Scan barcode
literaryfaery's reviews
835 reviews
Quicksilver by Callie Hart
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
3.0
Let me start off this review by saying I am a HUGE LOTR/Hobbit fan. I've read The Hobbit multiple times and my favorite movie series is Peter Jackson's LOTR. I think it's a complete masterpiece. I've read my favorite scenes/random bits and pieces from the books since I was a kid. This year was the first time I decided to read it from cover to cover.
Nice way to put it: this book is challenging to get through.
Harsh/more truthful way: this book often put me to sleep and much of the prose seemed unnecessarily dull.
H O W E V E R:
I cannot discount Tolkien's genius. I won't ever be able to do that. He's the father of fantasy literature. Back when he was writing in the early 20th century, he was world-building, language-inventing, and exercising a unique kind of creativity no one had ever really tried before. Nowadays we expect our fantasy books to not only take us far away, but astonish us with things no author has done before, to allow us to embark upon a fast-paced, exhilarating journey. Back in his day, Tolkien had other things in mind.
Yes, there are many lengthy chapters about leaves on trees and vast expanses of land. No, there are not enough well-developed female characters to satisfy me. But I did somewhat enjoy my first complete read of the first LOTR book, but I wholeheartedly admit that it's because I have already developed a serious sense of nostalgia for Middle Earth. Also, I confess, during the entirety of my read, I kept thinking to myself: "WOW, the film did such a wonderful job of adapting this scene"...
Definitely one of the only stories I enjoyed more on the silver screen rather than on the page.
Nice way to put it: this book is challenging to get through.
Harsh/more truthful way: this book often put me to sleep and much of the prose seemed unnecessarily dull.
H O W E V E R:
I cannot discount Tolkien's genius. I won't ever be able to do that. He's the father of fantasy literature. Back when he was writing in the early 20th century, he was world-building, language-inventing, and exercising a unique kind of creativity no one had ever really tried before. Nowadays we expect our fantasy books to not only take us far away, but astonish us with things no author has done before, to allow us to embark upon a fast-paced, exhilarating journey. Back in his day, Tolkien had other things in mind.
Yes, there are many lengthy chapters about leaves on trees and vast expanses of land. No, there are not enough well-developed female characters to satisfy me. But I did somewhat enjoy my first complete read of the first LOTR book, but I wholeheartedly admit that it's because I have already developed a serious sense of nostalgia for Middle Earth. Also, I confess, during the entirety of my read, I kept thinking to myself: "WOW, the film did such a wonderful job of adapting this scene"...
Definitely one of the only stories I enjoyed more on the silver screen rather than on the page.