Before you read any further, understand that I give away spoilers/important plot points of "The Fellowship of the Ring." If you have not read this book or watch the film on which it is based, I deeply advise you to read the book or watch the film first before you read this Blog Post, as the book is FANTASTIC and as far as I've heard, the film is astounding too.
Today, for the first time, I finished reading J.R.R Tolkein's "The Fellowship of the Ring," comprising the first two books of the six books in the "Lord of the Rings" series.
Having not seen any of the films and beforehand knowing very little of the plot-line, I was able to read the book as if I were discovering something new and I hope this has made me enjoy it all the more. :D
However, in this Blog I would like to point out some of the disadvantages as well as advantages of this book.
Before I begin, understand that I LOVE THE "FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING" and that I intend to read the other books with great attention and gusto. :D
Disadvantages about the Lord of the Rings:
1. There are very few female characters in the book and the only important ones are Arwen and Galadriel, who don't take part in any of the cool stuff that's going on. I would have liked to see at least one female character on the quest to destroy the One Ring.
2. Some of the more important characters, particularly Pippin and Merry, did not seem to have a huge amount of depth and I could not gain a very good understanding of their personalities. It may just have been me, but they felt a bit wooden (although I still love them dearly).
3. Even though the book is clearly more dark and scary than its prequel, "The Hobbit," I felt that the narrative was rather cuddly and soft. The writer seemed to want to keep to pretty much the same writing style throughout the book and I don't know if it's just me, but during some of the scarier parts, especially during the journey to Rivendell, the tone was pretty neutral. It's good, I guess, not to be scared, as I usually read books to enjoy them rather to be scared by them, but after reading books by China Mievelle and watching videos by Jason Steele, I'm probably not feeling all of the fear that J.R.R Tolkein originally intended.
4. Erm... For now, I can't think of a number 4. And to be honest, the three points up there are pretty trivial.
So...
Overall...
I'd rate the book 9 out of 10!!
Which is pretty big for me.
Here are a few select things I REALLY liked about this book (if I'd list them all I'd probably starve to death while typing on the computer if I did it all in one go. ;) ).
1. Frodo. I don't know what you think, but Frodo is SUCH a cool character! He's unselfish, STRONG, brave and despite having a corruptive ring in his pocket or on a chain around his neck, he's generally clear headed. He's been influenced a bit by Bilbo Baggins in his principles and his taste for adventure, but I think both hobbits are equally wonderful in their own ways.
2. BILBO BAGGINS DOESN'T DIE! Before I realized that the Ring gave anyone who wore it extra years of life, I was SURE that Bilbo Baggins would have died in between Frodo's 33rd birthday and Frodo's 50th birthday. Also, I was certain that Frodo would either discover Bilbo's grave/dead body on his journey, or he would be told of the news by Gandalf who was mysteriously delayed (BY A MISGUIDED LOONEY IN ISENGARD, as it turned out!). But ho, when we get to Rivendell, BILBO BAGGINS IS ALIVE AND WELL AND HE'S WRITING HIS BOOK!! I felt sooo happy I realized that I really WAS mad after all. :)
3. The settings. Though I haven't yet gone so far as to revise the maps in "The Fellowship of the Ring," I am truly in awe of the geography, settings and cultures that J.R.R Tolkein created. Sure, a lot of it was based on old folklore and legends, but he would have had to map out all of the particular places and habitats in this book in his head, which, as he describes, make his world more real. :)
4. The songs and poems. I LOVE some of the stuff that the author has come up here. Not only are some of the songs beautiful/entertaining, they make the characters and the world much more realistic. Songs and poems are things of the real world which probably many fantasy/sci-fi authors miss in their writing, to the disadvantage of their works. In particular, I love Bilbo Baggin's version of "Hey Diddle Diddle" and the dwarf farewell song which begins, "Farewell we call to hearth and hall!"
If anyone who happens to be reading my Blog has an opinion on the first book of the Lord of the Rings, please comment on what I have said, it'd be SO fun to have a discussion. :D
P.S "She hardly believed her fiery eyes, For though it was day, to her surprise, they all went back to bed!"
P.P.S An important lesson that this book tells you is: BE CAREFUL WITH JEWELLERY.
