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Summary: The Return of The King
Review: "The Lord of the Ring" The Return of the King is one of the best book I've ever read. It had me jumping of my seat, and I wondered if the movie can match up to the book. I recommend this book to the fans of "The Lord of the Ring", and to all the people that are not, after reading any of the three books, you will be.
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Summary: How depressing.
Review: This book would have been so much more interesting if Sauron had just gotten his ring. Those hobbits and elves were just annoying. My mind kept screaming for them to die, but they never did.Tolkein is the most depressing autor ive ever read. Every character he makes me fall in love with he has killed by every character he makes me hate. Sauron, Sarumon, Durins-Bane (the Bolrog), The Witch King, and not to mention all the Orcs. I remember crying after the Hobbit because Smaug and all the Orcs died in the last battle. One of my biggest complants about this book was how he portrayed the battles. He spent a good twenty pages describing the all mighty power of the Witch king, and then had him die in five seconds at the hand of a woman. That, and his descriptions of the battle was very generalized. He basicaly said, that the good guys won and that the Evil was very strong. It would have been so great if Sauron could have gotten the Ring and taken over middle Earth, the story would have been much more interesting. The hobbits were just annoying. Tolkein's book had so much potential, sure its a classic and will be popular even another 50 years from now. But it will never be as great as it could have been.
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Summary: Fine Finish To A Great Trilogy
Review: Anyone who has read the first two in this classic trilogy, or who wants to get a jump on the movie release will want to read this. While Frodo and Sam move closer to destroying the ring, fierce battles wage between forces of good and evil with Aragon leading the victors. After finishing the book, the thing that struck me was the amount of current authors whose own work resembles Tolkein's. The most prevalent in my mind is Robert Jordan, but also admittedly Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series.
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Summary: Return of the King review
Review: The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King
By J.R.R. Tolkien
Harper Collins Publishers
Copyright 1955, 1965, 1966
Return of The King Review This book starts out with Pippin riding with Gandalf in the realm of Gondor. Then they go to the kingdom of Minas Tirith. There is a lot of talking about pretty much nothing for a while. Then it picks up with Merry while he is in Rohan. Then Merry is made into an advisor to the king of Rohan because he saw how the king's son died and he was one of his friends. Then there is an invasion of Rohan by the Orcs. Then it tells how they ride on the Road of the Dead.
I thought this book was alright. To tell the truth this book was kind of slow in the beginning. A lot of it was just talking. But once they finally got to some of the fight scenes it was really good. Over all I thought this book was pretty good mmm'kay. I give it ***1/2 (three and a half stars). By A Gilpin County Sophmore
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Summary: The Return of the King
Review: In The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien, Frodo continues his quest to destroy the one ring. This book grabs the reader's attention and doesn't let go.
In the novel, Frodo continues his quest to destroy the one ring, with the ring always weighing heavily upon him. He must destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom, a mountain deep within Mordor, the realm of the dark lord Sauron. In the meantime, Pippen and Gandalf make their way to Gondor, where they face perils of their own. While Merry, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and the Riders of Rohan travel back towards Rohan to gather their strength and ride also to Gondor, to aid in fighting against the siege that was inevitably about to hit. Later Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and some of the others split from the group and take another route to get there even faster. Throughout the book all of the characters go through many perils, even those not going straight into Mordor.
This book grabs your attention and doesn't let go. It doesn't have a dull moment in it. Even in the few moments of quiet, it still has something interesting going on. It is extremely creative and inventive. It has many unexpected events and twists. I recommend that you read this book, but it is very important to read the first two books of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, before you read this one to avoid a great deal of confusion. I also recommend that if you enjoy these books you should read the prequel, The Hobbit.
The Return of the King was a captivating, creative and thrilling book. It keeps the reader guessing until the very end and even then it has an unexpected twist. The novel has a range of emotions from joy to fear to sadness, often all at once. Though each character has a different job, each has their own significance.
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Summary: The Return of the King; A Work of Literature
Review: The Return of the King is an exciting, fast paced, novel. The novel is about the a man named Aragorn and how he is the riteful heir to the throne of a mighty kingdom, and a hobbit, or halfling, who is on a quest to destroy the One Ring of Power. A dark lord named Sauron aimes to destroy all of human kind and rule Middle-earth. He forged the One Ring of Power, and with it his disires can be filled. The race of mankind fights to destroy it, while Sauron's army of orcs, evil creatures born out of the ground; Nazgul, kings of old who were decived; and evil men; fight to recover the One Ring of Power.
The Return of the King is a real page turner. J.R.R. Tolkien, the author, has created an entire world, and history in order to write this book. Not only did Tolkien write all three of the books in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but also a 100+ page appendix. I think this is a wonderful book.
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Summary: The Best Of The Lot
Review: One Ring to find them
One Ring to bring them all
And in the darkness bind them Each generation of storytellers creates a new myth that grabs hold of the imagination of future generations for decades to come. In 1937, J.R.R Tolkien started such a myth with the publication of "The Hobbit". Despite the flaws of their creator and the displays of racial, class, and gender prejudices that is obvious to a modern audience, the books of the trilogy brilliantly recount the tale of Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves and Men and their battle with evil. It is in the portrayal of his heroes struggle against the baser forces that the author transcends his own shortcomings to pen what has become one of the best sagas of courage, nobility of spirit, and raw adventure. Although often referred to as a trilogy Tolkien first wrote "The Lord of the Rings" as a single novel consisting of six books plus appendices. Tolkien's publisher divided this massive book into three novels. The first novel, "The Fellowship of the Ring", was first published 1954. This book continues the story begun in "The Hobbit" when Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit, found a shiny ring lost by a creature called Gollum. "The Fellowship of the Ring" reintroduces the audience to Middle Earth and her occupants. Each of the nine characters that compose the fellowship of the ring represents a different race that lives in Middle Earth. There is Gandalf the gray, a mighty wizard; Legolas the noble elf; the men Aragon a ranger and future king of men and Boromir eldest son of the Stewart of Gondor; Gimli, a dwarf lord; and finally the Hobbits Frodo, the ring bearer; his gardener and friend Sam and his two younger cousins Meriadoc or Merry and Peregrin or Pip. This first book also tells the story of the creation of the Rings of Power by the Elven-smiths and how Sauron the Dark lord of Mordor forged the One Ring filling it with his own power so that he could bind all the other ring wearers to his will. Although defeated centuries ago and his ring lost, Sauron now awakes and seeks it. Bilbo's ring is soon discovered by Gandalf to be the One Ring. Soon it is decided that Frodo and his companions must enter Mordor and cast the ring into the very fires from which it was forged. This is the only way to destroy it. The fellowship ends with the fall of Gandalf to the fiery creature the Balrog, the death of Boromir at the hands of the evil Orcs who kidnap Merry and Pip and the decision of Frodo to continue on with only Sam to Mordor. Aragon, Legolas, and Gimli set of to rescue Merry and Pip from the Orcs. Book two, "The Two Towers," chronicles the separate adventures of Aragon traveling with Legolas and Gimli, Pip and Merry fleeing from the Orcs meeting up with the Ents and reuniting with Gandalf and of Frodo and Sam moving toward Mordor. This book also introduces us to new characters: Faramir, younger brother of Boromir; the Ents, the treelike guardians of the woods; King Theoden of the Rohan, his nephew Eomer and his niece Eowyn. We are also reintroduced to the evil wizard Saruman and his city of Isengard and to the creature Gollum. Book three, "The Return of the King," is the final novel in the trilogy and by far the best. This is an example of the author surpassing his own limitations as the characters thrive and grow. This novel opens as the shadow of Mordor grows. The companions of the Ring continue to follow separate paths all leading toward the same goal, the overthrow of Sauron. Aragon is now revealed as the heir of the ancient kings of the West. Along with Legolas, Gimli, and Merry, he has joined forces with king Theoden and the riders of Rohan to go to the aid of the mighty city of Gondor. If Gondor falls so will the rest of Middle Earth. Pip is now in the service of Denethor the steward of Gondor and father of Boromir and Faramir. He serves this harsh lord while awaiting the coming conflict. Gandalf gathers news and makes his own preparations for battle. Frodo and Sam after escaping the clutches of the giant spider Shelob continue their journey toward the Cracks of Doom and the destruction of the One Ring. All the while, Sauron's forces gather for the great battle for Middle Earth. When I first read these books as a child, they captured my imagination and have not completely let it go yet. Rereading them in my late teens and early twenties I became disappointed by the author's prejudices that marred some of the passages for me. However, as I grew older and reread them again I realized that those things that offended my sensibilities were mere reflections of the age and climate in which the author was raised. They were not essential parts of this tale of the continuing battle between good and evil. Tolkien set out to tell a story about the struggle between the world of nature represented by the Elves and the Hobbits and the age of the machine represented by Sauron and especially Saruman who destroyed entire forests to build his city and war machines. However, these stories transcend mere allegories about the struggle between man and machine or good and evil and become cosmic in their application when speaking of basic concepts such as good, evil, courage, friendship, loyalty and hope. I had first set out only to review the third book "The Return of the King", because the movie will be out in December. However, I realized that for those of you who have not read the other books that it was essential to give back-story and this resulted in a review of all the books. I hope you find this review helpful and derive as much pleasure from reading these books as I did. The only thing I found confusing in the entire trilogy was the fact that the name of the evil overlord Sauron was so similar to that of Saruman the evil wizard. Fantasy and adventure lovers who have not yet read the books should do so.
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Summary: One of the Best Books of All time
Review: This Book Rules, it is a must buy.
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Summary: Better than the rest!
Review: The Return of the King is a great climax to the greatest novel ever written! Although I must say sometimes it is a tedious read, but it is still a great book. Just the fact that the history is just like it was all real, is amazing enough! The battle scenes don't go into great detail, because Tolkien writes it in such a way that you imagine what happens, he just gives it a base. The ending is truly moving, the book is definately a MUST read.
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Summary: Return of the King and End of the Ring
Review: 'The Return of the King' marks the conclusion of the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy. Actually, the story really begins in J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit,' but that book is not necessarily needed in order to understand 'The Lord of the Rings.' The story began in 'The Fellowship of the Ring,' in which the wizard Gandalf learns of the return of Sauron, a being of great evil, and discovers that Bilbo Baggins possesses the one thing that will make Sauron's return complete: the 'one' ring. The 'one' ring was discovered by Bilbo in 'The Hobbit.' He relieved its original owner, Gollum (a cave dwelling creature with multiple personalities), while on an adventure with Gandalf and a platoon of dwarves out to destroy a dragon, recover the dwarven king's treasure, and the dwarves' home. The ring will make it's wearer invisible, and in the right hands, will give it's bearer incredible power. However, the ring is evil and seeks to bend the will of those who wear it to conquest. In 'The Fellowship of the Ring,' Gandalf decided that Bilbo was no longer fit to wear the ring and sent him off to see the elves. Frodo, Bilbo's nephew, was Gandalf's hand picked successor to carry the ring, and was sent off with a few friends on an adventure to ultimately destroy the ring in the one place it can actually be destroyed: the home of Sauron and actual forging place of the ring known as Mount Doom. Bilbo, accompanied by Samwise, Merry, and Pippin (three other hobbits), and eventually Gimli (a grumbling axe carrying dwarf), Legolas (the bow weilding elf), the Ranger Strider (also known as Aragon), and other along the way set off to carry the ring to Mount Doom. Along the way, they encounter Ring Wraiths and other perils. The story continued in 'The Two Towers,' in which the Fellowship was split. Aragon, Legolas, and Gimli set off to help fight the coming war while Merry and Pippin are carried off to other battlefields. Fearing for his friend's safety, Frodo set off on his own with the ring, and was followed by Sam and the creature Gollum. The story finally concludes in 'The Return of the King.' The Orcish armies of Sauron have massed to attack Gondor. Strider must rally the armies of Middle Earth to fight against Sauron's dark forces. He must also make a decision as to whether he should reveal his true identity as the true King of Gondor. In the meantime, Frodo and Sam seek to complete the final stage of their journey to Mount Doom to destroy the Ring. Anyone who has read a great deal of fantasy literature will see Tolkien's influence. The power of the ring is mimiced in other fantasy novels, such as R.A. Salvatore's 'The Crystal Shard,' the races of elves, dwarves, and orcs are oft repeated my dozens upon dozens of fantasy authors, and the other magical items and treasures are now commonplace in fantasy literature. His description of the ring wraiths is the model by which all other undead creatures are compared against. Tolkien's work was obviously influenced by ancient mythology from the Norse to the Romans and perhaps by such novels as Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' with his portrayal of the undead. Tolkien accomplished his goal of writing a long sustained narrative. Depending on which version of the trilogy the reader gets, he is likely facing 1,000 pages of fine print text. At times, the reader will likely think Tolkien was either being paid by the word, or that he just wanted to write as long a story as possible. While the rich detail Tolkien provides is artful, it can be a bit tedious. For instance, the opening chapters of 'The Return of the King' detail the march of the armies to Gondor in minute detail. This goes on for dozens of pages. Bye the end of it, the reader feels like they have marched to Gondor across mountains and miles of fields. Perhaps that was Tolkien's goal, but it does make the book discouraging to read at times. A similar effect happens as Tolkien details Frodo and Sam's weariness as the approach Mount Doom. Also, nobody in the trilogy appears to be able to say 'goodbye' in under the space of three to five pages. The novel does have a satisfactory conclusion to the trilogy that is entirely appropriate. The final chapters only relate to the larger story in a remote fashion, but they are a fun read. Sam, in my opinion the true hero of the final volume of the trilogy, steals the spotlight from Frodo, the protagonist of much of the trilogy. His actions, will, and resolve allow Frodo to see his quest to an end (whether that be good or bad, you'll have to read the novel to find out). Yet, Sam is one of the least celebrated characters in the trilogy compared to Frodo, Aragon, Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf. I enjoyed reading the trilogy. Anyone who has seen Peter Jackson's recent movie treatments of the trilogy will probably enjoy these books as well. If you haven't seen the movies yet, I recommend reading each novel first before viewing the movie. This was the plan I used, and it made the movies immensely enjoyable. It is a rare incident when the movie turns out to be better than the book, but Jackson's movies so far have been better than Tolkien's novel, at least in my opinion. General fans of fantasy literature will enjoy this trilogy, if for nothing more than they will recognize Tolkien's influence in the works they are already familiar with.
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