Read The Lord of The Rings

I started the bit where Samwise makes his way into the tower to rescue captured Frodo (after Shelob stuck her stinger into the poor Hobbit). Got stuck again after trading for books on paperbackswap.com and obtaining more interesting reads.

Since I was supposed to be doing school work, all of a sudden Tolkien looked pretty interesting!!! I’m at the part where the battle in front of the White City is over and Aragorn has healed the wounded.

In the book, Frodo is less naive about Gollum’s possible intentions. I like that better than the pie-in-the-sky “people are basically good at heart” philosophy which I think the movies project. Frodo makes the choice to trust his guide because that is the best choice he can make under the circumstances, but he’s not blind to the signs revealing Gollum’s nature.

Now I just have one book (and the appendices) to read. I really do want to finish even though I don’t think Tolkien writes particularly well. There’s little dialogue, it’s bland stuff, and there’s WAY too much geographical description—he tells about every single bump in the ground and every little trickle of water on the journey—tedious! I’m amazed that such great movies were made on the basis of this material. If I were a film maker looking for a source of inspiration, I doubt I’d have given these books a second glance.

Now only two chapters to go in The Two Towers.

of The Return of the King so I can give my friend’s copy back. I’m still halfway through The Two Towers—no progress as pursing other goals.

I’m finally at the part where Frodo and Sam’s story begins, but I’m “stuck” there. I’m sure once Gollum/Smeagol is introduced, I’ll be interested again. In the movie version, I love his little torn self (at least until it’s revealed that he’s an unrepentent murderer—not exactly a trait I admire). But I’m just going to have to slug it out for a bit to get that far.

I have to say that one thing I like about the book is the lack of the instantaneous. In some ways it’s more tedious, but it is more true to life as well.

The Ents losing the Entwives was poignant and painful in the book (at least to me)—their irreconcilable differences because male and female were each pulling their own way. The failure to be concerned with what stirred their spouses, to seek each other out, to be involved in each other’s lives. And the neglect resulted in complete loss of contact forever. Ouch. What a warning for some marriages I know. I had to stop reading for a little while to deal with the sorrow of the very idea. It seemed kind of silly to feel such sorrow for a fictional and personified tree, but it spoke to me of some real people, so it wasn’t so silly after all.

A friend lent me copies of Two Towers and The Return of the King so I wouldn’t run into problems with library due dates. Hurray!

At this point, our heroes have just dealt with Wormtongue and are riding to battle.

I just finished The Hobbit a few weeks ago. It has some great lines but Tolkien only TOLD the story; he didn’t make me feel that I was there. It was a tedious read though I enjoy reading. I think it’s really strange how dedicated some people are to the book.

I’ve also finished The Fellowship of the Ring recently. It was better. Since I’ve only seen the movies until now, I kept waiting for Liv Tyler’s elven character (name is escaping me right now) to make her appearance in the book; I couldn’t believe what an understated role she has in the book! The Lothlorien bit stuck with me for days and made me wish I could visit the elves.

I checked The Two Towers out at the library but with Christmas events and preparations I haven’t read a single page yet. I’ll probably have to turn it in and check it out again later. A renewal just won’t get me through the book.

In the end I may like the movies better, but I enjoy comparing as I read the books. So far it’s worth it to me.