well, controversially, i enjoyed this more than the hobbit.

tolkien is called "the father of fantasy" but i wouldn't say this is one of the best fantasy books out there, it was just fine. the plot was good, however the execution was disappointing. tolkien's writing was dull for me, especially in the first part. as i read through the book, no doubts, i was getting more intrigue with the storyline. there are also no doubts that tolkien's writing style grew more to me. personally, i prefer the second part more. i thought it had a better execution than the first part.

regardless, i guess you could say that i enjoyed the book despite on how slow it is.

Absolutely loved this reread. I can't recommend this audio enough! Andy Serkis nails all the voices and emotions; it was perfection.

I haven't read this trilogy since I was in middle school, though I've seen the movies multiple times. I really only remembered the main difference being the addition of Tom Bombadil and all the singing (which, on the audiobook, is actually singing! with melodies! Andy Serkis is a great singer!). I'd forgotten how many of the funny lines from the movies are directly from the books. If I'm remembering correctly, I think the first movie is the one that stays truest to the book, but I'll have to see if I still think that after rereading the other two. Anyways, even though I know the story, I found myself cracking up at the funny moments, and I was not expecting to be in tears at the end, but that's how I found myself (and it wasn't over anyone's death).

Samwise is even more precious in the book than he is in the movie...it might just be because this is fresh on my mind, but I think he is my favorite literary character ever.

A lot of my thoughts have to do with how this book compares to it's movie adaptation and how we remember the lord of the rings today.

So much of our conversations about this story are colored by Jackson's films (and Bakshi's cartoon) and it was difficult to separate them from Tolkien's book.

The book is slower paced, both in how it was written and how long it takes in-story. Frodo spends years between Bilbo leaving and Gandalf explaining the ring. His journey to Bree takes months, and they spend months in Rivendell.

At every step Tolkien details the environment and history of his world. Nature is as much a character as Frodo or Sam in this book, and in many cases it is literally true (Tom Bombadill). Tolkien uses these long passages to establish the stakes for his plot. It's not just Frodo's life that is in danger; Tolkien makes it clear that all of the natural world is at risk.

Characters are basically rough sketches of people who spout lore and make exclamations. Everyone feels broader and more whimsical than their pop culture portrayals. Everyone sings in this! Every character gets at least one song! It rules!

Style/writing: 4.5 stars
Themes: 4 stars
Characters: 3.5 stars
Plot: 4 stars
Worldbuilding: 5 stars

 I can see why people don't like the books if they come in with movie associations. This isn't all about glittering armies and epic battles. (What there is of that doesn't come in at all until the second book.) The epic love story is so understated, and so far in the background, I only put the pieces together because I already know it gets spelled out later. 

This is really a book about a how a few normal people, from a cozy little village, start off on a walking trip that slowly escalates until they are in over their heads in epic adventure. (Note: Epic adventures still involve a lot of walking. Be prepared.)

That said, I'm happy to report that I still love this book. I love the same characters, and appreciate all the characters more than I used to as a pre-teen. (Except for Boromir. I mean, I do appreciate him more, but it doesn't make me like him any better.) 

 I think that's what it's all about when you come down to it. There's an evil that needs to be vanquished, and an Epic Quest, and a whole lot of little (deadly) inconveniences along the way, but that's just because that's how life is. The story is really about people dealing with evil and quests and inconveniences, and how those change them in good and bad ways, and what happens to friendships along the way. 

 My perspective may flawed because I was first exposed to the books at about eight years old, but it does seem to me that a child who can generally handle adventure story (non-graphic) violence can handle this story. (I remember being VERY sad and emotional at one scene in particular, and scared by the Nine Riders in a "check to make sure they're not in my closet" sort of way, but I also LOVED the books, and have no regrets about reading them so young.)