BOOK NAME : The Lord of the rings the fellowship of the ring.
WRITTEN BY : J. R. R. Tolkien
REVIEWED BY : HAMZA
PUBLISHED DATE : July 29, 1954
PULISHER : George Allen & Unwin
REVIEW DATE : 2nd MARCH
REVIEW:
A great series, definitely worth reading. If Harry Potter was good, then this one is legendary.
That being said, there are two flaws that come up as the books, in their creation, grow older. Firstly, almost of the conflict in the book, and subsequently its plot, revolves around the fact that there is lots of distance between the locations that the characters are at and the one where they want to be. Almost all problems that they face and all battles that they fight are based on the singular fact that they had to get from one place to another and couldn't get there in time or took the more dangerous path while going. This feature also makes the book extremely long, and for the first book and some parts of its sequels it's extremely slow paced and a vivid and accurate description of the path and the surroundings is given. So, here I would recommend you to not race through the book or skim any paragraphs and to understand all locations, characters, descriptions and artefacts that are described for the best experience. This series will take you around 2 weeks to read at an average speed so don’t kid yourself into finishing it soon. Read at your own pace and be patient for the best results.
Secondly, the ending is one of the most disappointing ones that I have ever read. This is made even harder to accept when one expects a grand finale for a conclusion after reading such masterfully written books. Spoiler alert: Aragorn becomes king of Gondor and the ring bearer eventually leaves the Shire with Bilbo and Gandalf to go to an unknown land. They don’t even see the dark lord, every antagonist except Saruman dies without effort once the quest is completed and even he is killed with relative ease in a throw-away sort of manner. The ending has no pay off whatsoever and has a tone of the line ‘happily ever after…’.
Now, that getting out of the way, I shall explain what was good with the books and why this series is a must read. Firstly, one gets to visualize and consequently experience the fantasies and legends that have been penned down. Men, dwarves, elves, wolves, Halflings, orcs, wizards; the works. All sorts of weapons and legendary towers, locations, magic, legends; everything. It is an immersive experience that is extremely satisfactory. The stakes are always high and the suspense keeps you at the edge of your seat. The characters are relatable and likeable. This, on average Is what each book is full of.
So, regardless of your age, if you like fantasy, I recommend that you read this series. It would be a good idea to start with the prequel- ‘The Hobbit’. Only 2 warnings; Read at your own pace, for, the books are long and descriptive. This way you shall both understand and visualize better. Secondly, although the ending may not be perfect, this is a series that shall, like the legends in it, be well remembered as one of the greatest of its time, in the years to come and shall amaze and delight people, for generations.
This trilogy was amazing. Unfortunately I saw the movies first so when I read the book everything I imagined was stuff I had already seen in the movies so sometimes I wish I could've have read the books first and see what I would have imagined the environments and people and creatures of Middle-Earth to look like without the influence of Peter Jackson. Nonetheless, it was still thrilling story with plenty of action and emotion throughout. The characters are beautifully written and like a trilogy should, it left with no cliff hangers on what was to happen next. Everything was beautifully tied up at the end like Aragorn becoming king, the ring being destroyed along with the defeat of Sauron, the safety and peace now in Middle-Earth, and the fact that the hobbits got to go home and be at peace after the adventure. Even though there are some moments that can feel a bit slow and long with Tolkien describing their surroundings (mainly in the beginning of Fellowship of the Ring) if you read through it slowly to understand everything he is saying, you will start getting into the more exciting parts of the book. In my opinion, this book is something everyone must read and enjoy the history of the world that Tolkien created and of course the story he presents you with.
NAME: HAMZA
EDUCATION: CURRENTLY STUDING UET, TEXILA
E-MAIL: hamzaqtr84@gmail.com