The Silmarillion... and that's a wrap.

Before I go into some final thoughts on the last part of The Silmarillion, I want to exult in the fact that we made it through this monstrosity of a read-along! There were times when I got tired of reading my chapters each weekend and definitely some times when I was ready to throw in the towel (think all of the chapters describing the landscape of all the different kingdoms in The Silmarillion). However, revisiting The Lord of the Rings was really rewarding, especially since it has been almost ten years, and rereading The Silmarillion gave me some new perspective into the series that I really enjoyed.

The last few chapters of The Silmarillion were some of the most interesting, particularly those dealing with the children of Hurin. This makes me really excited for Tolkien's work The Children of Hurin, which is a more thorough, novelized version of the story presented in The Silmarillion. One of my main struggles with The Silmarillion was the lack of structure and the long, drawn-out explanations of the different types of elves and the lands where they lived. The stories about the children of Hurin were connected and more narrative oriented -- I felt like I was reading a story instead of a textbook. This is not to say that the interwoven and complex mythology and history that Tolkien has devised for Middle Earth and the lands surrounding it isn't impressive, because it is. And much of the mythology and history is interesting. However, at times it gets a little dry, and is often difficult to follow, mainly because so many of the names are similar (Finarfin, Fingolfin, Feanor... which one is Galadriel's father again?).

I don't know that I will read The Silmarillion a third time, although I might revisit parts of it, like the Lay of Beren and Luthien or the beginning when the Valar create the world. However, it was fascinating to revisit pieces of the story of Middle Earth beyond that of The Lord of the Rings, and I recommend it for any Tolkien lover.

If you have written a post for December, link up below.

Silmarillion Readalong: November Post

You know how people talk about the holidays being an extremely busy time? For some reason, I have never really experienced that before. I was busy, but I was so used to being busy anyway that I suppose it didn't feel any different. WELL, this year, I'm feeling it. My parents hosted Thanksgiving at their house for the first time ever, meaning that Thanksgiving was crazy busy, we are going on a cruise in two weeks, meaning I need to get Christmas ready and I feel like I need to squeeze 25 days worth of traditions into 18, and of course, the ever-present finals blues are already sinking in. I have slept 9 hours of the last 48. I guess 9.5, if you count the illicit nap I took this afternoon.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because I am making excuses for my woefully short and poorly thought-out post on the Silmarillion. Yeah, if I am going to write woefully short and poorly thought-out blog posts, I should probably just skip the post altogether. But... here it is anyway:

So, the Silmarillion is an LOTR nerd's paradise. It gives background into the origins of the Elves, before men ever came to earth. We learn about the early lives of characters like Galadriel and Elrond. We also receive glimpses into some of the songs and stories that are told when the characters are journeying. For this, my inner nerd rejoices.

However, occasionally it is guilty of giving a little bit more information than I care about, I am finding. For example, there are paragraphs and pages of information about the division of the lands, the rulers of the different areas, etc. etc. I avoid maps at all costs, so these chapters were like chloroform for me. Also, there are many, many Elven characters whose names start with the letter F. Fingolfin, Feanor, Finwe, Felegund, shall I go on? I occasionally become confused, trying to keep track of which character offended the Valar and which character lead the Noldor and which type of Elf (I feel like I never see "Elf" in the singular in Tolkien's books... seeing it in the singular makes me think of elves as in Santa) lives where. My book is very convenient in having a glossary at the back, but occasionally I get tired of looking things up. Even though I am a closet LOTR nerd, sometimes I don't care quite enough to study the material. I just want to read it, if that makes sense.

However, there are certainly good moments. There are two stories in particular that I have read over the last month that are intriguing and passionate -- I loved reading about Aredhel and the way she grew tired of her home, went into the shadowy forest, and fell into an unhappy, oppressive marriage -- stories like that seem more relatable than the epic battles sometimes. And I'm right in the middle of the story of Luthien and Beren -- that is an exciting tale. I love that Luthien goes right into the center of the action with Beren -- no standing back and waiting to be rescued for this lady. I also absolutely adore the hound Huan, even though I am a self-professed hater of "dog books" -- this character is so faithful and human-like and endearing.

To sum up my experience this month, there are a lot of pages that I have been skimming... yes, I admit it... but there have also been a few that have great stories, stories that I might even revisit. There is plenty of good material in The Silmarillion if you are willing to dig a bit.

If you are participating in the read-along, feel free to link up below!

Sunday Salon: The Silmarillion plus ramblings

So, my intention was to post on The Silmarillion this evening, as it is close to the end of the month. I want to say a few things, but I have been watching the following video a lot this evening and I wanted to share it with everyone. The speaker, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, is one of my personal heroes, someone who is very inspiring to me.



I have been thinking lately about how I spend my time. For the last five years or so, I have spent unholy amounts of time studying and trying to get perfect grades. In some ways this has been rewarding. I was accepted into my program after I graduated from my first degree. I am hoping my academic achievements will help me get my feet into a real job once I graduate. However, I've lately been thinking there is also much more to life than this, and it has made me want to make some changes in two different ways. The first isn't really related to this video -- I just want to spend more time helping other people instead of focusing on my own life. The second change is directly related to the video -- I have felt this strong, intense need to be creative lately. When I was in middle school and high school, I was at the piano bench for hours a day. I also spent quite a bit of time writing, even though I never finished or published anything (except for on those poetry.com type websites that try to get you to buy a big book with your poems published in them). When I switched to a highly academic major, I lost some of that. I'm not saying that neuroscience wasn't fulfilling -- I loved what I learned. I remember sitting in the library at midnight absolutely thrilled with the elegance of the biochemistry of learning, emotion, thought processes, movements. (I also remember many other nights sitting in the library at midnight wishing for sedation, of course). But for me, it wasn't a field that allowed me to be creative. I know others who have been able to do research and put together amazing studies and projects in this field, but my mind doesn't seem to run that way.

Anyway, the point of all this is that I am really looking forward to NaNoWriMo and the challenge to myself to bring this story that I've spent so much time thinking about into words. At the same time, I really want to still have the energy to give to the people around me. I feel like lately I get wrapped up in my personal projects and the things that I want to do and I forget that there are people I love that I want to take care of as well. So, if NaNoWriMo throws my life too off balance and I am not serving and loving people the way I should be, I am going to take a step back. All the same, I am excited for the opportunity it gives me to stretch my creativity more than I have tried to stretch it for a long time.

This post is getting long and full of feelings, but I want to wrap it up by tying this whole creativity idea into The Silmarillion (best of both worlds -- I do the post I planned and I get to torment you with all of my FEELINGS!). The beginning of The Silmarillion has a beautiful creation scene where several godlike beings known as the Valar break out in song, and their music encompasses everything in the world -- every beautiful thing, every emotion, every story. I love that imagery. One thing I am noticing in this reread is the beauty of the mythology that Tolkien has created.

LOTR Read-along: The Return of the King (September Post)

Whew. We finished it! The big, giant, epic beast of The Lord of the Rings. All that's left, if you're still with us (at this point it seems like it is just me and Pepca) is the elective Tolkien book. I am reading The Silmarillion.

Spoilers are fair game from here on out.

ANYWAYS, The Return of the King has displaced Fellowship of the Ring as my favorite volume of Lord of the Rings. When I first read the series in middle school, I think I was so tired by the time I got to this book that I skimmed everything. I just wanted to be done. I will admit that there is a hefty amount of winding down action. I mean, who wants to hang out in the Shire while the hobbits are cleaning out the evil that seeped in during the war? Who wants to hear that Saruman is still wreaking havoc, even though Sauron is dead and the Ring is destroyed? And who wants to see Frodo leave Middle Earth, when he did everything in his power to protect it?

But for some reason, I loved it this time around. I loved finally getting a little romance after the promise of it in the previous books. We finally get to see Arwen and Aragorn together (although the book doesn't give nearly enough information to convince me that he was wise in choosing Arwen over Eowyn). And we get a heart-rending little chapter in which Eowyn confesses to Faramir that her heart has been broken. Aragorn expresses to Faramir as well that he felt horrible about not returning her affection. It almost made me wonder if Aragorn loved Eowyn back, but was loyal to Arwen because he loved her too, and loved her first. (Can you tell I have a fixation on the whole Eowyn/Aragorn issue? I just can't believe that he wouldn't choose her. Even if she is merely mortal). But all of that is alleviated when Eowyn begins to fall for Faramir, andtheylivehappilyeverafter. The first time I read the book, I think I felt off toward Faramir because I wanted him to be Aragorn. However, this time around I was able to recognize how awesome he is, and to be happy that he and Eowyn ended up together.

I also loved the utter triumph of the battles and Sauron's defeat. I love how Frodo, frail and beaten and completely ready to give in, is still able to see his mission through (with help from some friends and enemies, of course). I love how Sam fully blooms into a complete, selfless, and heroic person as he aids Frodo in completing his seemingly hopeless mission. I loved how Aragorn swept through the wounded with his healing power. I love it all!

I realize I'm all over the place with this post, and I think it is because there is so much there. There is a reason this book has outright disciples, people who are obsessed and learn Elvish. It is because the world is so complex and well constructed, and the events of the story are so powerful. I know that C.S. Lewis hated allegory, so I am assuming Tolkien does as well, but the events of the story relate to human experience and the universal battle between good and evil like allegory. While I enjoyed this story before, reading it ten years later has given me added insights. I am completely happy that I decided to start this project almost a year ago! I'm excited to spend the next three months working through my elective Tolkien read and seeing what everyone else has to say. Don't forget to link up if you posted for the read-along this month.

LOTR Read-Along: The Return of the King August Post or, An Ode to Sam

Many, many awesome things have happened in The Return of the King since last month.

(I think it may even have replaced The Fellowship of the Ring as my favorite LOTR book. Which, if you know me, is kind of a big deal).

Some of the awesome:

* Eowyn and Merry destroying the Witch King, especially after he tells them they can't kill him because it has been prophesied that "no man" ever could.

* Aragorn correcting the Rohan healer about which herbs have healing powers. As a nurse, I can appreciate this. Also, the grace and power with which he ascended the throne. He did it by healing the people around him. He refused to take glory for himself. In earlier posts, I have suggested Gandalf as a Christ-like figure, but in this case, Aragorn is certainly sharing some attributes with Christ. I love the development of Aragorn as a whole throughout the series. He is certainly human, but he develops so much throughout the battle to become the perfect king.

* Honestly, the level of character development in general. In Fellowship, we were getting to know the situation. Everything was urgent. In The Two Towers, things were just happening - everything was rushed and there were myriad journeys and I didn't feel like I got to know anyone. However, here in The Return of the King, where the time has come for all these characters to stretch themselves and give everything we have, we see what they are really made of. We learn their ultimate reserves of strength (or in some cases, like Denethor, their lack). We learn the capacity they have for friendship and heroism. And that is amazing. That is why this story is the most epic of all fantasies.

* Sam needs his own post, honestly, and if I wasn't still in my scrubs hoping to be in bed in the next two hours he would have it. He is the humblest of characters. Frodo has the most important quest of all - to destroy the Ring; Merry and Pippin are servants to kings and commit great acts in battle. Sam is just the humble servant, consistently placing Frodo's needs above his own. When he is tempted by the Ring, it is to make all the world a garden that he can control - probably the least sinister ambition the Ring could possibly spawn. However, at the crucial moments, he acts. He is willing to take the burden of the Ring when he fears that Frodo is lost. He walks through orcs and searches dead bodies for disguises. He does everything that needs to be done so simply, without a word of complaint. I am currently with Sam and Frodo as they make the final trek to Mount Doom, and the way Sam takes care of Frodo is amazing. He offers to drink the water first to make sure Frodo isn't poisoned; he apologizes for needing to take a few hours of sleep. He is the best friend anyone could hope for, and he is the real hero of this part of the story because without him, everything would have been lost.

If you are participating in the read-along, please feel free to link-up below!

LOTR Read-along: July Post

Confession: I didn't write a monthly read-along post in June.

Okay, so that wasn't really a confession, because if you are participating in the read-along, you've probably already noticed. (I know that Pepca did a lovely post). I am sorry for my inconsistency as a read-along host and can only beg that my life has been much busier than I anticipated this summer with nursing school. However, with finals approaching, a week off of blogging (and missing it very much!), and plenty of resolve to do better for fall semester, I am back, with thoughts on the end of The Two Towers and The Return of the King. Please be aware that there are spoilers in these posts, as they assume that you are reading or have read these books already.

So first of all, my (scattered) thoughts on The Two Towers. Firstly, a very lovely passage that I had to mark with a post-it:

They stood on a wet floor of polished stone, the doorstep, as it were, of a rough-hewn gate of rock opening dark behind them. But in front a thin veil of water was hung, so near that Frodo could have put an outstretched arm into it. The level shafts of the setting sun behind beat upon it, and the red light was broken into many flickering beams of ever-changing colour. It was as if they stood at the window of some elven-tower, curtained with threaded jewels of silver and gold, and ruby, sapphire, and amethyst, all kindled with an unconsuming fire.

I would love to see a painting of this scene. It is one of the most vivid that I have encountered in this re-reading of Tolkien, and definitely the most beautiful. The second I read it I could see it in my mind. Unfortunately, I'm not in any way artistically gifted and have no way of translating that beautiful mental image to something tangible. Does anyone want to paint this for me?

A second post-it regards Faramir. For some reason, in the films his character did not particularly stand out to me. However, in these two final books of the trilogy, he is one of the most compelling characters. He shows what the race of Man has the potential to be (to be fair, Aragorn also shows this throughout the series, but for some reason, he seems above ordinary measurement). Boromir, his brother, is a strong and valiant Man, but he is very susceptible to weakness and failure. Faramir is possessed with much more grace and nobility. In TTT, Sam tells him, "You have an air too, sir, that reminds me of, of -- well, Gandalf, of wizards." In TROTK, Denethor, Faramir's father, speaks similar words, although with considerably less admiration - "Ever your desire is to appear lordly and generous as a king of old, gracious, gentle." I am looking forward to the rest of the story and being reminded of what Faramir accomplishes.

One final scene that I found especially interesting in TTT was stone figure with the red eye painted upon its forehead, graffitied by the servants of Mordor. It was a majestic figure perverted by evil; however, as they walk away from it, Frodo notices that the king's original head is lit up by the sun like a crown. I think that is a particularly elegant symbol of the seeming underdog of Good ready to topple the seeming ruler of Evil.

Overall, The Two Towers still feels like an in-between book, connecting loose ends until the ending can be unfolded. However, I picked up on several symbols and aspects that didn't stand out to me on my first read-through in the sixth grade. I'd forgotten many of the significant events, but having a general knowledge of the plotline, I was able to slow down and appreciate the details of the masterpiece Tolkien created. 3.75 stars for this one (in comparison to the others, not in comparison to works by lesser authors).

I've already touched on one of the main things that has caught my notice so far in The Return of the King - how awesome Faramir is turning out to be - but there is one other thing that I want to mention. Eowyn. Is. So. Awesome. I have always held that Aragorn was a total idiot to not fall madly in love with her, although he seems at least somewhat tempted by her strength and fortitude as he rides away to the Door of the Dead. I don't remember exactly how everything plays out, and I am looking forward to reading more of it.

If you wrote a post for June or July for the LOTR Read-along, please post your links in the linky below.

LOTR Readalong: The Two Towers May Post

Hello read-along participants! How has your reading of The Two Towers been progressing? I must admit I am a bit behind, but still hopefully on schedule to finish at the end of June. While I do enjoy this book, it is becoming clearer to me why I have read The Fellowship of the Ring multiple times and not The Two Towers. This book is more a connector for the commencement of Frodo's journey and the crazy events that tie up the war. I feel as if the scene is being set - an important part of any story, certainly, but not necessarily the most interesting part. With that said, I have mainly been with the fragmented Fellowship - Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, the two hobbits, and Gandalf. I am only just getting into Frodo and Sam's half of the book, and I can already tell things will be much darker but also much more exciting. Battle descriptions have never done much for me, even if they are in such a fantastic story as this.

In my reading this month I found one of my favorite Tolkien descriptions yet. While I have heard many complain about Tolkien's long-winded scenes, I think they are part of the charm of the book. Tolkien has invented an entire world full of danger and beauty, and he is very effective at showing us this world if we are willing to slow down and read. This is part of the reason I decided to host this read-along in the first place - I knew if I stretched my reading of Tolkien's work over several months I would be able to slowly digest and enjoy his descriptions instead of wanting to skip over them to get to the good stuff. After that lengthy aside, here is my favorite passage (or at any rate, a passage that I found fantastically written) -

Shafts were driven deep into the ground; their upper ends were covered by low mounds and domes of stone, so that in the moonlight the Ring of Isengard looked like a graveyard of unquiet dead. For the ground trembled. The shafts ran down by many slopes and spiral stairs to caverns far under; there Saruman had treasuries, store-houses, armouries, smithies, and great furnaces. Iron wheels revolved there endlessly, and hammers thudded. At night plumes of vapour steamed from the vents, lit from beneath with red light, or blue, or venomous green.

See what I mean? It isn't necessarily a happy image, but Isengard truly comes alive for me in those words. Did you have any passages that were especially vivid for you?

One last passage before I close was just completely charming to me, and a great illustration of why Pippin and Merry are two of my favorite characters in this trilogy. Pippin is trying to learn from Gandalf about the Orthanc-Stone, when Gandalf cries out in exasperation, "Mercy! [...] If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of days in answering you. What more do you want to know?"

Pippin answers guilelessly,

The names of all the stars, and of all living things, and the whole history of Middle-earth and Over-heaven and of the Sundering Seas. [...] Of course! What less?

Definitely a kindred spirit for me! Are there any characters you find yourself relating to more than others?

Please link your May post to the Linky below!

LOTR Readalong: The Two Towers April post

I feel like the last few posts for the read-along have, for me at least, not been the greatest because I wasn't sure what to say. I mean, this is a masterpiece of literature, the standard to which all other fantasy novels are held. The book is plot-directed and slow-paced with a lot of description, which isn't always conducive to good analysis. So, for this month's post I thought I would write a few questions that have popped into my mind about the first part of The Two Towers. You are welcome to discuss any or all of these questions in your April post, or to go in a different direction.

Things to consider:

* Gandalf's transformation. What mythological or symbolic significance does this have? Why do you think that Tolkien chose to have Gandalf go through a death-type experience to emerge stronger and more powerful?

* The Ents. Do we have any equivalents to this in mythology? Do you like reading about the Ents, or do you find their slowness irritating?

* The Rohan. This is the first group of Men that Tolkien spends much time wit

h. What do you think of their customs and their traits compared to those of the other races, the hobbits, elves, dwarves, and Ents?

* Do you like all of Tolkien's attention to place and location, or is it distracting to you?

For my post, I just want to focus on Gandalf's Transformation - I think this is a really interesting element showing parallels to either biblical translation (such as when Moses and Elijah didn't die, but were taken straight to the presence of God. They would have had to go through

a physical change to abide the presence of God, sort of like Gandalf's transformation from grey to white) or Christ's death and resurrection. I know that Tolkien was a close friend of C.S. Lewis, whose Christianity was well known and often transmitted through his literature, but I don't know exactly what Tolkien's beliefs were. One of these days I need to read a biography of Tolkien, because my curiosity about him has increased ever since I took a C.S. Lewis class for my literature credit in college.

Okay, I just checked wikipedia (intelligent researcher that I am) and it brought some things to my memory. Tolkien was actually a huge factor in Lewis' conversion to Christianity, and now that I read that I remember reading some of Lewis' musings on how long talks with Tolkien led him to a belief in God. Tolkien was a devout Catholic (in case you're interested, Lewis belonged to the Church of England). So there is a possibility that there are religious undertones in his work. I'm sure anyone who has studied The Lord of the Rings in depth knows more about this, but as I am a literary amateur it would be news to me!

And actually, my husband is reading this over my shoulder and told me that today he'd seen an article on our university's webpage about this very topic. *Pauses to read article* So, apparently Tolkien is much like Lewis in that he will never say his works are allegories (this being, I think, because things do not perfectly correlate in every way) but that it is a "fundamentally religious work" (quoting the article directly, not Tolkien). The article also says that Frodo, Gandalf, and Aragorn all have Christ-like qualities, in that they are all making certain sacrifices to save the world.

To get back to the topic at hand - now that I have skimmed the surface a very infinitesimal bit on the religious qualities of LOTR, I think it is quite likely that Tolkien was thinking of Christ and his resurrection when he wrote Gandalf's transformation. I think it is very interesting that Gandalf had to descend into the depths of the earth with the Balrog - which I think, as a fiery, dark creature, could definitely be termed a representation of the devil, or sin, or some other evil entity that we battle on the earth - only to re-emerge as a more perfect being with more power than before, able to rescue his confused comrades and direct their course. I agree that this is not a direct allegory - what is Saruman? Is he Lucifer? Who is Sauron? etc. Apparently there is a book being published by one of the authors at BYU called The Ring and the Cross. Sounds sufficiently nerdy - I'd like to look into it but it is $64 on Amazon. *sigh*

Anyway, these are my more directed thoughts about this month's reading. Please comment below and I will link up to your April post. You are welcome to follow any of the random reading prompts I listed, come up with your own, or just update your general progress in the book. We're nice and flexible here.

Other participants:

Pepca

Tracy

Literary Lyrics: Ramble On by Led Zeppelin

Photo Credit

I've recently been thinking of some features I want to incorporate into my blog to add some variety to the regular menu of book reviews. One of the ideas I have most wanted to try is to add some music to the blog, since it is my greatest passion (after books and Indian food). So I'd like to introduce... Literary Lyrics! I'm hoping to post this feature about once a month. I have seen similar incarnations of this feature on other blogs - some bloggers like to choose soundtracks for books they are reading and some like to highlight beautifully written lyrics. I want to do a little of both of these, depending on whatever strikes my fancy. There are also a few fantastically written songs that mention literary works, and I'd like to highlight one of those for my first Literary Lyrics.

I instantly thought of using the song "Ramble On," co-written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, because it reminds me of not one but two of the books I have read recently, Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly and The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien. The connection to Revolution is only superficial - the protagonist, Andi, is a guitarist and references Led Zeppelin several times in the story. The Fellowship of the Ring is present in both the first and last verse of the song. The first verse shows similarities to Galadriel's Lament in the verse Farewell to Lorien:

Galadriel's Lament
I sang of leaves, of leaves of gold, and leaves of gold there grew:
Of wind I sant, a wind there came and in the branches blew.
Beyond the Sun, beyond the Moon, the foam was on the Sea,
And by the strand of Ilmarin there grew a golden Tree.
Beneath the stars of Ever-eve in Eldamar it shone,
In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion.
There long the golden leaves have grown upon the branching years,
While beyond the Sundering Seas now fall the Elven-tears.
O Lorien! The Winter comes, the bare and leafless Day;
The leaves are falling in the stream, the River flows away.
O Lorien! Too long I have dwelt upon this Hither Shore
And in a fading crown have twined the golden elanor.
But if of ships I now should sing, what ship would come to me,
What ship would bear me ever back across so wide a Sea?

1st verse of "Ramble On":
Leaves are fallin' all around, time I was on my way
Thanks to you, I'm much obliged for such a pleasant stay
but now it's time for me to go, the autumn moon lights my way
for now I smell the rain, and with it, pain
and it's headed my way
Aw, sometimes I grow so tired
but I know I've got one thing I got to do

Also, in the final verse, the lyrics directly reference Gollum and Mordor, and indirectly reference what Wikipedia thinks is Arwen:

Mine's a tale that can't be told, my freedom I hold dear
How years ago in days of old when magic filled the air
'twas in the darkest depths of Mordor, mm-I met a girl so fair
but Gollum and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her

her, her, yeah, and ain't nothin' I can do, no

If you want to read the rest of the lyrics, they are here. You'll probably see Led Zeppelin in this feature again!

LOTR Read-along: March Post

I can't promise much with this wrap-up post, guys. Today has been the day from you-know-where, complete with being locked out of the house, burning my hand, and irate customers and co-workers. But now I am at home, and my husband cleaned the kitchen, so there is happiness in my heart now. :)

So, to sum up:

(PS: This is a Read-along post so it will be spoiler-ific) until otherwise noted...

* Boromir does not die yet?!? What? I was thinking the pages were winding down rather quickly and wondering where that epic battle I remember from the movie was. Clearly, this reread was needed, since I can't distinguish the movie from the novel anymore.

*I love Sam. I love that Galadriel gives him things for his garden instead of fancy weapons or magic potions. I love that he is so entranced by the elves. I love that he has poetry and songs memorized, and inside his chubby little hobbit body he has the soul of a romantic. And I love that he'll do anything for Frodo. He's a good man.

*Despite the occasional heaviness of the descriptive passages (mainly the ones where the fellowship was just walking and traveling for days and days), I really loved Tolkien's descriptions, especially those of Lorien. I distinctly remember my friend Lily telling me in middle school that she wanted to go live in a flet with Legolas (we were a tiny bit in love when the movies first came out). Now I want to go live in a flet with my husband.

Ok, end spoiler-ificness, enter really short review-ness. (I'm a lazy bum...)

Accessibility/Readability - It's a bit thick at times. Many many words and many many descriptions. But the reading level itself is probably high school.
Plot: 5. This is Lord of the Rings, the most epic fantasy story of all time!
Characters: 4 - I love these characters, especially the hobbits.
Writing: 4. It may get heavy at times, but you have to admit it's beautiful.
Personal Response: 4.
Overall: 4.25

Leave a comment with your link and I will post it here! I'm excited to start The Two Towers!

Pepca

Lord of the Rings Read-Along: February Post

I'm posting the February LOTR post a day early because I have another read-along post scheduled for tomorrow - this week looks to be the week of read-along posts, actually, as I wrap up two and start another. While I'm mentioning read-alongs, I should say that my read-along posts will contain spoilers, but my reviews never will! I'm thinking when I wrap up a read-along, I will put a review at the bottom for people who haven't read the book but want to know my general thoughts on it. Sound good?

Also, my awesome sisters-in-law gave me a shout-out on their fabulous blog, Bee in Our Bonnet. I highly recommend checking them out. *Waves at people stopping by via Bee in Our Bonnet*

So, on to the read-along.

Honestly, I don't have much more to report. At this point in The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo and the other members of the Fellowship have just had to turn back from "cruel Caradhras" and take another route to get to Mordor.

One of the things I love about Tolkien is the fact that he is not so much telling us a story as he is letting us peek into a corner of his world. I really can't believe how much detail exists and how thoroughly he has imagined everything. Rereading the book has satisfied questions that have come up in my mind since I saw the movies. One thing I have always wanted to know more about were the Wise - We know about Gandalf the Grey and Saruman the White, but what about other wizards? I was glad to be reintroduced to Radagast the Brown, whom I had forgotten about. I do wish that there were other wizards that we had the chance to learn about. Also, how did the wizards come to be? Who are they? That is one of the disadvantages of peeking into the world instead of being told the story - sometimes questions are left unanswered.

I also am loving Tolkien's imagery. I have heard many complaints about the long, descriptive passages, but to me they are word-chocolate. Because I am reading this so slowly, I can luxuriate in the passages and poetry instead of skim them over. Here's a passage I underlined:

The firelit hall became like a golden mist above seas of foam that sighed upon the margins of the world. Then the enchantment became more and more dreamlike until he felt that an endless river of swelling gold and silver was flowing over him, too multitudinous for its pattern to be comprehended; it became part of the throbbing air about him, and it drenched and drowned him.

*Sigh*. Honestly, I love reading about Rivendell, period. Even in the midst of turmoil and violence, it is "a perfect house [...] Merely to be there was a cure for weariness, fear, and sadness." I like that image of Rivendell as a temple of tranquility in a world of darkness - even though Lord of the Rings is a fantasy tale, there are all kind of parallels to real life. We all need our own Rivendell where we can escape for a little while.

I think those are all of my read-along ramblings for this post. If you are participating in the LOTR Read-along, please leave a comment with a link to your post and I will add it to the bottom of this post. I'm excited to see how everyone else is getting along. :)

Pepca
Bahnree
Fat Books, Thin Women
Tracy's Space

Lord of the Rings Read-Along

Something about December makes me crave Lord of the Rings. I think it is probably nostalgic memories of waiting for the movies to come out and going with my family after Christmas. Last year I started rereading the series, only to stop in favor of other books. While I read the series when I was younger, I have been wanting to revisit Middle Earth for years.

So I hatched up a plan - read a book every three months. That gives me enough time to stay on top of my other reading, while still being able to immerse myself in the story I've been missing. I was planning to do it on my own. However, as I saw some read-a-longs on other blogs, I thought it would be fun to turn this into one. I have never hosted or participated in a read-a-long, so I am just figuring this out as I go, but please feel free to join in the fun.

Here is the schedule:
January - March 31, 2011: The Fellowship of the Ring
April - June 30, 2011: The Two Towers
July - September 30, 2011: The Return of the King
October - December 31, 2011: Any other book by or about Tolkien!

Why not The Hobbit? I have read The Hobbit three or four times. I love it, but I don't really want to reread it this year. I am thinking that I might try the Silmarillion. However, because others may want to read it, and because of the movie coming out this year, I wanted to let it be up to you what you would like to read.

Feel free to join in for just one of the books, or all of them - whatever you have been wanting to reread. I plan on posting each month about how the read-a-long is going.

Sign up here...