It’s not easy to rate this book. I LOVE the LotR universe as it’s portrayed in the films which is why there’s soo much nostalgia already clinging to the story.
Nonetheless, I’ll try to review this as fair as possible.
Tolkien knows how to paint a picture of the surroundings the characters (and the reader alongside) find themselves in. The scenes were coming alive in my head and I could picture the small village of Bree and the wonderous forrest of Lothlórien so clearly. The fact that these pictures were quite different to the way Peter Jackson invisioned those places makes Tolkiens way of describing even more amazing.
Also, I really enjoy the language, the way it was written in the English language. It’s beautiful, and I’d guess that even people less interested in and amazed by the ‘old lingo’ than I am would take pleasure in reading it.
Also, I love, love, LOVE the way Tolkien writes characters because he gives them each a very unique ‘voice’. It was very refreshing to read of a Frodo who’s not quite so withdrawn and who takes initiative himself every now and then. Gandalf is just as amazing as he was in The Hobbit and even Bilbo felt familiar. Pippin and Mery get to be so much more than the comical relieve and Boromir felt even more human. Even the Orcs were more tangible and seemed more cognisant. Aragorn is the only one whom I’d wished Tolkien had written a bit more like Jackson had made him.
Still, I’m in awe at how you can always tell who’s speaking or thinking, as the characters are so well established and developed within the story.
The one thing that has me give this book ⅘ stars is the pacing. To me, this should have been a bit tighter - even though I know that writing styles were different all these years ago. But, as I want to be as objective as I can be with this review I have to point that out.
Quite a few scenes would have benefitted from a bit more action and a tighter pacing. I’m quite sure we would have learned about the characters just as well as with his approach.
The first half, especially, dragged on quite a bit.
All in all, you cannot read LotR without marvelling at Tolkiens huge imagination and his dedication to this world. Inventing languages, drawing maps and scenes, having so many backstories to characters and lands and happenings alike, and not least his knack for writing relationships and emotions - he was a fantastic author.
Ultimately, it’s an AMAZING fantasy story and I can’t wait to read the second and third book in the series!
