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The Fellowship of the Ring

(The Lord of the Rings #1)

J.R.R. Tolkien

4.35 · Rating details · 2,139,861 ratings · 19,186 reviews

Alternate Cover Edition ISBN 0618260269 (copyright page ISBN is 0618346252 - different from back cover)

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkeness bind them

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, The Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could ...more

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Paperback, Media Tie-In Edition, 398 pages

Published September 5th 2003 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (first published July 29th 1954)

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4.35 ·

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· 2,139,861 ratings · 19,186 reviews

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May 31, 2015 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it it was ok

Never have I been so sad to give a low rating to such a revered book. I'm so sorry. I can't tell you how sorry I am.

Again, I'm so sorry, but I found this book unbelievably dull. I really am so, so sorry. I'm desperately sad about this. This series has been such a foundation for modern-day fantasy that I'm incredibly disappointed in myself for not liking this. I have always wanted to be a Tolkien fangirl. I've always wanted to learn Elvish and get completely offended à la Stephen Colbert but I ca ...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Lyndz rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: witches-wizards, mypod-audiobook, reviewed, own

I refuse to write a review for one of the best books ever written. Asking a serious fantasy fan to write a review for Lord of the Rings is like asking a Christian to write a review for The Bible.
So instead I will supply you with this graph:

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May 28, 2009 J.G. Keely rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, reviewed, uk-and-ireland

Authors who inspire a movement are usually misunderstood, especially by those they have inspired, and Tolkien is no exception, but one of the biggest misconceptions about Tolkien is the idea that he is somehow an 'innovator of fantasy'. He did add a number of techniques to the repertoire of epic fantasy writers, and these have been dutifully followed by his many imitators, but for the most part, these techniques are little more than bad habits.

Many have called Tolkien by such epithets as 'The Fa ...more

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Jan 17, 2014 Sean Barrs the Bookdragon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: tolkien, 5-star-reads

I’m not going to write a normal review; it’s almost impossible for a fantasy fan to do so in this case. Instead I’m going to give you a series of ten points to explain exactly why I love this particular book. Take from it what you will. There will be spoilers. Here goes:

1. The wizards!

"“Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger.”

Now I do love wizards. Who doesn’t? The wisdom of Gandalf is unmatched. He is, in effect, the leader of the forces of light. He ...more

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Jul 29, 2016 Voldemort rated it it was ok

As a single lady myself, I also love to put a ring on it. And shoutout to my homegurl Sauron!!! you go girl take over middle earth! Reach for the stars! With that balrog on your side you can do anything!
That main dude Frodo tho... reminds me of dat boi Harry... besides what does he need the ring for??
Anyways I gotta give it a low rating cuz theres 2 much frodo, not enough orcs

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Feb 07, 2011 Jonathan rated it it was amazing

A review of Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, by Sauron

Hello. You may remember me as the title character of the Lord of Rings. I go by a lot of names: Dark Lord of Mordor, Sorcerer, Red Eye, Dark Power, Lord of Barad-dûr, Ring-maker and Base Master of Treachery (I use that one in my band). I actually object to Tolkien's chosen name of Sauron, which I understand originates from an adjective that means "foul, putrid" in his crappy invented language. What can I say, the showers in Mordor a A review of Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, by Sauron

Hello. You may remember me as the title character of the Lord of Rings. I go by a lot of names: Dark Lord of Mordor, Sorcerer, Red Eye, Dark Power, Lord of Barad-dûr, Ring-maker and Base Master of Treachery (I use that one in my band). I actually object to Tolkien's chosen name of Sauron, which I understand originates from an adjective that means "foul, putrid" in his crappy invented language. What can I say, the showers in Mordor are sketchy at best. On weekends, my poker buddies call me Sauron the Destroyer of Nacho Platters.

Because Tolkien intentionally failed to give a proper description of me in his books, allow me to give you an idea. I have a bit of a dark look. My quest for world domination having been thwarted, I watch a lot of TV these days. My body is roughly equivalent to the "The Situation" on Jersey Shore. Oh, no I don't watch that, but the Witch-king of Angmar is obsessed. He won't shut up about Snowcone or some bimbo on that show. I'm missing a finger, which while preventing me from raining down carnage on Middle Earth, allows me to collect decent EI. Plus the best lawyer in Mordor got me covered under the dismemberment clause on my insurance, so I'm riding the double dip gravy train. Much has been written about my terrible Lidless Red Eye, blah blah blah. It freaked out that little twat Frodo pretty good. I'll have you know that conjunctivitis is no laughing matter. Having to keep it open 24/7 to look for hoodlums skulking around Mordor is murder on my hydration. The Nazgul have enough lift and aim to get up there to toss a bucket of Visine at it, but it's just temporary relief. Regardless, I'm still more of a looker than your precious King Elessar or Aragorn or whatever he's calling himself these days. He's never met a brooding look he didn't like. Buy a razor. Get a real job.

Someone sent me Peter Jackson's movies in the mail. The package had no return address but it was postmarked "Hobbiton", where ever the hell that is. As I watch these movies over and over (I never even finished the books) I was reminded of all my mistakes...

Perhaps a ring was not a good choice. Some buddies have suggested that maybe I shouldn't have tied all of my terrible powers to something as easy to misplace as the One Ring. In retrospect, I should have forged The One Gas Station Bathroom Key Chain of Power. It would have been a lot harder to tief. I even could have pimped it out by making it from an Ent branch or Saruman's foot, for all the good that old fart did me. Maybe a ring would have been just fine if it had been a toe ring. Then it wouldn't glow in the dark like a target for every freaking Man on the battlefield. I heard that the guy who beat me was named "Isildur"!!?? WTF. Maybe I could have worn tougher gloves, I don't know. Perhaps the door to the Fires of Mount Doom should have had a better lock. ADT could have hooked me up with motion detectors but I hear that even cats can set those off. They claim they can calibrate them but I'm not so sure. The Uruk-hai are always jumping up on the table, so they would set it off for sure. Maybe just the alarm that goes off if something hits the lava, like pool alarms for kid. Although I guess it would have been too late by then. "My preccciioouussss!". Learn some balance a-hole.

Frodo. That little prick. I'd rather not discuss how my quest for utter dominion was defeated by something I could poop out unnoticed.

I'm getting off track. I'm supposed to discuss the events of the first book, the Fellowship of the Ring. Good times! I was on a comeback! Then the withered up senior citizen Gandalf had to go to the library and do a little research and figure out that my Ring was not some cracker jack prize. My Ringwraiths tried to track down the Ring but apparently taking it away from children was too difficult. If I had put the Nazgûl on fell beasts rather than bloody horses from the start I might have tracked down Frodo (prick) and his three buddies in the bloody woods. Don't horses have a good sense of smell!? Anyways, the fell beasts would have at least avoided drowning in a river. Sweet Mary. Then those Elves suggest a damn "fellowship". Could you have come up with a lamer group name?? Why not call it the "Loose Association of People Who Share Common Beliefs or Activities…of the Ring". That Balrog almost did me the biggest favour, he was always one of my peeps. "You shall not pass!!" What a line Gandy! How cow. I heard that one took like 15 takes because Pippin kept making everyone laugh by adding in the word "gas". Fool of a Took!

Anyways, by the end of the Fellowship of the Ring, I still had a fighting chance. Great book. Anyways, The Two Towers won't be as fun to review. Sh*t hits the fan.

(A note from Sauron's agent: full credit for the idea of this review goes to Kemper and his awesome review of Drood)

...more

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Jun 01, 2010 Matt rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, classic-novels

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 other words, I should ...more

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Dec 26, 2015 Hannah Greendale rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: tolkien, classic-literature, fantasy, action-adventure

Click here to watch a video review of this book on my channel, From Beginning to Bookend.

From the valleys of the Shire to the summit of Amon Hen, The Fellowship of the Ring is an extraordinary adventure of endearing characters defying impossible odds.

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Jun 03, 2019 JV (semi-hiatus) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-earth, 5-star-reads, home-for-my-heart, 2019, fantasy, audiobooks, classics, completed-series, favourites

"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."

Life is, indeed, a box of chocolates. No matter how much we prepare for it, we will never be ready. Truth be told, no one ever is — such is the mystery that life has to offer, as we don't get to choose

"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."

"'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.'"

Sometimes, the image that we conjure for ourselves doesn't necessarily match or mirror life itself. At those times, we often feel inadequate, overwhelmed, and beaten, yet we continue living even though we've suffered enough, our own grief is too great to bear, and that our losses cannot truly be mended.

"Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends."

However, beyond these conditions, we rise above them, grow beyond them. Humans always have the capacity to change the world for the better if possible or even change oneself if one so ever desires it — with the intensity of our spirit matching the fervour of our heart.

"The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater."

We tell ourselves that the magic is in the journey and not in the destination. Perchance, the allegory of this book reflects that of life — generally, morally, historically, and even spiritually. It might also allude to Galadriel's Mirror showing "things that were, and things that are, and things that yet may be." Whatever interpretation you might have for this timeless magnum opus, the burden is laid upon you, for the Shadow will always grow and succumbing to the One Ring's call will always bring forth utter destruction lest we learn the simplest and most significant lesson of them all.

"Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie."

All I know is that we are put here in this world to play a part that we have yet to see. Some of us might be a Frodo — for we bear a burden too great; or even a Sam who doesn't even know what he truly wants but perceives that he has a purpose that lies beyond the Shire and that he has to see it through to the end. We might even be a Merry or Pippin who will "stick to you through thick and thin – to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours – closer than you keep it yourself." Mayhap, a Gandalf, a servant of the Secret Fire, a wielder of the Flame of Anor, telling others to flee and holding his ground to fight the Flame of Udûn.

Much like the Fellowship, there will always be someone who will be there to help you bear the burden, whatever what that might be. When night is about you, always remember that courage will always be found in the most unlikely places and that hope is but a chink in the curtain that lets the light through.

Audiobook rating (narrated by Rob Inglis):
Narrative voice & style - ★★★
Vocal characterisation - ★★★½
Inflexion & intonation - ★★★
Voice quality - ★★★
Audiobook verdict - ★★★ (Good performance overall) ...more

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Jul 31, 2014 Alejandro rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: novel, epic-fantasy, military, politics, magic, espionage

The Journey begins!!!

THE EVOLUTION OF A RING’S STORY

Courage is found in unlikely places.

What started up as an adventure oriented for children turned into an epic fantasy...

...THE epic fantasy book, anything else in the genre after this, born here, any other author writing in this field, began here, and even impacted in many other genres and formats.

Certainly, in The Hobbit, there are dangers, there is death, so thinking about it as a children’s tale is a much debated issue, but it’s clear ...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Matthew rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: series, fantasy, own

Raise your hand if you remember the awesome book fairs or Scholastic book order forms from back when you were a kid? Well, in middle school I picked up this sweet read in a box set with the rest of the trilogy and The Hobbit. Unfortunately, while I have always been enthusiastic about reading, I did not find the motivation to complete it for almost 15 years.

In the early 90s I read the Hobbit. Then I followed it up by starting this one but lost interest shortly after Tom Bombadil. Tolkien is great ...more

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Nov 22, 2008 Jason Koivu rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, favorites

Give me a few friends,
a stretch of pleasant hills and an ominous wood.
Let us romp in the remnants of innocence,
free of the fear coursing through the veins of the greater world.
Give me the first half dozen chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring and I will gladly make a little heaven on earth out of it.

After finishing The Hobbit as a young boy, I needed something else, something a little more mature to meet my growing needs. Lucky for me, Tolkien had done just that in the form of his epic trilogy ...more

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Jul 01, 2018 Fuzaila rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, classics, adapted-to-tv-movie, could-have-been-better, adventure, e-n-d-i-n-g, liked-it-but-i-am-not-sure, writing-to-die-for

This book did nothing but put me to sleep and sink me in a slump. Like, I’ve never EVER fallen asleep while reading a book (except for maybe, Catching Fire, but I was dead sick at the time). But the best part? It actually started getting interesting after the 95% mark, and by the end, I was even looking forward to reading the next book. How. The. Heck!!

This is all you need to know about the plot -

A ring with exceptional powers, handed over to a young Hobbit as an heirloom.

A Dark Lord seeking

...more

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Jan 07, 2012 James rated it really liked it

Shelves: 1-fiction, 3-multi-book-series, 2-fic-fantasy-and-scifi

4+ out of 5 stars to The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien's first novel in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, later made into a billion dollar movie franchise. I count myself lucky to have been able to read this book before it became a movie, though I loved the movie, too.

Why This Book
I was 13 years old when I stumbled upon this book while a friend was reading it. He was a major video gamer, fantasy sports leaguer and avid reader of science fiction. Though we were good friends, I had dif ...more

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Apr 29, 2007 Doc Opp rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, classics

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 trivial concepts. Par ...more

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Jul 30, 2011 Lyn rated it really liked it

Tonight on Anderson Cooper 360, we find ourselves in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and at The Green Dragon Public House and Brewery, a Tolkien inspired pub. Our special guest tonight is none other than THE Hobbit, Mr. Bilbo Baggins, formerly of the Shire. We’ll have a moment to get to know the individual that has meant so much to generations of literary fans and then to a new generation of movie going fans in this last decade. Bilbo, how are you tonight?

Bilbo Baggins: I’m well; thank you, Anderson, an ...more

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Oct 18, 2017 Manny rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: transcendent-experiences, why-not-call-it-poetry, linguistics-and-philosophy, children, german-and-dutch

My education as a young German continues. I have been able to read children's books easily for some time, but books for grown-ups are still challenging. I thought that reading The Lord of the Rings in translation might be helpful, since for me it's intermediate between children's literature and adult literature. The vocabulary and grammar are more like adult literature; but the writing is concrete and straightforward as children's literature tends to be, with little of the abstractions, generali My education as a young German continues. I have been able to read children's books easily for some time, but books for grown-ups are still challenging. I thought that reading The Lord of the Rings in translation might be helpful, since for me it's intermediate between children's literature and adult literature. The vocabulary and grammar are more like adult literature; but the writing is concrete and straightforward as children's literature tends to be, with little of the abstractions, generalisations and complicated narrative structures that characterise adult fiction. I think it's worked well, and I could positively feel the book stretching my vocabulary. But most importantly, it's increased my appreciation for the poetics of the language. The text was many times able to reach me emotionally, and I could recapture the magical effect it had on me when I first read it at age ten: the comic interlude in Bree, the horror of the Barrow-wight and the Balrog, the glimpses of the vast shadowy history of the First Age.

The part that affected me most was the sequence in Lórien, which, to my surprise, moved me to tears. I couldn't quite understand why, but when I looked through some of the other reviews it became clearer. Readers of my generation were able to enter the enchanted world of Middle Earth and make it part of our own reality. But now I glance at Khanh's review, which has attracted 500 votes and a depressing number of positive comments, and see that for many people it is no longer possible. They understand nothing. The Elves have departed over the Sea, and left only a nostalgic memory behind them. It is desperately sad, and it is just this ineluctable tragedy of the passing of time that Tolkien captures so perfectly.

Ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen,
Yéni únótimë ve rámar aldaron!
Yéni ve lintë yuldar avánier
mi oromardi lissë-miruvóreva
Andúnë pella, Vardo tellumar
nu luini yassen tintilar i eleni
ómaryo airetári-lírinen.
Sí man i yulma nin enquantuva?

An sí Tintallë Varda Oiolossëo
ve fanyar máryat Elentári ortanë
ar ilyë tier undulávë lumbulë
ar sindanóriello caita mornië
i falmalinnar imbë met, ar hísië
untúpa Calaciryo míri oialë.
Sí vanwa ná, Rómello vanwa, Valimar!

Namárië! Nai hiruvalyë Valimar!
Nai elyë hiruva! Namárië!

'Ah! like gold fall the leaves in the wind, long years numberless as the wings of trees! The long years have passed like swift draughts of the sweet mead in lofty halls beyond the West, beneath the blue vaults of Varda wherein the stars tremble in the song of her voice, holy and queenly. Who now shall refill the cup for me? For now the Kindler, Varda, the Queen of the Stars, from Mount Everwhite has uplifted her hands like clouds, and all paths are drowned deep in shadow; and out of a grey country darkness lies on the foaming waves between us, and mist covers the jewels of Calacirya for ever. Now lost, lost to those from the East is Valimar! Farewell! Maybe thou shalt find Valimar. Maybe even thou shalt find it. Farewell!'

Varda is the name of that Lady whom the Elves in these lands of exile name Elbereth. ...more

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Jul 23, 2017 Anish Kohli rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

One does not simply review the LOTR!!

Yet here I am, trying to do so. In the words of Sam-the-wise Gamgee, I can sum up my review. “Oh, that doesn’t do them justice by a long road.”
This was a BR with The one who DNF’d it and The one who didn't like it. Non believers, I tell you!
I have taken my own sweet time with this book, relishing each of its pages and words and watching the movie as I read the book. It has been a great time!
“Is it not a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt for so small a thing?”
It is Bilbo Baggins’ eleventy first (111th) birthday. All of the Shire is invited to celebrate the event of a queer hobbit who is rumored to have immense treasures accumulated from his adventurous journey so long ago. For Bilbo though, there has always been one treasure. A golden shiny ring.
All of the shire is present for Bilbo’s big day but little do they know that he has something planned.
‘I wish to make an ANNOUNCEMENT.’ He spoke this last word so loudly and suddenly that everyone sat up who still could. ‘I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. I regret to announce that – though, eleventy-one years is far too short a time to spend among you – this is the END. I am going. I am leaving NOW. GOOD-BYE!’
And away he goes, on his last journey to find peace, bestowing (forced by Gandalf) his treasured ring to his younger cousin Frodo.
For many years life goes on for Frodo as it should, with his friends Pippin and Merry and not to forget Sam. Until one day the wizard Gandalf pays him a visit and tells him the secret of his heirloom. That what he carries is no ordinary ring but THE ONE RING.
‘One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.’
Poor Frodo. Who never wanted to be put in such a situation. Frodo, who led a simple and peaceful life.
‘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.'
Now Frodo must flee, carrying the evil ring, to the land of the elves, Rivendell, for he is being hunted by a deadly foe. And who shall accompany him but his friends Merry and Pippin and always Sam, my dear Sam. "It’s a dangerous business, going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to."
Through many a great peril, the four little hobbits reach the land of elves where all of middle earth must decide the fate of the ring in a secret council.
‘We must take a hard road, a road unforeseen. There lies our hope, if hope it be. To walk into peril – to Mordor. We must send the Ring to the Fire.’
The hearts of Men, Dwarves, Wizards and even Elves are found wanting for courage to undertake the task that must be accomplished when Frodo steps up to the dangerous task. It must be true what they say. ‘Courage is found in unlikely places.’
‘I will take the Ring, though I do not know the way’ said Frodo.
‘My dear Frodo!’ exclaimed Gandalf. ‘Hobbits really are amazing creatures. You can learn all that there is to know about their ways in a month, and yet after a hundred years they can still surprise you.’
Frodo is appointed the ring bearer, the one who shall carry the burden that none else are willing to. He should carry the heavy burden.
‘But you won’t send him off alone surely, Master?’ cried Sam, unable to contain himself any longer, and jumping up from the corner where he had been quietly sitting on the floor.
‘No indeed!’ said Elrond, turning towards him with a smile. ‘You at least shall go with him. It is hardly possible to separate you from him, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not.’
And how can Merry and Pippin be far behind Frodo and Sam?
‘That’s what I meant,’ said Pippin. ‘We hobbits ought to stick together, and we will. I shall go, unless they chain me up. There must be someone with intelligence in the party.’
‘Then you certainly will not be chosen, Peregrin Took!’ said Gandalf
The fellowship is formed that shall accompany and guide the ring bearer.
A Man: Boromir of Gondor, Son of Denethor.
A Dwarf: Gimli, son of Gloin.
A King in exile: Aragorn, son of Arathorn
An Elf: Legolas, son of Thranduil.
A wizard: Gandalf the Grey
Four hobbits: Frodo, Merry, Pippin and of course, Sam!

So begins the journey of the fellowship of these nine that holds the future of all those who live in the middle earth. Together they must brave so much to reach where they want to reach. But what binds them together? Naught but friendship and loyalty. And yet the evil of the ring shall lead to the breaking of this fellowship and still Frodo must go on, alone. But how can Sam ever leave his side?
‘Of all the confounded nuisances you are the worst, Sam!’ ‘Oh, Mr. Frodo, that’s hard!’ said Sam
No. Sam wont. He shall keep him company through thick and thin.

I have just read a book from a madman. “No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness.” Often have I heard and read this quote. But never did it actually take. Why would it? I never met any greats. I never read any greats.

I picked this book mostly on a whim. No reason why I would read a book whose story I know word for word through the movies that I have watched countless times. No real reason why would I read 500 pages to get to an end I already know. Except for one reason. The writing. To experience a great man. To read from the father or Fantasy.
“That was an eye-opener, and no mistake!”
What makes for a good book, I often ask myself. And always I answer that having a story is the easy part. It’s the easiest thing. Each one of us has a story or few inside our heads and hearts. Whether or not we tell them is a different matter but we all have stories, regardless. So that’s the easy part.
The hard part is to tell it. To pen it down in a way that someone would want to keep reading. That’s the hard part but manageable. Many can do it. But there is still the hardest part left that not all can pull off.

The toughest part is to create a believable setting, to create a world and then to populate it. To give it a feel. Make it into something that a reader can see in their mind’s eye, can almost touch it and practically taste it. I consider this the toughest part and that’s what makes for great Authors and Storytellers.

But a ~~madman~~ genius should be able to pull it off, right? So, is Tolkien that person? Of course he is. He doesn’t need my nod to be the genius that the world knows him to be. This is one the finest writing I have ever encountered and quite frankly it borders on madness.
‘I feel as if I was inside a song’
There is such a rich feeling in the book! So much work has gone into shaping up this world that we love in LOTRs collectively. This guy, he not only created a world and populated it, he actually gave it a history. The world of middle earth wasn’t just formed overnight and a great adventure commenced in it. No.
There is so much in the books that points to the fact that this world has been around for a very long time and has a history. So much history. Languages and poems and stories and back stories and different realms and beasts and the evil and even their history. I could feel everything mentioned in the book. I do not have any better word to describe it other than saying it is a VERY rich piece of writing. The best one I have tasted so far.
There are poems and songs in the book and as annoying as they become at times, I cannot deny that they are beautifully done. This is a book from a master, one who was at the top of his game. No one takes that away from him. This book is simply a masterpiece in terms of writing.

Yet, I’d lying if I didn’t say a few things bugged me. The dialogues in most places are not upto the mark. Infact, at a few places, a few of them feel funny in a dangerous setting and sometimes simply aloof. A lot of what could have been part of the narrative is put in as a monologue from a character when they are alone. The characters are not all that well shaped up and the only characters that I liked in the book were Gandalf and Sam. The most disappointing of the lot was Legolas. As amazing this book is, there is not one doubt in my mind that the movie, as wildly different from the book it turned out, it was FAR, FAR better and Peter Jackson created magic. And all the difference in the movie are for the better and it further goes to show how much effort was put into adapting these books.

This book though, the whole story is amazing but the thing that adds to the whole charm, for me, has always been the bond of Sam and Frodo. The camaraderie and the love that Sam has for Frodo. It’s something beautifully done. And it’s only just the beginning, laddies! Needless to say that I will be seeing this series through because, One simply does not skip such amazing books! Sorry, couldn’t help it. :P
I shall return soon. To see Boromir redeem himself. To see Gandalf find his way back to Aragorn and to meet the horse lords of Rohan! But mostly, I shall return to accompany Frodo on his journey and for my dear Sam.
“But I’m glad, Sam. I cannot tell you how glad. Come along! It is plain that we were meant to go together. We will go, and may the others find a safe road! Strider will look after them. I don’t suppose we shall see them again.”
“Yet we may, Mr. Frodo. We may.” said Sam.
...more

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Jun 30, 2018 Rusty Grey rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018-read, 3-stars, epic-fantasy, we-never-go-out-of-style, villains, not-as-good-as-expected

“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.”

This review is going to be more about my experience with this book rather than about the book itself . Everyone knows the story . And there already has been said much about it . So I don't need repeat i ...more

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May 03, 2007 adam rated it did not like 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 characters are a stud 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 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. ...more

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Feb 03, 2011 Jen/The Tolkien Gal/ジェニファー rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, tolkien, fantasy

Review to come when I can recover. I hope that my fellow Frodo, Sam and Aragorn will continue onto Two Towers with me!

Image result for frodo crying

It's re-read and buddy read as of 1 July with the lovely:

Fuzaila/Frodo
Bhavik/Sam
Fares/Merry
Rusty Grey/Aragorn/Bill the Pony

And me, Pippin. Because I'm a ditz. Don't worry Fuzaila, book Frodo is awesome :)

I've decided we're all Hobbits since there are four of us.
I love the diversity of our read - two African and three Indian readers :D

Obviously. The best book in the universe ...more

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Mar 17, 2015 Celeste rated it really liked it

Shelves: classics-i-ve-read, fantasy

Where would the fantasy genre be without Tolkien? He gave us the first deeply developed fantasy world, and character and plot tropes that are still go-tos for fantasy writers. Are these tropes now overused? Yes, as are tropes in other genres. As King Solomon said, “There’s nothing new under the sun.” We are constantly reusing the ideas of others while trying to improve upon them and make them our own. And we have Tolkien to thank for many of those ideas. I respect him and the Middle-Earth he cre Where would the fantasy genre be without Tolkien? He gave us the first deeply developed fantasy world, and character and plot tropes that are still go-tos for fantasy writers. Are these tropes now overused? Yes, as are tropes in other genres. As King Solomon said, “There’s nothing new under the sun.” We are constantly reusing the ideas of others while trying to improve upon them and make them our own. And we have Tolkien to thank for many of those ideas. I respect him and the Middle-Earth he created immensely.

All that being said, I have always struggled with The Lord of the Rings. There’s something about Tolkien’s style of writing (excepting his style in The Hobbit, which is radically different and more easily accessible, in my opinion) that bogs me down instead of sucking me in. His scenery is beautiful, his characters interesting, his plot intriguing. I should be engrossed, but I’m not. It’s a classic of the genre, and one that I hate I can’t seem to get through. I know this is blasphemy, but I think that Peter Jackson’s movies did a better job of presenting Tolkien’s story and engaging an audience than Tolkien managed himself.

This is my second reading of The Fellowship of the Ring. It was just as difficult as the first reading. There were sections that were wonderful, but those were sprinkled throughout sections that I had to trudge through. A couple of things that the book has over the movie: First, Frodo is so much cooler. He’s not whiny and helpless, as he’s portrayed by Elijah Wood. In the novel, Frodo is funny and sturdy and dependable. Not as dependable as Sam, perhaps, but he isn’t the burden the film makes him out to be. Second, the book has Tom Bombadil! He’s one of the most interesting, mysterious characters in fiction, and I hate that he was cut from the films. But other than those two aspects, I have to admit that I really enjoyed the movie more. I give this book four stars simply because I respect so much the legacy it left behind. ...more

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Mar 26, 2013 Bradley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, top-ten-w-cheats, 2019-shelf, top-one-hundred

I cannot rightly recall how many times I've read the trilogy. I think it's between 5 or 6 but that doesn't include a dramatized version. I don't think. And then there are the gazillion times I've watched the movies, the cartoons, or the beautiful old green poster I used to gaze upon in my room.

Not to mention the balrogs I used to paint alongside my dragons. Or the feverish studying of elvish and writing messages to my friends in runic. Taking a class on LotR and even publishing an academic paper ...more

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Nov 18, 2016 Alex rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: series, fantasy-and-scifi, movies

I am going to say 4.5 stars. In the beginning I thought it was a little dull. It was making me weary and sleepy reading it. I actually stopped in the middle of chapters because I couldn't read anymore. I hate that! I kept moving, though. I am determined to finish this trilogy. I should have known this book would have taken me longer to read than expected. The movies took me nine days to finish. Don't judge. I was pregnant during that time and very sleepy.

I am very glad I kept going, because the ...more

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Dec 02, 2017 R.K. Gold rated it really liked it

This was long overdue and I am so happy to have finally read the first book. Finishing Books 2 and 3 will be among my early goals of 2018. I can't say enough about how much I loved this book. It's always fun to read about a character who is on the move. The constant action, even if it's as repetitive as avoiding a trail and walking through the woods for two days, kept the narration grounded, which was important in painting a picture of how vast middle earth was.

I love the movies in their own rig ...more

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Oct 27, 2007 Linda rated it it was ok

Shelves: peer-pressure-reading

(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 was the most faint-hearted? Me. I was ent ...more

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Apr 23, 2016 Lizzy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites-of-all-times, fantasy-dystopian, part-of-series, stars-5, read-2016

“Not all those who wander are lost.”

I expect that that if anyone thinks or says the word fantasy, the first thing that comes to mind is Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings right along with it. I relish a good fantasy, but after watching and loving the movies, I was reluctant to read the book. Perhaps pure stubbornness on my part, biased by a crooked idea that the book couldn’t be as good. I was so wrong!

I loved everything about The Fellowship of the Ring. J.R.R. Tolkien 's book is not an action or even an adventure story (Peter Jackson made it an action-packed movies, and it couldn’t have been different or better). It’s much more, or not it at all. It’s a road trip of the hero Frodo Baggins and his out of this world companions: his three Hobbit friends, the wizard Gandalf, Aragorn/Strider, the elf Legolas, the dwarf Gimli and the anguished man Boromir. Of course, there is Sauron (or the allusion of him through his minions), the Nine Riders or Nazguls and the Ring!

As you go along with Frodo and his comrades on their meanderings (that I didn't feel were hurried, but seemed kind of languid!), you live in a make-believe world hearing of its past and worrying about a likely dreadful future. But there are also songs and poems:

“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.”

Further incredible characters only enrich the overall great feeling that reaches you of Middle-Earth . It’s a place of escape, it’s even more for me: it’s a paramount experience.

“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.”

Simply marvelous! ...more

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Jul 16, 2018 Aishu Rehman rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, english-literature

It's hard to describe just how magical my first reading of The Lord of the Rings was. I was 'in the book' from the very first page & have rarely - if ever since - been so immersed. I didn't just want to read about Hobbiton, I wanted to live there. It is a truly beautiful story which is imbued with a love for language and nature, a story of heroism in the face of terrifying odds. The characters: Frodo, Sam, Aragorn, Gollum & others have stayed with me for the twenty-five years since. When ...more

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Sep 07, 2017 Sucharita Paul rated it it was amazing

The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater."

W-O-W! I'm completely blown away..This is the kind of story the word epic seems to have been invented for. J.R.R Tolkien didn't just make up Middle- Earth,he infused every aspect of it with life. The great depth of work Tolkien put into producing his creation involved inventing landscapes, languages, b ...more

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Oct 12, 2007 Bryce rated it it was amazing

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 and armed with ...more

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About J.R.R. Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien

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John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, WWI veteran (a First Lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers, British Army), 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 lang ...more