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As all things end, so does Tolkien's revered Ring trilogy. In this concluding volume, the surviving Company, minus Sam and Frodo, reunite to make a last stand against the inhuman darkness which has ushered forth from Mordor to swallow the world. Gandalf, resurrected now as the White Wizard, rallies the combined armies of Rohan and Gondor, Aragorn reveals his true nature and is proclaimed the returned king, and beneath the searching eye of the Evil One, a pair of lowly hobbits, exhausted and nearly out of hope, continue on toward a fateful rendezvous in the infernal core of Mt. Doom. Heroism, loyalty, courage, and determined resistance to the powers of oppression are all themes triumphantly proclaimed in this novel, and there are scenes inside The Return of the King which stand so memorable they endure in the brain throughout a reader's lifetime. Many writers would be unable to end such a monumental series on a note of triumph, but somehow J.R.R. Tolkien achieves the nearly impossible and herein delivers his best work of all.
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Excellently done and entertaining. Prompt delivery and easily found.
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I have read the Lord of the Rings eight times. It is by far the best book I have ever read. The book has a beauty that no other book or author has ever been able to capture or ever will again.
The reason, in my opinion, the Lord of the Rings are such good books is the absolute selflessness of the heroes. They are willing to give up anything. The images of Gandalf standing against the Balrog on the bridge, Boromir hurling himself into the orcs at Amon Hen, or the way every man at the Field of Cormallen was willing to give up his life to give Frodo and Sam a chance of getting to Mount Doom are the examples that spring to mind.
My favorite character is Sam. He is the most courageous and noble of them all, even if he does not attract as much attention as Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Theoden, Gandalf, etcetera. Sam does not give himself a thought. He always thinks,"what about Mr. Frodo?." Sam gives Frodo as much food and water as he possibly can, only taking just enough for himself. He even carries Frodo on his back for part of the way. Sam will never give up.
Another good character is Aragorn. Yes, Aragorn is a spectacular fighter who wins fame and renown on the field of battle, but that is not the reason he is such a good man. The reason is that he knows his duty and is able and willing to perform it unflinchingly. In one sentence he sums up the whole book. "But I am the real Strider, fortunately,"he said, looking down at them with his face softened by a sudden smile. "I am Aragorn son of Arathorn and if by life or death I can save you, I will." Aragorn would rather face the Nine with an army behind them than let down the hobbits.
Many people who had previously been simple folk who gave Sauron little or no thought arose and fought. Pippin and Merry are good examples of this. In the Two Towers, when they were captured by Orcs, Pippin acted bravely and resourcefully to escape with Merry. If it were not for Pippin, both of them would certainly have been slain. Pippin later fought in the Battle of the Morannon, where he saved his friend's life and was the first to see the approach of the eagles.
Merry was so loyal to King Theoden that he disobeyed his order to stay in Rohan and rode in the Ride of the Rohirrim. Then, in the Battle of Pelennor Fields, he slew the Witchking, possibly the greatest single feat in the War of the Ring. (It was Merry who slew the Witchking, not Eowyn. Altough Eowyn bravely stood up to him, it was Merry's sword forged in Numenor, one the last swords of its kind left on Middle Earth, that killed the Lord of the Nazgul. Eowyn thrusting her sword into the Ulairi's face was just a gesture.)
These four characters are good examples of the characters in The Lord of the Rings. There are the people who stand up and fight because they must, and those who would rather die trying to do their duty than fail.
The sheer bravery of all of the people in the Lord of the Rings is amazing. They can stand in harm's way without a thought of themselves. They do not even think about their own fate, but rather the fate of the world. And they are determined to help, and take down as many foes as possible with them, dying content if they send some enemies ahead of them to pave the way if they must go themselves.
Overall, this book is about the willingness of people to die for the things they believe in. The battles and feats of arms are still very exciting, but that is not what they are about in the core, although I think that the battles and feats of arms are about as far as most people see. I hope that the people who read my review will see the things I have stated.
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"The Return of the King" completes "The Lord of the Rings" history as two books with the first reporting the assault by Sauron's evil forces against his enemies and the final book following the covert mission of Frodo and Samwise the Hobbits. The author successfully combines individual emotion and vast warfare in a dark yet delightful fantasy.
Various fascinating events transpire, Gandalf finally displays awesome powers, King Theoden of the Rohirrim becomes a stronger secondary character, and even Merry and Pippin the Hobbits become independently formidable. The storyline shows every character having an important part and making heart-wrenching sacrifices to ensure a victory in the fight against evil.
"The Return of the King" resumes the divided separate group plotlines from the original Fellowship instead of intermixing them down a chronological perspective. The method might be confusing but minor references and a moderately short time span helps organize the proceedings. Not only does the reader comprehend the lasting effects of the epic battle years later, presenting a thorough account of actions and the consequences, but also discovers the enormous depth into the genealogy and language inside the different cultures in the appendices.
The collection I own has "The Hobbit" along with all books of "The Lord of the Rings" and contains inside the final novel a comprehensive appendices and index, the ultimate standard for any author wishing to compile a comprehensive series. As with about every film-based novel, I would suggest at least not watching the movie prior to reading the book if not forgoing the movie (although it is one of the greatest movies of all time) thereby leaving the story entirely to the imagination.
I highly recommend the book collection to any fan of the fantasy genre.
Thank you.
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Certainly a key to the success of The Lord of the Rings is that it came along at the precise point in history that it did, but there's another factor, I think, that helps account for its continued popularity today. I don't know of any other book that can be enjoyed so thoroughly on so many different levels, based on so many different understandings of the story it tells.
Is the ending of the story a happy one (Sauron defeated, Aragorn claiming his rightful kingship) or sad (the passing of the elves and magic from the world, Frodo injured beyond Earthly healing)? Did Frodo fail at the moment of truth, and does that make him any less a hero? Is Sam, with his simpleminded country subbornness, a hero for his stubborn pursuit of the quest, or a fool for his stubborn refusal to acknowledge any good in Gollum, to feel any pity, which spoiled any chance of Gollum's redemption? Are the most significant powers of Gandalf and the Nazgul their magic abilities or the emotions (hope vs. fear) they instill? What sort of power does the Ring symbolize?
How you answer these questions depends on who you are and where you are in life. The wonderful thing about these books is that as we grow, so do they. They can be enjoyed purely and unquestioningly on the surface tale they tell, a modern myth of action and heroism, but they have depths equalled only by the deepest tree roots. Saying that you should read these books is like telling a man in the desert to drink water. My suggestion is rather that you re-read these books regularly to see how your perception of them changes, and what those changes may say about yourself.
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