From the Bookshelf of EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club…

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

J.R.R. Tolkien

Start date: February 1, 2019

Finish date: February 28, 2019

Discussion: CLASSICS READS

Why we're reading this: Group pick for Feb. ‘19 - Classics
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CLASSICS READS

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What Members Thought

Sep 15, 2009 Stephanie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, 2009, classics, high-fantasy, 2014

The Fellowship of the Ring is a wonderful beginning to an epically-crafted world. This was my second time reading the novel and I enjoyed it even more. Tolkien's writing is, as always, elegant. The characters were all diverse and Middle Earth is beautiful. Mr. Tolkien's world-building is astounding.

I appreciated hobbit society this time around. There were so many things I missed the first time I read this and I'm very glad I reread The Fellowship of the Ring. To anyone paying attention, this is The Fellowship of the Ring is a wonderful beginning to an epically-crafted world. This was my second time reading the novel and I enjoyed it even more. Tolkien's writing is, as always, elegant. The characters were all diverse and Middle Earth is beautiful. Mr. Tolkien's world-building is astounding.

I appreciated hobbit society this time around. There were so many things I missed the first time I read this and I'm very glad I reread The Fellowship of the Ring. To anyone paying attention, this is a thought-provoking novel when you think about the world of Middle Earth and its inhabitants.

There are a few things that really stood out to me but the one that was probably the most powerful was the fact that Gandalf, even with his knowledge of the Ring's nature, never took Bilbo's choice away. He allowed Bilbo to choose to let go of the Ring. That, to me, is a significant reflection on his character.

Another thing that has stayed with me is Aragorn's character. For some reason, never realized he wasn't just the noble, yet mysterious character he's usually perceived as. Surprisingly, I found him to be pretty charming and enjoyed his smiles. ;) I also enjoyed just watching the hobbits all come in to themselves. Of course, Gandalf is awesome. Legolas and Gimili somehow managed to leave an impression even though they really didn't play a very big role. Honestly, Boromir probably had more dialogue than them.

Speaking of Boromir.... he seems to be the character I want to see as noble but I struggle to see him as such. This is greatly because of the Ring's influence though because there are moments where you see his chivalry shine through. The fact that Boromir was so easily influenced by the object doesn't help him in my mind. To me, he remains the character that I think I probably would have liked more before he'd come within reach of the Ring's power.

As for the rest of it, the Nazgul and Gollum were both perfectly fit for their creepy roles. Honestly, I had my moments where I myself was looking over my shoulder. Tolkien's ability to create suspense by using creatures we know very little of is amazing. All in all, a wonderful novel.
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Feb 26, 2009 Justine rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is one of my all time favorite trilogies -- I continue to pull this off the shelf year after year when I want to escape from the minutia of everyday living.

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