A review by aruarian_melody
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

adventurous reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

First reread since 2009, this time around as an audiobook narrated by Andy Serkis, who did a great job. A classic of the genre, this covers some interesting themes surrounding war, power and corruption. I've enjoyed the exploration of these themes and the character interactions but I still don't care much for all the lore stuff that at times makes this sound like a history book or a religious text. As groundbreaking as this was, it just isn't what tend to enjoy in books. So this was a bit of a mixed bag for me that was enjoyable overall. 

I remember being very smitten by the language when I first read this. Back then I had just (finally) started to feel comfortable with reading books in English and I remember being delighted by learning many new words that I would never get to use in everyday contexts. This time around the language didn't really stand out to me but the themes were much more apparent. I think it will be interesting to return to this series from time to time. As much as I liked the narrator who brought the story to life, I think I actually prefer to read my physical copy to truly immerse myself in the story. Fantasy books rarely work as an audiobook for me.