The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

Continuing my journey through Middle Earth, I have picked up the first of The Lord of the Rings book, The Fellowship of the Ring. Out of the LOTR series, this is the one I’ve read previously; I never got to finish the series. I have seen the movies multiple times, but it’s been a while. 

Five Sentence Summary

(Source: Kelsey Darling)

Many, many years have passed since Bilbo travelled with the dwarves to the Kingdom Under the Mountain, and while he has gifted many of his rewards, he still has the ring. Maybe had Bilbo known that that ring would have caused turmoil for his favorite nephew, and heir, Frodo, Bilbo would have been more careful before leaving the ring in Frodo’s possession. That was not the case, however, and Frodo, with the help of his companions Sam, Merry, and Pippin, who are later joined by Aragorn, they must bring the ring to Rivendell in hopes that the elves will take care of it from there. However, after a secret counsel meeting with different members of the elven, dwarf, hobbit, and man races, it is decided that Frodo will be the best person to carry the ring on the journey to the depths of Mordor where it will be destroyed. Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin, along with Gandalf, Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, and Gimli will travel across Middle Earth, sometimes in the presence of friends and allies, other times running from or fighting enemies, all while protecting a hobbit who is much braver than anyone ever imagined from a hobbit. 

(Source: Giphy)

So overall, I enjoy the Lord of the Rings trilogy more than The Hobbit for one simple reason: the strength and bravery of the hobbits is so much more present in them than in The Hobbit. In just one book, you have four extremely brave hobbits who have no clue what they are getting in to; all they know is that they will not leave Frodo to do this alone. I love that hobbits are painted as weak, content creatures; but, in reality, they are loyal and fearless. This is obvious from the beginning when Merry, Pippin, and Sam conspire to follow Frodo on his journey. 

"'I kept my knowledge to myself, till this Spring when things go serious. Then we formed out conspiracy; and as we were serious, too, and meant business, we  have not been too scrupulous. You are not a very easy nut to crack, and Gandalf is worse. But if you want to be introduced to our chief investigator, I can produce him.' (p. 118)

(Source: Giphy)

The characters in J.R.R. Tolkien’s world are all very interesting and you want to know more about them. Some, like Elron, you have some knowledge of from The Hobbit. Gimli is the son of Gloin, who accompanied Bilbo on his journey. Others are completely new and fascinating. Part of the journey also follows Bilbo’s journey from long ago. These little touches from the prequel help orient the reader with the world of Middle Earth, while building Tolkien’s complex world.

I do feel that parts of the book are over detailed and slow the pace of the book. While I find it annoying, it also helps the reader understand how much time passes. In the movies, you do not realize how much time is actually passing. In the reality of the book, different legs of the journey take weeks; they stay in Rivendell for a long amount of time. It makes sense, you cannot just power through to Mordor. That being said, I could do with a little less detail.

There is one part that I do feel the movie does better. I know, that might sound blasphemous, but hear me out. In the book, Tolkien says that hobbits only eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner or supper. I was much happier believing they also have second breakfast, elevenses, and afternoon tea in addition to these meals.

(Source: Giphy)

Rating: 8/10

Author: J.R.R. Tolkien

Series: The Lord of the Rings (Book 1 of 3)

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Classics 

Dates Read: January 9-15, 2019