If you happened to see my end of April round-up picture, you would have noticed that I did indeed go on to read the final part of the Lord of the Rings, “The Return of the King”; really, having adored my revisit to the first two books in the sequence, there was no way I was not going on to finish off the story!
The second book, “The Two Towers” ended on a massive cliffhanger, with Frodo and Sam in dire straits whilst attempting to get into Morder; however, the first book in this volume focuses on the various peoples who will take on Sauron in battle. Rohan, Gondor and their allies will join together to form a force for good. There are sieges and battles, madness and death, and the returning king will dispense healing. It’s in this part of the tale Aragorn comes into his own, taking command as the king he is and leading his party through the Paths of the Dead, one of my favourite sequences of the whole trilogy. Merry and Pippin play an important part in the narrative too, attaching themselves to two great leaders and proving to be brave hobbits. The Nazgul will meet opposition from an unexpected combatant, Gandalf will continue to rally the troops and this section ends with the armies of the good poised for battle, hoping that their combined forces will distract Sauron and his troops enough to allow the two hobbits to complete their mission.
Meanwhile, all is not going easily for Sam and Frodo. At the end of “Two” Sam had to make some very difficult choices, which seemed to be the wrong ones but actually were probably not; and as events move on in Mordor, with Orcs at every turn, he takes centre stage in the final part of the journey to destroy the One Ring. It’s a difficult and painful trek, which will take every ounce of strength and cunning they have; and needless to say Gollum/Smeagol still has a part to play in the story. More than this I shall not say, except to note that matters build to a dramatic climax which is the perfect resolution.
The book ends with Middle Earth settling itself down into a new era; the King has returned, some elements will fade and leave the world, the survivors of the conflict will need to move on and make themselves new lives – and there is plenty of mopping up to do… This latter element is again one of my best-loved parts of the story, with the “Scouring of the Shire” chapter being a long-term favourite – it’s just so satisfying seeing things being put to right on a small scale, as well as on a large one! The ending of the book brings many farewells and is really poignant in places; and the story comes to end surprisingly quickly, partly, I suppose, because over 100 pages of this volume are appendices, which *are* quite interesting but into which I only dipped this time round.
As with the other two volumes of “The Lord of the Ring”, I was completely absorbed into “Return”; Tolkien’s narrative never flags, his writing is so beautiful and evocative, bringing Middle Earth alive, and the battles, conflicts and race to get to Mount Doom are completely engrossing. Once again, I was living the adventure alongside the characters, who by this point have become dear friends again, and I really didn’t want the book to end. When there is closure for many at the Grey Havens, I experienced the same massive sense of loss I always had when reading these books, having become totally absorbed into a world and characters I’d come to love; and I understand why I went through a phase of going straight back to the start to enjoy the quest from the beginning all over again! I shan’t be doing that at the moment, but I’m certain I *will* read “The Lord of the Rings” again.
I arrived at the end of “The Lord of the Rings” convinced more than ever that it’s Tolkien’s work of genius; I’ve tried reading some of his other works but they never gelled in the same way, and I suspect that that’s because of the hobbits; those little creatures, so very human in many ways, give the reader a way into Middle Earth that isn’t there is the grander tales of his mythologies. I do accept that he had a much bigger world and mythology he was constructing around, and in the background to, this story; but LOTR will always be the star for me. Needless to say, I ended my re-read knocked out and in an emotional state, as well as with a massive book hangover – it took me a while to pull my thoughts about the whole experience together. All I can say is that I’m *so* glad that we chose 1954 for the last club as it finally nudged me into this re-read; and revisiting “The Lord of the Rings” was pure joy from start to finish. If you’ve not read the series, I recommend you have a go – you may well end up as hooked as I am! 😀
May 11, 2022 @ 08:17:27
I read these two, maybe three times as a teenager. I loved them like so many do, but I never thought I’d go back to them. You have me reconsidering that. I wonder what I’d see now that I didn’t then – we respond to great stories differently at different ages after all.
Sam for me was always the true hero of LotR.
May 11, 2022 @ 11:29:04
I was pleased that I was sucked in all over again, because I haven’t read this since my early 20s, at which point I read them obsessively. So with the gap it wasn’t a given I would still love them, but I have been having such a positive experience with the Narnia books I took the risk and won!
Totally agree about Sam – such a wonderful character, the most human really and I do feel that he and the Hobbits give even those who don’t like fantasy a way into the story.
May 11, 2022 @ 12:10:51
That’s one of those series that a person could read again and again, and find something new to learn and enjoy every time. I’m glad you mentioned the appendix, too. Tolkien was so creative, and there’s so much great information about history, language, and so on in those appendices; they’re worth reading in and of themselves, in my opinion.
May 11, 2022 @ 15:19:43
I think you’re right Margot – there’s so much in it and I noticed things I’d never really taken on board before. Tolkien was such a brilliant writer, and creative such a marvellous word – really tempted to dig a little more!!
May 11, 2022 @ 17:35:12
I do need to visit these again. I’ve read them only once so far and enjoyed them but not as much as I’d expected to perhaps because they needed getting one’s head around them, more than say the Hobbit.
May 11, 2022 @ 20:30:28
Oh, I hope you can give them another try – I loved my revisit, but then I have read the books a good number of times!
May 12, 2022 @ 15:57:05
I hope I can fit them in soon; after reading your and Chris’s posts, I’m very tempted
May 12, 2022 @ 15:58:44
That’s the trouble with reading other people’s blogs, isn’t it? 😉
May 12, 2022 @ 16:03:20
True 🙂 I don’t feel so ‘guilty’ about these since they’re ones I have copies of. Its when one starts to add to one’s shopping list from all the blogs one reads (with a mountain already waiting) that one feels slightly guilty.
Another friend also convinced me that she began to enjoy LOTR the best from third reading onwards, which gave me some hope as well!
May 12, 2022 @ 16:04:59
True – it’s when you have to go out and buy new books it becomes a real problem, particularly with the towering stacks already in the house!
And that’s interesting about the third read – I’ve read this *many* times in the past, but still picked up new things this time round.
May 12, 2022 @ 16:06:30
Well, her comment was something on the lines that the first two times, she liked but didn’t love it (something like my own reaction), but that changed from read 3 onwards
May 12, 2022 @ 16:08:48
Ah right. I loved it from first read (about 12 or 13 I guess) so I’m a convert! Immersion is the key, I believe!
May 12, 2022 @ 01:19:02
How lovely that you went ahead and followed your inclination and re-read the trilogy! As I’ve mentioned, these aren’t books I’ve read, but I can sympathize with your appreciation for the hobbits with human-like characteristics. If a fantasy book doesn’t have one foot in our world, I find it difficult to connect with.
May 12, 2022 @ 15:43:09
Yes, I couldn’t stop after book two – I just had to go on and finish, and I just loved them. And I really do feel that the ‘ordinary’ characters are what helps bring the reader into the story – the Shire is such a human kind of place that it gives a wonderful entrance point to Middle Earth.
May 12, 2022 @ 08:21:15
I revisited these books a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed them all over again, so glad you did too 🙂
May 12, 2022 @ 15:41:59
They’re just marvellous, aren’t they?? 😊😊
May 12, 2022 @ 23:06:47
They really are. I’ve been feeling a need a for a comfort (re)read lately, I could be tempted to visit Middle Earth again.
May 13, 2022 @ 15:14:03
I’d highly recommend it… 😉😉
May 12, 2022 @ 12:14:37
What a lovely reading experience Kaggsy! It’s such a joy when a book carries us away, and also that it can continue to do so on a re-read. You’ve definitely encouraged me to give these a try.
May 12, 2022 @ 15:40:58
It was a treat – I just loved revisiting this one! I couldn’t leave the series after book 2 – which I suspect I knew all along! I hope you can give them a try – such wonderful stories!
May 12, 2022 @ 15:15:06
As so many readers say, it’s the joy in the details which multiplies with each reread, as I’m particularly finding this time for me. It helps that I’m looking to write a running commentary as I go along, of course, making me more alert to subtleties in the language, the pacing, the structure and the characterisation. You’ve finished, but I’m still with Frodo and Sam as they crawl towards the plain of Gorgoroth.
I’m very much impressed by the fact that it’s Sam more than Frodo who’s the real hero in the third book, rejecting the Ring more than either Frodo or especially Sméagol were ever able to do – and support Frodo as well. What a star!
May 12, 2022 @ 15:40:09
I totally agree – some of the supporting characters really stood out for me this time round in a way they hadn’t before. And although I remembered lots of episodes there were many parts which I had forgotten. His pacing is quite brilliant I think – detailed enough, never too long and intertwining the strands of his narrative quite wonderfully.
As for Sam – what a hero! The ordinary person who turns out to be stronger than everyone else. He carries so much of this part of the story and he’s just marvellous!
May 12, 2022 @ 15:59:23
I’m so glad your rereading of these has been such a joy. Revisiting old favourites is always special. I often wonder if I have missed out never having read them, especially as I live so near Hobbit country.
May 12, 2022 @ 16:01:55
Well, you are – so you should give them a try if you can! Imagine the Hobbits as close to us humans and The Shire as the Midlands and you might find a way in! 😀
May 15, 2022 @ 17:05:49
I’m really glad you got to read this one fairly quickly, too. I do want to revisit them though the huge Mount Doom of TBR is not going down at the moment. Funny you found the ending quick when they stretched it out for sooooo lonnnngggg in the film! There’s a canal boat called Even Star Grey Havens that I run past regularly in the local marina and it always makes me think of LOTR.
May 15, 2022 @ 18:02:21
Yeah, my TBR is a bit like that at the moment! I love that canal boat name – lovely!!