One of my favorite things about the characters is the fact that they are all friends. Not that I'm against anything or anyone, it's just really refreshing to see how deep a love can go in a friendship
When I read the lord of the rings for the first time I kept having this weird sense of deja vu. When I later told my mom about this. She told me that when I was about 5 years old she and my dad was watching the movies with me in the room. They didn't think I was paying attencion to the movies because I was playing with my toys at the time (but it seems that I was whatching it because when I kept reading the books and I remebered glimses of the films - it was the most surreal reading experience ever!) P.S. sorry for the bad grammer - english is my second language
Exactly! He and Sam are underage by hobbit standards. They're Tolkien's equivalent of the 16 year old kids who enlisted during WWI. You kinda lose that in the movies, as the hobbits all seem to be the same age.
I need to know what you think of Faramir: he was Tolkien’s own personal favorite character, and he’s definitely one of my favorites too. What do you think about him?
Leith Skilling - My favorite! ❤️ A bookish man who also knows how to fight and, unlike his brother, is wise enough to know that you cannot use evil means to bring about good ends. When Peter Jackson, et al, made him take the ring in the movie (“The ring will go to Gondor”), I literally said “No! He never said that!” in the theater. I loved the movies otherwise but am still sore about that change. 😂📚
I agree. It was one of the few things Jackson’s movies disappointed me about. Faramir was one of the greats! He wasn’t nearly as tempted as the movies made him out to be. His upbringing also made me feel for him so much! Poor guy. His father could beam sunshine down on them, but he *so often* left Faramir out in the cold and only gave that light to Boromir. To have a brother you love and look up to, but also kind of can’t help resenting a little, to try so hard for a father everyone respects and know it’ll never be enough... that’s such a powerful perspective. He easily could have become a horrible person, but he rose above. I love that he was able to find Eowyn. They both grew up with different kinds of lacks of love, and brothers they loved but resented a bit because the brothers were given honor they never got. They were able to become a sanctuary for each other. They could be partners, sounding boards, a safe place to fall when they needed it. They deserved their peace in Ithilien after all they’d been through.
Amara Jordan exactly! That is such a powerful story, and both Faramir and Eowyn are, I think, some of the most well-rounded and convincing characters in Tolkien’s story.
Who on earth said there is no character work in LotR? The characters and the relationships between them are amazing! Granted, nothing is spelled out and nobody is sitting around the campfire disgussing their feelings, but that doesn't mean there is no character work. It just means the reader has to use their own brain and pay attention. It's so much better if you get to know a character though his actions instead of being told he is brave, loyal etc. Man, I have to reread these books.
Merphy: I really enjoy a book with high stakes where everyone dies at the end, I swear I'm not that bloodthirsty guys. Also Merphy: I just really want the Ent-Wives to come back and have a happy ending.
There is a hint of hope in thee tavern scene at the beginning of the book when one of the Hobbits mentions a female giant being seen. So they evidently still exist somewhere.
It’s like how I always used to have jewelry pliers and jump rings etc in my purse when I had a small jewelry business. I had no reason to think I’d need them. But over time, I helped five people with messed up jewelry because I happened to have my stuff. 😅 It wasn’t anything that was difficult to fix, but the people just didn’t know what to do and didn’t want to go in somewhere and get it fixed. It’s always a good idea to be prepared!
But I started The Hobbit today and Bilbo forgets his at home...so I mean, they’re not always reliable on bringing a good piece. Wait, need to double check first. But pretty sure he forgot it with his hanky and Gandalf catches up and he brought Bilbo’s hanky & pipes from the house
What?! Who hates the ents? How can anyone hate the ents?! I absolutely adore them! 💚 And I agree with you on the monologues. As much as I love the books, I'd love to see more instead of being told about.
I've watched the movies and I started the book series back in 2017 but stopped at like page 64 because of such a stressing student schedule!! I'm planning on starting it again in Jan, 2020!Sending love and support from Pakistan, merphy!!
I love your story about Return of the King and your grandfather’s passing. I have a very similar story with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I started the book a day or two before my own grandpa passed away, and I finished it the day after he died. The story and Dumbledore’s death helped me process my own grief.
When I finally read these last year the thing that struck me was just how entertaining it was and how real the characters felt. The whole Treebeard with Marry and Pippin chapter is awesome
I reread these once a year, never disappoints. Tolkien is a master of language and how to make a simple story so much more. I love these characters so much! Thank you!
Great review. I rate LOTR highly, though I am by no means the biggest Tolkien fan there is. I find it interesting how different Tolkien's writing style is from what is usual. Both in terms of things like including lots of poetry, or the way he tells his plot. There are oddities like that the love story of a major character, the titular character of the last part of the book, gets told in an appendix (most novels don't even have appendices), while the love story of two minor characters gets its own chapter. Or having the extra ending in the Shire.
I would love for you to read some of Tolkien's other books (The Silmarillion, The Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien etc..) and do reviews on them too. And as lots of people have been saying I also recommend Men of the West.
These books are legit my favorite books ever. My parents got me the pocket versions you have for Christmas because my old ones have fallen apart. I started my reread of them again a few days ago and I swear, as soon as I read the first sentence, it was like an old friend was calling me in to sit by the fire and share cookies. They just create this sense of being home. Every time I finish Return of the King, I get hit with this wave of homesickness and I just want to jump right back to the beginning again. I think the chapters in Moria are some of my favorites but I also love the way Tolkien does family relationships. Eowyn and Eomer’s connection with their uncle are some of my favorites. And Merry and Pippin are some of my favorite characters and I love seeing their growth. Pippin especially. And Gollum deserves a video all to himself. I’m going to say definitely check out Men of the West and Hello Future Me for more Tolkien. Hello Future Me did a video on Tolkien’s philosophy was really well done. ruclips.net/channel/UCItHdUEqlpfvDlcCeyZwH6w ruclips.net/channel/UCFQMO-YL87u-6Rt8hIVsRjA Also if you haven’t read the Letters of Tolkien, definitely do so. Tons of info there!
The thing is that Frodo is bearing the ring and he understands the suffering Gollum is going through. He sees himself in Gollum and so he wants to save him. Un the 2nd chapter of Fellowship, Frodo tells Gandalf "What a pitty [Bilbo] didn't stab the foul creature!". After carrying the ring for so long he sympathizes with him.
Hey Merphy. Don't worry about this being your 2nd read through. The way you talk about The Lord of the Rings is so beautiful, it's nice to see someone else love this world as much as I do. I've been getting the urge to read it as well, and listening to you talk about all your favorite moments and characters make me want to read it all the more. Thanks for the beautiful review of my favorite childhood story. :)
Merphy, I enjoy your reviews in general, but when you're emotionally invested, it's very infectious. Thanks! The movies were terrific, but nothing beats the original format.
I’ve just picked up knitting and I know what channel I’m going to love watching and listening to while I knit!! 😁 I’ve been sitting here with a smile on my face, nodding in agreement while I knit. 😂 I love a booktuber that is so freely honest with what they love. She doesn’t focus on the negative in an unhealthy way (or to get clicks) and she lets us know what she’s grateful for!!! I feel like in all areas of life it’s good to take a step back and look at what we’d grateful for, and I love that she does this about books! It’s so... refreshing and wholesome. 😊 I think sometimes, especially after reading books that aren’t really your thing or could use more editing, it can feel a bit more like work to get through it. And if that goes on for a while, a chain of several books in a row, it can have a chilling effect. I’m glad to be validated in my negative reading experiences, but I really like it when she’s had a good time reading. ☺️
I think Gollum/Smeagol is the most important character in the entire Lord of the Rings from a purely storytelling perspective (not a plot perspective) I think Frodo, Gandalf, Aragorn, even Sauron, all of them, if they were removed or altered, the story would still work to some extent, but removing seeing first hand what the Ring can do to a person like Smeagol, and seeing the dichotomy of good Smeagol versus evil Gollum is thematically the most important character arc for Tolkien's overall story.
I love how much passion you have for this book and how much passion you have for reading/stories in general. Listening to your reviews is a pleasure and after reading the fellowship I’m keen to get started on the two towers 👌
I plan to reread lord of the rings in 2020 (it’s been a couple years since my last reread), and you’re review makes me want to put down the series I’m currently working on and just start my reread right now! I love that you are doing reviews for this reread as Most booktubers I watch don’t talk about lord of the rings and it’s one of my favorite books! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the books!
Oh man. I had to pause at 6:10 just to comment that Treebeard talking about the Last March of the Ents as they go to attack Isengard has me tearing up just thinking about it. Like you said, it's so tragic, and it's such a powerful event in the book.
I just finished book 2 and man! I loved it! I'm so glad I trudged through book 1 (not my favourite so far... Definately need a re-read there). My favourite parts of the story were the relationships and the friendships. Legolas and Gimli were awesome and heartwarming while the loyalty between Sam and Frodo was breathtaking. Gandalf was enigmatic and interesting too and I for one LOVED the Ents!!! The whole part with Treebeard was one of my favourites! Overall I'm so glad I read this! On to the 3rd book!!!!
I saw the 1978 Ralph Bakshi animation before reading the books. But I read them for the first time in the early '90s and they felt new and exciting (except for Tolkien's writing, as I mentioned on your Fellowship review). But I also really love the relationships in these novels. The relationships between the hobbits especially.
Thanks for the review. Hope you're feeling better, Merphy. The number of videos you've put out while you're sick is impressive. You win the Most Dedicated Booktuber award!
I love Aragorn in the books...not so much the movie. While the movie trilogy is the best of all-time, I wish they hadn't changed him the way the did. Overall, the characters are great, the story is classic. I'm enjoying reading it to my children now.
I agree with what you said about the characters. They're some of the most well built characters I've ever read about. Their personalities are so well crafted it makes them feel like they are real, existing races of people. I love how they relate to each other. I found a lot of the dialogue to be brilliantly written. I've personally never heard anyone talk poorly about the characters in TLOTR. Everyone I know who has read them always gushes over how good they are and how much they grow over the course of the story. As far as that person saying "the character work in TLOTR is atrocious" goes, there are a lot of haters online who's opinions hold absolutely no water. I mean I've seen thumbs-downs on videos of the Berlin Wall falling, cancer survivor stories, videos of people and animals being rescued and a lot of other genuinely good things. A lot of people hate stuff just because it's popular, which is disingenuous. Then you have people who think they have the right to comment and stuff they know absolutely nothing about. I mean how many people have you heard saying the Harry Potter books suck only to find out they've never even picked one up? Hate is a weird thing. Some people thrive on it. I remember back in middle school I had a bully who absolutely hated me for no reason. I didn't know him at all and never even talked to him or anyone in his group of friends. One day he just targeted me and started seriously messing with me out of the blue. I asked him one if I did something to piss him off and he simply said "No". It lasted for two years and to this day I still don't know why. It didn't help that he was twice my size. Sorry for going off on a tangent there. Hatred has always been the one thing I dislike most about the world.
Lot of people recommending tolkien lore channels so I'll just add this one that I enjoy and haven't seen mentioned. ThePhilosophersGames, I quite like his view on how to tackle to difficulty of the different levels of confirmed lore and his sourcing of the actual books and letters where the information is from.
You should definitely be reviewing LoTR, it’s awesome seeing your reactions to it it first/second time around. I first read it when I was 11 and loved it so much and continue to love it having read it 15-20 times since, but it makes me sad I’ll never be able to recapture that first wonder!
I would recommend Jess of the Shire. She does a lot of LotR/Middle Earth content, as well as others like the Dune books. I don't know if she's been recommended by comments or your YT, so forgive me if you have already seen her channel.
I second Men of the West, his videos aren’t perfect but they are great resource for people who prefer audio to reading all the extra information. Video just in time for my plans to finish my AIME character, Hemvar, son of Divar, son of Drór. :D
You wanna look into channels like Hello Future Me, Man of the West and GeekZone then, those are some of the best channels that dive really deep into the lore
Nerd of the rings is a RUclips channel that dives pretty deep into the lore of all the stuff in the world of lord of the rings. Basically anything you could imagine or want to know he has a video about it. Super in depth and detailed. I don't know if you still are looking for something like that but if you are that's the channel to check out!!
One of my favorite parts of the Lord of the Rings is the whole dynamic between Frodo, Sam, and Gollum/Smeagol in the Two Towers. It's so heartwrenching and tragic that Gollum betrays Frodo and Sam in part because he feels betrayed by them but only because he is too blinded by his own greed to realize that Frodo saved his life when Faramir's band was about to kill him. Smeagol seems to genuinely be turning toward the good side of his personality but then his pain and anger slam that door closed and cause him to lead Frodo and Sam into a trap.
I do enjoy your videos. This one is about a year and a half old at this point, but in it you ask about you tube channels that are deep in lore. I skim some LoTR RUclips channels, but a podcast came to mind, called THE PRANCING PONY. The two guys, Alan and Shawn, are a bit goofy and often go off on a tangent, but overall I think they are the best at exploring the world and making it accessible. They start by going through the Silmarillion a portion at a time and continue to the Hobbit and are currently in The Two Towers, I think. You can jump in anywhere you like. They bring in lore from other Tolkien writings and Tolkien scholarly writing as they apply to the chapter being discussed at the time. They bring on guests quite often as well. They are dedicated fans, but very easy-going and user-friendly. Podcasts are handy since you can listen while you drive or do other things.
Merphy, love your enthusiasm for the books. I'm re-reading "LOTR The Return of the King". There's a RUclips called History of Middle Earth. There's also a slight called " Hello Future Me."
I so so so agree with you on the Ents! (Sorry I'm commenting so late, but this is the first time I've read these books and I love to hear your thoughts on them.) I had heard a lot of flack regarding the Ents, and tbh I didn't really like then either in the movies. It was so boring. But then I read The Two towers, and I was blown away by how much I loved Treebeard and the Ents and their culture. Also, definitely try to keep your kids from the movies before they read the books. I've watched and rewatched the movies all my life practically, and am now just getting to the books, and I love the books, dont get me wrong, but I think I would have loved then more if I hadn't seen the movies
💯 agree on monologuing major events. The first case is Gandalf’s imprisonment in Orthanc in Fellowship. I think it’s largely because Tolkien had it in his head to stick in one place with one group of characters at all times. If he’d written it today, when narrative structures are a lot more flexible, he may have done it differently. But yeah. When reading those scenes, I try to visualize them happening with Gandalf as the narrator rather than picturing Gandalf sitting there talking to them.
Did you like the beauty of the Dead Marshes in the Brown Lands where Gollum may have attempted to try out some old treats? 😃 There are several appendices at the end of Return of the King that will give you some backstory on the history of things and also a little something about the Elf tongues and script. Even in the story you do learn of things from the past as Pippin does on his ride to Gondor with Gandalf, or of the High Men from Tom Bombadil, and so on.
I just finished reading The Lord of the Rings for the 25th or 26th time, and I do not think you are a poser for reviewing them when it's "only" your second time through. I'm just happy to see how excited you are about the stories and how much you love the characters. That's the important part to me. And don't worry about the details. Middle-earth abounds with detail, and I always feel like I'm seeing something new even after all this time. I don't know of any RUclips Channels, but The Prancing Pony podcast goes into incredible depth about the Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and now The Lord of the Rings. They're also hilarious, assuming you like puns and dad jokes. :-)
You're absolutely adorable, i dont mean physically which yes you are very cute but I love your passion for the written word and how you smile when you're thinking about something and you just get so invested in it
Good review. I always like to hear what other people think of LoTR, whether they love it or hate it. I read the Hobbit and LoTR at least once a year, and they are such a big part of who I am. Also, I love Boromir, but I seem to be in the minority. Don't feel bad about not knowing all the minutia. There is so much. I've been reading them for 20+ years, and there is so much I still don't know. My recommendation for LoTR channel is The Prancing Pony Podcast.
Don't mind forgetting these details. I've listened the audiobooks/read the books and seen the movies for a hundred times and still don't remember everything! The world and everything is so huge and there are a lot of characters and events so it's not easy to learn everything about it after a couple readings.
The LOTRs is ultimately about friendship, which is what makes the stories so fantastic. Sure, it's also a reflection of the horrors of war and a a warning about the death that comes with industrialization, but it's the friendship that the books really hinge on. Tolkien leaned heavily on his military friendships ... Friendships that largely ended in death. Finally, as I tell lots of folks, these books are really centered on Sam. He is truly the main protagonist. An ideal, unflagging friend.
I read these books quite young and I really struggled through the fellowship but raced through the second and third. I had watched the film's first but I think that made the books more accessible as the language can be quite hard. My introduction to the world was the Hobbit though my parent basically read and reread that with me a gazillion times
I first read LOTR when I was 11. My mother had just read The Hobbit to us as our holiday book. She got a copy of LOTR for her birthday and I commandeered it thereafter. I read it about twice a year for the next 10 years and once every 2-3 years since. It is an old and valued friend. Seeing you review it from the perspective of a recent reader brings back all the wonder and joy I felt from those early reads. Please let your children experience the books before the movies. (In fact if they never see The Hobbit movies would be best). Give them The Hobbit at about 8 or 9 or read it to them earlier, depending on their reading enthusiasm. Then LOTR, as a trilogy because it's easier to manage, even though it's NOT a trilogy. Please make sure they have access to the full appendices, which are so rich in world building. Then The Silmarillion. You like main characters dying, tragically? The Silmarillion is for you. It's a blood bath. It reminds me of the Scando-Germannic sagas like the Volsung Saga and the Nibelungenlied. Really enjoying your channel. One of the silver linings of the Rona.
This was beautiful! I also love these books and consider them a very important part of my reading life. I didn't know people hate ents! I absolutely love them!
The characterization is definitely rich. It’s handled in a more nuanced and poignant manner than many modern readers are used to. I may get criticism for this, but the one character I think lacks enough depth is Aragorn. I feel like he’s at his best in the chapters following their loss of Gandalf in Moria, when you feel his loss and agony as their default leader, uncertain how to fulfill that role.
Yess 100% agree. It's such a shame too. I feel like he could have been such an interesting character, if we just got to see him struggle a lil bit more
@@hadar675 But I think it would be a bit odd though. Aragorn had about 80 years under his belt preparing to be king. Including war experience with Rohan, being a leader of his kin with the Grey Company, and experiencing the wide world through being a Ranger. His character development is basically already done when the events of LoTR started
Personally I never liked the film's take on Aragorn - I really don't think Tolkien intended Aragorn to seem insecure or indecisive. He was brought up among Rangers and Elves, and knew his place in the scheme of things. His issue, as a leader, and as a mortal man, was how to deal with malevolent powers whose 'magic' was beyond his own capabilities. Bravery and sword skills alone couldn't overcome Maia and Balrogs, etc. Aragorn had to learn how to rekindle old alliances and be a leader, and Tolkien had already sent Aragorn down that path before the LOTR period. In the films he seems taken aback by all the responsibility. Jackson probably wanted to make Aragorn a figure that the average viewer could relate to/sympathize with, but Tolkien wanted the Hobbits to fulfill that role.
I read those books when I was 13 and I loved them so so so so so so much! I remembered all of the poems and wrote "I LOVE ARAGORN" on my sealing - that's how much I loved them
Not a youtube channel, but a podcast called the Prancing Pony podcast. Lifelong Tolkien fan over here and my dad is as well - we both listen to this podcast and it's amazing! They really dig into the lore and writing of LOTR chapter by chapter, sometimes a paragraph at a time. Really in depth and the hosts are fantastic :)
Do you recommend that specific edition that you were holding in the beginning of the video or you think that another edition would be better? I'm italian and, after I read the Italian translation, I decided to go for a second read in original language, would you recommend that edition? The video was very good! Regards from Italy 🇮🇹
I won't pretend to have even given it any conscious thought prior to having watched this video and having heard you point it out, but the character interactions really are one of the more entertaining and colorful parts of these books. The narrative and Tolkien's style leave a lot to be desired in several ways,in my opinion,but that was one of the stronger areas. Do I sound like an immature,21st century reader when I say that, while I DID enjoy and appreciate these books,they were so boring in many places that I had to treat them like an assigned book report or something in order to push myself through them. I love these books, but I've read them that ONE time, and I very much doubt I could ever pick them up and make it through them again. But I'm glad that I DID read them.
Just finished the two towers and I found the whole novel deeply moving.From the opening funeral song of Boromir to the cliffhanger at the books end. The relationship between Sam , Frodo and Gollum is so inspiring and tragic , more in the book than the films I genuinely felt pity for Smeagol. I was surprised how short the battle of Helms deep was in the novel but also how much the Silmarillion is referenced.It is a beautiful story. Tolkien was trying to create an epic worthy of the english language and he succeeds . wonderful
Lots of good youtube suggestions here, but there's a podcast I follow called Amon Sul. It approaches the Tolkien legendarium from the perspective of the Orthodox Christian church, and is a quite different take on it. It has some beautiful comparisons and a really fresh outlook. Just 1 episode a month and it's been going about a year now. So quick to catch up on.
I know this is an older video, but I'm just seeing it now. I'd like to ask which publishing of the book it is that you are reading? I really like the binding/covers for this and the Return of the King you show in your other LOTR video. Were these part of a boxed set?
Do not skip tom Bombadil I love him and he may seem random, but he does save the hobbits lives more than once, so he's not completely irrelevant. Also, how can you skip council of elrond??? That's where you learn like a majority of the backstory, and it's kind of where the rest of the story shoots off of. I love Tolkien and his writing, but I know several people who have a hard time with it since it's so wordy, so I understand if you want to skip some stuff. However, just know if you skip through some chapters, you're missing out. But again I understand, and good luck! :)
Book 2 is very good (save for the Merry and Pippin acid trip with the talking trees, imo) and is worth getting to. Never finished the series, though, because for some reason I wasn't as interested in Aragorn's story and book 3 starts off with that. I really wanted to get to Frodo and Sam's journey to Mordor. It might've been a lot better if Tolkien had alternated between POVs through the book, but he dedicates one half to the Aragorn gang and the other to Frodo and Sam.
i had tried too like for years. but i finally pushed myself to read it. i am loving it. i only have return of the king left to read. its such a great story. i understand the long long long details and the songs too. but its just too good a series to pass on. just try to get through book 1. book 2 is amazing.
Yep, I saw the Fellowship movie in theater first and then immediately bought the book that had all three as one huge book. And though I remember enjoying the Fellowship part as there was a lot in the book the movie left out or changed and I do remember a lot from my first read, I still enjoyed reading the Two Towers and Return of the King more because I had no idea what would happen next. Actually, I haven't read them ever since, as in not in nearly twenty years, yet I still remember vividly many many scenes and characters and how I felt reading them. And no, the movies aren't affecting my memory. I know they're from the book, there's such a clear difference between the feel of the movie scenes and characters and those of the books'.
Besides the dedicated LoTR channels, I highly recommend looking up videos by Peter Kreeft (he is a philosophy professor at Boston College) talking about the books, specifically the Catholic elements Tolkien wove into the stories.
Ah, nostalgia. I was fortunate in that a good friend recommended I read the books before each movie was released. I did that and every time got so hyped when the season came for the cinematic release... on a slightyly different note, I'd recommend for parents to read the books to their kids. They won't ever forget that.
Hey The Merph! I love LOTR. In my opinion, those books are the ultimate when it comes to high fantasy and none have surpassed them and I don't believe anyone ever will. They are perfect. A long time ago, I spent about two years reading and re-reading The Silmarillion because I was just blown away by the writing and the stories. I didn't want to leave Middle-Earth. As for Samwise Gamgee and Gollum, you gotta remember that Sam is really smart in his own way and he is like Frodo's doberman pincer; if anything is threatening Frodo, he's gonna sniff it out and not let up, and he may seem harsh on Gollum but he knows better and he's right. I really enjoyed the Ents, too, and if any character in the books represents JRR Tolkien himself, I think it is Treebeard.
*Just me.. Regular Shopper. Walking down the aisle looking for the best deals on food. Turns into the canned soup aisle to see random lady crying next to the cream of mushroom soup: "....oookaayyy...." *quickly pulls out and goes to the cereal aisle
After a few rereads in my teens I realised it's the structure of the books that makes the part with Frodo and Sam seem hazy. By not interveawing the povs and keeping with one group essentially for half a book at a time it all flows together.
I recently reread the LOTR and the Hobbit (in preparation to watch the extended version of all the films). It’s been a good 7-10 years since Iast read it. Pippin has always been my favorite character, but the part in the Two Towers at Cirith Ungol when Sam thinks a Frodo is dead and he’s talking to him, saying that he needs to borrow Sting and Galadriel’s gift to finish the journey.... I loved that section so much. That part as well as The Return of King really endeared me to Sam. I wish I could have a friend-could be a friend-as loyal and good as Samwise Gamgee.
It's not so much a 'culture of storytelling' which leads to Gandalf relating events orally instead of Tolkien portraying them, it's actually for a very specific reason. You mention that it's a moving POV story, but that's only partially true; instead, it is all told from the point of view of Frodo, and what the other Hobbits (plus Aragorn) related to him. The actual story/text of The Lord of the Rings is the account given by Frodo, who wrote it into the Red Book of Westmarch. Thus, the underlying truth of the narrative is that FRODO is the narrator, not Tolkien. Thus, Frodo could only write what he himself saw, and what his fellow Hobbits experienced, including being told themselves by Gandalf what had happened to him. It cannot be an action scene, because Frodo never witnessed the action, or even heard the first-hand account of it from Gandalf himself. Instead, Frodo is reporting what was reported to him, and the entire tale unfolds as a story told in this fashion. I can totally appreciate that to our modern eyes this can seem problematic, or a wasted opportunity, but it's actually (in this case, not as a rule) something necessitated by the very nature of what the story is. It is, ultimately, Frodo's account of, as he titles it: The Downfall of the Lord of the Rings, and the Return of the King. I know this is a little late, considering this video is a few months old now, but when you re-read Return of the King, pay special attention to the very last chapter, where Frodo reveals the book to Sam and entrusts it to him. Thanks for this video!
History of Middle Earth is a good channel. He does exclusively the lore of Tolkien's Middle Earth. Hello Future Me is also great, but he does a lot of other things besides Tolkien. Hopefully this helps! I love Tolkien's work. I think it is amazing. Thanks for the review!
This was such a sweet review. It's really made me want to start a reread. I love the ents so much. It's hard to believe some people don't. And I also love that (SPOILER... but this is a spoiler review, so what are you doing here if you don't want spoilers?) Sam fights and kills one of the scariest, most ancient creatures in the world in Shelab. Anyway, I've seen people already mentioned the channels Men of the West and Hello Future Me, but there's also a good bit on the channel GeekZone. You can find a bunch of other stuff around, too.
Not a RUclips channel, but the Prancing Pony Podcast is a very detailed read through, beginning with the silmarillion. They are only into the second half of Fellowship so far, but well work a listen.
With Lord of the Rings, I think it's difficult to retain all the scenes and things you love because there are so many! There is just so much detail, and so many cool things, in such a grand scale, that it's impossible to just remember it all. That being said, I applaud people that can re-read these books. I read them once, and probably won't do it again.
One of my favorite things about the characters is the fact that they are all friends. Not that I'm against anything or anyone, it's just really refreshing to see how deep a love can go in a friendship
When I read the lord of the rings for the first time I kept having this weird sense of deja vu. When I later told my mom about this. She told me that when I was about 5 years old she and my dad was watching the movies with me in the room. They didn't think I was paying attencion to the movies because I was playing with my toys at the time (but it seems that I was whatching it because when I kept reading the books and I remebered glimses of the films - it was the most surreal reading experience ever!)
P.S. sorry for the bad grammer - english is my second language
in what language do you read lotr?
That’s so cool
🤣🤣🤣
That's so cool man!
@@CoolAsianGuy originally in Latvian but later I reread it in English
recommend: Men of the west and hello future me
prancing pony podcast, you should check that out Jacob
I was just about to suggest hello future me when I saw this. :)
Hubby loves men of the west. I really enjoy hello future me
This.
Recommend: Tolkien Talk (in portuguese subtitled in eglish)
The thing about Pippin, that a lot of people overlook, is that he's the annoying teenager in the group.
Exactly!
He and Sam are underage by hobbit standards. They're Tolkien's equivalent of the 16 year old kids who enlisted during WWI.
You kinda lose that in the movies, as the hobbits all seem to be the same age.
Wow, I can't believe I didn't realize that!!!
Pippin and pipes
Sam is an adult, though not as old as Frodo. He is about the same age as Merry.
I need to know what you think of Faramir: he was Tolkien’s own personal favorite character, and he’s definitely one of my favorites too. What do you think about him?
Leith Skilling - My favorite! ❤️ A bookish man who also knows how to fight and, unlike his brother, is wise enough to know that you cannot use evil means to bring about good ends. When Peter Jackson, et al, made him take the ring in the movie (“The ring will go to Gondor”), I literally said “No! He never said that!” in the theater. I loved the movies otherwise but am still sore about that change. 😂📚
The loss of the entwives 😞. Tolkien mourned very much the transition from rural landscape to industrialization. Ain’t no going back once it’s lost.
I agree. It was one of the few things Jackson’s movies disappointed me about. Faramir was one of the greats! He wasn’t nearly as tempted as the movies made him out to be. His upbringing also made me feel for him so much! Poor guy. His father could beam sunshine down on them, but he *so often* left Faramir out in the cold and only gave that light to Boromir. To have a brother you love and look up to, but also kind of can’t help resenting a little, to try so hard for a father everyone respects and know it’ll never be enough... that’s such a powerful perspective. He easily could have become a horrible person, but he rose above.
I love that he was able to find Eowyn. They both grew up with different kinds of lacks of love, and brothers they loved but resented a bit because the brothers were given honor they never got. They were able to become a sanctuary for each other. They could be partners, sounding boards, a safe place to fall when they needed it. They deserved their peace in Ithilien after all they’d been through.
Amara Jordan exactly! That is such a powerful story, and both Faramir and Eowyn are, I think, some of the most well-rounded and convincing characters in Tolkien’s story.
I’ve decided that if I ever have a son, his middle name will be Faramir.
Who on earth said there is no character work in LotR? The characters and the relationships between them are amazing! Granted, nothing is spelled out and nobody is sitting around the campfire disgussing their feelings, but that doesn't mean there is no character work. It just means the reader has to use their own brain and pay attention. It's so much better if you get to know a character though his actions instead of being told he is brave, loyal etc.
Man, I have to reread these books.
yes
Merphy: I really enjoy a book with high stakes where everyone dies at the end, I swear I'm not that bloodthirsty guys.
Also Merphy: I just really want the Ent-Wives to come back and have a happy ending.
There is a hint of hope in thee tavern scene at the beginning of the book when one of the Hobbits mentions a female giant being seen. So they evidently still exist somewhere.
20:00 Men of the West
i absolutely recommend this channel
You will love it😁
was just about to say that
Yup! That’s the one to follow
This is what I was going to say as well. Guy has a real passion for it.
Tots McGoats
ruclips.net/channel/UCItHdUEqlpfvDlcCeyZwH6w
Its a hobbit... of course he is carrying a spare pipe in his pocket.
Exactly. It would be unusual if one of them didn't have a spare pipe.
It’s like how I always used to have jewelry pliers and jump rings etc in my purse when I had a small jewelry business. I had no reason to think I’d need them. But over time, I helped five people with messed up jewelry because I happened to have my stuff. 😅 It wasn’t anything that was difficult to fix, but the people just didn’t know what to do and didn’t want to go in somewhere and get it fixed. It’s always a good idea to be prepared!
That's so Tolkien-ish
But I started The Hobbit today and Bilbo forgets his at home...so I mean, they’re not always reliable on bringing a good piece. Wait, need to double check first. But pretty sure he forgot it with his hanky and Gandalf catches up and he brought Bilbo’s hanky & pipes from the house
Just here for fun, don’t shoot
I loved Treebeard. People actually don't like the ents?
I hate them in the movie, but I never really liked Merry N Pippin either
Thomas McDonough
Only orcs hate Ents.
The Ents are popular in LOTR fandom.
What?! Who hates the ents? How can anyone hate the ents?! I absolutely adore them! 💚
And I agree with you on the monologues. As much as I love the books, I'd love to see more instead of being told about.
I've watched the movies and I started the book series back in 2017 but stopped at like page 64 because of such a stressing student schedule!! I'm planning on starting it again in Jan, 2020!Sending love and support from Pakistan, merphy!!
Just skip the prologue and begin with the real beginning at chapter 1
I love your story about Return of the King and your grandfather’s passing. I have a very similar story with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I started the book a day or two before my own grandpa passed away, and I finished it the day after he died. The story and Dumbledore’s death helped me process my own grief.
I read these books when i was a kid. I was amazed by the writing and pacing. One of my favourite books ever 😃
When I finally read these last year the thing that struck me was just how entertaining it was and how real the characters felt. The whole Treebeard with Marry and Pippin chapter is awesome
I reread these once a year, never disappoints. Tolkien is a master of language and how to make a simple story so much more. I love these characters so much! Thank you!
Great review. I rate LOTR highly, though I am by no means the biggest Tolkien fan there is. I find it interesting how different Tolkien's writing style is from what is usual. Both in terms of things like including lots of poetry, or the way he tells his plot. There are oddities like that the love story of a major character, the titular character of the last part of the book, gets told in an appendix (most novels don't even have appendices), while the love story of two minor characters gets its own chapter. Or having the extra ending in the Shire.
"I can't retain stuff anymore"
or as we call, an adult reading a book haha
Seriously now great video! Love it!
I would love for you to read some of Tolkien's other books (The Silmarillion, The Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien etc..) and do reviews on them too. And as lots of people have been saying I also recommend Men of the West.
These books are legit my favorite books ever. My parents got me the pocket versions you have for Christmas because my old ones have fallen apart.
I started my reread of them again a few days ago and I swear, as soon as I read the first sentence, it was like an old friend was calling me in to sit by the fire and share cookies. They just create this sense of being home. Every time I finish Return of the King, I get hit with this wave of homesickness and I just want to jump right back to the beginning again.
I think the chapters in Moria are some of my favorites but I also love the way Tolkien does family relationships. Eowyn and Eomer’s connection with their uncle are some of my favorites. And Merry and Pippin are some of my favorite characters and I love seeing their growth. Pippin especially.
And Gollum deserves a video all to himself.
I’m going to say definitely check out Men of the West and Hello Future Me for more Tolkien. Hello Future Me did a video on Tolkien’s philosophy was really well done.
ruclips.net/channel/UCItHdUEqlpfvDlcCeyZwH6w
ruclips.net/channel/UCFQMO-YL87u-6Rt8hIVsRjA
Also if you haven’t read the Letters of Tolkien, definitely do so. Tons of info there!
Is the pocket edition worth it? I’ve been wanting to buy them for a while now. Also is the font size not to small.
Men of the West is a channel you'd love!
The thing is that Frodo is bearing the ring and he understands the suffering Gollum is going through. He sees himself in Gollum and so he wants to save him.
Un the 2nd chapter of Fellowship, Frodo tells Gandalf "What a pitty [Bilbo] didn't stab the foul creature!". After carrying the ring for so long he sympathizes with him.
Whooooah, didn’t see that. Thanks man
19:59 Men of the West :)
Definitely check out Men of The West. Excellent LoTR lore channel.
Hey Merphy. Don't worry about this being your 2nd read through. The way you talk about The Lord of the Rings is so beautiful, it's nice to see someone else love this world as much as I do. I've been getting the urge to read it as well, and listening to you talk about all your favorite moments and characters make me want to read it all the more. Thanks for the beautiful review of my favorite childhood story. :)
Merphy, I enjoy your reviews in general, but when you're emotionally invested, it's very infectious. Thanks!
The movies were terrific, but nothing beats the original format.
I’ve just picked up knitting and I know what channel I’m going to love watching and listening to while I knit!! 😁 I’ve been sitting here with a smile on my face, nodding in agreement while I knit. 😂 I love a booktuber that is so freely honest with what they love. She doesn’t focus on the negative in an unhealthy way (or to get clicks) and she lets us know what she’s grateful for!!!
I feel like in all areas of life it’s good to take a step back and look at what we’d grateful for, and I love that she does this about books! It’s so... refreshing and wholesome. 😊 I think sometimes, especially after reading books that aren’t really your thing or could use more editing, it can feel a bit more like work to get through it. And if that goes on for a while, a chain of several books in a row, it can have a chilling effect. I’m glad to be validated in my negative reading experiences, but I really like it when she’s had a good time reading. ☺️
As far as I remember, Gimli wasn't talking about his home but the caverns of Hornburg(Helm's Deep).
And Legolas talking about Fangorn, not his homeland, Mirkwood
20:00 Watch: [The Silmarillion in 3 minutes] by JPKloess or watch: [LOTR Mythology] Pt 1&2 by GCP Grey
I think Gollum/Smeagol is the most important character in the entire Lord of the Rings from a purely storytelling perspective (not a plot perspective)
I think Frodo, Gandalf, Aragorn, even Sauron, all of them, if they were removed or altered, the story would still work to some extent, but removing seeing first hand what the Ring can do to a person like Smeagol, and seeing the dichotomy of good Smeagol versus evil Gollum is thematically the most important character arc for Tolkien's overall story.
I loved the scene with Pippin and Gandalf just riding and Pippin asking all this questions. :D
I love how much passion you have for this book and how much passion you have for reading/stories in general. Listening to your reviews is a pleasure and after reading the fellowship I’m keen to get started on the two towers 👌
I plan to reread lord of the rings in 2020 (it’s been a couple years since my last reread), and you’re review makes me want to put down the series I’m currently working on and just start my reread right now! I love that you are doing reviews for this reread as Most booktubers I watch don’t talk about lord of the rings and it’s one of my favorite books! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the books!
Loving these LOTR videos!!
Oh man. I had to pause at 6:10 just to comment that Treebeard talking about the Last March of the Ents as they go to attack Isengard has me tearing up just thinking about it. Like you said, it's so tragic, and it's such a powerful event in the book.
“A lot of the nuance is lost...” I agree, it’s a story to savour, like a good pint or a fine pipe, it’s seems a shame to rush such things 😊
I just finished book 2 and man! I loved it! I'm so glad I trudged through book 1 (not my favourite so far... Definately need a re-read there). My favourite parts of the story were the relationships and the friendships. Legolas and Gimli were awesome and heartwarming while the loyalty between Sam and Frodo was breathtaking. Gandalf was enigmatic and interesting too and I for one LOVED the Ents!!! The whole part with Treebeard was one of my favourites!
Overall I'm so glad I read this! On to the 3rd book!!!!
I saw the 1978 Ralph Bakshi animation before reading the books. But I read them for the first time in the early '90s and they felt new and exciting (except for Tolkien's writing, as I mentioned on your Fellowship review). But I also really love the relationships in these novels. The relationships between the hobbits especially.
Thanks for the review. Hope you're feeling better, Merphy. The number of videos you've put out while you're sick is impressive. You win the Most Dedicated Booktuber award!
I love Aragorn in the books...not so much the movie. While the movie trilogy is the best of all-time, I wish they hadn't changed him the way the did.
Overall, the characters are great, the story is classic. I'm enjoying reading it to my children now.
I agree with what you said about the characters. They're some of the most well built characters I've ever read about. Their personalities are so well crafted it makes them feel like they are real, existing races of people. I love how they relate to each other. I found a lot of the dialogue to be brilliantly written. I've personally never heard anyone talk poorly about the characters in TLOTR. Everyone I know who has read them always gushes over how good they are and how much they grow over the course of the story.
As far as that person saying "the character work in TLOTR is atrocious" goes, there are a lot of haters online who's opinions hold absolutely no water. I mean I've seen thumbs-downs on videos of the Berlin Wall falling, cancer survivor stories, videos of people and animals being rescued and a lot of other genuinely good things. A lot of people hate stuff just because it's popular, which is disingenuous. Then you have people who think they have the right to comment and stuff they know absolutely nothing about. I mean how many people have you heard saying the Harry Potter books suck only to find out they've never even picked one up? Hate is a weird thing. Some people thrive on it. I remember back in middle school I had a bully who absolutely hated me for no reason. I didn't know him at all and never even talked to him or anyone in his group of friends. One day he just targeted me and started seriously messing with me out of the blue. I asked him one if I did something to piss him off and he simply said "No". It lasted for two years and to this day I still don't know why. It didn't help that he was twice my size. Sorry for going off on a tangent there. Hatred has always been the one thing I dislike most about the world.
One of the first things i do when i log on the computer these days is to check youtube and see if you have uploaded a new video.
Lot of people recommending tolkien lore channels so I'll just add this one that I enjoy and haven't seen mentioned. ThePhilosophersGames, I quite like his view on how to tackle to difficulty of the different levels of confirmed lore and his sourcing of the actual books and letters where the information is from.
You should definitely be reviewing LoTR, it’s awesome seeing your reactions to it it first/second time around. I first read it when I was 11 and loved it so much and continue to love it having read it 15-20 times since, but it makes me sad I’ll never be able to recapture that first wonder!
Gollum is one of the best characters ever put to paper.
I would recommend Jess of the Shire. She does a lot of LotR/Middle Earth content, as well as others like the Dune books.
I don't know if she's been recommended by comments or your YT, so forgive me if you have already seen her channel.
I second Men of the West, his videos aren’t perfect but they are great resource for people who prefer audio to reading all the extra information.
Video just in time for my plans to finish my AIME character, Hemvar, son of Divar, son of Drór. :D
You wanna look into channels like Hello Future Me, Man of the West and GeekZone then, those are some of the best channels that dive really deep into the lore
Nerd of the rings is a RUclips channel that dives pretty deep into the lore of all the stuff in the world of lord of the rings. Basically anything you could imagine or want to know he has a video about it. Super in depth and detailed. I don't know if you still are looking for something like that but if you are that's the channel to check out!!
One of my favorite parts of the Lord of the Rings is the whole dynamic between Frodo, Sam, and Gollum/Smeagol in the Two Towers. It's so heartwrenching and tragic that Gollum betrays Frodo and Sam in part because he feels betrayed by them but only because he is too blinded by his own greed to realize that Frodo saved his life when Faramir's band was about to kill him. Smeagol seems to genuinely be turning toward the good side of his personality but then his pain and anger slam that door closed and cause him to lead Frodo and Sam into a trap.
I do enjoy your videos. This one is about a year and a half old at this point, but in it you ask about you tube channels that are deep in lore. I skim some LoTR RUclips channels, but a podcast came to mind, called THE PRANCING PONY. The two guys, Alan and Shawn, are a bit goofy and often go off on a tangent, but overall I think they are the best at exploring the world and making it accessible. They start by going through the Silmarillion a portion at a time and continue to the Hobbit and are currently in The Two Towers, I think. You can jump in anywhere you like. They bring in lore from other Tolkien writings and Tolkien scholarly writing as they apply to the chapter being discussed at the time. They bring on guests quite often as well. They are dedicated fans, but very easy-going and user-friendly. Podcasts are handy since you can listen while you drive or do other things.
Beautiful and sad sums up the themes pretty well, especially the Elves. Remember to toast the Professor on January 3rd!
Merphy, love your enthusiasm for the books. I'm re-reading "LOTR The Return of the King". There's a RUclips called History of Middle Earth. There's also a slight called " Hello Future Me."
Those are your best videos! I mean when you talk passionately about my favorite book :)
I so so so agree with you on the Ents! (Sorry I'm commenting so late, but this is the first time I've read these books and I love to hear your thoughts on them.) I had heard a lot of flack regarding the Ents, and tbh I didn't really like then either in the movies. It was so boring. But then I read The Two towers, and I was blown away by how much I loved Treebeard and the Ents and their culture. Also, definitely try to keep your kids from the movies before they read the books. I've watched and rewatched the movies all my life practically, and am now just getting to the books, and I love the books, dont get me wrong, but I think I would have loved then more if I hadn't seen the movies
💯 agree on monologuing major events. The first case is Gandalf’s imprisonment in Orthanc in Fellowship. I think it’s largely because Tolkien had it in his head to stick in one place with one group of characters at all times. If he’d written it today, when narrative structures are a lot more flexible, he may have done it differently. But yeah. When reading those scenes, I try to visualize them happening with Gandalf as the narrator rather than picturing Gandalf sitting there talking to them.
Did you like the beauty of the Dead Marshes in the Brown Lands where Gollum may have attempted to try out some old treats? 😃 There are several appendices at the end of Return of the King that will give you some backstory on the history of things and also a little something about the Elf tongues and script. Even in the story you do learn of things from the past as Pippin does on his ride to Gondor with Gandalf, or of the High Men from Tom Bombadil, and so on.
I just finished reading The Lord of the Rings for the 25th or 26th time, and I do not think you are a poser for reviewing them when it's "only" your second time through. I'm just happy to see how excited you are about the stories and how much you love the characters. That's the important part to me. And don't worry about the details. Middle-earth abounds with detail, and I always feel like I'm seeing something new even after all this time.
I don't know of any RUclips Channels, but The Prancing Pony podcast goes into incredible depth about the Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and now The Lord of the Rings. They're also hilarious, assuming you like puns and dad jokes. :-)
You're absolutely adorable, i dont mean physically which yes you are very cute but I love your passion for the written word and how you smile when you're thinking about something and you just get so invested in it
Good review. I always like to hear what other people think of LoTR, whether they love it or hate it. I read the Hobbit and LoTR at least once a year, and they are such a big part of who I am. Also, I love Boromir, but I seem to be in the minority. Don't feel bad about not knowing all the minutia. There is so much. I've been reading them for 20+ years, and there is so much I still don't know. My recommendation for LoTR channel is The Prancing Pony Podcast.
Don't mind forgetting these details. I've listened the audiobooks/read the books and seen the movies for a hundred times and still don't remember everything! The world and everything is so huge and there are a lot of characters and events so it's not easy to learn everything about it after a couple readings.
The LOTRs is ultimately about friendship, which is what makes the stories so fantastic. Sure, it's also a reflection of the horrors of war and a a warning about the death that comes with industrialization, but it's the friendship that the books really hinge on. Tolkien leaned heavily on his military friendships ... Friendships that largely ended in death. Finally, as I tell lots of folks, these books are really centered on Sam. He is truly the main protagonist. An ideal, unflagging friend.
I read these books quite young and I really struggled through the fellowship but raced through the second and third. I had watched the film's first but I think that made the books more accessible as the language can be quite hard. My introduction to the world was the Hobbit though my parent basically read and reread that with me a gazillion times
I first read LOTR when I was 11. My mother had just read The Hobbit to us as our holiday book. She got a copy of LOTR for her birthday and I commandeered it thereafter. I read it about twice a year for the next 10 years and once every 2-3 years since. It is an old and valued friend. Seeing you review it from the perspective of a recent reader brings back all the wonder and joy I felt from those early reads.
Please let your children experience the books before the movies. (In fact if they never see The Hobbit movies would be best). Give them The Hobbit at about 8 or 9 or read it to them earlier, depending on their reading enthusiasm. Then LOTR, as a trilogy because it's easier to manage, even though it's NOT a trilogy. Please make sure they have access to the full appendices, which are so rich in world building.
Then The Silmarillion. You like main characters dying, tragically? The Silmarillion is for you. It's a blood bath. It reminds me of the Scando-Germannic sagas like the Volsung Saga and the Nibelungenlied.
Really enjoying your channel. One of the silver linings of the Rona.
This was beautiful! I also love these books and consider them a very important part of my reading life. I didn't know people hate ents! I absolutely love them!
The characterization is definitely rich. It’s handled in a more nuanced and poignant manner than many modern readers are used to. I may get criticism for this, but the one character I think lacks enough depth is Aragorn. I feel like he’s at his best in the chapters following their loss of Gandalf in Moria, when you feel his loss and agony as their default leader, uncertain how to fulfill that role.
Yess 100% agree. It's such a shame too. I feel like he could have been such an interesting character, if we just got to see him struggle a lil bit more
@@hadar675 But I think it would be a bit odd though. Aragorn had about 80 years under his belt preparing to be king. Including war experience with Rohan, being a leader of his kin with the Grey Company, and experiencing the wide world through being a Ranger. His character development is basically already done when the events of LoTR started
Personally I never liked the film's take on Aragorn - I really don't think Tolkien intended Aragorn to seem insecure or indecisive. He was brought up among Rangers and Elves, and knew his place in the scheme of things. His issue, as a leader, and as a mortal man, was how to deal with malevolent powers whose 'magic' was beyond his own capabilities. Bravery and sword skills alone couldn't overcome Maia and Balrogs, etc. Aragorn had to learn how to rekindle old alliances and be a leader, and Tolkien had already sent Aragorn down that path before the LOTR period. In the films he seems taken aback by all the responsibility. Jackson probably wanted to make Aragorn a figure that the average viewer could relate to/sympathize with, but Tolkien wanted the Hobbits to fulfill that role.
Glad im not the only one who liked the Ent chapters
Those chapters are absolutely beautiful
Those chapters are are part of the many reasons why this book is amazing
@@MetalCharlo agreed!
But not many like those chapters unfortunately :/
I read those books when I was 13 and I loved them so so so so so so much! I remembered all of the poems and wrote "I LOVE ARAGORN" on my sealing - that's how much I loved them
Not a youtube channel, but a podcast called the Prancing Pony podcast. Lifelong Tolkien fan over here and my dad is as well - we both listen to this podcast and it's amazing! They really dig into the lore and writing of LOTR chapter by chapter, sometimes a paragraph at a time. Really in depth and the hosts are fantastic :)
Do you recommend that specific edition that you were holding in the beginning of the video or you think that another edition would be better? I'm italian and, after I read the Italian translation, I decided to go for a second read in original language, would you recommend that edition?
The video was very good! Regards from Italy 🇮🇹
I won't pretend to have even given it any conscious thought prior to having watched this video and having heard you point it out, but the character interactions really are one of the more entertaining and colorful parts of these books. The narrative and Tolkien's style leave a lot to be desired in several ways,in my opinion,but that was one of the stronger areas. Do I sound like an immature,21st century reader when I say that, while I DID enjoy and appreciate these books,they were so boring in many places that I had to treat them like an assigned book report or something in order to push myself through them. I love these books, but I've read them that ONE time, and I very much doubt I could ever pick them up and make it through them again. But I'm glad that I DID read them.
Just finished the two towers and I found the whole novel deeply moving.From the opening funeral song of Boromir to the cliffhanger at the books end. The relationship between Sam , Frodo and Gollum is so inspiring and tragic , more in the book than the films I genuinely felt pity for Smeagol. I was surprised how short the battle of Helms deep was in the novel but also how much the Silmarillion is referenced.It is a beautiful story. Tolkien was trying to create an epic worthy of the english language and he succeeds . wonderful
Arachîr Galudirithon and Men of the West have some good stuff. I think there's another one that I can't find.
Omegaroth666 Arachîr is my fave!! He is very meticulous!!
Lots of good youtube suggestions here, but there's a podcast I follow called Amon Sul. It approaches the Tolkien legendarium from the perspective of the Orthodox Christian church, and is a quite different take on it. It has some beautiful comparisons and a really fresh outlook.
Just 1 episode a month and it's been going about a year now. So quick to catch up on.
I know this is an older video, but I'm just seeing it now. I'd like to ask which publishing of the book it is that you are reading? I really like the binding/covers for this and the Return of the King you show in your other LOTR video. Were these part of a boxed set?
I’ve been trying for so long to read this series. I’ve started the first book three times but can never finish it.
Techvi thanks! Council of Elrond is where I got when I first tried reading the book
Do not skip tom Bombadil I love him and he may seem random, but he does save the hobbits lives more than once, so he's not completely irrelevant. Also, how can you skip council of elrond??? That's where you learn like a majority of the backstory, and it's kind of where the rest of the story shoots off of. I love Tolkien and his writing, but I know several people who have a hard time with it since it's so wordy, so I understand if you want to skip some stuff. However, just know if you skip through some chapters, you're missing out. But again I understand, and good luck! :)
@@Techvi Interesting. Just did my first read through and I found the Tom Bombadil stuff the most interesting part of the first half.
Book 2 is very good (save for the Merry and Pippin acid trip with the talking trees, imo) and is worth getting to. Never finished the series, though, because for some reason I wasn't as interested in Aragorn's story and book 3 starts off with that.
I really wanted to get to Frodo and Sam's journey to Mordor. It might've been a lot better if Tolkien had alternated between POVs through the book, but he dedicates one half to the Aragorn gang and the other to Frodo and Sam.
i had tried too like for years. but i finally pushed myself to read it. i am loving it. i only have return of the king left to read. its such a great story. i understand the long long long details and the songs too. but its just too good a series to pass on. just try to get through book 1. book 2 is amazing.
Yep, I saw the Fellowship movie in theater first and then immediately bought the book that had all three as one huge book. And though I remember enjoying the Fellowship part as there was a lot in the book the movie left out or changed and I do remember a lot from my first read, I still enjoyed reading the Two Towers and Return of the King more because I had no idea what would happen next. Actually, I haven't read them ever since, as in not in nearly twenty years, yet I still remember vividly many many scenes and characters and how I felt reading them. And no, the movies aren't affecting my memory. I know they're from the book, there's such a clear difference between the feel of the movie scenes and characters and those of the books'.
Besides the dedicated LoTR channels, I highly recommend looking up videos by Peter Kreeft (he is a philosophy professor at Boston College) talking about the books, specifically the Catholic elements Tolkien wove into the stories.
Please read and review Cicero trilogy by Robert Harris. It's a historical fiction set in ancient Roman republic.
It's always a pleasure to watch you nerd out! :D
Ah, nostalgia. I was fortunate in that a good friend recommended I read the books before each movie was released. I did that and every time got so hyped when the season came for the cinematic release... on a slightyly different note, I'd recommend for parents to read the books to their kids. They won't ever forget that.
Hey The Merph! I love LOTR. In my opinion, those books are the ultimate when it comes to high fantasy and none have surpassed them and I don't believe anyone ever will. They are perfect. A long time ago, I spent about two years reading and re-reading The Silmarillion because I was just blown away by the writing and the stories. I didn't want to leave Middle-Earth. As for Samwise Gamgee and Gollum, you gotta remember that Sam is really smart in his own way and he is like Frodo's doberman pincer; if anything is threatening Frodo, he's gonna sniff it out and not let up, and he may seem harsh on Gollum but he knows better and he's right. I really enjoyed the Ents, too, and if any character in the books represents JRR Tolkien himself, I think it is Treebeard.
*Just me.. Regular Shopper. Walking down the aisle looking for the best deals on food. Turns into the canned soup aisle to see random lady crying next to the cream of mushroom soup: "....oookaayyy...."
*quickly pulls out and goes to the cereal aisle
After a few rereads in my teens I realised it's the structure of the books that makes the part with Frodo and Sam seem hazy. By not interveawing the povs and keeping with one group essentially for half a book at a time it all flows together.
Very balanced review! Great job!
I recently reread the LOTR and the Hobbit (in preparation to watch the extended version of all the films). It’s been a good 7-10 years since Iast read it. Pippin has always been my favorite character, but the part in the Two Towers at Cirith Ungol when Sam thinks a Frodo is dead and he’s talking to him, saying that he needs to borrow Sting and Galadriel’s gift to finish the journey.... I loved that section so much. That part as well as The Return of King really endeared me to Sam. I wish I could have a friend-could be a friend-as loyal and good as Samwise Gamgee.
Could you add all of your reviews to a playlist? I'd love to be able to see all the books you've reviewed in one go.
It's not so much a 'culture of storytelling' which leads to Gandalf relating events orally instead of Tolkien portraying them, it's actually for a very specific reason. You mention that it's a moving POV story, but that's only partially true; instead, it is all told from the point of view of Frodo, and what the other Hobbits (plus Aragorn) related to him. The actual story/text of The Lord of the Rings is the account given by Frodo, who wrote it into the Red Book of Westmarch. Thus, the underlying truth of the narrative is that FRODO is the narrator, not Tolkien.
Thus, Frodo could only write what he himself saw, and what his fellow Hobbits experienced, including being told themselves by Gandalf what had happened to him. It cannot be an action scene, because Frodo never witnessed the action, or even heard the first-hand account of it from Gandalf himself. Instead, Frodo is reporting what was reported to him, and the entire tale unfolds as a story told in this fashion.
I can totally appreciate that to our modern eyes this can seem problematic, or a wasted opportunity, but it's actually (in this case, not as a rule) something necessitated by the very nature of what the story is. It is, ultimately, Frodo's account of, as he titles it: The Downfall of the Lord of the Rings, and the Return of the King. I know this is a little late, considering this video is a few months old now, but when you re-read Return of the King, pay special attention to the very last chapter, where Frodo reveals the book to Sam and entrusts it to him.
Thanks for this video!
"Hello Future Me" is very good
I’d definitely recommend geekzone for a deeper dive into the lore
Fangorn and the ents are my favorite thing in the series. Nice when someone else appreciates them.
History of the Ages is a real good channel that goes in depth of the whole world
Very nice, you have the same deep love for LOTR I feel. Subscribed and highly recommended.
Wasn't Treebeard based on CS Lewis?
History of Middle Earth is a good channel. He does exclusively the lore of Tolkien's Middle Earth.
Hello Future Me is also great, but he does a lot of other things besides Tolkien. Hopefully this helps!
I love Tolkien's work. I think it is amazing. Thanks for the review!
This was such a sweet review. It's really made me want to start a reread. I love the ents so much. It's hard to believe some people don't. And I also love that (SPOILER... but this is a spoiler review, so what are you doing here if you don't want spoilers?) Sam fights and kills one of the scariest, most ancient creatures in the world in Shelab. Anyway, I've seen people already mentioned the channels Men of the West and Hello Future Me, but there's also a good bit on the channel GeekZone. You can find a bunch of other stuff around, too.
Not a RUclips channel, but the Prancing Pony Podcast is a very detailed read through, beginning with the silmarillion. They are only into the second half of Fellowship so far, but well work a listen.
There are some great videos. They pop up on my suggested feed. If you do a search, they're easy to find.
With Lord of the Rings, I think it's difficult to retain all the scenes and things you love because there are so many! There is just so much detail, and so many cool things, in such a grand scale, that it's impossible to just remember it all.
That being said, I applaud people that can re-read these books. I read them once, and probably won't do it again.
Which audiobook of LOTR did you listen to? I hope it was Phil Dragash's.