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The Lord of the Rings: Book 2
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Description edit
The Fellowship was scattered. Some were bracing hopelessly for war against the ancient evil of Sauron. Some were contending with the treachery of the wizard Saruman. Only Frodo and Sam were left to take the accursed Ring of Power to be destroyed in Mordor - the dark Kingdom where Sauron was... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Summary edit
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. Frodo and his Companions of the Ring are beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)
Characters edit
- Frodo Baggins: This Hobbit is the bearer of the One Ring. He has been charged to bring the Ring to Mount Doom to destroy it. The head Hobbit in the Fellowship.
- Bilbo Baggins: Frodo's uncle, who passes the One Ring on to him.
- Peregrin Took: A light-hearted Hobbit and the youngest of the Fellowship. Called Pippin.
- Aragorn: The Heir of Isildur and Chieftain of the Dunedain. Betrothed to Arwen. A member of the Fellowship.
- Gandalf: The "Grey" wizard and enemy of Sauron. The leading member of the Fellowship.
- Meriadoc Brandybuck: Pippin's good friend. He is the more responsible of the two and is loyal to all. Called Merry. One of the four Hobbits in the Fellowship.
- Samwise Gamgee: Faithful gardener of Frodo Baggins. He follows Frodo where ever he goes. He is a loyal friend. Another one of the fellowship.
- Boromir: Eldest son of Denethor, the Steward of Gondor. A Member of the Fellowship. He redeems himself by trying to save Merry and Pippin from Saruman's orcs. Knowledge of his death slowly drives his father, Denethor, insane.
- Legolas: Mirkwood's Elven prince. An elf. Greenleaf. A member of the Fellowship.
- Gimli: Dwarf; son of Glóin. Part of the fellowship of the ring. Best friend of the elf, Legolas. He is smitten with Galadriel in The Fellowship of the Ring and almost comes to blows with Eomer when he speaks cautiously of her.
- Éowyn: A shield maiden of Rohan. Her uncle is the King Theoden. Tolkien allows her to become a character akin to the Valkyrie.She fancies Aragorn.
- Éomer: Man; nephew of Théoden King of Rohan. Brother to Eowyn.
- Théoden: The King of Rohan.
- Gríma Wormtongue: A slimy sneaky man who works tirelessly to corrupt. Called Wormtongue. Théoden's ex-counselor.
- Sauron: Creator of the One Ring. He is planning to rule middle-earth. His eye is always searching for his lost ring. His tower of Barad-dur is poised opposite Saruman's Orthanc in Isengard, hence the title of the book.
- The Witch King: The most deadly of the Nazgul.
- Arwen: Add a description of this character.
- Faramir: Man; son of Denethor. Captain of the Rangers of Ithilien. Younger Brother of Boromir.
- Saruman: Wizard; betrayer of his order and conflicting ally of Sauron.
Quotes edit
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“‘And we shouldn’t be here at all... But I suppose it’s often that way. The brave things in the old tales and songs, Mr. Frodo: adventures, as I used to call them. I used to think that they were things the wonderful folk of the stories went out and looked for, because they wanted them, because they were exciting and life was a bit dull... But that’s not the way of it with the tales that really mattered... Folk seem to have been just landed in them, usually—their paths were laid that way, as you put it. But I expect they had lots of chances, like us, of turning back, only they didn’t. And if they had, we shouldn’t know, because they’d have been forgotten. We hear about those as just went on—and not all to a good end, mind you; at least not to what folk inside a story and not outside it call a good end. You know, coming home, and finding things all right, though not quite the same... But those aren’t always the best tales to hear...! I wonder what sort of tale we’ve fallen into?’ (p. 407)”
Samwise Gamgee -
“Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky / Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone / Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die / One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne / In the land of Mordor, where the Shadows lie. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them / One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them / In the land of Mordor, where the Shadows lie.”
The Ring Verse -
“The wise speak only of what they know, Grima son of Galmod. A witless worm have you become. Therefore be silent, and keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a serving-man until the lightning falls.”
Gandalf -
“Where now are the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? / Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing? / Where is the harp on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing? / Where is the spring and the harvest and the tall corn growing? / They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow; / The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow.”
Aragorn -
“The burned hand teaches best. After that advice about fire goes to the heart.”
Gandalf -
“He raised his hand, and spoke in a clear cold voice. 'Saruman, your staff is broken'. There was a crack, and the staff split asunder in Saruman's hand, and the head of it fell down at Gandalf's feet. 'Go!' said Gandalf. With a cry Saruman fell back and crawled away.”
Gandalf -
“Fair speech may hide a foul heart.”
Samwise Gamgee -
“Not this way, master!' he pleaded. 'There is another way. O yes indeed there is. Another way, darker, more difficult to find, more secret. But Smeagol knows it. Let Smeagol show you!”
Gollum
- Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
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‘There are some things that it is better to begin than to refuse, even though the end may be dark.
Highlighted by 23 Kindle customers -
No, the burned hand teaches best. After that advice about fire goes to the heart.’
Highlighted by 18 Kindle customers -
Few can foresee whither their road will lead them, till they come to its end.’
Highlighted by 15 Kindle customers -
It is a lovely language, but it takes a very long time to say anything in it, because we do not say anything in it, unless it is worth taking a long time to say, and to listen to.
Highlighted by 13 Kindle customers -
He wondered what the man’s name was and where he came from; and if he was really evil of heart, or what lies or threats had led him on the long march from his home; and if he would not really rather have stayed there in peace
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Many that live deserve death. And some die that deserve life. Can you give that to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the wise cannot see all ends.
Highlighted by 13 Kindle customers -
But those aren’t always the best tales to hear, though they may be the best tales to get landed in! I wonder what sort of a tale we’ve fallen into?’
Highlighted by 13 Kindle customers -
Perilous to us all are the devices of an art deeper than we possess ourselves.
Highlighted by 12 Kindle customers -
But there, my friends, songs like trees bear fruit only in their own time and their own way: and sometimes they are withered untimely.’
Highlighted by 8 Kindle customers -
I am not altogether on anybody’s side, because nobody is altogether on my side, if you understand me: nobody cares for the woods as I care for them, not even Elves nowadays.
Highlighted by 7 Kindle customers
Setting & Locations edit
Tolkien wonderfully describes every detail of his magical world Middle Earth where the story takes place.
- Middle-earth: Middle-earth is a fictional place which is the setting for most of the stories of author J. R. R. Tolkien. These stories include The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
- Rivendell: Rivendell (Imladris) is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth (four or five thousand years before the events of The Lord of the Rings). In addition to Elrond and his family, notable Elves who lived there included Glorfindel and Erestor.Rivendell is a direct translation or calque of the Sindarin name Imladris, both meaning "deep valley of the cleft".
- The Shire: The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, described in The Lord of the Rings and other works. The Shire refers to an area settled exclusively by Hobbits and largely removed from the goings-on in the rest of Middle-earth. It is located in the northwest of the continent, in the large region of Eriador and the Kingdom of Arnor. Its name in Westron was Sûza "Shire" or Sûzat "The Shire". Its name in Sindarin was i Drann.
- Rohan: Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy. It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry. Rohan is also referred to as Riddermark or the Mark. The realm is of significant importance in the author's most famous book, The Lord of the Rings.
- Gondor: Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the Third Age. According to the Lord of the Rings, Gondor was founded by brothers Isildur and Anárion, exiles from the downfallen island kingdom of Númenor, and together with Arnor in the north served as last strongholds of the Men of the West. Gondor gradually declined in course of the Third Age, being continually weakened by the allies of the Dark Lord Sauron, and was only restored in dominance after his final defeat.
- Mordor: Mordor is the dwelling place of Sauron, in the southeast of Middle-earth to the East of Anduin, the great river. Orodruin, the sole mountain in Mordor, was the destination of the Fellowship of the Ring in the quest to destroy the One Ring. Mordor was unique because of the three enormous mountain ridges surrounding it, from the North, from the West and from the South. The mountains both protected the land from an unexpected invasion by any of the people living in those directions and kept those living in Mordor from escaping.
- Lothlórien: In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Lothlórien is the fairest forest realm of the Elves remaining in Middle-earth during the Third AgeThe realm plays an important part in The Lord of the Rings as the Elven centre of resistance against Sauron and is a symbol for the Elves' aesthetics of preservation which provides a space 'out of time' for the characters who both live and visit there.
- Anduin: The Great River that stretches across part of Middle Earth.
- Minas Tirith: The capital city of Gondor, formerly the seat of the King.
- Fangorn: A forest that is near Isengard. It is the dwelling place of the Ents, the shepherds of the trees and especially Treebeard who is also called Fangorn.
- Helm's Deep
First Sentence edit
Aragorn sped on up the hill.
Table of Contents edit
Book Three
1. The Departure of Boromir
2. The Riders of Rohan
3. The Uruk-hai
4. Treebeard
5. The White Rider
6. The Kings of the Golden Hall
7. Helm's Deep
8. The Road to Isegard
9. Flotsam and Jetsam
10. The Voice of Saruman
11. The Palantir
Book Four
1. The Taming of Smeagol
2. The Passage of the Marshes
3. The Black Gate is Closed
4. Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit
5. The Window on the West
6. The Forbidden Pool
7. Journey to the Cross-roads
8. The Stairs of Cirith Ungol
9. Shelob's Lair
10. The Choices of Master Samwise
Glossary edit
- Swart: Naturally having skin of a dark color.
- Scimitar: A curved sword, with the edge on the convex side of the blade.
- Rill: A rivulet or small stream.
- Gully: A deep ditch cut by running water.
- Jet: Describe this term.
- Escarpment: A long steep slope or cliff at the edge of a plateau or ridge.
- Cress: Pungent leaves of any of numerous cruciferous herbs.
- Rede: Help, advice, or counsel.
- Wold: A tract of open rolling country (especially upland).
- Barrow: A burial mound; a heap of earth placed over prehistoric tombs.
- Hame: An archaic word for a cloak or mantle.
- Wroth: Full of anger; wrathful.
- Ere: Before.
- Thence: From that place or from there.
- Dwimmer: Magic, sorcery, spells.
- Misgive: To give fear or doubt.
- Emnet: An Old English word meaning a plain or level ground.
- Loth: Loath; unwilling.
- Gimlet: A hand tool for drilling small holes, mainly in wood.
- Smial: A burrowed hole, tunnel or underground dwelling.
- Besom: A broom made of twigs tied together on a long handle.
- Sloe: The small, bitter, wild fruit of the blackthorn; also, the tree itself.
- Garth: A small piece of enclosed land next to a house, often a garden.
- Moot: A meeting or gathering.
- Bole: The trunk of a tree; the main structural member of a tree that supports the branches and is supported by and directly attached to the roots.
- Dingle: A small wooded hollow or valley.
- Hale: Sound, entire, healthy; robust, not impaired.
- Conclave: A confidential or secret meeting.
- Swath: The space created by the swing of a scythe.
- Glen: A secluded and narrow valley, often in the mountains.
- Rutted: Full of grooves or furrows.
- Hauberk: A long (usually sleeveless) tunic of chain mail formerly worn as defensive armor.
- Corslet: A piece of body armor for the main part of the body; usually consists of a breastplate and back piece.
- Burnished: Made smooth and bright by or as if by rubbing; reflecting a sheen or glow.
- Blazoned: Adorned or embellished by a heraldic device or coat of arms.
- Cot: A cottage or small homestead.
- Louver: One of a set of parallel slats in a door or window to admit air and reject rain.
- Dais: A platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it; usually for a throne.
- Sooth: Truth or reality.
- Dwimor: Magic, sorcery, spells.
- Girt: Armed; wearing on around.
- Perchance: Perhaps; by chance.
- Board: Food or meals in general; a table where food and meals are served.
- Coomb: A small valley, often wooded and with no river.
- Gore: A triangular piece of land found where roads merge or split.
- Culvert: A transverse channel under a road or railway for the draining of water.
- Van: Vanguard; the leading units moving at the head of an army.
- Rick: A stack of wood cut to a regular length; a stack or stook of grain, straw, etc.
- Furlong: A unit of length equal to 220 yards.
- Sward: An expanse of land covered in grass; a lawn or meadow.
- Parapet: A wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure.
- Postern: A secondary door or gate, particularly in a fortification such as a city wall or castle curtain wall.
- Sortie: A military action in which besieged troops burst forth from their position.
- Saffron: A shade of yellow tinged with orange.
- Grotto: A small cave, usually with attractive features.
- Eyot: A little island, especially in a river or lake.
- Down: An area of land characterized by hilly, rolling grassland.
- Flotsam: Debris floating in a river or sea, in particular fragments from a shipwreck. Used colloquially to mean a clutter of items.
- Jetsam: The part of a ship's equipment or cargo that is thrown overboard to lighten the load in a storm. Used colloquially to mean a clutter of items.
- Rashers: Bacon.
- Gibbet: A gallows-type structure from which the dead bodies of executed criminals were hung on public display.
- Mould: Loose soil rich in organic matter.
- Writhen: Contorted or twisted.
- Hummock: A knoll; a small natural hill.
- Ell: A unit of measurement, approximating the length of a man's arm.
- Fathom: A measure of length corresponding to the outstretched arms, standardised to six feet, used mainly for measuring depths.
- Lee: Downwind towards the side away from the wind.
- Mere: A lake that is broad in relation to its depth; a pool or marsh.
- Rampart: A defensive mound of earth or a wall with a broad top and usually a stone parapet.
- Battlement: A rampart built around the top of a castle with regular gaps for firing arrows.
- Buttress: A structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall.
- Pinion: The wing of a bird.
- Grot: A grotto: a small cave, usually with attractive features.
- Freshet: The occurrence of a water flow, resulting from sudden rain or melting snow.
- Coney: A rabbit, especially the European rabbit.
- Ballast: Any heavy material that serves to give stability through added weight.
- Brake: Bracken; a thicket, or an area overgrown with briers, etc.
- Ere: Before
- Doughty: Brave, strong, courageous and stouthearted.
- Infalls: The area where water enters a drainage.
- Laund: A grassy plain or pasture, especially surrounded by woodland.
- Dun: A dull brownish grey color; a horse of that color.
- Coronal: A crown or coronet.
- Charnel: Corpses or bones.
- Fey: Fated, bewitched, unlucky; acting in a manner that presages death.
- Fell: Extremely cruel or fierce.
Series & Lists edit
This is book 2 of 4 in The Lord of the Rings. (standard series)
Preceded by The Fellowship of the Ring, and followed by The Return of the King.
This is book 60 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (December 2011). (authoritative list)
This is book 16 of 27 in Middle-Earth. (universe)
This is book 52 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (June 2010). (authoritative list)
This book is in Best Fantasy Books. (community list)
This is book 58 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (June 2011). (authoritative list)
This is book 3 of 121 in Whitcoulls Top 100 (2012). (authoritative list)
This is book 54 of 194 in Shelfari Most Popular (December 2010). (authoritative list)
Authors & Contributors edit
- J. R. R. Tolkien (Author)
Other Contributors:
- Brian Sibley
- J. R. R. Tolkien (Cover Artist) - ISBN: 0345272595
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: George Allen & Unwin
Country: England
Publication Date: November 11, 1954
ISBN: 0-618-00223-5
Page Count: 464
Publisher: George Allen & Unwin
Country: England
Publication Date: November 11, 1954
ISBN: 0-618-00223-5
Page Count: 464
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 828'.912
Subjects edit
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