perfectly. First of all, we have my favorite part, when the hobbits come back to the Shire. They've been through so much and are hoping to rest but are sorely mistaken when they find their beloved Shire in ruins. Trees cut down, water polluted, homes destroyed, and basically a gang of ruffians has taken over. These...more The Return of the King was by far the best Lord of the Rings yet. It made me cry several times and had some key elements to it that really made it the best and rounded out the series perfectly. First of all, we have my favorite part, when the hobbits come back to the Shire. They've been through so much and are hoping to rest but are sorely mistaken when they find their beloved Shire in ruins. Trees cut down, water polluted, homes destroyed, and basically a gang of ruffians has taken over. These ruffians, who are twice as big as these hobbits, tower over them, informing them of all the rules they've broken and how they're under arrest, and the hobbits just laugh. Going through town, and ignoring every rule and missive blatantly, they do what they want and scoff at the opposition. After everything they've been through, it's pretty much like they're saying, "Whatever, you ruined my home, I don't care how big you are or how many of you there are, get over here so I can kick your ass." It's just beautiful, the whole scene, who they encounter there, how the battle ensues, and I was very disappointed that the movie didn't even touch upon it.

Second, the two battles. Tolkien expertly bringing in the different races one at a time to ensure a fantastic climax of an epic battle. I especially loved the addition of the dead. It seemed a nice sideline at first but quickly became an integral part of how the battle at Gondor turned out. I loved the detail as they went through the mountain and again, I wished the movie would have focused a little more on this as well.

Then there's the debate at the end. Perhaps this is understood among LOTR nerds, however, in my circles, there's heavy debate on whether the "Havens" are actually death for the characters going there. I'm still undecided. It seems as if Tolkien was hinting at this all along, constantly bringing up the pain in Frodo's shoulder and pointing out that he's never fully whole again and he's been "too deeply hurt". Then there's the whole debate on whether Gandalf died in Moria and came back. It almost seemed so to me, especially when he says "Oh yes, Gandalf, that's what they used to call me." Like he was not quite with it. The elves that go are different, since they live many times longer then the other races and have different magical powers. Or perhaps the elves keep them from aging/dying and so they go with them to live there so they don't die. There are many examples of things that are said that can be interpreted to mean that they've dying, (anyone who reads the book can find them, they're easy to find, so I won't go into them here), but there still seems to be a big debate on whether it's spiritually/physically/metaphysically dying/leaving an old life behind/etc. As for me, I think they've died physically. Not right then, but they are sailing to their peace. But that's just my opinion.

I'd also like to state quickly my favorite characters. First, Galadriel, probably because it's the faerie in me. She's exquisite, magical, strong, tenacious, and wise. And she doesn't mind flirting across races. And she allows herself to hold the ring, testing herself to see if she can withstand it, and does. That's cool. Then there's my second favorite, Legolas. Intelligent, quiet, skilled, neat friendship with a dwarf, and he can walk on snow, among other things. Just very cool. Then it's really difficult, but I'd have to say Samwise. Frodo gets on my nerves quite often, he seems pretty whiny. But Sam, to me, is the real hero. Loyal, true, brave, always putting Frodo first, and carrying him in the end. Just a all around great character. Some other characters that touched me were Merry and Pippin, how they changed through the book, with them, I think you saw the most personality growth. Then there's Tom Bombadil. What's his story? Really? I think Tolkien should have written a whole book just about this guy. He's so interesting and he was there before all of them. And what was that bit about at the end? Gandalf saying he's gotta go spend some time with Tom, and they had a lot to discuss. So interesting and then just dropped! So much of that in this book! Frustrating and intriguing all at the same time.

In the end, just a fantastic story. Characters that appeal to every type of personality with heroes to love, and villains to hate. A classic fantasy story, I can now see why many fantasy reviews are compared to this book. An enchanting story and for all the reasons I've stated in all three reviews, a classic.

ClassicsDefined.com
(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Dec 20, 2010 Joe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having just re-experience The Lord of the Rings on audio book, I am struck again by how truly awesome these books are. Tolkien's fantasy has been copied endlessly yet remains so very unique.

Reading (hearing) it again, it is difficult not to compare it to the Peter Jackson films. I think Peter Jackson is to be commended for taking great pains to include much of the textual dialogue and faithfully attempting to recraft the books' scenes as much and whenever possible. I was surprised by the extent...more

3 likes · like · see review

May 21, 2013 Hermione-Leia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: classic, mesmerizingly-hypnotizing, best-book-ever, want-to-read-over-and-over-again

I absolutely LOVED this book. I still favor the second one, but this one comes in second place. It has got to have one of the saddest endings of book history (my tears will sum that up), but the story was good and everything had a purpose.

Here are my favorite characters, listed in order: Pippin, Aragorn, Legolas, Frodo, Merry, Gimli, Sam, Eoywn, Eomer, and... hmmm, I don't know... Gandalf?

I thought that there were some humorous parts in this book, and also that some of them were not MEANT to b...more I absolutely LOVED this book. I still favor the second one, but this one comes in second place. It has got to have one of the saddest endings of book history (my tears will sum that up), but the story was good and everything had a purpose.

Here are my favorite characters, listed in order: Pippin, Aragorn, Legolas, Frodo, Merry, Gimli, Sam, Eoywn, Eomer, and... hmmm, I don't know... Gandalf?

I thought that there were some humorous parts in this book, and also that some of them were not MEANT to be but I thought were funny.

There were many, many deaths in this, some that were minor and others major that I did not like, but a story has its good, bad and sad points, you know. At least most of these deaths made sense, in ways like making a battle seem more serious, or getting rid of a minor character.

This book was very good, though violent. I recommend it for 13, or maybe 12, and up.

(view spoiler)(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 01, 2013 Liz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourite

Is it even possible to review a legend? To write a review about a completely different and unique world?

It is not. It is just not possible.
Just imagine writing a review about our world, about all the countries and cities and cultures and all the wars. It would simply be too long and too difficult.

What I can say about this book is that the epic journey finally came to an end.
The Fellowship had to fight bloody, hopeless fights, it had to survive epic battles and it found friends where friends...more

15 likes · like · see review

Jan 08, 2012 Filipa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, fantasy, library, not-own, portuguese-books, 2012-reads

Foi giro. A leitura dos apêndices é que é uma seca e é quase do tamanho da história propriamente dita. CONTÉM SPOILERS

**

A trilogia do Senhor dos Anéis chega ao final com este livro, O Regresso do Rei. Representa, o clímax e o auge de toda esta aventura que começa com um hobbit e um anel.
Muito já aconteceu, mas ainda mais coisas estarão para vir no início deste Regresso.
Após todos os acontecimentos que o leitor acompanha ao longo de dois livros com todos os ingredientes necessários para fazer d...more

3 likes · like · see review

Aug 20, 2011 Greg of A2 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-epic-fantasy, favorites

And so it ends. What Tolkien did so well in the final book was to provide closure to the story. The fellowship is allowed to part ways in a fine and loving fashion. Most writers never go to these lengths to conclude a story (probably an additional 40 pages after the destruction of the ring and the completion of the quest). And just when you think the story had come to a quiet end, the return to the Shire is filled with drama. And here, Tolkien gives the reader a chance to observe the new found c...more

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 27, 2013 Ruby rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, classic

This book was really, really good! It's an epic ending to the series. The ending is a little sad, though, and there are two appendices in the back that total about two-hundred pages.
I was happy with how everything turned out. The deaths were reasonable, too. The writing is still a little tricky to figure out, but besides that, it was good. I also watched the movie, and it is totally awesome and a perfect representation of the book, even if it's long.
I recommend it very much.

All in all, the lord...more This book was really, really good! It's an epic ending to the series. The ending is a little sad, though, and there are two appendices in the back that total about two-hundred pages.
I was happy with how everything turned out. The deaths were reasonable, too. The writing is still a little tricky to figure out, but besides that, it was good. I also watched the movie, and it is totally awesome and a perfect representation of the book, even if it's long.
I recommend it very much.

All in all, the lord of the rings trilogy is one of the most EPIC SERIES I HAVE EVER READ, so if you want to experience the awesomeness, just smile and bear the boredom and difficult words.

(view spoiler)(less)

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 27, 2012 Markus Molina rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wellllllll,

I really loved the second half. Once Frodo and Sam got going, I got into it. Their part of the tale has always been the main story and Frodo is the primary protagonist, so it only makes sense that his stuff is the best. I was very disappointed to find that Gollum hardly comes out, especially considering he's probably my favorite character in LOTR. But overall, I'd give most of the second half and the ending especially a 4/5

The first half was really, really boring for me and I struggle...more

3 likes · like · see review

Sep 07, 2011 Gemma rated it 2 of 5 stars

UPDATE 9/7: Ugh.

After having this on my 'currently reading' shelf for the past three months, I'm just gonna mark it as read and be done with it.

Technically, I finished it. The problem is that I didn't actually start it. I read the stuff about Frodo and Sam, but skipped over the part about Aragorn at the beginning.

To be fair, I didn't even like this movie. If I had, I would have read the book. But the movie was too long, and more muddled than the first two. I understand that the actual returnin...more

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 04, 2009 Nikki rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, favourites, fantasy

There: I've finally finished my reread of The Lord of the Rings. I'm trying to remember when I last reread it. Probably three years ago, maybe four, because I went through a long period where I was sure it would have lost its magic, and I mostly just remembered the accusations of how slow it was, how boring, how long it took to get anything done. That was true, as far as it matters: Tolkien is wordy, but I like the way he writes. I wasn't wrong in remembering that it tasted nice to me, with the...more There: I've finally finished my reread of The Lord of the Rings. I'm trying to remember when I last reread it. Probably three years ago, maybe four, because I went through a long period where I was sure it would have lost its magic, and I mostly just remembered the accusations of how slow it was, how boring, how long it took to get anything done. That was true, as far as it matters: Tolkien is wordy, but I like the way he writes. I wasn't wrong in remembering that it tasted nice to me, with the help of my synaesthesia. This wasn't a book I wanted to gallop through at amazing speed. It doesn't have to move fast -- part of it is the awful menace, the seemingly interminable waiting. I feel some of the despair of the characters -- but at least I know that in five pages, or fifty, or five hundred, good news is on the way.

I seemed to have swallowed whole all the other accusations too: racism, moral absolutism, sexism, etc, etc. I think most of that comes from a reading that isn't terribly deep, though. It's true that there are the evil men of the East -- I think it's the East -- and so on. I don't think we see a single redeemable character among those, or among the Orcs, for example. But it isn't quite wholesale 'men are good, elves are good, dwarves are good; only orcs and such are evil'. There are evil men, too, like Bill Ferny and Wormtongue, and arguably Saruman, since he's a man-shaped thing at least. And there are men who bring in some -- gasp -- moral ambiguity. Boromir, for a most obvious example. He ends as a noble man, but for a while it's in the balance. Denethor? He gives in to despair and by inaction threatens the cause.

Gollum's another. For all the evil he does, he serves Frodo faithfully for a time, and there's a spark of light in him. And he does at the end what Frodo cannot -- however unwittingly and unwillingly. There's darkness in Frodo, and light in Gollum.

Aragorn himself leads an army whose weapons are mostly fear and darkness -- the ghost army.

As for sexism, it's true that women don't have a great part in the story. No woman rides in the Fellowship, and there's no sign of a woman for great swathes of the book, especially when it comes to Frodo and Sam. Women do have a place in the story, but it's to be come home to. Eowyn is given tasks that keep her safe and home, preparing for the return of the men; Arwen stays well out of the action; Galadriel remains hidden in Lothlorien; at the very end, Sam rides off with Frodo and leaves Rosie there alone, and comes back to her at the last...

But at the same time, the role of women is explored a little through Eowyn. She leaves the safe haven of her home and goes out to war -- strikes one of the most important blows. We're told that the Lord of the Nazgul cannot be killed by a man, but Eowyn can kill him. She is eventually calmed, by being settled down with Faramir, but the way she's written, I doubt Faramir could or would rule her, and it's still acknowledged that she has won great reknown for what she did. Galadriel, although she stays hidden, seems to be important among the Wise like Elrond and Gandalf, and wields an elven-ring.

Lord of the Rings would probably be quite different if written now, with what we have of reform and feminism and equality, but that's obvious. There's still some place for women in the narrative, and more than might be expected.

This last book was shorter than I remembered. It was hard to stop reading it, and in the end I gave in and just sat down to finish it. In a way, I think the end lingers a little too long -- it could end in Minas Tirith, it could end as they enter the Shire, etc, etc. It's a little strange the way the action starts up again a little at the very end, for the Scouring of the Shire. But it is still good to read, and it ties up a lot of loose ends.

And the real end, with Frodo and Bilbo and Gandalf and the elves all sailing away to peace and healing, it's beautiful. It's a little too good to be true, because people don't just sail off into the sunset and live apart from any strife; if there's anyone else around, there's usually something to disagree about. But that's what beautiful fictions are for.(less)

9 likes · like · see review

Mar 31, 2008 Ryan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was lucky enough to have finished most of the lord of the rings series before the movies came out, so i got to really understand the testement of how much better a book usually is than it's movie. While the Lord of the Rings Trilogy remains to be my favorite trilogy on two fronts, both movies and books, i am still finding that this trilogy is something that must be read several times in order to begin grasping some of the full concepts expressed within. J.R.R. tolkein was actually friends with...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 28, 2008 Kristin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

This was technically a re-read, but since it was twenty years ago that I read it the first time I decided I could review it here. When the LotR trilogy came out in the theaters, I was reading the books after watching the theatrical release. Except for RotK. I either wasn't in the mood to read it or I just bounced off of it. After our trip to Vegas, we watched RotK again, and I decided that I was at last ready to give the book another attempt.

Do I need to summarize RotK? I think enough folks hav...more This was technically a re-read, but since it was twenty years ago that I read it the first time I decided I could review it here. When the LotR trilogy came out in the theaters, I was reading the books after watching the theatrical release. Except for RotK. I either wasn't in the mood to read it or I just bounced off of it. After our trip to Vegas, we watched RotK again, and I decided that I was at last ready to give the book another attempt.

Do I need to summarize RotK? I think enough folks have read this - or seen the movies - to remember the basic story well enough.

Reading this book was an interesting comparision between the movie and the written word. I know amongst avid Tolkien fans that there was much resentment towards Peter Jackson and how he did the whole trilogy. Now having watched (more than several times) the theatrical version and having re-read all the books, I really must applaud Jackson for tackling such a difficult series.

I have decided Tolkien is not an easy read. He has so much history and discription woven into all of the books that you really have to be paying attention to what is going on. His writing style is very formal to the point of being almost stilted. The names of his characters all look alike and sound alike (Eowyn, Eomer, Elrond, Elindil - to mention just a few) and he has multiple names for many of them. I felt it helps if you have read the Simarillion (which is a history of the four books) to help set the stage and all the characters straight - but it is certainly not necessary.

Did Jackson "miss the point" in the final movie when compared to the books? In my opinion, no. Jackson took the whole LotR series and distilled it down to its bare bone essence. Like taking wine and making brandy. You start with something full of floral notes, fruity overtones and lingering tastes of summer and end up with, concentrated floral and fruity notes that make brandy. Something was going to be cut, changed, altered (artistic liberties going on here) and out came the movie trilogy.

So while I think the books allow a person to really dive into the world Tolkein created and the epic struggle, I feel the movies did a good job of bringing that struggle to the screen. And I would say, if a person has the patience to read Tolkien, it is a facinating comparison because really, the whole story is brilliantly conceived and written.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Oct 12, 2007 Bryce rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone. This is an absolute must-read

I consider the Lord of the Rings trilogy the best fantasy, and perhaps the best fiction, ever written. Middle Earth is a beautiful, rich, complete land to which Narnia pales by comparison (don't get me wrong, I very much like Narnia, too).

The conclusion of the quest, Frodo and Sam claw their way to the steps of Mount Doom, looking up at Barad-dur, Sauron's throne. Meanwhile, the rest of the broken Fellowship desperately fight to slow the spread of Sauron's darkness. The Hammer of Sauron falls on...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 16, 2008 Jenifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am including the ratings and reviews of ;
Eliza (16) 5 stars. She especially liked the ending. The satisfying tying up of all the ends. She loved that the story came full circle and ended in the Shire.
Amelia (13) 4 1/2 stars. She had to take away half a point for the long, boringish parts.
Max (10) 2 stars. He liked the beginning because it was the beginning and that was fun. He liked the ending because it was over. He had a hard time with all the boringness in between.

This was a huge undertakin...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jun 03, 2007 Lisbeth Solberg rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: twice-read-and-more, environmental, movie-too

In this one his style changes a little--and not for the better, but so what?

In retrospect, another shortcoming is the scarcity of female characters. And isn't it just too bad that Eowyn has to learn the error of her ambitious ways? And another thing, too, those swarthy Southrons who scatter willy-nilly without putting up much of a fight--does that strike anyone else as Eurocentric? Sigh.

Even so, I was one of those obsessive types who read all of the appendices, learned the alphabets, wrote to fr...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 11, 2011 Josi added it · review of another edition

So, I *finally* finished LOTR. Don't get me wrong, they're fantastic novels. But you can really tell that it's Tolkien's "baby"...there's too much backstory for my taste. You'll never find any plot holes, because Tolkiens comprehends his fictional world so well that everything blends seamlessly together. However, a lot of the time I found myself wondering why he had bothered putting certain parts in...like the multiple descriptions of feasts and forests. Or the ardous lists of hierarchies and ki...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 15, 2013 John rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien is the third and final installment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It follows the stories of the fellowship of the ring, established in the first volume of the trilogy, who are now separated after a series of many terrible events. There is Aragorn, Gimli, Merry, and Legolas, who ride from one war at the Battle of Helms Deep to another in the realm of Gondor, alongside king Théoden leader of the people of Rohan. Then there is Pippin, and Gandalf who als...more The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien is the third and final installment in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It follows the stories of the fellowship of the ring, established in the first volume of the trilogy, who are now separated after a series of many terrible events. There is Aragorn, Gimli, Merry, and Legolas, who ride from one war at the Battle of Helms Deep to another in the realm of Gondor, alongside king Théoden leader of the people of Rohan. Then there is Pippin, and Gandalf who also ride from Helms Deep to the land of Gondor, but they ride specifically to the great city of Minas Tirith to warn its inhabitants of the coming war, of course they did not expect the city’s leader Lord Denethor to lose all hope, and nearly cause Minas Tirith to be overrun by the evil Orcs (and other beings) of Mordor. Finally there is Samwise and Frodo, who seek to destroy the one ring in the land of Mordor, and bring peace to Middle Earth.

In this story I found that two characters truly fought for the spot as my favorite character of the novel. I assume that Tolkien did not mean for these character to be favorite characters seeing as they are each a villain of sorts. These two characters were Lord Denethor, and Saruman the…well he was the white, then the multi-colored, and then he describes himself as a beggar when he states “‘So you have come to gloat too, have you, my urchins?’ he said. ‘You don’t care what a beggar lacks, do you?’” (284). Anyway for the sake of giving him a straightforward name we’ll call him Saruman. I truly enjoyed reading about Saruman once more, and learning that all the corruption in his life led to him becoming such a worthless being. This showed that a once feared man of great power can become a “beggar” if the circumstances change in a certain direction. I loved reading about Saruman, and learning that his power spread all the way to a land that was left untouched in the film adaptation of this story, because it showed that he was more than just a crazy old wizard, and that is why Saruman is tied for my favorite character alongside Denethor. Lord Denethor was the leader of Minas Tirith in its lack of a king, and was the father of Boromir (the first of the Fellowship to die) and Faramir. Denethor is one of my favorite characters because after hearing that Boromir had fallen in war, and being scared into thinking Faramir was mortally wounded, he loses all hope and attempts to end Faramir and his lives, while leaving his people to die in war. I truly enjoyed Denethor because he is meant to be such a despicable character, and I love that he did one of the worst deeds possible by essentially turning against his people. Denethor was even warned of the coming war by Gandalf, and denied its coming. Tolkien writes, “He turned his dark eyes on Gandalf, and now Pippin saw a likeness between the two, and he felt a strain between them, almost as if he saw a line of smouldering fire, drawn from eye to eye, that might suddenly burst into flame” (15). I truly enjoyed the tension brought to every single page that Denethor was written into.

I thought this was an excellent novel. Of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King is my favorite. I would recommend this book to readers interested in the sci-fi/fantasy genre, and those who have plenty of time on their hands, because as good as this, and the other books in the series are, they are each filled with an abundant amount of detail. This novel, although I loved it, was filled with a large amount of unnecessary, but welcomed detail about the Shire, and what had occurred their throughout the previous two books. In summary I did enjoy this read.
(less)

like · see review

Jun 03, 2013 Jesse Lopez rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Return of the King is a great conclusion to the epic of The Lord of the Rings. Gondor must defend their city of Minas Tirith from a large army of Orcs sent by Mordor. Frodo continues his journey to Mount Doom to destroy the Ring. He is very battered from the trauma he has already sustained. After the successful battle at Minas Tirith, Gandalf and Aragorn lead the remaing forces of Men to the Black Gate of Mordor to provide a detraction for Frodo and Sam to reach Mount Doom unnoticed. When th...more

like · see review

topics	posts	views	last activity
Books to Read After the Hobbit and LoTRs	21	79	3 hours, 29 min ago
Did Frodo know when he accepted the Ring in Rivendell that it would take his life?	12	114	Jun 07, 2013 10:59am
Arwen, Eowyn, Goldberry and Galadriel	20	169	Jun 07, 2013 09:40am
Why didn't Gandalf take the ring to Mount Doom on the back of an eagle.	230	1876	May 16, 2013 11:30am
Is anyone else really upset at the ending??	35	218	May 13, 2013 01:36pm
Costume Help?	5	35	May 02, 2013 04:42am
Faramir and Eowyn, Gender Roles	24	170	Apr 27, 2013 04:57pm

title link	preview: The Return of the King
avg rating	preview: The Return of the King Goodreads rating: 4.46 (256927 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18512.The_Return_of_the_King?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1367746343l/18512.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18512.The_Return_of_the_King?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien[/url]

The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings: Seven Book Editions #6-7)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (303)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About J.R.R. Tolkien

Books by J.R.R. Tolkien

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About The Return of the...

Quotes from The Return of the King