I finally managed to finish the Lord of the Rings book trilogy over Thanksgiving break. It was my third time through the series (I think); however, it is still irritating to read most of a trilogy over the summer and be left with only a few chapters left when school starts. Let's just say it was probably a good thing I was not dying to find out the ending or I probably would have used too much time finishing it at the start of the semester.
At any rate, those of you who know me probably know that I am a fan of Lord of the Rings, both the books and the movies. As such, this review probably will not surprise any of you.
There is a reason J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King) has become a classic. This was my first time reading through the trilogy since finishing The Silmarillion; and as such, I noticed/understood a lot more.
Tolkien is a master of detail. For those of you who don't know, The Silmarillion gives what is essentially the history of Middle Earth. People and events mentioned in the Lord of the Rings are further explained in The Silmarillion. Tolkien did not just create a story; he created a world, and an extremely in-depth world at that.
In fact, one of the greatest complaints against Tolkien is that he goes into such great detail that it becomes difficult to follow the actual story. In some ways, this may be true; however, they hardly detract from Middle Earth.
I first read the book trilogy when I was 12. At that point, two of the three movies were out, but I was not allowed to watch them until I turned 13. My brother, however, had seen and loved the movies. Being the bookworm that he is, he then had to read the books. After doing so, his next move was to get me to read the books as well. I will not say that I understood everything in them (even now, I wouldn't say that I've understood everything), but if a 12 year old can read and enjoy them, I wouldn't say that the detail is too hard to work through.
That being said, I would not classify Lord of the Rings as an "easy read." It does take some effort to make it through all three books; however, it is well worth the effort.
Tolkien is a master of detail. For those of you who don't know, The Silmarillion gives what is essentially the history of Middle Earth. People and events mentioned in the Lord of the Rings are further explained in The Silmarillion. Tolkien did not just create a story; he created a world, and an extremely in-depth world at that.
In fact, one of the greatest complaints against Tolkien is that he goes into such great detail that it becomes difficult to follow the actual story. In some ways, this may be true; however, they hardly detract from Middle Earth.
I first read the book trilogy when I was 12. At that point, two of the three movies were out, but I was not allowed to watch them until I turned 13. My brother, however, had seen and loved the movies. Being the bookworm that he is, he then had to read the books. After doing so, his next move was to get me to read the books as well. I will not say that I understood everything in them (even now, I wouldn't say that I've understood everything), but if a 12 year old can read and enjoy them, I wouldn't say that the detail is too hard to work through.
That being said, I would not classify Lord of the Rings as an "easy read." It does take some effort to make it through all three books; however, it is well worth the effort.
No comments:
Post a Comment