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zaxtreme's review against another edition
5.0
Still a favorite. The sweeping bombast of Return of the King, will always outweigh the doldrums that are the second half of The Two Towers. This took me waaaaaaay too long to read...
conman0's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
maries_bookverse's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
5 out of 5 stars, always.
The Lord of the Rings is, without a doubt, my favorite fantasy book of all time. No matter how many new books I discover, there’s something about this story that keeps pulling me back. It’s my comfort-read, the one I turn to when I need that warm, familiar feeling of coming home. There’s a sense of safety in knowing that I can open the pages and step back into Middle-earth, where the characters and landscapes feel like old friends.
What I love most about The Lord of the Rings is how Tolkien weaves darkness into the story so seamlessly. This isn’t your typical "good vs. evil" fantasy. The darkness here feels almost tangible, like a creeping shadow that touches everything. The desolate lands, like the Dead Marshes and Mordor, are so vividly described that they leave an impression long after you’ve put the book down. It’s a world where hope is constantly on the edge of being extinguished, and that tension is part of what makes the story so gripping.
But it’s not just the physical landscapes that feel dark—there’s an emotional weight to the journey, too. Frodo’s slow descent under the Ring’s influence, Gollum’s internal torment, and even the way the characters are constantly pursued by unseen dangers like the Nazgûl all add layers to this darkness. It’s this mix of psychological and physical horror that makes the story feel so real and heavy, and I find myself both unsettled and completely drawn in every time I read it.
Tolkien’s use of medieval folklore is another reason this book resonates with me so deeply. The whole world feels like it’s been pulled out of some ancient myth, with characters and themes that echo those from Arthurian legend or Norse sagas. Aragorn’s journey from ranger to king—the medieval knight on a quest. While Arwen’s decision to give up her immortality for love reminds me of the courtly romances from those old tales. Galadriel, akin to the Lady of the Lake from Arthurian legend, a mystical being who holds immense knowledge and offers aid to heroes. Her connection to nature and her timeless beauty give her an ethereal, almost otherworldly quality, much like the faerie queens of old. Éowyn, on the other hand, embodies the spirit of the shieldmaidens from Norse sagas.
There’s something timeless about these characters, and I think that’s why I can always return to The Lord of the Rings and feel that sense of comfort. Tolkien’s world is vast and filled with so much history and mythology, it’s like diving into a story that’s been around for centuries. It’s that feeling of stepping into an ancient, well-worn tale that I love.
The Lord of the Rings is, without a doubt, my favorite fantasy book of all time. No matter how many new books I discover, there’s something about this story that keeps pulling me back. It’s my comfort-read, the one I turn to when I need that warm, familiar feeling of coming home. There’s a sense of safety in knowing that I can open the pages and step back into Middle-earth, where the characters and landscapes feel like old friends.
What I love most about The Lord of the Rings is how Tolkien weaves darkness into the story so seamlessly. This isn’t your typical "good vs. evil" fantasy. The darkness here feels almost tangible, like a creeping shadow that touches everything. The desolate lands, like the Dead Marshes and Mordor, are so vividly described that they leave an impression long after you’ve put the book down. It’s a world where hope is constantly on the edge of being extinguished, and that tension is part of what makes the story so gripping.
But it’s not just the physical landscapes that feel dark—there’s an emotional weight to the journey, too. Frodo’s slow descent under the Ring’s influence, Gollum’s internal torment, and even the way the characters are constantly pursued by unseen dangers like the Nazgûl all add layers to this darkness. It’s this mix of psychological and physical horror that makes the story feel so real and heavy, and I find myself both unsettled and completely drawn in every time I read it.
Tolkien’s use of medieval folklore is another reason this book resonates with me so deeply. The whole world feels like it’s been pulled out of some ancient myth, with characters and themes that echo those from Arthurian legend or Norse sagas. Aragorn’s journey from ranger to king—the medieval knight on a quest. While Arwen’s decision to give up her immortality for love reminds me of the courtly romances from those old tales. Galadriel, akin to the Lady of the Lake from Arthurian legend, a mystical being who holds immense knowledge and offers aid to heroes. Her connection to nature and her timeless beauty give her an ethereal, almost otherworldly quality, much like the faerie queens of old. Éowyn, on the other hand, embodies the spirit of the shieldmaidens from Norse sagas.
There’s something timeless about these characters, and I think that’s why I can always return to The Lord of the Rings and feel that sense of comfort. Tolkien’s world is vast and filled with so much history and mythology, it’s like diving into a story that’s been around for centuries. It’s that feeling of stepping into an ancient, well-worn tale that I love.
For me, this book is a perfect blend of darkness, adventure, and myth. It’s not just a story—it’s a place I can return to whenever I need to feel grounded or inspired. No matter how many times I’ve read it, I always find something new to appreciate, and I’m endlessly in awe of Tolkien’s ability to create such a rich, immersive world.
almightytim's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
staruponthesparklingspire's review against another edition
5.0
I read - and finished - the Lord of the Rings trilogy in barely a month. I don't know what to say about it, except that I can't believe it even took me so long to get around to it. It's really a wonderful book. It left such an impression on me that I am changed after reading it. The story was superb, the poetry was wonderful. I had just finished the first book shortly before Easter holiday, and during the holiday I burned through the rest in mere days.
I tried to read The Lord of the Rings once before, when I was eleven or twelve, and try as I did I simply could not get through it. I gave up halfway through the second book. It remained on my to-read list for years afterwards, though. Having finally read it in English and having leafed through bits of the Dutch translation, I can safely say that the ineffectiveness of the Dutch translation played no small part in ruining the pleasure for me. Most of the poems are translated well enough (and some very poorly), but the rest of the narration and dialogue feels so... *staged* and stilted and antiquated in a way that the English simply doesn't - the original English, despite its slightly archaic vocabulary, uses really quite plain language.
So, yeah. Read it if you haven't. I don't know what else to say that hasn't been done to death.
I tried to read The Lord of the Rings once before, when I was eleven or twelve, and try as I did I simply could not get through it. I gave up halfway through the second book. It remained on my to-read list for years afterwards, though. Having finally read it in English and having leafed through bits of the Dutch translation, I can safely say that the ineffectiveness of the Dutch translation played no small part in ruining the pleasure for me. Most of the poems are translated well enough (and some very poorly), but the rest of the narration and dialogue feels so... *staged* and stilted and antiquated in a way that the English simply doesn't - the original English, despite its slightly archaic vocabulary, uses really quite plain language.
So, yeah. Read it if you haven't. I don't know what else to say that hasn't been done to death.
steve_hayer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0