Lord of the Readalong 2020 discussion
Fellowship of the Ring
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Part 2 Chapters 1-4
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I passed this point last night before I went to bed. I'm not blitzing through it, I started as soon as I finished The Hobbit because I wanted to stay in the same world.This is the level of detail in terms of description and character building that I wanted before and didn't get which is why I knocked a star off my rating. Everyone is given time for the reader to get to know them, the world is described in such glorious detail that you can picture it in your mind as you read.
I don't know if I'd say the tone of the book changes in part 2 but there was a lot of information given in a meeting that seemed to go on for a very long time. It wasn't bad but after reading more modern Fantasy it's a bit strange to go to a book that gives you a backstory in a convention rather than in a more natural way.
Frodo is a great character and an obvious successor to Bilbo as the main character who's shoulder we travel on. Being a Hobbit he has the same lackadaisical attitude when it comes to having any kind of get-up-and-go. If they have to get moving in a hurry they'll find a way to procrastinate. As someone who can be up and out 20 minutes after waking up this is a bug bear but I understand that all Hobbits are like this.
A character I'm frustrated with is Pippen. I thought Bilbo moaned a lot at the start of his journey but Pippen takes it to another level at times and can be quite nasty towards Frodo. I'm hoping he eventually becomes a more favourable character as the journey goes on.
I'm liking that there is more at stake this time around. There is a lot danger to contend with and very rarely does the group feel like they are safe for long. Little references to The Hobbit are nice to see as well as it shows that this is all one giant story set over many years.
It's not really a dislike but there is a fair amount of telling rather than showing. I put this down to the time this was written and feel would be different if written today as we would more than likely get multiple perspectives rather than the one. It's not dampening my enjoyment but it is something I'm noticing.
I can see me finishing this by tomorrow. I have around 60 pages to go and am very curious to see where it ends off. Unlike The Hobbit I'll not be jumping into the next book immediately as I have C.J Tudor's newest book from the library but I don't think it'll be long before I'm back on the quest as this is Fantasy of a very high quality and you can see why it has inspired / influenced other authors to create their own world (or just recreate this one in a different setting - I bet you can guess which one that is)
Paul wrote: "A character I'm frustrated with is Pippen. I thought Bilbo moaned a lot at the start of his journey but Pippen takes it to another level at times and can be quite nasty towards Frodo. I'm hoping he eventually becomes a more favourable character as the journey goes on."Without posting spoilers, I will say that he does... but he gets worse before he gets better. Even Gandolf gets frustrated with him.
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I am still really enjoying it, but chapter 2 in this section was a slog. It was the council meeting in Rivendell when we get some history of the world. I was lost during most of that discussion and honestly didn't care much. I wanted them to get back on the journey.
I laugh at Pippin. He doesn't have the adventurous part of him like some of the others. We can already see Gandalf starting to lose patience with him now and then.
I love the creativity of the world. A mountain that doesn't want them to cross that way so it gives them some bad weather. The creature that came up out of the water to grab at Frodo. I get excited for parts like those much more than the sit around talking/singing parts.
I am very interested to see how this part of the series ends. With less than 100 pages left I feel like we're not going to solve the ring problem in this one.
"We should seek a final end of this menace, even if we do not hope to make one." (Gandalf, ch.2)The Council of Elrond was a lot of talking and a lot of backstory, but I really liked it. I thought it was a great chapter. The reader gets a lot of information they have been wanting, but it's given through multiple characters. I also thought it was a great way to introduce a bunch of new characters - Gimli, Legolas, Boromir, etc.
I'm a bit surprised that I enjoy this book and that it is easier to read than I thought, However, I had trouble with the council of Elrond just because it was jam-packed with information. I do enyoj reading about the fellowship's journey. So I am excited to finish the book.
Krista wrote: "I am hoping to push through tonight to finish the whole thing...maybe tomorrow. :) I am still really enjoying it, but chapter 2 in this section was a slog. It was the council meeting in Rivendell..."
The Council of Elrond is a beast to get through. There's a lot of good information in there, but I agree that it feels long. Apparently the screen writers had a horrendous time adapting it. I do love the references to characters from the Hobbit, though, mostly Legolas and Gimli's dads.
I agree about Gandalf and Pippin. Poor Gandalf just wants Pippin to take things seriously, and poor Pippin has no idea what he's gotten himself into.
The section during and just before the Mines of Moria feels so rich in world building. It doesn't leave me with questions, but you just know there's stories behind everything.
Paul wrote: "I passed this point last night before I went to bed. I'm not blitzing through it, I started as soon as I finished The Hobbit because I wanted to stay in the same world.This is the level of detai..."
"If they have to get moving in a hurry they'll find a way to procrastinate. "
Oh my goodness! So true!
Does the feel or tone of the book change in Part 2?
What character stands out to you the most?
How do you feel about Tolkein's writing style?
What are you liking/disliking so far?
How's the pacing?
What themes do you see running throughout the book?