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Summary: The Two Towers - A great story!
Review: Well, if you liked The Fellowship of the Ring of The Lord of the Rings series, then you'll have a ball with The Two Towers. In the second part of this story, it continues off with the scattered fellowship looking for their ring-bearer, Frodo, who somehow disappeared along with Samwise. Along with that, the quest continues with Frodo continuing his quest of destroying the ring of all evil in Mordor. J.R.R. Tolkien is a tremendous writer. Besides The Lord of the Rings, others stories like The Silmarillion is a great example of his work. This book is like an introduction of Middle-Earth, which is where The Lord of the Rings series take place. If Tolkien hadn't existed in his time, then how would fans of the him be able to live without his stories? Without J.R.R. Tolkien, then his stories wouldn't exist and how could we live with that? He also uses great imagery in his stories, which is a great asset to the series. For the fans of Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings is highly recommended, for it is written by a great author. Not only that, you don't even have to be a fan of the author. If you love stories with magic, friendship, and a fight between good and evil, then this series is a perfect match for you. For friendship, both Frodo and Sam will go far beyond the dangers of Middle-Earth to destroy that ring. If one falls, then the other falls also. That's how friendships work between Frodo and Sam. Their bond is their courage to continue on to Mordor. For me, this is why I love this story.
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Summary: Part Two of one the Greatest Trilogies In HISTORY
Review: Gandalf is gone. Boromir is dying. Frodo and Sam are gone, and the rest of the Fellowship has been disbanded. Things couldn't be worse for the 9. But things eventually begin to go up. Frodo and Sam encounter Gollum, the creature that Bilbo took the Ring from, and he promises that he'll help them get to Mordor to destroy the Ring. However, things and people aren't always what or who they seem to be. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli search for Merry and Pippin who were captured by Orcs. Gandalf returns to help them in their search, and plans to take on Saruman in a duel to get at least one enemy out of the way. Merry and Pippin meet up with the Ents, a species of talking trees, and they agree to help in the fight against Saruman because of Saruman's tendency to kill trees. Meanwhile, Frodo, Sam, and Gollum meet Faramir, Boromir's brother, and then they are off to Mordor. But when they get there, things go horribly wrong... Once again, this is an amazing story, and if you liked Part 1, continue with this one.
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Summary: This is a review of the Reader
Review: In my review of his reading of the Fellowship of the Ring, I gave poor old Rob Inglis a bit of a drubbing (rated three stars). And, in my review of the second set, I am going to give him a bit of a break. My general comments about Inglis stand. He is a bit one paced. Because of the nature of his voice he is limited as to the range of voices he can adopt. And he as a tendency to read in an arch, almost pretentious manner which does the book and many of the characters something of a disservice. I think that because of his own age, Inglis has a tendency to make his characters sound older than they should. The best example of this is Aragorn and it was my wife who made this point first. I have always seen him as a young, vigorous man - early thirties. This is how Peter Jackson also saw him if his casting is any judge. But Inglis' rendering suggests a middle-aged man - in his mid fifties. However, my recommendation, then, as now, is to buy this version as it is the only extant unabridged version of Lord of the Rings that is available. Having said that, he seems appreciably better in his rendering of the characters in this volume of the trilogy - perhaps he grew into the reading as he went along - this often happens. There are certain characters which he has "nailed" - among them Tree Beard and most importantly of all, Gollum. Inglis' rendering of Gollum is near letter-perfect. For all my quibbles, I was completely addicted to this reading. I drive about 30 minutes to and from work each day - and have a 2 hour drive to and from our farm on weekends. If I ever found myself in the car at the end of a set of CDs, with a long drive ahead of me, I almost went stir crazy. I should also say that my brother, also a LoTR aficionado does not have the same problem with Inglis - he even likes listening to the songs! - which I still find un-listenable.
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Summary: The second part of J.R.R. Tolkein's famous Lord of the Rings
Review: The main theme of the second part, The Two Towers, in general, (but more the fourth book, the latter half of this volume), is friendship, devotion, loyalty, and faithfulness. It begins with the ever growing friendship of Gimli and Legolas. Dwarf and Elf, they were bound to be enemies, due to the hatred and mistrust between their peoples. In The Fellowship of the Ring they start out bickering and fighting, but soon they create a bond and friendship. This friendship only grow in The Two Towers. They still have their differences, but no longer the mistrust, for they learn that these differences can live in harmony, and this misconceptions came be worked around. Gimli sees beauty in the caverns, while Legolas thinks them as dark and dreary caves of rock. Gimli speaks of their beauty, and Legolas listens but does not agree. Legolas the elf then speaks of Fanghorn, a great forest. Gimli is afraid of the forests, and refuses to enter it. They make a compromise, out of friendship, that if they survive their journey, Gimli is to travel into the forest, Legolas will travel into the caves. They make these decisions to help better understand each other. Another friendship is the love for Gandalf. He is respected, and sometimes warily feared for his great powers, but nonetheless he is loved. The hobbits especially, Merry and Pippin, feel a devotion and attachment to this great wizard. They are mere hobbits, and to them even a man is great, and a wizard greater beyond all imagination. He is respected and loved. But the greatest display of friendship is in the fourth book, with Sam and Frodo. Sam did not choose to travel on the journey he did, he just kind of ended up in a mess where he didn't belong. But he gladly excepted it, for Frodo was a great friend of his, and went along as a faithful servant. He sacrifices himself at all times, staying away while his master sleeps. He offers his kind hobbit advice and always warns Frodo of any danger. He is not very bright in the ways that Gandalf the wizard is, but he has a true heart. He is unworldly, unknowing of the real world, and even though he has seen great peril, his mind seems stuck in The Shire. He's sees Frodo as a great being, and follows him and protects him wherever he goes. He has a devotion and loyalty towards Frodo that is undying. It is not strength, nor bravery, nor wisdom that keeps Frodo, the unlikely hero, alive and well, able to make his journey. It is the love and friendship he receives from his servant, Samwise. With Sam, Frodo would be nothing. But because he does have Sam he is able to hold onto that strand of hope and pull himself to the top. The greatest lesson of The Two Towers is that of friendship and loyalty. One does not need strength and wisdom, one only needs a well directed heart and a true friend.
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Summary: 5 Stars for Everyone! (Including You)
Review: One of the most astounding traits of Tolkein's writing is his uncanny ability to create different races that are unique in their ownright but altogether familiar to us personally. Tolkein seems to have taken a very personal vision and expressed it in a universal way. The characters are easy to relate to and the adventure is captivating...5 stars for Mr. Tolkein ...
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Summary: worlds greatest
Review: this is the best book for you if you liked there and back again
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Summary: Different but just as good
Review: The second volume of Tolkien's epic trilogy never even wavers. If anything, it seems steadier and more controlled than "Fellowship," as several characters become more central and the plot focus widens to envelop all of Middle Earth. Fans are already slavering for the next blockbuster movie (whose future presence is indicated by the picture of Christopher Lee on the cover). We return just after the arrival of the orcs and the departure of Frodo and Sam. Aragorn finds that Merry and Pippin have been abducted rather than killed -- for what reason, no one knows. He, Legolas and Gimli race to find the orcs and retrieve the hobbits, but are stopped by the tough Riders of Rohan (enemies of evil wizard Saruman), and then by an old and dear friend: Gandalf, who has been resurrected in the new form of a White wizard. Elsewhere, Merry and Pippin must use all of their wits to escape the orcs, and then find a strange band of allies that no one could have hoped for. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam head into Mordor -- with an eerily familiar figure, Gollum, following them. Frodo subjugates Gollum, forcing him to swear on "the precious" that he won't harm him. In return, Gollum promises to guide the two hobbits through Mordor, straight to Mount Doom. But the Ring is weighing more heavily than ever on Frodo, and is starting to reassert its old sway on Gollum... One of the most noticeable changes in this book is the shift of focus. "Fellowship" was Frodo-centric, since the narration revolved around him, as did all the events and thoughts. But with the breaking of the Fellowship, the narration falls into three categories: Frodo and Sam; Merry and Pippin; Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. This triple style allows individuals to shine more brightly, when they are called on to do more than hike with Frodo. We also have a wider view of Middle-Earth in general. While the slow slog through Mordor doesn't really tell or show us much (aside from what a hellhole Sauron is the middle of), the effects of the orcs, Saruman and Sauron on places such as Gondor and Rohan. Changes can be seen in Frodo even in this book, and which become more pronounced in the third book of the trilogy, "Return of the King." He becomes sadder and more introspective, and the Ring's growing hold on him can be glimpsed at times. Aragorn is also changing. He is no longer merely the rugged outcast Ranger, but displays the hints of a future great king, if he can only get to his throne. Legolas and Gimli are both fleshed out; we see hints of guy-bonding humor as they battle orcs, and the further strengthening of the friendship they started in "Fellowship." Gandalf is back, essentially the same but more of a warrior and a leader. Merry and Pippin also change with the book. These two innocent young hobbits have to suddenly depend on their own wits and brains, without Aragorn or the others to protect them. Both of them also go through learning experiences: Pippin's traumatic experience with the palantir, and Merry's growing attachment to King Theoden. Sam is more promiment in this book, as Frodo's friend and personal pillar of strength. There are bad guys too: we actually meet Saruman in this volume, and he's both seductive and repulsive at the same time. There is also the hideous Grima Wormtongue, who reduces Rohan's king to a senile old man until Gandalf arrives. But where Tolkien really outdid himself is Gollum. Gollum returns, in a substantially different state. Oh, he's still addled and addicted to the Ring, but he displays a dual love/loathing for the Ring, a weird affection for Frodo (who, from his point of view, is probably the only person who has been kind to him), and displays a Ring-induced multiple-personality syndrome. Very rarely can bad guys elicit the sort of loathing and pity from the reader that Gollum does. One noticeable aspect of this book is friendship. When the Fellowship sets out from Rivendell, virtually everyone is a stranger, with the exception of the hobbits. However, in this book we get our view of how much Sam loves Frodo and wants to help him. Sam is fully aware of how much Frodo needs emotional support, and he's quite willing to be a pillar of strength for his friend. We see Gimli and Legolas's affection for Merry and Pippin; and Legolas's willingness to kill Eomer if Eomer hurts Gimli shows how far this Elf and Dwarf have come. This book is substantially darker than "Fellowship." Frodo is starting to stumble under the weight of the Ring, and other characters die or are seriously hurt. The scene where Pippin's mind is trapped by Sauron is a very disturbing one, as is a violent and saddening scene late in the book. But there is also some wry humor: Gandalf's joke as he hears Saruman throttling Grima Wormtongue, Legolas's snippy comments about pipeweed as Gimli and the hobbits smoke up a storm, just about any scene with Pippin, and Sam's debate with Gollum about whether they should cook the rabbits. This book will grab you and never let you go, and will leave you screaming for volume three. Don't begin reading "Two Towers" unless you have book three nearby.
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Summary: Saving The World
Review: J.R.R Tolkiens novel The Two Towers is an outstanding book. Being the second part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy it is the heart of the story. The book starts off on the run and stays that way for it's entirity.
Tolkien creates a world, Middle Earth, that is so real and so believable, it seems to be an actual place. This makes the book better than most fantasy tales and provides a backdrop which works perfectly for the characters, which are very unique and diverse. The felloship travels in two groups through Middle Earth climbing a seemingly unsurmountable mountain, by fighting a war against evil, but being held together by their friendship and driven by their will to survive with hopes of saving the world.
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Summary: The best book series ever...
Review: All I can say is out or 5 stars it gets a 7. This is the best medival book I have ever read. The word use is a little hard to grsp if you are young but the story plot was outstanding. Tolkien really knew how to write a story. He uses many interesting creatures. My favorites were the Elves. He show you many things about every race. This was a very descriptive book.
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Summary: KIND OF BORING
Review: I was hoping this book would be thrilling but every part with
Strider and Legolas was too serious and boring! The only parts that were good were Merry and Pippin and Gandolf. Frodo doesnt even return until the end of the book (the one I bought has book 4 at the end) If Frodo was in the whole story it would of been alot better! I think that Pippin is my new favorite character since I'm kind of like him-always getting in trouble!
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