The Fellowship of the Ring
discussion
I have read this book a few times but i don't get it?
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Lalala*Saredo*
(new)
-
rated it 4 stars
Apr 02, 2012 04:38PM
Hey, I read this book a lot of times but i don't really get it do i have to read The Hobbit before i read this.everytime i read this i am just lost and could you give me a brief summary i know what happens and stuff but i just don't get it
reply
|
flag
No, you don't have to read The Hobbit first. All of the info you need is in the book, just pay attention to what you're reading.What is it exactly that you "don't get"?
I don't get the middle earth and the ring and why Bilbo left and the dialouge....I am not really good with writing from the 1900's or 1800's.I don't really get how the ring has powers.
Well, that is practically everything upon which the plot is based. Are you sure you paid attention while reading it? I find it odd, as I didn't have a problem with it and English is not even my first language... You might want to do an internet research about those things or simply find a good review here explaining it all. Making a summary is not really an option for me as there is no way I'd be able to keep it brief.
I agree with Beatrice if you don't understand the rings importance then there is no way to briefly summarize the novel. The only thing I could think of is looking at wikipedia article maybe to get the giest of the plot. I hate watching movies based on books I haven't read yet. I'd rather read the novel before watching the movie. However in this case maybe it would help you to watch the movies. To get a visual reference. Even though, while the movie is great, it has nothing on the books.
i always figure posts like this are a wind up rather than a request for information.
First, a possible solution to the difficulty of understanding how it is written may be to listen to it in audio. Your local library should have or can get a copy of the unabridged version read by Rob Ingliss--it's spectacular and I find it easier to understand than the printed text myself. As for the whys... Sauron, the evil Dark Lord of this book, put most of his power into the ring in order to control rings held by the other races--elves and dwarves--which would give him power over those races. He lost the ring and Bilbo ended up with it. A powerful dark object like that corrupts the person who has it and Bilbo had the strength to get away from it by running away and leaving it behind. Such a dark object can't be hidden or possessed by anyone, it can only be destroyed if people are to be safe. Thus, Frodo goes on his quest.
As for Middle Earth, it's just our Earth's long ago--very long ago--past as imagined by Tolkien.
Did that help any?
Fantasy is like the ultimate mistery. Not only are you presented with interesting characters, but also the world of the novel has to be worked out with it's magic, history, and depth.I love it, and Tolkien was one of the greatest. It is not for everyone, however.
LotR is a very complex story that works on several levels and can be difficult to wade through, especially if you aren't up to speed on the background mythology. I read it the first time when I was 10 and it took a whole summer to get through all 3 books; in my mind I drew the characters as cartoon elves and goblins and so on--but I still enjoyed the great battle of Good versus Evil. For several years, I read the Trilogy again each summer, and got more out of it each time.I was in my 30s before I realized that I was reading a retelling of the Ragnarok myth, as well as a variation on Wagner's RING Cycle of operas.
The movies didn't get everything right, and changed some things just because movies always change things. But overall the imagery came pretty close to Tolkien's story.
Hi, Saredo.I agree with Lane here that LOTR, together with all the other Middle-earth books, is really a very complex story. It is actually an entire history of a different world. And yes, you will get deeper understanding in your 2nd or 3rd time of reading it. However, the base story is not really that difficult to understand, especially book one. It is what you're referring to, right? English is also not my native language, but I understood it just as I would understand any other book. Try reading John Milton's Paradise Lost: Paradise Regained. Now that is really another "English" language from another time.
Maybe you're just not into this epic fantasy genre. It can really get extra complicated for people who are not fans of this kind of stuff. You know, history, myths, legends, curse, and magic. :)
You could also read The Silmarillion. It goes and tells you every thing before The Hobbit so it might help or maybe you should try to learn more about older english or the writing back in the 1900's and 1800's.
If the op is having trouble with The Lord of the Rings, I really wouldn't encourage reading the Silmarillion...
I agree with HeBlogs-SheBlogs: it is quite possible that the OP just does not 'get' epic fantasy writing. If that is the case, and you, OP, still wish to take the adventure, watch the movies, because you will never be able to read the entire series with pleasure.LotR is a novel that must be read a few times in order to process everything. As a fan, I read it every year (sometimes twice a year) and watch the movies as often as my family will allow. I have read every book about Middle Earth written by Tolkien and his son, Christopher, and do not recommend delving into the rest of the world unless you are a fan of the more popular novels.
Good luck
Hazel wrote: "If the op is having trouble with The Lord of the Rings, I really wouldn't encourage reading the Silmarillion..."Very True - The Silmarillion is a challenge for the diehard enthusiast!
INdeed it is, and though not the most complicated or challenging fiction book I've ever read (that award goes to the book I'm currently reading), its not something anyone should enter into lightly, or without a distinct love of Tolkeins creation, or a love of being challenged by long winded pseudomythology.
Micaela wrote: "You could also read The Silmarillion. It goes and tells you every thing before The Hobbit so it might help or maybe you should try to learn more about older english or the writing back in the 1900'..."The Silmarillion will turn the guy of Tolkien for life if they are struggling with LotR
I don't know what to tell you. It's pretty easily spelled out in the books. I read them when I was twelve and understood them fine.
Hazel wrote: "that award goes to the book I'm currently reading" Hazel, is it Anathem by Neal Stephenson?
Aditya wrote: "Hazel wrote: "that award goes to the book I'm currently reading" Hazel, is it Anathem by Neal Stephenson?"
yeah, you have to read everything really carefully, and fully engage brain to understand it.
Hazel - I won't read it. ;)
I fully recommend reading it, it is also by far the best fiction book I've read. if I didn't have other responsibilities, I would be locked in my room, reading, and ignoring the real world until I'd finished it. And then planning on reading it again...
Hazel wrote: "I fully recommend reading it, it is also by far the best book I've read."I'll take your recommedation Hazel. I hope it doesn't turn out to be another Great Gatsby (I mean, a book that makes me feel is a great work, but I can't clearly understand why.). I'll try to read Anathem. :)
If you like lord of the rings, then that means you appreciate world building. The world stephenson builds in Anathem is one of the most beautifully constructed and described worlds going. Bear in mind that the first couple of hundred pages is scene setting, interlaced with a little plot, but that the plot seriously picks up after that point. Now I don't want to put it down, and as I said, only do so because life gets in the way.
Jeanie wrote: "First, a possible solution to the difficulty of understanding how it is written may be to listen to it in audio. Your local library should have or can get a copy of the unabridged version read by ..."thanks thta helps but i now the story and about the rings i just don't really understand some parts.
Sandyboy wrote: "i always figure posts like this are a wind up rather than a request for information."Acually i am asking for imformation since some parts don't make sense to me.
"I don't get the middle earth and the ring and why Bilbo left and the dialogue"... that pretty much sums up the entire book!
I know i get the rings and everything else but not to it's dept.........I understand the dialouge but not to it's best and i understand why Bilbo left but not to a extent.
reasons for bilbo leaving:1) boredom
2) wanderlust
3) the ring made him feel separate to the rest of the hobbits
4) most importantly, because he wanted to.
up i know most of those except the lat one.... Thxs
sometimes, the simplest answer is the most likely.
Saredo wrote: "... i understand why Bilbo left but not to a extent."Bilbo had been the Ringbearer for 50-60 years. The One Ring was a thing of Ultimate Evil, invested with the power and corruption of Sauron, yet Bilbo had not become twisted and evil (like Gollum, who bore the Ring for centuries)--but he was TIRED. Just the act of possessing the Ring, let alone being of moral fiber strong enough to resist its evil influence, was a great burden. And Bilbo wasn't even aware of the power of his little trinket, only that it weighed on his mind.
In a way, Bilbo was stronger than Frodo. When it came time to fulfill the pupose to his Quest, Frodo couldn't do it. Only Gollum's intervention and misstep, fated or no, took care of that. Bilbo willingly relinquished the Ring--after it had been his companion for more than half his life--because he knew it was the best and right thing to do.
But without the Ring's power to prolong his life unnaturally, he could no longer go on indefinitely as before, but grew old and feeble--that is why he went to Rivendell (and later, the Grey Havens).
Saredo, can I suggest you do read The Hobbit? It introduces the ring, and also by the end you understand how Bilbo's mind works. Part of the reason he wants to leave at the start of LOTR is because he misses the places he visited in The Hobbit. Also The Hobbit introduces you to lots of stuff that's pretty much taken for granted in LOTR. I think it would help you to read it. It's aimed at children, but don't let that put you off, it's a great story.
Micaela wrote: "You could also read The Silmarillion. It goes and tells you every thing before The Hobbit so it might help or maybe you should try to learn more about older english or the writing back in the 1900'..."I found the Silmarillion very confusing. Not sure it would help in this case.
Read the next two books in the trilogy. They clarify a lot. Also, try the notes at the back of the book - I think book 3 (The Return of the King) has a lot of notes.
Everyone enjoys different things and reads at a different level of understanding, no matter intelligence or education. We all pick things up and perceive differently. I feel that you will likely do better reading something more in your genre that you enjoy and that is more suited to current time. Nothing is worst than the feeling you are trying to 'force yourself' to read or get through something you really don't get. I say move on to the next book and find one that does it for you. Tolkiens writing's have always done it for me, but I have ones I don't like or get as well. Good luck!
I had a book (which I will not name)that I tried ti read three times. I just couldn't;t get past the first chapter and a half, No matter what I did, or what time I read it. It had high reviews tooo (this was about ten years ago too)
Well... You could always just watch the 3 movies. lol.
It might help to approach the novel in a different manner. Treat it less like a story and more like you would if you were reading a historical account. That approach has helped several people I know get through them. Use the appendices at the end of Book 3 as a reference.
Middle Earth is the physical realm/ the realm of mortals (as opposed to the realm of the gods/heaven & the realm of the dead/hell). Most of what you need to know about the history of The One Ring should be discussed in book 2 chapter 2: The Council of Elrond (about halfway through Fellowship...). If you saw & understood the last couple of Harry Potter films, The One Ring is a horcrux created by Saruman to give him the power to control those who wear the other, lesser rings. The ring has power because it is magic.
I would suggest watching the movie. You should also read the Hobbit as well - it introduces the ring. DO NOT read the Silmarillion - that would just confuse you. It is for die hard LOTR fans only who have read (and loved) the trilogy.
all discussions on this book
|
post a new topic
