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A review by gsroney
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
5.0
The re-read is finished.
1. When I first read these at 12 or 13-years-old, I remember being so frustrated that half the book consisted of appendices and lineages, etc. It’s still an interesting way to tell a story, especially considering The Silmarillion—with the details of the history of Tolkien’s world—was published posthumously. Instead, all condensed history is laid out after the primary story has finished. Suddenly, some gaps are filled, settings and places and character motivations make more sense, the world feels more complete. But there was something to be said for journeying through The Lord of the Rings without this complete history, without knowing all the details until the end, that added to the feeling of mysticism, mystery, and depth in the world.
2. I need to read this on a scheduled basis. What a nostalgic comfort this was.
1. When I first read these at 12 or 13-years-old, I remember being so frustrated that half the book consisted of appendices and lineages, etc. It’s still an interesting way to tell a story, especially considering The Silmarillion—with the details of the history of Tolkien’s world—was published posthumously. Instead, all condensed history is laid out after the primary story has finished. Suddenly, some gaps are filled, settings and places and character motivations make more sense, the world feels more complete. But there was something to be said for journeying through The Lord of the Rings without this complete history, without knowing all the details until the end, that added to the feeling of mysticism, mystery, and depth in the world.
2. I need to read this on a scheduled basis. What a nostalgic comfort this was.