This is a hard review for me to write because I really did not enjoy the book, even though I was positive I would. I have enjoyed the overall plot of Tolkien's other books; I think
The Hobbit is brilliant; I love the world of
Middle Earth. However, even though I finished this book faster than The Two Towers, it was a much harder read for me.
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| (Source: Kelsey Darling) |
The fellowship, while they are scattered across Middle Earth, are in the final stretch of defeating Sauron and destroying the ring. Sam is left sneaking his way into Mordor to find Frodo, hopefully alive. Pippin has made the mistake of looking into the stone and attracting the attention of Sauron, so Gandalf has whisked him away. Legolas and Gimli have continued following Aragorn as he works to save his land to become king. And Merry has formed a bond with Eowyn, a strong woman who has also been told to stay behind, and together they charge into battle. The battle for Middle Earth is in full swing, and it is up to the fellowship, though divided, to do their part and defeat the evil.
While the plot is slow in
The Return of the King, it is not as slow as the
previous novel; it is more along the same speed as The Hobbit and
The Fellowship of the Ring. That made it more tolerable for me to read. However, I still had issues with the book being divided into the different groups point of views, especially since there is some overlap between Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn and Merry and Pippin. It not only slows the plot, but adds some confusion as well.
Another bit that I do not like was that the battle does not end when Sauron falls. Oh no. And the story does not end when the hobbits get back home. The hobbits have a whole other battle to fight, and they have to do it on their own. And I blame Gandalf. Gandalf decides that it is okay to let Saruman live because he believes he has been stripped of enough of his power, even though he low key warns everyone that Saruman is still dangerous to a degree. So while the fellowship is taking their time back across Middle Earth, Saruman has made his way to Hobbiton and taken over, and now the hobbits and other inhabitants are living in fear of Sharky, a nickname Saruman is using. And while the defeat him quickly enough, and Saruman gets his just desserts, it just does not seem fair that this had to happen, especially when it could have been stopped much earlier.
Another bone I have to pick with the book. Frodo dies in the end! Not just dies, gives up. The weight of carrying the ring was too much for him, and the Shire is safe, and Sam is married to Rosie, and instead of being Uncle Frodo to all of their beautiful children, he, Bilbo, and the elves ride a boat into the sunset, a.k.a. die. Maybe it is because I have seen the movie so many times and I cannot wrap my head around this many differences, but I just think that is a really shitty way to end the trilogy. Tolkien pretty much tells us that this is the beginning of the end of Middle Earth. I do not want Middle Earth to end, just as I do not want the wizarding world to end. I want to believe that they still exist in another universe easily accessible by just believing.
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| (Source: Kelsey Darling) |
The only good thing to come out of this was I got to scratch off my third spot on my Scratch Off Book Challenge. Oh, and Sam is the unsung hero of the entire trilogy.
Rating: 5/10
Author:
J.R.R. Tolkien
Series:
The Lord of the Rings (Book 3 of 3)
Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Classics
Dates Read: January 31-February 5, 2019
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