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.