The Lord of the Rings: Book 3
Discussions
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The movies left out some great parts from the books so I definatly recommand reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers are amazing! Although, I had a hard time getting through the third book, The Return of the King. Over all this a fantastic triogy.
posted 6 years ago.
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Benjamin
Actually, I found the LOTR books suprisingly easy to follow! There are a lot of characters, but the development is amazing. Provided you don't put it down for long blocks of time between chapters, you'll be fine.
It's WELL worth the read! Just do it.... (grin)
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kairilily
At first I was a little intimidated by it, but I kept going and it was great! Definitely at the top of my list of all time favorites.
posted 6 years ago.
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grayraven
I came upon the Hobbit as a teen and loved it. Then I began the Trilogy with the Fellowship. Where the Hobbit goes event by event, the Trilogy goes day by day, at least once it gets passed Bilbo's birthday party. I confess my teen age mind found it slow. So I bounced through the Fellowship reading the dialogue and jumping through it till I cam to the last chapters when things really started happening. Then I started the Two Towers by reading the summary and began it. From there I was hooked and didn't have any trouble.
I returned to the Trilogy a year later and started at the begining again and this time read it straight through without a problem.
A wonderfull joy is to get the BBC Radio Production of the Trilogy - it is a 13 hour collection of Radio Drama - sound effects, music and dialogue. A wonderful experience! I encountered it on National Public Radio way back in 1980 when it was first broadcasted in the US. They had broken it up into 26 half hour segments airing once a week - thus it was a 26 week listening experience. it was a wonder. All of the dialogue is straight from Tolkein's words. An incredible production as good as and in some ways better than the fantastic movies! Hearing the Radio plays is very close to the experience of reading the books.posted 6 years ago.
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Vampire-x-In-x-Disguise
I also found it easy to read, once you get into the story its very easy to follow. Its been a while since I read it, but I can't think of any confusing parts at least.
So good luck! Its worth your while to read =)posted 6 years ago.
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Snakeophelia
Count me as one of the people who found the series tough to read. I never read them in my teens, and didn't pick them up until my 30's. I found that it was best to have a decent chunk of time to commit to the books - coast-to-coast plane rides work well! Seriously, these are not books to just pick up and leaf through, or read little bits and pieces at a time. I also found myself making great use of the maps of Middle Earth that I found online - having the maps helped me keep a much clearer picture of where the characters were headed at any given time. All in all, it was very much worth it.
posted 6 years ago.
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emilysk
I had a very hard time reading the series the first time - but I attempted to read the trilogy when I was 11, and it was a bit over my head. I re-read them last year or the year before after seeing all the movies and enjoyed the books MUCH more this time around. I'm glad I waited until after seeing the movies, though, so I could just relax and enjoy the film adaptations and not get bent out of shape about details the filmmakers changed from the books.
posted 6 years ago.
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tatertot
I also tried to read the trilogy as a teen and couldn't do it. But later as an adult, I flew through them. I've re-read them and look forward to re-reading them again, the second time was even easier and more fun. The extended DVDS of the movie versions are fantastic!
posted 6 years ago.
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Yuki
These books changed the way I looked at writing when I first read them. I had to restart the hobbit several times, but once I persevered I found it to be great entertainment. I now try to re read them every few years
posted 6 years ago.
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Col. Cruz
I agree with retrogirl. The trilogy is great. The obstacle is the lengthy descriptions that can really be overwhelming at times. I got really frustrated with the third book because it was heavy on description of things like the terrain of the land. But it is worth it.
posted 6 years ago.
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ginnie
I read this trilogy in college and I loved it...once you get going it is difficult to stop but quite different from the movie. I did not enjoy the movie.
posted 6 years ago.
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clarktracy
I first read Lord of the Rings in 5th grade, it was really hard to read then, but when I read it again my senior year of high school it was much easier, that is after book one in The Fellowship. It's slow going through there, just like in the movies, but afterward it's fairly easy to get through it.
posted 6 years ago.
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clarktracy
I first read Lord of the Rings in 5th grade, it was really hard to read then, but when I read it again my senior year of high school it was much easier, that is after book one in The Fellowship. It's slow going through there, just like in the movies, but afterward it's fairly easy to get through it.
posted 6 years ago.
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dickypaul
The book is a very long but also a very rewarding one if you start out reading the hobbitt and get a feel for the pace of the unfolding events in the story the action and the urgent feel of the story should pull you in and make for a captivating experience.
posted 6 years ago.
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Ollievee
They were very tough to read, but I still would reccomend trying. It took me months.
posted 6 years ago.
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slflew
Honestly, yes. But it's well worth it. I'm an avid bookworm and I still have issues sometimes reading it, but Tolkien's use of the English language is amazing. His descriptions of the elves are fantastic. And it's not just dull stuff. He throws in some hilarious parts that don't make it into the movies. Do try it. It's worth your time. And if you aren't sure - just read the first book. Even that's worth it in and of itself.
posted 6 years ago.
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tracym
I did a paper on Tolkien in graduate school and he is a complex guy! The Lord of the Rings (and any other writings on Middle Earth) can be highly intimidating but well worth the invested time. I agree with the other gentleman that suggested reading The Hobbit first to "get your feet wet" and then move along to the trilogy. I actually understood the book much better after doing a little reading on Tolkien himself.
posted 6 years ago.
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I found the first book hard to read. I read through it with the abject determination of a teenager who had been told they weren't mature enough to finish or appreciate the book and was hell bent to prove them wrong. The Fellowship was worth it, honestly, but it took work.
Then I read the other two books. I flew through them, found them to be the most fascinating things I had ever read. So good, in fact, that I went back to Fellowship, ready to read the whole series a second time. When I did so, a miraculous thing happened--Fellowship was no longer hard to read. I understood things I had been confused by before, and saw references and significances in conversations and situations I had earlier missed.
To read Fellowship properly, you have to be fully immersed in Tolkien's world by having read the other two books. However, the only way to really understand or appreciate the other two books, you'd have had to have read Fellowship. It's an odd diametric of Tolkien's books, probably caused by a man who spent so many years immersed in the world he created he told us the story from a body of knowledge we would always be lacking until we, too, willingly submerged ourselves. Personally I find this a rather enchanting part of the books, as you really never run out of story. Even when its done, when you re-read there is always more.posted 6 years ago.
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eagerreader
I' ve just read the hobbit. But it was VERY easy to follow. It is also a great book. You should read the hobbit first because that tells how the ring came to place. It was a great book.
posted 6 years ago.
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Tamacita42
It seems I tend to like the books more than the movies most of the time, and even though I thought the movies were incredible, and so well cast and well done, I think the books are richer. I agree with the person who said you want to read those pieces that were left out of the movies. You will get absorbed!
posted 6 years ago.
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FitzChevalric
The first 200 / 300 pages are not so good (slow) and the map distracted me. BUT when you read on the book wil get you! So start and finsh and you will enjoy.
Willemposted 6 years ago.
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Ratty
It's a bit tough to read with all the names of people and places to get sorted out, but since you're a fan of the films you're a bit ahead of the game in that respect. There are other great charcters that never made it to the films, and some fantastic places and events, too. I didn't read LOTR in its entirety until I was in my late teens (and I tried before this, since The Hobbit had been my favorite book since I was very little), but at that point I found it fairly easy to follow. It's a very emotional read as you get towards the end! I found myself so invested in the characters that I cried just as much as I did during the film.
posted 6 years ago.
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tatertot
I agree on the battlescenes, I found myself skimming them after I had read them once. And there are so many characters, the first time I read them I didn't realize Erowyn (sp?) was a female until I read the appendix, I felt totally stupid.
posted 6 years ago.
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Loweyes
I think The Two Towers was hard to get through - untill I started skipping through the major battlescenes. That made it much easier :-) But I love the books - it's a great story!
posted 6 years ago.
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teacherlady
The second book is a bit difficult in the middle, but for the most part, I couldn't put the trilogy down. I highly recommend it, as long as you're not afraid of thinking about what you're reading. It's not something you can just read in an afternoon. It's a slow read, but totally worth the effort.
posted 6 years ago.
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Nikki
If you don't read the books, then you are definitely missing out! I found the beginning of The Two Towers hard to get through, but toward the middle it picked up for me. And if you don't read the trilogy, think of what you're missing out on.
posted 6 years ago.
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bestsellingauthor
Thanks for the advice. I just started reading The Hobbit, and I LOVE IT.
posted 6 years ago.
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bestsellingauthor
I'll certainly keep you updated. Currently, I'm reading The Hobbit. Im in love with this story, and I plan to continue on through the series.
posted 6 years ago.
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antigone
I read the Hobbit as a teenager, loved it, and then struggled through parts of the Trilogy, mostly because it was something you were "supposed" to read in the 60s/70s. It was difficult, confusing, long. Then, before the movies were to come out, I decided to try again - and I couldn't put it down, I went seemlessly from one book to the next. I liked the movies but, as is so often the case, they don't begin to compare to the books. As a whole, it is completely brilliant and - along with the Narnia books - at the very top of my all-time best list. By all means, read it!
posted 6 years ago.
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bestsellingauthor
Hard to read?
I absolutely love the Lord of the Rings trilogy in movie form. Howveer, I have shyed away from reading the series because I was concrned it may be hard to follow. Is it a difficult read?posted 6 years ago.
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Samwise
This book is an example to other authors and readers that how interestingly can a book
be poised. Definitely the book of a lifetime...........posted 5 years ago.
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Nithesh removed this reply 5 years ago
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M.K. removed this reply 5 years ago
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WindandtheWillow removed this reply 5 years ago
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Dragonfly
Sorry, dhruvamistry, you cannot view the contents of books for free on Shelfari.
posted 5 years ago.
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George H
I read this series when I was in grad school at Columbia in 1967. It was very popular then. The walls of the subway station had grafitti such as "Froddo Lives!" scribbled on the white tiles.
I re-read them just prior to the movie and found them to be just as wonderful as the first time. The Trilogy and The Hobbit are the best imaginative works I have ever read. Tolkien even invented his own alphabet and language.posted 5 years ago.
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edgie j
A great read is an understatement. I've been a fan since time immemorial, and have been collecting versions of the book. I dont see here the 60th anniversary edition of The Hobbit, or the 50th of LOTR? care to help out
posted 5 years ago.
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Maria Joanne
I think the first copy I had of this book fell apart! I love this book. Had it read to me as a bedtime story
posted 5 years ago.
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jamil removed this reply 5 years ago
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LS C
This book is really fantastic. You can't leave the book once you started to read..
posted 5 years ago.
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daniel d removed this reply 5 years ago
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Enass Bannoura
they told me about this book that its amazing but i cant get it thosedays but i put it on my wish list so i will try as much as i can to get it soon
posted 5 years ago.
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Catherine U
I've watched all the lord of the rings movies and I've read all of the books, both are great (lol), I don't know how many times I've see the movies, way to many to count. Great books, great movies. J.R Tolkien had a great imagination.
posted 5 years ago.
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Smita J
Yes...great imagination...great reads...except when he takes thirty pages to describe a forest. Gets a bit plodding at times.
posted 5 years ago.
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ltcdr p
smita did u find the book interesting, how do u recommende this book.
ibis peppleposted 5 years ago.
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Smita J
Yes...great imagination...great reads...except when he takes thirty pages to describe a forest. Gets a bit plodding at times.
posted 5 years ago.
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bensbooks
Tell me the action picks up after the first 100 pages. I loved the first two, but the prep for the battle to end all battles and the endless riding and scenery description is wearing me down.
posted 5 years ago.
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bensbooks removed this reply 5 years ago
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SARA E
not only the books but also the movies were the best, i don't think there is any other movies or books i rather read or watch again and again ....
posted 4 years ago.
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Markie
This is the books that set the standard for all others to emulate most definetly the greatest fantasy books ever written and although there are many great writers and books out there non will ever top these books.
posted 4 years ago.
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Markie
Has anyone read the Sword of Xanten the story that is supposed to have given Tolkien the idea to write Lord of The Rings?? was on the SCI-Fi channel and that was there quote.
posted 4 years ago.
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Tanya B
The master of epic fantasy. In spite of some great fantasy writers out there now Tolkein is still the master.
posted 4 years ago.
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Lilli Ann B
I second the motion, tanya b! Tolkien is a master! The book, aside from such a brilliant fantasy work, is profound! Reading the entire series of Tolkien's story is an experience in itself. Reflect on the deeper message it brings, it is deeply moving and inspiring! I highly recommend these books. A must read!
posted 4 years ago.
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Lilli Ann B
I don't know if my memory serves me right, but is it true that J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were contemporaries or knew each other? Whatever, both authors are profoundly brilliant and their books are masterful!
posted 4 years ago.
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Enjoumaru
They were apparently great friends until Lewis married a divorcee, converted to Anglicanism, and wrote an allegory that unsubtly used Jesus as a character. Tolkien was more than a little devout, you might say.
posted 4 years ago.
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Rea
I even read from somewhere that Treebeard was actually inspired from C.S. Lewis.
posted 4 years ago.
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Melanie T
That is true, Lilli Ann :) Tolkien and Lewis were in a writing group together called The Inklings.
posted 4 years ago.
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joshua b
For the most part the book was pretty good. i didnt really care for all of the details and i believe that some of them could have been omitted. i also didnt enjoy how long the story is but that comes with all of the details. It is definetely different from the movie but what movie/book combo isnt like that. if i had to give it any thumbs i would give it just one :
posted 4 years ago.
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Jack S7
anyone else think that it took to long for the book to get into the actual fellowship? I counted over 250 pages before they got to rivendell! that's over half the book!
posted 4 years ago.
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Himasa removed this reply 4 years ago
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Himasa
If you have read the first 2 installments it would not do justice to the story if you don't read this third & final part. It's vintage Tolkien- "wordy" would be an understatement. But who among us have been to middle earth? So if it takes him more than a few pages to give us a colorful picture of middle earth, then read on ye faithful lover of the written words. Enjoy.
posted 4 years ago.
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Himasa removed this reply 4 years ago
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Jack S7
hey it was good but i just thought that it was a bit to drawn out and this was the first book i read by the author...still good just not as good as the sequels
posted 4 years ago.
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Mr. R00t
Sometimes it got a bit wordy but i thought it was good (5th time reading it
posted 3 years ago.
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01 John B
the little details is the best thing about the book, besides all the amazing songs and poetry.
posted 2 years ago.
