The Lord of the Rings: Again

The Lord of the Rings: My Thoughts on the Trilogy

by: Luke Fahnestock

For my final blog post of the year, I will be revisiting The Lord of the Rings. As you may or may not know, my first blog post was a review of the first book in this trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring. Coming back to this series feels like the logical way to conclude this year’s posts. This post is not a comprehensive summary of the entire trilogy, so if you are unacquainted with The Lord of the Rings’ plotline I recommend reading my first LOTR blog post.

Starting off is The Fellowship of the Ring. The first establishment of the trilogy starts out in traditional, first book fashion. The first chapter jumps right into the events of the story, and begins setting up the plot. This direct introduction to the series may seem abrupt, but Tolkien is quick to clarify most unfamiliar terms. Additionally, if the reader happens to be dissatisfied with the background information that Tolkien provides in these chapters, they can always go back and read the painstakingly detailed prologues (which I personally recommend). The first chapters’ quick smattering of background information blends nicely with the advancing plot. In terms of plot, the introductory chapters basically detail the events that lead up to Frodo Baggins’ inheritance of the Ring of Power. The rest of the book follows Frodo and his companions as they travel, beginning their quest to destroy the evil Ring of Power. Along the way, the hobbits meet companions of many kinds, and they join together to form the fellowship of the Ring. The overarching goal of this first book is to bring the journey to its first major point of diversion: the splitting of the fellowship. 

The second book, The Two Towers, is an action packed continuation of the epic journey. The book begins with the heart wrenching death of one of the members of the now divided fellowship. This emotional opening sets the tone for the rising action that follows. The Two Towers contains the first major battle in the trilogy, making it an extremely exciting book. The events leading up to this major turning point are suspenseful and engaging, and the climactic battle is masterfully written. After the conflict is resolved, the plot shifts back towards the other members of the fellowship who split off from the group in the previous book. This section of the book is not nearly as action oriented, but draws heavily on themes of adventure. Journeying through the wilderness, this plotline maintains interest by creating numerous plot twists, with unsuccessful paths leading to new, dangerous trials. Though this book may seem dark compared to The Fellowship of the Ring, Tolkien still manages to maintain a level of humor at appropriate times in the story. The main plot advancements made in this book are centered on the progression of both parts of the fellowship. The main fellowship is working their way towards the kingdom of Gondor in hopes of aiding them in defense against the Dark Lord, Sauron, while the others are moving towards Sauron's domain in hopes of  destroying the Ring.

The Return of the King, the final installment in the trilogy, is a whirlwind of a conclusion to the perilous journey. The book begins with two members of the fellowship arriving in Gondor on the eve of an invasion. This beautiful choice of setting imbues these first chapters with an element of suspense. Readers are thrown into the tense environment of a city waiting to be assaulted by evil forces. This suspense is later relieved when the invasion begins, and the second battle of the trilogy proves to be no less riveting than the first. With one part of the trilogy having accomplished their main goal, the success of the quest lies entirely on the Ring bearer. Tolkien immediately rebuilds suspense by creating a sense of urgency surrounding the destruction of the Ring. The suspense becomes almost unbearable as Frodo moves ever closer to his destination, facing obstacles at every turn. The conclusion of the journey will not be shared here, but I will say that the plot wraps up in a very satisfying manner. After all the suspense, emotions, action, humor, and disbelief, readers do get to enjoy a happy ending. 

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is and always will be one of my favorites books. I have read it twice on my own now, and enjoyed it thoroughly on both occasions. I will admit that Tolkien’s writing can be wordy and confusing at times, but I enjoy his unique writing style. There are a few other small critiques I could make, specifically about the dragged out ending (why is “The Scouring of the Shire” a thing?),  but I will choose not to dwell on those. Lastly, I would like to say, If you have watched the LOTR movies, but have never read the books, please, please try reading the trilogy. There are so many small wonderful details that are glossed over in the films. In my opinion, The Lord of the Rings is one of those books that everyone should read at least once in their lifetime.