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

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

by J.R.R. Tolkien

4.19 · rating details · 443,750 ratings · 4,975 reviews

Frodo Baggins knew the Ringwraiths were searching for him - and the Ring of Power he bore that would enable Sauron to destroy all that was good in Middle-earth. Now it was up to Frodo and his faithful servant Sam to carry the Ring to where it could be detroyed - in the very center of Sauron's dark kingdom.

Paperback, 398 pages

Published September 5th 2003 by Houghton Mifflin (first published 1954)

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Mar 27, 2011

Linda rated it

(Update: Want to read the complete review? Visit the article in Counterpunch!)

I'll admit this: the only reason why I read the LOTR Trilogy was because I was jealous.

The year: 1972. It was a time of ridiculously insane fashion: hot pants, maxi-coats (and pads) and rough-woven cotton shirts, so scratchy they felt like the sartorial equivalent of surgical gauze with chunks of wood stuck between the weave. It was not for the faint-hearted.

And of course, who w...more

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May 28, 2009

Keely rated it

· 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 his followers. 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 c...more

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Apr 29, 2007

Doc Opp rated it

Shelves: classics, fantasy

Tolkein's masterpiece is notable primarily for its historical significance. He basically invented the fantasy genre, and because of that all fantasy readers owe him a debt of gratitude. Many things in his books will seem somewhat cliche nowadays, but that's because they have been used so often since he wrote this book - almost all of them were original when this book was written.

That said, Tolkein is not a terribly good writer. He tends to go on in excruciating detail about trivia...more

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Jun 10, 2010

Matt rated it

I wasn't really "cool" back in high school. I never made out with girls under the bleachers, or smoked under the bleachers, or did any of the other things under the bleachers that - I am lead to believe - the popular kids did. Instead, I maintained a low profile and waited for the teenage years - that wilderness of strangled thinking - to end.

In high school, as today, I harbored geekish obsessions, had a wandering imagination, and nurtured an appreciation for minutiate. In ...more

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May 03, 2007

adam rated it

Read the review by Doc Opp; I think he covers it quite nicely. He explains how Tolkien was the forefather of fantasy writing, and why that makes his books important. He also shares his opinion that the historical importance sort of causes people to overlook that Tolkien couldn't write worth beans.

Opp posits that perhaps it has something to do with the concept of heroism being different in Tolkien's days than it is now. I'm not sure I agree with that. I mean I agree that his chara...moreRead the review by Doc Opp; I think he covers it quite nicely. He explains how Tolkien was the forefather of fantasy writing, and why that makes his books important. He also shares his opinion that the historical importance sort of causes people to overlook that Tolkien couldn't write worth beans.

Opp posits that perhaps it has something to do with the concept of heroism being different in Tolkien's days than it is now. I'm not sure I agree with that. I mean I agree that his characters are a study in perserverance without being able to really fight or do anything but perservere, I just don't know that I buy that it's a sign of the times. I think Tolkien was just boring.

I don't disagree, also, that the Shannara series is essentially the same storyline with a better writer at the helm.

My venom towards Tolkien is greater than Opp's perhaps because we read for different reasons. I have very little patience with writers who have great ideas or imaginations when it comes to the physical world, but can't get inside the head of a person to save their lives and thus can't tell a story. This sort of writer is often found in sci-fi/fantasy, because the genre is geared to reward the most innovative and plausible inventing of a future or past timescape.

If guys like Opp were always doing the commentating I might not hate Tolkien with such a passion, but unfortunately the world is filled with people who don't read sci-fi but who recalled their lit teacher spoke Tolkien's name once and probably said something about how he was the father of modern fantasy, and those people went on to shout Tolkien's name from the rooftops to the extent that a movie even got made out of it. Now the movie I could actually stomach (a little) because Hollywood realized they couldn't completely bore the pants off of people and still make money. But I digress.

I cannot conceive of any reason one would read these novels unless they were forced e.g. for a class. And even then, it'd better be a history class and not a writing class, unless the objective was to teach how not to write. There's no pace, no character development, the focus shifts between groups of characters ala Robert Jordan without any of Jordan's redeeming qualities (although Jordan certainly has faults as well).

The most compelling reason to read these novels is so that you can rip someone a new one when they bring up Tolkien by making a point by point case where you describe all the things he does wrong.

Let me put it this way, I have read some of the most God-awful books in my time. I mean when I was younger I would read a phone book if it was handy. But I could not finish the Fellowship of the Rings.

Comparing Tolkien to Asimov is just...I mean that's like comparing me to Asimov. I have an imagination and so does Asimov, comparison ended. Asimov came up with a plausible future that was interesting, and then he wrote characters within that adventure that were compelling. Caves of Steel is brilliant because whatshisface the detective is sort of an everyman and Asimov deals with things such as embarrassment because your Dad's job doesn't rate you high enough to eat at the right hydroponics diner. I'm mangling things, but you get the point. Asimov may have been the best ever at having really cool ideas and not wasting them by forgetting to write about people.

I hate Tolkien, I blame him for his vacuous and enraging fan base, I blame him for every author that followed him that spent 5 hours describing a blade of grass, I hate him for taking a genre that I like and making me want to vomit on it, even if he was the first. It makes me want to burn my entire fantasy bookshelf down to the ground.

That's my review.(less)

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Oct 12, 2007

Bryce rated it

Recommends it for: everyone. This is an essential 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 beginning of the quest, which starts innocently but dives into a much larger, darker world than its protagonist, Frodo Baggins, could have ever imagined, is absolutely spellbinding. A small portion of the near-infinite background is revealed a...more

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Feb 16, 2010

FlibBityFLooB rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: classics, seen-the-movie, read-in-2010, fantasy, witty-i-am-not, husband-enjoyed-book

I suppose what I am about to type will be considered sacrilegious to some reading this review. However, I always believe in honesty in reviews, so here goes anyway :)

As much as I love the story, I have to say that I liked the movie better than the book. *gasp* There’s the blasphemy for you. Hehehehe. There was just so much singing in the book. I wish I could have skimmed the singing passages, but I was listening to the audiobook which made skipping the songs difficult. Maybe...more I suppose what I am about to type will be considered sacrilegious to some reading this review. However, I always believe in honesty in reviews, so here goes anyway :)

As much as I love the story, I have to say that I liked the movie better than the book. *gasp* There’s the blasphemy for you. Hehehehe. There was just so much singing in the book. I wish I could have skimmed the singing passages, but I was listening to the audiobook which made skipping the songs difficult. Maybe I was clouded in my judgement by the audiobook narrator’s singing talent, but I grew very tired of it early on in the book. And yet, it continued… and continued… and continued.

The LOTR movies that came out in the early part of the 21st century are some of my favorite movies. I was amazed by the cinematography, the story, the acting, and the music. The movies were something my husband and I could both enjoy together, and we have watched the movies numerous times over the last several years. Other than reading part of THE HOBBIT when I was a kid, I had never gotten around to reading the LOTR trilogy.

After listening to my husband wax poetic about how much he loved to read the Lord of the Rings growing up, I made a decision that I wanted to read the books to see for myself how they compared to the movies. Now that I’ve read the first book, I understand some of the characters my husband said were missing from the movies (such as Tom Bombadil). In regards to singing, Bombadil is definitely one of the main culprits! I kind of see why they chose to cut him out of the movie. I mean, the movie was already going to be really long anyway, so it seemed like a logical cut to me.

I definitely love the world that Tolkien built. I didn’t hate the book. I just found it to be a bit long-winded at times. SCANDAL! I know, I know. LOTR is a classic. I found myself saying things like: “Stop singing, Gimli and get on with the action!!!!”. As much as I love the plot, I shouldn’t be belittling the book’s prose. But, I can’t be the only one who feels that way. Well, maybe I am. I don’t care. :P

I still plan to continue the trilogy in book form. I have a feeling there will be less singing in the next book, but I could be fooled. I almost expect the guards of Mordor to break out into song. EEK! That’s an image that might have me giggling in RETURN OF THE KING. Tap dancing/singing guards in a giant orc chorus-line. I need therapy… or more sleep.

I suppose I now understand what compelled someone to make a musical version of LOTR. I had always wondered the motivation behind the musical in the UK, but they likely are trying to capture the spirit of the songs in the books.(less)

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May 02, 2008

Julie rated it

This is one of my favorite books ever, so I used it to cleanse myself after the debacle that was Eat, Pray, Love. And now I can review it.

There are many praiseful things I can say about this book, but I'll try to keep it short. One of the sharpest things about this first installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy is its ability to create terror and suspense without actually introducing us to the enemy, Sauron (or even Saruman, his wizard henchman, for more than a few pages at lea...more

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Dec 20, 2007

Fred D rated it

Recommends it for: Anybody

Shelves: fantasy

What can I say about The Lord of the Rings? I could go on and on forever. It is my #1 favorite book of fiction of all that I've ever read in my entire life. I am going to review each book separately, but much of what I have to say here applies to all 3 of the books. LOTR is so incredibly EPIC! The scope of the story expands as it progresses to enormous proportions. Tolkien uses a very sophisticated "old" style of writing which at first I found intimidating but eventually I got used to ...moreWhat can I say about The Lord of the Rings? I could go on and on forever. It is my #1 favorite book of fiction of all that I've ever read in my entire life. I am going to review each book separately, but much of what I have to say here applies to all 3 of the books. LOTR is so incredibly EPIC! The scope of the story expands as it progresses to enormous proportions. Tolkien uses a very sophisticated "old" style of writing which at first I found intimidating but eventually I got used to and which now I find very beautiful and poetic. His descriptions of the people, places, cultures, languages, history, and events of Middle Earth are just so incredibly rich and detailed, it is fascinating to me to learn about them as I read. I find the characters to be very interesting, to the point where I have grown to deeply love them and sympathize with them. LOTR addresses all sorts of universal themes and concepts that teach us his view of the human condition. It explores friendship, loyalty, bravery, greed, faith, and many more. Indeed, I consider LOTR to be the closest thing I've ever read to my concept of the "ultimate" or "ideal story". I have read LOTR multiple times and I imagine I'll read it many more times. I first read it in college for an English class. I had wanted to read it for years prior to that but I was intimidated by it so I didn't until college.

I admit LOTR has its flaws. There are spots where the story drags, such as the many pages where he describes the characters marching endless miles through forests or swamps or mountains without much happening. Sometimes I wonder, "why is he talking about this? Why doesn't he just jump ahead to the good stuff?". One can argue that he introduces too many characters and that some of them are not developed enough. Some would say some of the characters are too 2-dimentional, and that everything is too black and white from a moral standpoint. I admit those shortcomings, but in the end none of them matter much to me. In spite of all those imperfections, the book is still a work of genius that is unmatched by anything else I've ever read. The story is so big and powerful it just blows me away and leaves me in awe.

Fellowship is perhaps my second-favorite of the 3 books, after Return of the King. I absolutely love the first few chapters. You learn so much about the history of the Ring and of Middle-Earth. The Ring is shrouded in mystery at first and as the mysteries are revealed, the terrible state things are in is realized. A really cool ominous feeling of foreboding sets in that grabs you and pulls you in so that you have to keep reading. The meeting with Strider in Bree, the encounter with the Ringwraiths at Weathertop, the Council of Elrond, and the encounter with the Balrog in Moria are some of the most dramatic, exciting events of the whole series. The only complaints I have with Fellowship is that it suffers the most of all 3 books from what I described earlier: there are definitely a few slow parts where the pace of the story really drags. Fellowship is one of the ultimate Road Trip Stories, much like Star Wars: a New Hope, or Wizard of Oz. One or two characters start out on a journey, and they meet people along the way who join them. Along the way they become close devoted friends as they go through adventures together. (less)

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Jul 15, 2007

Jessica rated it

Recommends it for: Anyone. Literally.

Shelves: fantasyliterature

I first read this book after stumbling upon my father's copy. I hadn't enjoyed it (at the time, Tolkien seemed a little too long-winded for my taste); however, when five years later I requested the full set of Harry Potter novels (whatever had been out at the time), my Mother bypassed Rowling and bought my a full set of Tolkien instead... and I have been in love ever since.

I once read a quote about J.R.R. Tolkien, which asked increduously: "How did one man, in the course of a s...more

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Oct 02, 2008

Ron rated it

Shelves: fantasy, christian-fiction

Have read this series at least once a decade since college (which was a few decades ago for me) and it continues to be fresh and refreshing.

Great story and great storytelling.

The gold standard for fantasy.

Elsewhere goodreads invites us to identify movies which fell short of the book. Cute poll, but the wrong premise. By their nature, no movie can compare with the book. Take Fellowship as an example. Peter Jackson spent great energy, money and creativity captur...more

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Apr 17, 2008

Elfie rated it

I treat the Lord of the Rings trilogy as one and I could not make a better comment than my friend Teryl did. There is only one thing I disagree with - I loved the films!
However, I don't think it does any harm to tell a little story showing yet another way of how Tolkien can enter peoples' hearts: We were at the time living in Spain and our son attended an international school with an English curriculum. He was anything but a keen reader, in fact, he had had reading problems from the time w...more

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Mar 25, 2008

Kerstin rated it

When we're talking about novels that for some reason happen to be overshadowed by their big-screen movie adaptations (granted, not many exist), then The Lord Of The Rings belongs into that category. I know that the Tolkien-purists might crucify me for saying this, but I'm saying it nonetheless. For me, watching these movies usually equals an exercise of little to medium effort; reading the book, I often found myself on the verge of frustration. And I'm not one with an attention span of a grapefr...moreWhen we're talking about novels that for some reason happen to be overshadowed by their big-screen movie adaptations (granted, not many exist), then The Lord Of The Rings belongs into that category. I know that the Tolkien-purists might crucify me for saying this, but I'm saying it nonetheless. For me, watching these movies usually equals an exercise of little to medium effort; reading the book, I often found myself on the verge of frustration. And I'm not one with an attention span of a grapefruit. My problem is this - the text is too heavily loaded with superfluous exposition and details. I kept losing track of the new names and places that popped up on every fifth page or so. Alright, I get that we're dealing with a genius who's created a fictional universe intricate enough (and I bow down - the languages sound exquisite) to require its own encyclopedia, but for heaven's sake... crafting a story shouldn't be about how much background and side info can be shoved into it. Just because you have it, doesn't mean you have to flaunt it. Sometimes less is more approach works better. Offers the reader a bit of breathing room.
The writing style is too dry. If we take the Harry Potter series for comparison (I'm aware that it's a crime to do that, but I'm doing it anyway), the fantasy world in there is lush and bubbling. And don't tell me that's because the Harry Potter books are children's books and The Lord Of The Rings isn't. It has Hobbits and Elves in it. And chattering trees.

The characters in The Lord Of The Rings have always confused me somewhat. Nearly all of the primary archetypes are represented, but they don't seem to have that larger-than-life aura that many other characters have in other epic sagas. It is almost as if the weight of the Middle Earth suffocates them. They leave a lasting impression, yet don't seem to be very relatable. Boromir, the humanized knight, dies before I can really start to care about what he was going through. Aragorn's heroics remain too distant, and I can't quite identify with Frodo or Sam either, wonderful as they certainly are.

I realize that my thoughts manifest themselves in more of a rant than an actual review, but if I could sum up how I feel about The Lord Of The Rings (at least the written version) - then this would be it. I struggle to reach a level on which I am able to thoroughly and comfortably enjoy this grand old battle between good and evil.
Maybe it is my fault and I should try harder. Or maybe we're just not meant to love each and every classic. My boyfriend loves it though. He loves the whole trilogy. They are his favourite books. It takes him five years to read them, and he's a bank employee.
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Aug 23, 2008

Randy rated it

Hate this cover art, hate the movies (PJ turned them into horror rather than moralistic epic fantasy), but this is my favorite series.
I am currently telling everyone I have read them 11 times, but I am quite certain it is more, I just don't know how many more. Whenever I just feel really worn out and almost sick . . . I recoup my energies by being inspired again by Tolkien . . . usually every 2 or 3 years.
These books have been a powerful influence in my life -- it so much easier...more

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Jan 10, 2011

Amy added it

Shelves: fantasy, adventure, classics, could-not-finish

Ok, I love this movie. It's a great, beautiful story. But no matter what, I *cannot* get through this book! It is so *boring*! I have tried numerous times, and every single time I fail miserably. I tried before the movie came out, and I've tried since the movie came out. Invariably this book winds up collecting dust on the night table. I just... can't... make... it... through!! Thank goodness for Peter Jackson, New Zealand, CGI, and great acting, otherwise I'd be missing out on a really g...more

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Feb 05, 2012

Devlin Scott rated it

There is no better fantasy, adventure tale. J.R.R. Tolkien has created a world unmatched by any fantasy writer. This series is a 'must-read' for all true adventurers at heart.

Devlin

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Oct 27, 2010

Daniel Melvill rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: omnibus-ii

The Lord of the Rings is truly an epic book. This is my second time going through the series, and I have noticed new things this time round, thanks to Omnibus II.

First, although the movies are superb, the books are fuller and richer. I've relized that I need to have my view of LOTR shaped by the books, rather then the films.

I;ve also picked up a few new things that The Fellowship can teach us about the Christian walk. Although Tolkien was a Catholic, and his Catholic wor...more

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Aug 16, 2011

Leanne rated it

Shelves: own-or-gaveaway, high-fantasy, classics, partially-read, literary

J.R.R Tolkien is credited for the revolution of modern epic fantasy. "Lord of the rings" is truly an EPIC, and I can really see why people have been so wowed and spellbound by his books. His imagination, his originality, his details and the world he created in his books are amazing and blew my mind away. Modern authors today (ex. J.K Rowling, Christopher Paolini) have written works of fiction that have ideas and concepts derived from Tolkein's "Lord of the rings".

...more

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Jan 14, 2011

Mary rated it

· review of another edition

Lord of the Rings has to be the all time best fantacy book of all time.Sorry Harry Potter Fans even though Potter books are amazing thay can't compete to Tolkens Incredibal trilogy.One of the main factors of why these books are so good is the description. It's amazing how clearly you can imagine the terianes or towns, It's almost like you have gone back in time to the medival ages and are experiancing them yourself.Lord of the Rings however do have boring parts but are nessisary for the plot to...more

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Jun 21, 2010

NicoleMichele rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: ages 14+

Recommended to NicoleMichele by: "The Modern Library 100 Best Novels Challenge" group read for summer 2010

Shelves: 1001youmustread, modernlib100, newsweek100, time100, 2010, radcliffe100

Book One "The First Journey" - 4 stars
I thought "The Lord of the Rings" was a trilogy, but I discovered in Volume I - "The Fellowship of the Ring" in "Note on the Text" that it's in fact 6 books published in 3 volumes for convenience. I read this first volume once some years back, right after the first film was released, but now that I've seen all 3 movies several times since, I envision the actors in my mind and hear their distinct voices during th...more

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Nov 22, 2010

Mark Rayner rated it

Not to be confused with the movie, the book version of The Fellowship of the Ring includes several scenes with the mysterious, and quite possibly brain damaged, Tom Bombadil.

On the positive side, Tom saves the hapless hobbits twice: first from Old Man Willow, an ancient and malevolent tree that lives on a toxic mix of Highballs and lost Halflings; and then, from a number of barrow-wights, evil soul-sucking undead creatures, not to be confused with Barry Wights, who are excellent, soulf...moreNot to be confused with the movie, the book version of The Fellowship of the Ring includes several scenes with the mysterious, and quite possibly brain damaged, Tom Bombadil.

On the positive side, Tom saves the hapless hobbits twice: first from Old Man Willow, an ancient and malevolent tree that lives on a toxic mix of Highballs and lost Halflings; and then, from a number of barrow-wights, evil soul-sucking undead creatures, not to be confused with Barry Wights, who are excellent, soulful (and unfortunately regular dead) singers of sexy songs.

Speaking of song, Tom spends much of his time in a whimsical and poetic dreamscape of his own construction, singing as he passes blithely through the Old Wood. Tolkien tells us that he dresses in yellow boots and a blue jacket, leaving one to wonder if the author just forgot to mention if Tom was wearing pants, or if he is simply glossing over the lack of pants. I suspect that latter, because he does tell us that Tom has a long brown beard, bright blue eyes, and an extremely red face.

Red face? Is Tolkien suggesting Tom is an alcoholic? It's hard to say. He acts kind of inebriated, given his propensity to speak in the bizarre poetry of a metre that is at best unconventional, and at worst, deranged. He also likes to talk about himself in the third person. This does not seem to annoy his wife, Goldberry. (Who may or may not be the spirit of the river Withywindle, but who is definitely some kind of saint for putting up with this narcissistic and enigmatic half-wit.)

Bombadil is totally unaffected by the Ring, and he demonstrates this by doing a little sleight-of-hand, taking the ring from Frodo, and making it disappear in the air. (I suspect he palms it, but again, Tolkien does not tell us directly.) The One Ring doesn't make him invisible, and he doesn't seem to be influenced by Sauron through it.
So why don't they just keep the ring hidden with Tom? It would have saved Frodo a painful stab-wound, massive existential angst, and having to endure Sam's repeated attempts at innuendo, by suggesting that he could really go for a nice bit of "cony stew."

Apart from the fact, that, hey, no trilogy, Gandalf suggests that because Tom is unaffected by the ring, he would probably not consider it important enough to protect. That's a nice way of saying he's a flighty (possibly pantsless) wanker.
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May 03, 2009

A.J. rated it

Shelves: scifi-fantasy

Victory is mine. I finally did it. After years of beating around the bush, procrastinating, starting and stopping, I finally got this book read. If you haven't read Tolkien's opus, much of what you've probably heard is true. It's a gentle flowing story without an overwhelming sense of immediacy most of the time. The world is layered and textured at every turn. It seems not one corner of Tokien's Middle Earth was left uncovered by the author. It's a delight to read something that someone put so m...more

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Nov 27, 2011

Ashley rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, fantasy, anglophilia, classics

It took me three tries to read The Lord of the Rings the first time through. I tried once after finishing The Hobbit my freshman year of high school, and I tried again a couple of months later. I kept getting stuck at Tom Bombadil, and the immense amount of detail thrown into the text overwhelmed me. I tried again a third time when Elijah Wood's face called out to me from a shelf on the library. The movie was coming out, I'd seen that epic trilogy teaser, and it was time to finally conquer the t...moreIt took me three tries to read The Lord of the Rings the first time through. I tried once after finishing The Hobbit my freshman year of high school, and I tried again a couple of months later. I kept getting stuck at Tom Bombadil, and the immense amount of detail thrown into the text overwhelmed me. I tried again a third time when Elijah Wood's face called out to me from a shelf on the library. The movie was coming out, I'd seen that epic trilogy teaser, and it was time to finally conquer the thing. (Sidenote: Watching that trailer again for the first time in years put goosebumps over my entire body, and I remembered exactly where I was and who I was with the first time I saw it.) I finally made it past Bombadil, and once I was in Bree and there was Strider, I was done for. That was it. I was in love for life.

The strangest thing about these books is that the first time you read them, it's very difficult. There's names and histories and songs and Tolkien just throws them out there with no explanation. You get the impression that there's this vast world you'll never be able to grasp. But upon re-read, everything is clearer, and the more I re-read them, the more I understand his world. It's like how when you've never been to a place before and it seems to take forever to get there, and everything is unfamiliar, but then every time you return to that place, time moves faster, you recognize your surroundings. That's what it's like to read Tolkien. It feels real and physical, like the geography of Middle Earth is just there, waiting for you.

There's a real sense of history to Tolkien's famously intricate and old-fashioned prose that gives the trilogy a sense of maturity that is missing from almost all fantasy published since. Tolkien's Middle Earth is a real place, where joy is touched by constant sadness, and nothing lasts forever. The Lord of the Rings is as much elegy as it is celebration. The book itself mourns for the passing of an age, but we as its readers are simply sad that it never actually existed in the first place. But perhaps Peter S. Beagle said it best, in his introduction to the book in 1973:

"For in the end it is Middle-Earth and its dwellers that we love, not Tolkien's considerable gifts in showing it to us. I said once that the world he charts was there long before him, and I still believe it. He is a great enough magician to tap our most common nightmares, daydreams and twilight fancies, but he never invented them either: he found them a place to live, a green alternative to each day's madness here in a poisoned world. We are raised to honor all the wrong explorers and discoverers - thieves planting flags, murderers carrying crosses. Let us at last praise the colonizers of dreams."

[First read, September 2001](less)

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Aug 23, 2011

Cristy rated it

I just loved this book! I haven't read this since probably middle school, and it was just a delight and a privilege to read it again. Some people have mentioned to me that this book was a bit tedious for them to get through, not enjoying the descriptions of the journey's and the "ramblings" of the history, but I just have to completely disagree! I thought all the historical references just gave such richness to the story, and really made their whole world believable. It really made...more

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Mar 16, 2008

d-pain is currently reading it

If you haven`t at all seen the Lord of the Rings at all, well here is a quick summary of what happened in the book. This book is good. Its seems longer than the movie,( I guss from all thIf you haven`t at all seen the Lord of the Rings at all, well here is a quick summary of what happened in the book. This book is good. Its seems longer than the movie,( I guss from all the writting)but I think that its a little diffrent than the movie.
Well in the book Frodo (the ring carry),(he is a h...more

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Oct 22, 2007

Lifeworld rated it

Seems people either love or hate this. (I'm talking about LOTR as a whole.)

My humble opinion: don't read this as fantasy. Read this as myth in a book.

LOTR comes with an incredible sense of history in an incredible world, lovingly detailed. It is basically mythology - and even has a creation myth (Silmarillion). If you focus too much on the plot or the characters you lose that. Forget about your usual contemporary sci-fi/fantasy fare. Forget about suspense and mystery and ...more

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Jan 04, 2008

Randy rated it

Recommends it for: Fans of Fantasy Books

I recommend this book to anyone with time on their hands who loves fantasy books. Frodo, a hobbit living in the a quaint village, stumbles upon a golden ring. This ring, though, contains evil powers and if the creator of the ring, Sauron, regains control of it, he could unleash desruction and chaos. Frodo, realizing the power of the ring, sets off with a group to destroy it. The road ahead is not easy for him, though. Many perils and obstacles lie in his path. Can he overcome them?

I ...more

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Oct 03, 2007

Robert rated it

Recommends it for: People who know how to read...

Not my favorite author, but definitely worth reading. His style is paced very slow, with more than his fair share of tangents, but all in all this story is one of the best ever written. What others have said and continue to say about characters, about things revealed by the author of character motivation, Point of view shifts and so on are all based on the ideas of modern writing style. They are new developments and shouldn't be applied to Tolkien. And furthermore, that is not what this sto...moreNot my favorite author, but definitely worth reading. His style is paced very slow, with more than his fair share of tangents, but all in all this story is one of the best ever written. What others have said and continue to say about characters, about things revealed by the author of character motivation, Point of view shifts and so on are all based on the ideas of modern writing style. They are new developments and shouldn't be applied to Tolkien. And furthermore, that is not what this story is about. This isn't a character story, or at least that wasn't the point. Characters are obviously included but they were not the point. You beg to differ? Well the cardinal rule of character stories is that they end when the characters have reached their turning point. This story doesn't do that, thats why it continues for whole chapters in the cleaning of the shire even though the main plot has clearly ended. Character stories don't do that. There more like this; Jane finally stands up for herself after getting pushed around by everyone, Joe finally finds it in himself to face his father, etc etc... And when those things happen the story ends. This isn't about that. So to say their wasn't enough characterization or that the characters were card board cutouts and base your whole opinion of the book on that, is to miss the point of this story entirely. And thats your right, thats fine. This type of story isn't for you. This story is easily classified as a Milieu story. ITS ABOUT THE WORLD the characters live in and not really about the characters at all. The characters are merely the excuse to show the reader the world. Thats the point. Tolkien spent decades inventing this world, creating nearly complete languages and backstory that goes on and and on and on. This little tale of the the ring is just the tip of that massive juggernaught iceberg. All meant as a means to an end, To Explore that massive world he created. So if that sounds appealing and interesting, this book might be for you.(less)

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Aug 27, 2007

Chris rated it

Shelves: fantasysci-fi

For one thing, my review is really for the set of three books; they are really one long work broken into smaller parts, and the structure is not quite so awful if you look at it that way. This is a must-read for all lovers of Fantasy, although I definitely don't think it's going to be to everyone's taste, despite the semi-recent popularity of the movies. The heroes seem very British to me (the aristocratic, land-owning Frodo "suffering" in nobility--and the most American character is...more

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Jun 06, 2010

Adi (Reading in the Windowseat) rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-read-list, classics, genre-fantasy, movie-tv-adapted, own-on-paper, class-adult, first-in-series

A classic in fantasy, it is said that this book, as well as all the other works by Tolkien, is a definite must-read. I love the movies based on the trilogy and have watched them more times than I can remember, so I bought the whole set of books and started the first one eagerly.

I was a little disappointed, though. The book had a slow beginning, but I persevered. Yet when I passed the hundreth page, nothing much had really happened and I had a hard time reading on. It was only when Frod...more

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About J.R.R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE, was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the high fantasy classic works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford from 1925 to 1945, and Merton Professor of English language and literature from 1945 to 1959. He was a close friend of C. S. Lewis ...more

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Books by J.R.R. Tolkien

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

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

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“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.” — 16,720 people liked it

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” — 4,946 people liked it

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