Return of the King
Pippin looked out from the shelter of Gandalf's cloak.
I have definitely enjoyed reading Lord of the Rings. You can see reviews of the first two books: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.
There is something so compelling about most of The Return of the King. In book five, readers see a couple of great battles being fought. Most of the characters that we've come to know and love are right there in the middle of the action. Even Pippin has his own little private war to fight. There is so much drama, so much action, so much going on. In book six, the 'action' returns to Sam and Frodo. Readers see them reach the end of their journey together. The moment of truth that we've been waiting for all along comes...and goes. The Return of the King spends almost as much time in resolution as it does building up the action and suspense. Which isn't a bad thing. I mean if you've come to CARE about these characters, it's not like a hasty "the end" would necessarily satisfy. It's just The Return of the King features many long-and-slow goodbyes. A gradual letting go, you might say. On the one hand, it's great to see the characters reunite afterwards. It's great to see the celebrations. It's even great to know that life goes on. That there are other problems to solve, other things to take care of. That all of life isn't one big adventure.
I'm not sure I loved The Return of the King more than I loved The Two Towers. But I can easily say that I loved all three books, that I enjoyed all three books. I loved so many things about the trilogy. The characters. The setting. The action. The language, the style. It's just a great series of books.
"Do not spoil the wonder with haste!" (49)
"There go three that I love, and the smallest not the least," he said. "He knows not to what end he rides; yest if he knew, he still would go on." (53)
"Yet it is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherin we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they have is not ours to rule." (155)
"No more debates disturbed his mind. He knew all the arguments of despair and would not listen to them." (217)
© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
Category Article 1955, 1965, Adult Fantasy, adult fiction, library book
