The Return of the King

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Summary: So ends the Third Age and the War of the Ring
Review: I think this part of, "The Lord of the Rings," is the grandest part and has an epic ambience to it. In particular, the ascension of Aragorn to the Throne of Gondor and the other events in the south of Middle-Earth are evocative of early Middle Ages (c. 1000 AD) both in the pomp and circumstance of the feasts and ceremonies and in the speech of the characters.

Even though, "Fellowship of the Ring," is my favorite part of the story there are certain sections of the part that stand out in my memory. The concluding chapters, which have a royal and somewhat majestic feel, are:
The Field of Cormallen
The Steward and the King
Many Partings

One of the most famous chapters in, "The Lord of the Rings," is, "The Scouring of the Shire," where the four hobbits; Pippin, Merry, Frodo and Sam, return to the Shire (their homeland) after traveling around for over a year. Many have thought this chapter is some sort of comment on the effects of the industrial revolution on England; Tolkien has consistently denied that any events of the book are based on the real world.

One of the most endearing qualities of that chapter is the fact that the brave four hobbits lead a rebellion against Men (who in addition to being twice the height of the average hobbit, are much stronger) and corrupt hobbits. This is such a change from, "The Hobbit," and the depiction on the Shire in, "The Fellowship of the Ring," where the hobbits merely worry about food and live their lives in ease. The fact that their homeland was touched and damaged by the War of the Ring surprises the hobbits; they always expected to come back to find it unchanged.

Finally, the Elves, the oldest Race of Middle-Earth, depart and end the Third Age of the World. After the War and the departure of the Elves, the Fourth Age, the Age of Men begins. For those that are interested, there are several appendices at the end of this part that explains some of the background of the history, languages, characters and races of the novel.

As for why I love the novel so much, it is difficult to pin it down exactly. The sense of a simpler world without so much technology and bureaucracy, with mysterious forces moving about to do great deeds is part of it. So much of modern fiction is so dreary or mundane, that a bit of fantasy is good. The sense that the novel is a feigned history, almost mythical, is another endearing quality of the book, for I have always enjoyed reading history.

If you want to start reading, "The Lord of the Rings," either buy a single volume or buy it in the three parts. The story is continuous and there are not breaks as such between the parts.

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Summary: Will Good Defeat Evil?
Review: A Review by Jake

When I first got this book, I didn't think I would like it at all, because it was so long. Boy was I wrong.

This book has so much description, it is unbelievable. It makes you want to start talking and writing with more description. "In such an hour of labour Sam beheld Mt. Doom, and the light of it, cut off by the high screen of Ephel Duath from those who climbed up the path from the west, now glared against the stark rock faces, so that they seemed to be drenched in blood."

This is a great story about good vs. evil, Where an unlikely hero is asked to do the unthinkable..... Save the world from an unimaginable evil.

This is a great story, and I think that J.R.R. Tolkien did a great job with the writing of this story. It makes you want to travel to middle earth to take part in the adventure.

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Summary: You've got to love "The Lord of the Rings" Trilogy!!!
Review: What is there not to like of J.R.R. Tokien books? It is lots of fun, plenty of adventure, action, battles, humor, hobbits, men, elves, dwarves, et., etc., etc.

Book two of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "The Two Towers", ends with Gandalf the Wizard and Pippin the hobbit traveling to Minas Tirith. Also Frodo the Ring-bearing hobbit and his faithful friend, Sam, are separated in the land of Mordor, Frodo in the hands of the dreadful orcs.

Now we go into book three, "The Return of the King". It's up to Sam now to save his master Frodo. It's a good thing he has the Ring of Doom with him. When Sam finally is able to free Frodo, they must continue their quest to destroy the Ring, before the evil Sauron uses it to his own purposes, to cover all the lands with his Darkness. But Frodo is starting to weaken with the weight and power of the Ring. Will he be able to complete his quest? Meanwhile, King Theoden and his Rohan forces, along with Merry the hobbit, travel to Minas Tirith to help King Denethor fight off Sauron's forces of Men and Orcs. And Aragorn the Ranger (or is he...?), Legolas the Elf, Gimli the Dwarf, and the Rangers decide to go to Minas Tirith... by the Paths of Dead!

A truly great conclustion to such a terrific series. J.R.R. Tolkien certainly made these books so interesting and realistic. You must read the Appendixes at the end of the book, it tells about all of the histories of Men, Dwarves, Elves, Hobbits, and more. Also gives timelines of the 2nd Age, 3rd Age, and more.

One of my most favorite characters is Legolas the Elf, one important reason is because he is an Elf. Somehow Elves have always fascinated and interested me, with their mysterious, quiet but strong ways. I love how he and Gimli the Dwarf are the best of friends and how they're always together and inseparable. I also love Pippin the Hobbit, he's so cheerful, kind, but always seems to always get into trouble! Also I think that Faramir the Prince is also a good character. Son of the King Denethor, in the eyes of his father is unworthy because he is compared with his brother, Boromir, who had been killed.

I can't honestly say which of the three books in the trilogy is the best. I strongly recommend you read all of the books, including the prelude, "The Hobbit". I think that the J.R.R. Tolkiens are mostly for teenager and adults, since younger kids probably would find it a little too complicated and boring for them. Have fun reading "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy! You'll find it loads of fun and keep you in page-turning excitement!

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Summary: Incredible ending.....
Review: Honestly, after finishing Lord of the Rings, I can't help but feel sad because it's over!!!

This story is incredible, the characters are profound, and very real, the Middle Earth comes to life in such a way that it becomes impossible to think that it doesn't exist, and there are so many different tales left untold that would be worth telling.

There really isn't enough I can say about this books, and especially about the Return of the King. We find each character following his own destiny, and facing his deepest fears, we see inner struggle, a huge war where each piece is as important as the rest and where they all move wisely and bravely into what awaits them, we discover courage in whom we least expect, and above all we find ourselves celebrating with them victory and love. It is simply incredible.

The only complaint I have is that it is too short!

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Summary: Tolkien's Lost It
Review: Fellowship of the Ring was an audacious, sweeping fairy tale with fascinating (and sometimes silly) characters, a narrative surge that survived tedious pages of description, and a mythic quality that overrode some of the pretension. The Two Towers was a fan's book, filled with boring Nordic warriors and a lot of pseudo-legendary claptrap, but redeemed by the hobbits and some stunning scenes.

Return of the King, the third volume of Lord of the Rings, is downright weird. Tolkien seems to have lost it. For much of the first two hundred pages, he is trying to write Beowulf (possibly forgetting that it's been written already and that this is not the year 1050). He even writes passages in perfect Anglo-Saxon poetic style, replete with proper rhythm and alliteration. Much of this is brutal to get through, with its fawning adoration of warriors and its recitations of family histories. Tolkien is so enamored of these Vikings that he downplays the fascinating and scary episode wherein Aragorn leads the armies of the dead against the forces of Mordor. This imaginative incident is offhandedly retold by Aragorn in the midst of all the stupefying knightly courtesies. Even the hobbits, Merry and Pippin, take on the bombastic cadences of the warriors, becoming sycophantic boobies as they bow and scrape to two different (and nearly indistinguishable) kings. The best sections of this Anglo-babble involve King Denethor of Gondor going bonkers and trying to burn his son alive.

When Tolkien finally gets to the Big Battle, the writing energizes, especially when Merry and Eowen-the beautiful princess disguised as a warrior--take on the Head Nazgul. But weirdness returns as Aragorn, who apparently is the Chosen One, begins healing the mortally wounded! This is a bit much, especially when Tolkien's prose turns Biblical (lots of "ands").

We finally get back to Frodo and Sam, who walk to Mount Doom over many, many, many pages (the slightly homoerotic relationship between these two becomes uncomfortably overt in this volume). Meanwhile Aragorn and all the warriors confront the REAL Head Nazgul in Mordor to distract Sauron, and plotting sense takes a holiday. Sauron--this omnipotent creature of darkness, who can see all--turns out to be as easily duped as a freshman buying a phony elevator pass from a senior. He totally misses Frodo and Sam traipsing up Mount Doom. And the only reason the two hobbits get there is because the orcs conveniently quarrel and slaughter each other.

And then comes the Huge Climax, the moment the whole epic has been building toward--and it's over in one paragraph! Frodo wants to keep the Ring, Gollum bites Frodo's finger off and falls into Mount Doom. End of Sauron. Eighty gazillion warriors, two kings, elves, dwarves, and a mighty wizard couldn't touch this Prince of Evil, but he's done in by a bit of slapstick! You look back on a thousand pages and say "What was THAT about?"

Then, after pages of pageantry, there's a whole new story! Saruman, the once mighty and evil wizard, has set up shop in the Shire as a kind of Tony Soprano, and the four hobbit warriors rout him and his thugs. Where did this extra tale come from? If you know that Tolkien was a Luddite, you can understand the stuff about cutting down trees and building smoke-belching mills. But after defeating Nazguls, Balrogs, and Sauron, routing a pack of comical toughs isn't exactly a challenge for Frodo and company. Amazingly, Tolkien's prose transforms here, becoming plain and spare. I suppose you could admire Tolkien for the tour de force of transforming his prose to fit his characters, but I find it disconcerting. There is a bittersweet loveliness to the ending, where Frodo, mortally wounded in his soul, sails off to the Gray Havens with Gandalf and Bilbo.

So this book is kind of a mess. And yet--with all this, somehow the three-volume epic keeps you engaged, and you care about the hobbits. I'm reminded of Moby Dick--not a similar story, but also a book that is a stylistic and structural disaster and yet somehow works. I read all the way through Lord of the Rings and will probably read it again, infuriating and labored as much of it remains. I suppose Tolkien's fierce belief in his own world lends this flawed saga a touching enchantment.

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Summary: "The Return of Tolkien's Masterpiece" By Ted Bowen
Review: "The Lord of the Rings" book series are considered Tolkien's masterworks and for good reason. The third book begins as Frodo Baggins, Bilbo Baggins's nephew and the Ring-Bearer, is captured by orcs and taken to a tower in the dark land of Mordor. Sam, Frodo's servant and a member in the Fellowship, tries to get Frodo out of the tower. The story then turns to Aragorn, heir to the throne of Gondor and the only thing that stands in Sauron's way, and his army. They came to the Black Gate (the entrance of Mordor) to buy Frodo and Sam time, for their only hope was the destruction of the Ring. Tolkien describes each scene with so much care and detail that you'd think you were actually there. He takes you to a world of fantasy and adventure that grips you from the start and does not willingly let you go. Tolkien puts the "good triumphs over evil" genre and adds unexpected twists and turns that are thoroughly entertaining. I would recommend this book to everyone. The plot is thoroughly enjoyable and exciting. The story line and flowing and beautifully written. J.R.R. Tolkien has truly written a masterpiece in fantasy novels. <:)

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Summary: An apt finish
Review: Ah, it's hard to write a review on the third book without spoiling some of the fun. I will say, though, that everything wraps up nicely (although not to most readers' "good triumphs evil completely" expectations) in this third installment of Lord Of The Rings.

Don't read this book before reading the other two. That might go without saying, but don't even think about it. You will be lost.

Again, the book is rich with Tolkien's gorgeous prose. You'll probably never read prose so beautifully wrought by any modern writer out there. I think I will tackle the series a second time when I am older so I can read it aloud to my children.

I would say also that there are some nice spiritual undercurrents to this book that makes it fabulous from a moral perspective. You are not just reading a fairy tale, you are learning a bit about courage, duty, honesty and virtue. It's a big book to wrap your mind around, but congratulations to everyone who has journeyed through the first two books to Return Of The King. You won't be disappointed.

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Summary: Not enough can be said
Review: How could I possibly fit every glorious thing there is about this series of books into 1000 words? Tolkien is a genius; there is no way to deny that. He has managed to create an entirely different world, every tree, every creature, every nuance of language, every folktale; everything is on these pages that might possibly exist in middle earth. That I believe is Tolkien's true genius, his ability to construct this world in his head and to let us visit it, completely and fully for four glorious books. However, maybe that is not the extent of his genius. Maybe not because Tolkien also tells a ripping good tale throughout these novels. The prelude with Bilbo being swept up by a band of dwarves and being sent against his will to battle a dragon takes about a night to read, despite the fact that it covers over 300 pages. And then you start the true trilogy, and the ring that Bilbo finds which seemed like a neat little trick in The Hobbit (it grants the wearer the benefit of invisibility) this ring is suddenly so much more than a very handy parlor trick. It is THE ring; crafted ages ago in elven halls with unspeakable power and unfightable draw. Men kill for it, dwarves kill for it, everyone would kill for it and suddenly you are swept off on another adventure with another unsuspecting hobbit that covers all of middle earth and includes the fate of the world...all over this little unassuming ring that must be destroyed. The journey you take in these books will not easily be forgotten, here I am getting chills thinking about the epic battles between good and evil that spring up like weeds around the path of this little ring and Frodo, the hobbit who is charged with destroying it. These books are just wonderous, I cannot say that enough.

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Summary: Powerful conclusion
Review: This final piece of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings finishes the phenomenal trilogy with even more force than it was begun. Picking up just before the climactic battle of Gondor, it keeps up the suspense through to Frodo's internal battle with darkness. I won't give away anything that happens (in case someone has not read it yet) but let it suffice that Tolkien is one of the best writers I've ever read, and his world of Middle Earth is imaginative and the inspiration for almost the entire genre of sci-fi and fantasy. I've re-read the last few chapters of The Return of the King uncountable times, it is so moving. All the characters are realistic and have depth; the settings are gorgeously detailed; Tolkien was a master storyteller beyond compare. If you've never read this trilogy (and The Hobbit as well) then what are you waiting for? Even if it takes a while, it is worth it a hundred times over.

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Summary: The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, Part 1)
Review: This is the best book I have ever read. It's exciting, suspenseful, and full of adventure. If I ever reccomended a book it would be this, but I would advise that you read "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien first.