We'll leave the Bible out of that, of course. I consider the Bible
an entity all unto itself, and I don't know if I'll ever get the guts
to review that. But in order to celebrate my 400th epinion, I knew I had
to do something special. One day I will review each book separately,
but all in good time. One of my very first reviews was of The Hobbit, which I basically consider as a prologue to this book. When I say my favorite book is The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
is included. I wrote that review before I got into my long-winded
phase, and there's so much more I could say about it. But I'll leave it
be, as a remembrance of my first days on Epinions.
Ever since I can remember, Tolkien has been a part of my life. I must have been three or four the first time Dad read The Hobbit
to me; when we studied it in eighth grade, my teacher gave me an
alternate assignment because I knew too much about the book. At the
time, however, Dad was just finishing Lord of the Rings. It was a
gargantuan endeavor, but I felt extremely grown-up when he first began
reading it to me. I had been waiting all my life for this.
Only three characters from The Hobbit play a major role in The Lord of the Rings.
Bilbo, the reluctant hobbit who proved that there was more adventurous
spirit in him than he cared to admit, Gandalf, the powerful wizard who
enlisted Bilbo to begin with, and Gollum, the slimy creature from whom
Bilbo acquired his ring of invisibility. Bilbo is absent throughout most
of the book; after his delightful performance at his "eleventy-first"
birthday party, he retreats to the haven of Rivendell, where the elves
dwell in peace. Gollum doesn't show up until about halfway through,
though towards the beginning Gandalf reveals that the disgusting
creature is actually a hobbit. Gandalf is still a powerful figure, a
major binding force among the scattered members of the Fellowship who
venture forth to destroy the Ring.
The Ring is an evil relic,
the last of the rings of power forged in Mordor, where the Dark Lord
Sauron lives. As a world-wide battle of Good and Evil rages, the Ring
begins to grow stronger, threatening to overpower the good people who
possess it. The only hope is to destroy the Ring where it was created,
and thus drain Sauron of his power.
Pretty heavy stuff. This is a much darker book than The Hobbit,
because the stakes are so much higher. But it is still the unsuspecting
common folk whose job it is to save the day. Bilbo's adventuring days
may be over, but his nephew, Frodo, the rightful possessor of the Ring,
must embark on the dangerous quest, and in the end only he can destroy
the Ring. He need not journey alone, however. He is accompanied by three
faithful friends. Samwise Gamgee, my favorite character, is a simple
gardener whose fierce loyalty to Frodo saves Master Baggins on more than
one occasion. A source of much warmth and humor, he is the best friend
that any hobbit could ask for. Meriadoc Brandybuck and Pippin Took are
Frodo's other traveling pals, two hobbits from down the road who
conspired with Sam to join their friend on his dangerous mission.
By the middle of the first book, the four have been joined by the human
ranger Aragorn, a weathered man known as Strider. Narrowly escaping the
forces of the Dark Lord, they convene in Rivendell to form a Fellowship
of the Ring. Here they are joined by Gandalf, the elf Legolas, the
dwarf Gimli, the surly human Boromir. But though they may set out
together, the band will not remain united for long. Through the second
and third books, the exploits of the various group members are followed
as each fights evil on a different front.
Pippin and Merry
mingle with the ents, the giant tree folk who who are deeply suspicious
of the new creatures who have begun to populate Middle Earth. Frodo and
Sam head toward Mordor, forming an uneasy partnership with Gollum along
the way. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli seek the aid of the mighty King
Theoden and find a powerful ally in his niece, Eowyn. Through it all,
they must summon every ounce of ingenuity and strength they have in
order to withstand the forces that threaten to devour them. Though this
widespread war against evil cannot end without bloodshed, it will pave
the way for the ushering in of a new era, forged in the friendship and
courage of a pair of lowly hobbits and their comrades.
I
really don't have the words to express my admiration for this book. I,
who hate war movies and cringe at bloodshed of any kind. This is one of
the bloodiest books I have ever encountered. But somehow I don't mind. I
cringed as Dad read about orcs decapitating people and slashing their
enemies in battle, but I never wanted him to stop reading. Tolkien was
an absolute master of the art of storytelling. But just telling a story
was not enough for him. He created an entire world described in such
vivid detail that I could picture every country in Middle Earth. He
created entire languages. His love for language was such that he would
not rest until he was satisfied he had found the perfect name for each
person and place and developed a complex etymology to accompany it. The
orcs, the ents, and the elves are only a few of the civilizations whose
language is represented here.
He even wrote poetry in these
other languages, creating epic Elven ballads over which the human tongue
cannot help but trip clumsily. His English poetry is much easier to
handle, and it is often quite beautiful. Frodo's tribute to Gandalf,
Bilbo's rhyme about Aragorn, even the introductory "one ring to rule
them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all and in the
darkness bind them" are impressive pieces of verse, and Sam's poetic
tale about Tom and the Troll never fails to leave me in stitches.
There is far to much to be said about this epic than can be written in
this space. The story itself is simply amazing, the characters are
endearing, the descriptions riveting. Not a book for the faint of heart,
but if you can bring yourself to read a 1200 page novel you will reap
the rewards. Every paragraph is a gem, and the writing is filled with
enough wit and humor to keep the reader from ever falling into the
depths of despair. Lots of great quotes can be garnered from the mouths
of these in-depth characters, and you will grow to love or to loathe
each character, sometimes encountering difficulty in discerning which
position to take.
What more can I say? Plenty. But I'll leave it at that. Give the book a try. Read The Hobbit first, then venture deeper into the rich world that Tolkien so lovingly created. You'll never be the same again.
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