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Middle Earth #3 part 2/2
The Ring Goes East
BOOK. Part of the J.R.R. Tolkien Trilogy - Lord of the Rings
189 pages, Hardcover
First published November 11, 1954
About the author
J.R.R. Tolkien
601 books73.2k followersJohn Ronald Reuel Tolkien: writer, artist, scholar, linguist. Known to millions around the world as the author of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien spent most of his life teaching at the University of Oxford where he was a distinguished academic in the fields of Old and Middle English and Old Norse. His creativity, confined to his spare time, found its outlet in fantasy works, stories for children, poetry, illustration and invented languages and alphabets.
Tolkien’s most popular works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are set in Middle-earth, an imagined world with strangely familiar settings inhabited by ancient and extraordinary peoples. Through this secondary world Tolkien writes perceptively of universal human concerns – love and loss, courage and betrayal, humility and pride – giving his books a wide and enduring appeal.
Tolkien was an accomplished amateur artist who painted for pleasure and relaxation. He excelled at landscapes and often drew inspiration from his own stories. He illustrated many scenes from The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, sometimes drawing or painting as he was writing in order to visualize the imagined scene more clearly.
Tolkien was a professor at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford for almost forty years, teaching Old and Middle English, as well as Old Norse and Gothic. His illuminating lectures on works such as the Old English epic poem, Beowulf, illustrate his deep knowledge of ancient languages and at the same time provide new insights into peoples and legends from a remote past.
Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1892 to English parents. He came to England aged three and was brought up in and around Birmingham. He graduated from the University of Oxford in 1915 and saw active service in France during the First World War before being invalided home. After the war he pursued an academic career teaching Old and Middle English. Alongside his professional work, he invented his own languages and began to create what he called a mythology for England; it was this ‘legendarium’ that he would work on throughout his life. But his literary work did not start and end with Middle-earth, he also wrote poetry, children’s stories and fairy tales for adults. He died in 1973 and is buried in Oxford where he spent most of his adult life.
Tolkien’s most popular works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are set in Middle-earth, an imagined world with strangely familiar settings inhabited by ancient and extraordinary peoples. Through this secondary world Tolkien writes perceptively of universal human concerns – love and loss, courage and betrayal, humility and pride – giving his books a wide and enduring appeal.
Tolkien was an accomplished amateur artist who painted for pleasure and relaxation. He excelled at landscapes and often drew inspiration from his own stories. He illustrated many scenes from The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, sometimes drawing or painting as he was writing in order to visualize the imagined scene more clearly.
Tolkien was a professor at the Universities of Leeds and Oxford for almost forty years, teaching Old and Middle English, as well as Old Norse and Gothic. His illuminating lectures on works such as the Old English epic poem, Beowulf, illustrate his deep knowledge of ancient languages and at the same time provide new insights into peoples and legends from a remote past.
Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, in 1892 to English parents. He came to England aged three and was brought up in and around Birmingham. He graduated from the University of Oxford in 1915 and saw active service in France during the First World War before being invalided home. After the war he pursued an academic career teaching Old and Middle English. Alongside his professional work, he invented his own languages and began to create what he called a mythology for England; it was this ‘legendarium’ that he would work on throughout his life. But his literary work did not start and end with Middle-earth, he also wrote poetry, children’s stories and fairy tales for adults. He died in 1973 and is buried in Oxford where he spent most of his adult life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
December 25, 2020
This review is for this book plus The Treason of Isengard which, added together should equal The Two Towers, which is I guess the much more common format (by a factor of 1,700x more ratings on Goodreads). Because I read and rated The Fellowship of the Ring (Books 1/2) as a combined/standalone work, and am finishing the series from a 7-book set (one is dedicated to appendices) I'm conflicted about how to use GR to accurately capture the right format/version I read, plus my review(s). Mixing reading the 3-physical-book edition with the 6-plus-1-physical-book box set is just total anarchy. So I'm settling on marking the physical books 3/4/5/6 as "read" but only rating/reviewing books 4/6. And I know no one out there really cares about this but these notes are for FUTURE ME!
Anyway. Everything I said in my review of Fellowship still stands! I loved the pacing, the could-be-read-aloud adventure narrative, the poetry, and all the fantasy and pop-culture and heavy metal gaps getting filled. The only downside is this box set, sold around the time the movies came out, is just nowhere near as nice as the copy of Fellowship we (somehow) have from the 80s.
I am super glad I saved at least some LOTR for my holiday break. It's just an incredible adventure and escape!
Anyway. Everything I said in my review of Fellowship still stands! I loved the pacing, the could-be-read-aloud adventure narrative, the poetry, and all the fantasy and pop-culture and heavy metal gaps getting filled. The only downside is this box set, sold around the time the movies came out, is just nowhere near as nice as the copy of Fellowship we (somehow) have from the 80s.
I am super glad I saved at least some LOTR for my holiday break. It's just an incredible adventure and escape!
May 26, 2021
This part of the Lord of The Rings is mainly the “Sam and Frodo walk for a long time”, and therefore has a hard job to do when it comes to being especially exciting. It is, figuratively and literally, a walk from one stage of the story to the next, and only speeds up to a light jog by the very end.
Still, the meeting with Faramir, especially how the characters relate to each other, is interesting, and the overheard conversation with the orcs at the end of the book is fun – if only to hear the way in which they speak to each other.
Still, while this part of the story isn’t my favourite in any medium, I feel that it could have been told with a little more of the charm and magic that has been more present in the previous parts of the story.
Still, the meeting with Faramir, especially how the characters relate to each other, is interesting, and the overheard conversation with the orcs at the end of the book is fun – if only to hear the way in which they speak to each other.
Still, while this part of the story isn’t my favourite in any medium, I feel that it could have been told with a little more of the charm and magic that has been more present in the previous parts of the story.
July 12, 2017
I don't dish out five stars lightly.. But shit, I've got naught bad to say. I've been sucked into this world and 6 books isn't enough. I'm on the 5th and I don't want it to end anytime.
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
#Bars
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
#Bars
October 15, 2018
This volume finishes the middle book of the trilogy - The Two Towers. It is also where the story reaches its lowest ebb. Tolkien's writing does an excellent job of reflecting the despair and hopelessness that Frodo and Sam feel in their journey across Emyn Muil, in the reader. In places it becomes almost hard to read, even for a regular reader like myself.
January 10, 2023
Sam and Frodo and Faramir are so precious to me.
May 5, 2022
WOW - an absolutely incredible tale of two sides. Tolkien's ability to shine light on all characters in the Fellowship is a testament to his prose. Feeling the characters struggle, apprehension, etc, etc, as they near the gates of Mordor.
January 19, 2017
Ahh this one :)
I think that the first time I read the Lord of the Rings, this was one of my least favorite parts. But this time around I am loving it! This is story of what happened to Frodo and Sam after they ran away from the Fellowship - while Aragorn and co. were gallivanting around Rohan and fighting Sauraman and his orcish armies.
I think its awesome to see that neither Frodo nor Sam have any real clue about surviving on their own - they struggle along in the harsh terrain but are constantly troubled by their own inexperience. Luckily for them Gollum has been following them - and he is "requested" to join them as a guide. Thanks to Gollum they can actually make some progress!
Ahh Gollum! I think he's perhaps one of the better characters in this whole book! This poor little guy is a mixture of a villain and damsel in distress - he is both suffering the torment of his years without the Ring (after being quite thoroughly corrupted) and deviously planning to recover it. There are many scenes of real pathos involving Gollum (aka, Smeagol, Slinker) while others where a quick death would be too good for the true evil of the other side (Gollum, Stinker).
He basically stole the show for me. It makes me doubly impressed how well Andy Serkis played this role in the movies.
We also get a chance to see Faramir (brother of Boromir) who shows the noble side of the Gondorians, and gives us hope that the "good guys" might actually be worthy of that title.
And the final scenes with Shelob the giant demon-spider... still scares the crap out of me :)
I think that the first time I read the Lord of the Rings, this was one of my least favorite parts. But this time around I am loving it! This is story of what happened to Frodo and Sam after they ran away from the Fellowship - while Aragorn and co. were gallivanting around Rohan and fighting Sauraman and his orcish armies.
I think its awesome to see that neither Frodo nor Sam have any real clue about surviving on their own - they struggle along in the harsh terrain but are constantly troubled by their own inexperience. Luckily for them Gollum has been following them - and he is "requested" to join them as a guide. Thanks to Gollum they can actually make some progress!
Ahh Gollum! I think he's perhaps one of the better characters in this whole book! This poor little guy is a mixture of a villain and damsel in distress - he is both suffering the torment of his years without the Ring (after being quite thoroughly corrupted) and deviously planning to recover it. There are many scenes of real pathos involving Gollum (aka, Smeagol, Slinker) while others where a quick death would be too good for the true evil of the other side (Gollum, Stinker).
He basically stole the show for me. It makes me doubly impressed how well Andy Serkis played this role in the movies.
We also get a chance to see Faramir (brother of Boromir) who shows the noble side of the Gondorians, and gives us hope that the "good guys" might actually be worthy of that title.
And the final scenes with Shelob the giant demon-spider... still scares the crap out of me :)
August 31, 2014
I like Frodo and Sam, but Gollum steals the show. Frodo really is a good, kind and just master, and Sam a loyal servant. Gollum, on the other hand, is sneaky, pitiful, tortured, cunning and the greatest character in the book, if by great you read interesting, a clever invention. Frodo and Sam are both so good and kind that what this book needs is Gollum's cunning. Can he be trusted or not?
Faramir is another...not showstealer, necessarily, but a lovely guy. Just, thoughtful, kind and honest. I see why he is my brother's favourite.
It took me a while to get through this book, not because of its length or because nothing happened, though it wasn't exactly a fast-paced thriller. Mostly it was just that life got in the way. But the last third went by pretty quickly. Shelob...*shivers* My arachnophobia is alive and well
Faramir is another...not showstealer, necessarily, but a lovely guy. Just, thoughtful, kind and honest. I see why he is my brother's favourite.
It took me a while to get through this book, not because of its length or because nothing happened, though it wasn't exactly a fast-paced thriller. Mostly it was just that life got in the way. But the last third went by pretty quickly. Shelob...*shivers* My arachnophobia is alive and well
November 23, 2011
I read this book because it is the continuation of a series I am reading at the moment and because I enjoyed the previous books. The category this book completes is a fantasy book.
The parts I liked about this book is that it is building up to the final climax of the story very well and in an in-depth and easy to follow way. As well as that it manages to keep hold and develop on the storyline in a very nice way that means if you have read the previous books it is very easy and enjoyable to read.
The part I did not like is that it slows down a bit from last book and is not as interesting as the last book because of this.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good fantasy series to read and to whoever has read the last three books in the series.
The parts I liked about this book is that it is building up to the final climax of the story very well and in an in-depth and easy to follow way. As well as that it manages to keep hold and develop on the storyline in a very nice way that means if you have read the previous books it is very easy and enjoyable to read.
The part I did not like is that it slows down a bit from last book and is not as interesting as the last book because of this.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good fantasy series to read and to whoever has read the last three books in the series.
March 22, 2024
The Two Towers is the second volume of The Lord of the Rings, one of the most popular Fantasy novels of all time. It’s a Fantasy Novel written by J.R.R Tolkien. I’m UnboundBeartic and here’s my review.
With various consecutive coherent storylines and an epic tale with outstanding characters and following the most well known war in Fantasy history. The Two Towers proves its worth in epic detail.
Plot
The Plot of The Two Towers is in between the beginning and end of story and features the protagonists being divided as Frodo and Sam broke up from the fellowship. This causes the events of the story to be split into two separate parts called books. Book III: The Treason of Isengard and Book IV: The Ring Goes East. Book III follows what remains of the Fellowship and Book IV follows Sam and Frodo.
Book III starts with the fellowship being attacked by orcs working for Saruman after Frodo and Sam Left. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas witness Boromir getting killed while the orcs capture Merry and Pippin. They follow the orcs and Merry and Pippin escape into the woods where they befriend tree-people called Ents. Aragorn’s group finds Gandalf who reveals he killed the Balrog but died from his wounds only to be resurrected as Gandalf the White by his creator. Gandalf and them decide to travel to the kingdom of Rohan In order to gain support in the upcoming war as Merry and Pippin are safe with the ents. They travel there and discover the king is depressed and manipulated by his advisor who is actually a spy of Saruman.
The army of Rohan and the main characters travel to a fortress called Helms Deep where they defend against Saruman’s army of orcs and manage to win. Meanwhile Merry and Pippin attack Saruman’s tower in Isengard with the help of the Ents. The troops of Rohan travel to it and discover it was decimated by the hobbits and ents. They encounter Saruman who is defeated by Gandalf and take a crystal ball used by Saruman to communicate with the Dark Lord Sauran called a Palantír. Pippin is curious to see what it is and tampers with it without Gandalf’s consent angering him. Gandalf takes Pippin with him to another nation called Gondor as a part of his plan. That’s the end of Book III
Book IV is from the point of view of Frodo and Pippin as they travel across the lands of Middle Earth trying to reach Mordor where they can destroy the ring. In the mountains they get attacked by Gollum a creature craving the ring. They manage to tame Gollum and use him as a guide into Mordor. Gollum has a split personality disorder where one of his personalities is good hobbit named Sméagol. He takes them to the Black Gate but they realize they’re better off taking another way around. They’re led into one city where they’re captured by Faramir, Boromir’s brother who tells Frodo and Sam that his brother is dead. They witness a war between the people of this city the Gondorians and Easterlings, humans working for the Dark Lord Sauron.
They escape with Gollum who takes them to a valley called Minas Morgul that’s close to Mordor. However, Gollum lures them into trap with a giant spider named Shelob. Frodo is paralyzed by toxic venom but Sam blinds and stabs the beast. He takes the ring and becomes the ring-bearer. He hides from a patrol of Orcs who take Frodo hostage. They know a lot about Shelob because they had issues with it in the past. Frodo spies on them and overhears them say that Frodo is under the effect of paralyzing venom as they had issues with using the same venom on their own men in the past. Sam is glad that his master is still alive and that they’re on the right track to destroying the ring. First of all the plot is pretty good. Both of the two stories are epic in scale and have a have well integrated locations and characters. However the two enemies Sauran and Saruman aren’t linked very well although they’re fighting amongst themselves and both want the same thing. Also the many different stories of different characters make the worldbuilding and scope more epic.
8/10
Writing
The writing is a lot better than the first one. It has a few flaws such as the ring magically making Sam understand Orc languages and Shelob impaling itself on the sting sword but other than that the writing is pretty good for instance Gandalf manages to take the rank of Saruman and the enemies spy is pretty well written. Plus the worldbuilding is very good as all the creatures are well integrated an the locations and well thought out and rememberable. However, the dialogue is not very good.
8/10
Characters
The characters are all very good and they all get there moments to shrine, plus it has some new additions that are great. Even the orc characters are pretty good. Sam is a great character who’s loyalty and choices are put to the test. However it has a few issues such as a few characters that have minor roles like Legolas. Also the heroes are hateful and pick on Grima a servant of Saruman in a comedic way.
7/10
Themes
The themes are hope, honor, family, environmentalism, perseverance, and the destructive corrupting power of greed.
6/10
Entertaining Value
It’s very hard to read and boring in some sections. The action is written just okay and the characters are boring. Also the storytelling is not very good and the religious undertones aren’t in the book but are in other passages written by the author. However, it has a decent plot, and the amount of time given to the characters is good. Plus the story is immersive and has some interesting concepts.
6/10
Conclusion
Overall I give The Fellowship of the Ring a 7 out of 10. I give it an Unbound Beartic approval rating of Finish It.
With various consecutive coherent storylines and an epic tale with outstanding characters and following the most well known war in Fantasy history. The Two Towers proves its worth in epic detail.
Plot
The Plot of The Two Towers is in between the beginning and end of story and features the protagonists being divided as Frodo and Sam broke up from the fellowship. This causes the events of the story to be split into two separate parts called books. Book III: The Treason of Isengard and Book IV: The Ring Goes East. Book III follows what remains of the Fellowship and Book IV follows Sam and Frodo.
Book III starts with the fellowship being attacked by orcs working for Saruman after Frodo and Sam Left. Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas witness Boromir getting killed while the orcs capture Merry and Pippin. They follow the orcs and Merry and Pippin escape into the woods where they befriend tree-people called Ents. Aragorn’s group finds Gandalf who reveals he killed the Balrog but died from his wounds only to be resurrected as Gandalf the White by his creator. Gandalf and them decide to travel to the kingdom of Rohan In order to gain support in the upcoming war as Merry and Pippin are safe with the ents. They travel there and discover the king is depressed and manipulated by his advisor who is actually a spy of Saruman.
The army of Rohan and the main characters travel to a fortress called Helms Deep where they defend against Saruman’s army of orcs and manage to win. Meanwhile Merry and Pippin attack Saruman’s tower in Isengard with the help of the Ents. The troops of Rohan travel to it and discover it was decimated by the hobbits and ents. They encounter Saruman who is defeated by Gandalf and take a crystal ball used by Saruman to communicate with the Dark Lord Sauran called a Palantír. Pippin is curious to see what it is and tampers with it without Gandalf’s consent angering him. Gandalf takes Pippin with him to another nation called Gondor as a part of his plan. That’s the end of Book III
Book IV is from the point of view of Frodo and Pippin as they travel across the lands of Middle Earth trying to reach Mordor where they can destroy the ring. In the mountains they get attacked by Gollum a creature craving the ring. They manage to tame Gollum and use him as a guide into Mordor. Gollum has a split personality disorder where one of his personalities is good hobbit named Sméagol. He takes them to the Black Gate but they realize they’re better off taking another way around. They’re led into one city where they’re captured by Faramir, Boromir’s brother who tells Frodo and Sam that his brother is dead. They witness a war between the people of this city the Gondorians and Easterlings, humans working for the Dark Lord Sauron.
They escape with Gollum who takes them to a valley called Minas Morgul that’s close to Mordor. However, Gollum lures them into trap with a giant spider named Shelob. Frodo is paralyzed by toxic venom but Sam blinds and stabs the beast. He takes the ring and becomes the ring-bearer. He hides from a patrol of Orcs who take Frodo hostage. They know a lot about Shelob because they had issues with it in the past. Frodo spies on them and overhears them say that Frodo is under the effect of paralyzing venom as they had issues with using the same venom on their own men in the past. Sam is glad that his master is still alive and that they’re on the right track to destroying the ring. First of all the plot is pretty good. Both of the two stories are epic in scale and have a have well integrated locations and characters. However the two enemies Sauran and Saruman aren’t linked very well although they’re fighting amongst themselves and both want the same thing. Also the many different stories of different characters make the worldbuilding and scope more epic.
8/10
Writing
The writing is a lot better than the first one. It has a few flaws such as the ring magically making Sam understand Orc languages and Shelob impaling itself on the sting sword but other than that the writing is pretty good for instance Gandalf manages to take the rank of Saruman and the enemies spy is pretty well written. Plus the worldbuilding is very good as all the creatures are well integrated an the locations and well thought out and rememberable. However, the dialogue is not very good.
8/10
Characters
The characters are all very good and they all get there moments to shrine, plus it has some new additions that are great. Even the orc characters are pretty good. Sam is a great character who’s loyalty and choices are put to the test. However it has a few issues such as a few characters that have minor roles like Legolas. Also the heroes are hateful and pick on Grima a servant of Saruman in a comedic way.
7/10
Themes
The themes are hope, honor, family, environmentalism, perseverance, and the destructive corrupting power of greed.
6/10
Entertaining Value
It’s very hard to read and boring in some sections. The action is written just okay and the characters are boring. Also the storytelling is not very good and the religious undertones aren’t in the book but are in other passages written by the author. However, it has a decent plot, and the amount of time given to the characters is good. Plus the story is immersive and has some interesting concepts.
6/10
Conclusion
Overall I give The Fellowship of the Ring a 7 out of 10. I give it an Unbound Beartic approval rating of Finish It.
January 16, 2023
Whilst reading the previous book I was enjoying it so much it took me a while to realise Frodo and Sam weren’t in it and I felt extremely guilty to have forgotten them. So I was already concerned I wouldn’t enjoy this one as much. Upon starting book 4 I liked the choice of Frodo and Sam’s story having its own book as well as separating Orthanc from Barad-dur. But this also made it kinda drag as it’s mainly Frodo and Sam just walking and no Gandalf.
I’ve grown used to Tolkien’s writing style by this point but it is a slow read as it’s difficult to picture every passing cliff to the west or bush one league to the east that passes by and it’s hard to pick out the details that matter. I do love description and building a picture but a lot of times in Tolkien’s writing it’s the travelling on the road description that makes it a hard read for me. However there’s many moments in the whole series where his use of language is amazing to describe the setting like the night sky or the sunset over Mordor and these moments really land you in it.
The book does show how perilous and hopeless their quest is and the characters are developed really well and you feel the despair of the journey they’re going through. There are some great moments also,
‘What’s taters precious?’
‘Po-ta-toes’
I wonder how people pictured Gollum before the films. He’s such an excellent character and I did not expect Tolkien’s writing of him to be so vivid and comical at times and Tolkien writes the nuances of his split character so well.
I enjoy the conversation between characters and it was refreshing when they bumped into Faramir but that seemed to end up dragging on as well. He just seemed to be babbling about anything towards the end.
The last section picked up the pace a bit and was a welcome break from walking. Reading orcs talking to each other is always entertaining.
‘That’s my shiny shirt!’ There’s some great lines they came up with in the films that I was hoping would appear but sadly it appears this wasn’t an original Tolkien line. Unless it’s yet to come?!
The more I write this review the more I find myself having enjoyed this book. It’s definitely my least favourite so far but still has some great moments. For a book that’s just shy of 200 pages it did feel like a read double that.
I’ve grown used to Tolkien’s writing style by this point but it is a slow read as it’s difficult to picture every passing cliff to the west or bush one league to the east that passes by and it’s hard to pick out the details that matter. I do love description and building a picture but a lot of times in Tolkien’s writing it’s the travelling on the road description that makes it a hard read for me. However there’s many moments in the whole series where his use of language is amazing to describe the setting like the night sky or the sunset over Mordor and these moments really land you in it.
The book does show how perilous and hopeless their quest is and the characters are developed really well and you feel the despair of the journey they’re going through. There are some great moments also,
‘What’s taters precious?’
‘Po-ta-toes’
I wonder how people pictured Gollum before the films. He’s such an excellent character and I did not expect Tolkien’s writing of him to be so vivid and comical at times and Tolkien writes the nuances of his split character so well.
I enjoy the conversation between characters and it was refreshing when they bumped into Faramir but that seemed to end up dragging on as well. He just seemed to be babbling about anything towards the end.
The last section picked up the pace a bit and was a welcome break from walking. Reading orcs talking to each other is always entertaining.
‘That’s my shiny shirt!’ There’s some great lines they came up with in the films that I was hoping would appear but sadly it appears this wasn’t an original Tolkien line. Unless it’s yet to come?!
The more I write this review the more I find myself having enjoyed this book. It’s definitely my least favourite so far but still has some great moments. For a book that’s just shy of 200 pages it did feel like a read double that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2019
My expectations for Lord of the Rings were, in all honesty, pretty low, and I was ready to chalk it up as a book that was revolutionary for its time but ultimately represented the first stumbling steps of a new genre. Having also found the Hobbit a chore to get through at times, I was prepared for a slog.
And yet I've found it to be far better than I expected. The characterization is genuinely nuanced at points, especially in relation to Gollum, Faramir, and Sam. Many times I had heard GRRM condemn Tolkien's villains as one-dimensional, but I think that misses the point entirely. The thematic thread of corruption and compromising with evil is strong throughout, not to mention that Tolkien does a fantastic job at making Shelob and the Ring feel almost eldritch in nature.
That said, there certainly are parts that drag; there seems to be an awful lot of Sam, Frodo, and Gollum just wandering around aimlessly, especially given how short the book is. It's ot exactly an easy read, and the amount of similarly named places can easily become confusing.
Still, though, Lord of the Rings still to this day holds up as solid fantasy and anyone with even a passing interest in the genre needs to give it a read.
7/10
And yet I've found it to be far better than I expected. The characterization is genuinely nuanced at points, especially in relation to Gollum, Faramir, and Sam. Many times I had heard GRRM condemn Tolkien's villains as one-dimensional, but I think that misses the point entirely. The thematic thread of corruption and compromising with evil is strong throughout, not to mention that Tolkien does a fantastic job at making Shelob and the Ring feel almost eldritch in nature.
That said, there certainly are parts that drag; there seems to be an awful lot of Sam, Frodo, and Gollum just wandering around aimlessly, especially given how short the book is. It's ot exactly an easy read, and the amount of similarly named places can easily become confusing.
Still, though, Lord of the Rings still to this day holds up as solid fantasy and anyone with even a passing interest in the genre needs to give it a read.
7/10
July 12, 2017
The strength of this part of the story is in the character development and tension created in the relationships between Gollum, Sam, and Frodo. When this is done well, this book is fantastic.
In the first book of this second volume of the trilogy, I missed the presence of Frodo and Sam. I was surprised to find that even without them, it had been my favourite so far.
Surprised I was with this book that, with Sam and Frodo present and the ultimate concern or the narrative, I felt less tension and interest than I did when reading of the rest of the fellowship in the first half of Two Towers. This was mostly so during the parts of the story concerning Faramir, when the main tension in the relationship of Gollum and the Hobbits was suspended.
Still, even if my least favourite so far, the book remains beautiful, masterful, and engaging. My criticisms are only valid when held against the excellence of everything that came before it. Even at its lowest, this is a shining treasure among fiction in the English language.
In the first book of this second volume of the trilogy, I missed the presence of Frodo and Sam. I was surprised to find that even without them, it had been my favourite so far.
Surprised I was with this book that, with Sam and Frodo present and the ultimate concern or the narrative, I felt less tension and interest than I did when reading of the rest of the fellowship in the first half of Two Towers. This was mostly so during the parts of the story concerning Faramir, when the main tension in the relationship of Gollum and the Hobbits was suspended.
Still, even if my least favourite so far, the book remains beautiful, masterful, and engaging. My criticisms are only valid when held against the excellence of everything that came before it. Even at its lowest, this is a shining treasure among fiction in the English language.
December 29, 2021
4.7/4.8
Now this is not one of my favourites books ever, not by long shot. But still 5 star I felt was deserved. Don’t get me wrong idea and everything is a straight up 5 star, but the authors execution of everything just is not it by my standards, but this book in comparison to rest of series was executed quite well.
This book is so far my favourite one in the series. We resume the adventures of the ring. So many interesting events take place besides 2 boring events that were basically conversations that weren’t that interesting- like how tf am I supposed to imagine a boring conversation and not fall asleep? Again god bless audiobooks in this one moment 🙏
Beginning amazing
Middle okay
Ending amazing then good/meh as Sams conversation wasn’t that grippling, then amazing once again
Wow the world that the author has created is so far beyond my imagination, which I like as I have to force myself to picture it beyond my small petty landscapes and buildings, so this was a fun experience.
Now this is not one of my favourites books ever, not by long shot. But still 5 star I felt was deserved. Don’t get me wrong idea and everything is a straight up 5 star, but the authors execution of everything just is not it by my standards, but this book in comparison to rest of series was executed quite well.
This book is so far my favourite one in the series. We resume the adventures of the ring. So many interesting events take place besides 2 boring events that were basically conversations that weren’t that interesting- like how tf am I supposed to imagine a boring conversation and not fall asleep? Again god bless audiobooks in this one moment 🙏
Beginning amazing
Middle okay
Ending amazing then good/meh as Sams conversation wasn’t that grippling, then amazing once again
Wow the world that the author has created is so far beyond my imagination, which I like as I have to force myself to picture it beyond my small petty landscapes and buildings, so this was a fun experience.
May 25, 2022
With the "proper" cover, we continue with Sam and Frodo's journey from the falls of Rauros to the veils of Mordor.
This will be interesting. When I first read the book, I really didnt like Frodo and sam's part very much. I always wanted to get through it to read the larger scale events of the war of the Ring. I'm sometimes, I even skipped this "book" entirely and went on to the Return of the King (spoilers !). This will be my read of this section in a considerable period of time, perhaps since late 2014 or early 2015 (which would be 7 years ago). I have the feeling I have reread since that date, but I can't be sure.
Like book 3, the story starts off at the end of the the Fellowship of the Ring, following the malign influence of the Ring breaking up the Fellowship through Human weakness. On réflection the reason why this is my least favorite, is that whilst full of drama and all the things that make Tolkein Tolkein, it packs "action" compared t0 the proceeding and subséquent sections. I have to say, I enjoyed radin git much more this time round as I attempted to read it with the aim of fully appreciating its drama.
This will be interesting. When I first read the book, I really didnt like Frodo and sam's part very much. I always wanted to get through it to read the larger scale events of the war of the Ring. I'm sometimes, I even skipped this "book" entirely and went on to the Return of the King (spoilers !). This will be my read of this section in a considerable period of time, perhaps since late 2014 or early 2015 (which would be 7 years ago). I have the feeling I have reread since that date, but I can't be sure.
Like book 3, the story starts off at the end of the the Fellowship of the Ring, following the malign influence of the Ring breaking up the Fellowship through Human weakness. On réflection the reason why this is my least favorite, is that whilst full of drama and all the things that make Tolkein Tolkein, it packs "action" compared t0 the proceeding and subséquent sections. I have to say, I enjoyed radin git much more this time round as I attempted to read it with the aim of fully appreciating its drama.
November 28, 2017
Frodo and Sam leave the Fellowship and continue their journey towards Mordor. Their paths cross with Gollum who leads them there directly into a trap. In the movie trilogy the different plots were mixed but here they are kept strictly separately (nothing about the rest of Fellowship here). This makes the plot easier to follow but on the other end you can't wait to get through the next book to continue with current story - this could create an endless loop if the books would not end at some point...
August 17, 2023
This book was shorter than the others, but felt much longer due to the adventure Sam and Frodo go on, accompanied by Gollum. It was essentially just them walking for the majority of it, and it was hard to stay entertained through the entire slog. Still was a good read and Tolkien's writing and imagery remains impeccable, but this was a bit of a lull before what I imagine is a lot of action.
June 5, 2022
Great read focused mainly on Frodo and Sam continued journey to Mordor. They travel through many dangers and different environments from marshes to Dark tunnels. The story is told extremely well. We also learn of treaties from Gollum and the bravery of Sam wise. Fantastic stuff
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2023
This one was great. What was only 200 pages felt like an eternity tbh… with the following and what not, but loved the end - better end than the whole first book.
Excited to read the final instalment.
Excited to read the final instalment.
July 20, 2024
O frodo e o sam são um casal e nada pode mudar a minha opinião 🤭🤭🧚🧚
o clifhanger no final------
Não é um dos meus livros preferidos,não é bem o meu género (muita história mas nenhum romance), mas é um bom livro.
o clifhanger no final------
Não é um dos meus livros preferidos,não é bem o meu género (muita história mas nenhum romance), mas é um bom livro.
August 5, 2019
Awesome!!
April 18, 2020
slow read
June 6, 2021
Well, the spider scene is decidedly less unpleasant to read than it is to watch, thank jeebus. Still gave me the creepycrawls to read though. Blegh. *Shudders*
May 14, 2022
Finally we get to see more of gollum (to me the most fascinating character), as well as frodo and sam again
August 11, 2022
Hard work at times but last three chapters are great
June 18, 2023
The one where Gollum shows up! Another book that mirrors The Hobbit and The Ring Sets Out, but this one is even darker. Full review here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25_ya...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25_ya...
July 12, 2023
I found it slow again but the last 20 pages were really good 😂
August 23, 2023
One to book 5 - so love this series
June 18, 2024
bro poor Sam and Frodo.
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