Anne’s Reviews > The Two Towers > Status Update

Oh, man. I love high fantasy, but I only managed to push through this trilogy on the 6th try or so, some years back. It’s very slow. And not too character driven, I’d argue.

Still, probably the most influential series in modern fantasy, so…I’m wishing you good luck!

Yeah, I feel the same. It NEEDS to be done, I'm just having a very hard time remembering why it needs to be done while I'm listening to it.

Lol… I had LOTR sitting on my shelf for ages and was too scared to start. Then the first Peter Jackson movie hit the cinemas and I had to know what happens to that casualty at the end of the movie. I couldn‘t stop reading it, but it took me a month to make it through the whole thing. I bought myself a pretty boxed edition last Christmas and I want to start my first re-read next year. Let‘s see if I fare any better! 😏

Praying away for you, fam!
I think I'd struggle with the audiobook version; on Kindle I sunk deep into the lore and loved it. Oddly enough, LOTR doesn't seem to work so well as an audiobook!

Dammit, this is making me want to re-read the 5 books again on Kindle before Xmas!

Praying for you! It’s BAD when the whaaaa whaaaaa waaaaaa sets in

Ravsta wrote: "Dammit, this is making me want to re-read the 5 books again on Kindle before Xmas!"

5? What else are you counting for LOTR? The Hobbit and The Silmarillion or…?

Anne wrote: “I don't know if I'm going to make it. I keep zoning out from boredom.“

Don’t worry. It gets worse (slower).

But last I checked my AMA journals, boredom cannot cause death. (Possibly could steal your will to live.)

Maybe give yourself a break for Christmas? Read Melville’s Moby Dick? Or an unabridged version of Hugo’s Les Miserables? (I’ve heard that the musical is more entertaining than the book and that the movies are hit-or-miss).



Luke 2 could get you more in the mood for Christmas and it’s not too long and has less singing?

Or…

Be prepared (you have not even fully explored the depths of “boredom” yet…consider the opening chapters conditioning exercises to prepare you for the second half of the book) for:

They stumbled along in the dark winding gully for a long time, or so it seemed to the tired feet of Frodo and Sam.

…

The next stage of their journey was much the same as the last.

The next day, too. And the next day. And the next…

But don’t worry, even Sméagol gets in on the singing “action”.

Alive without breath;
as cold as death;
never thirsting, ever drinking;
clad in mail, never clinking.*
Drowns on dry land,
thinks an island
is a mountain;
thinks a fountain
is a puff of air.
So sleek, so fair!
What a joy to meet!
We only wish
to catch a fish,
so juicy-sweet!

(*recycled in The Hobbit)

The most suspenseful plot point…will or won’t Sam and Frodo find love beyond the platonic???

If Shelob had not rescued this book…

Shelob is worth two stars easy.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family in this very trying time.



(Or bow gracefully out with a DNF. There is no shame. You may thank yourself.)

I’m with you on this Anne if you need a support group

Bingo, Cathy.
Those 5 as the core original stories.

Bingo, Cathy.
Those 5 as the core original stories.

i read all of the trilogy plus the prequel that begins with S (siddartha or something). it never gets better.

i kept reading cuz i LOVE the movies. I loved the hobbit when i read it. i thought since middle school boys love these books they must be good. they must have more action and drama or something. l

i t w a s a s t r u g g l e...

and it never got better. i know why the movies were great. Tolkien explained every detail of this world. Jackson had everything he needed in the source material from dialogue to sets to costumes. Tolkein described EVERYTHING. like everything.

Cathy wrote: "Lol… I had LOTR sitting on my shelf for ages and was too scared to start. Then the first Peter Jackson movie hit the cinemas and I had to know what happens to that casualty at the end of the movie...."

I have too many books sitting on my nightstand right now! I'd love to hear how you do upon re-read, though!

Ravsta wrote: "Praying away for you, fam!
I think I'd struggle with the audiobook version; on Kindle I sunk deep into the lore and loved it. Oddly enough, LOTR doesn't seem to work so well as an audiobook!"
Ravsta wrote: "Dammit, this is making me want to re-read the 5 books again on Kindle before Xmas!"

I'm TRYING to sink deep into the lore! But there's just so much damn LORE. lol

Sarah Ellen wrote: "Praying for you! It’s BAD when the whaaaa whaaaaa waaaaaa sets in"

It is! Thanks, girl!

Dave wrote: "If Shelob had not rescued this book…

Shelob is worth two stars easy.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family in this very trying time."

This Shelob character better not suck as badly as that weird dude that lived in the hills did.

Kay Dee wrote: "Tolkein described EVERYTHING. like everything."

PERIOD! I listened to a five minute description of a horse's hair braid!

Anne wrote: "…weird dude that lived in the hills…"

Because wizards and elves and dwarves and rangers and dark lords are not at all weird.

Doesn’t most everyone in Middle-earth live in the hills?

Middle-earth does not have the overpopulation problems that we do. (There is a LOT less sex in Tolkien’s world.) Everyone can afford to live in the hills. (Although the dwarves appear to like their undermountain realms much better.)

I’m afraid that you’ll have to re-read Fellowship so you can be more specific.

Then I can tell you if Shelob sucks as badly…

Maybe you should try to raise your Tolkien stamina by starting with Tolkien-lite…

Alexander’s Chronicles of Prydain. Almost the exact same story, but a much less dense read. And there is a (in my opinion, awful) Disney animated movie of the second book. Who needs Peter Jackson’s epic when there is a Disney cartoon?



Eilonwy!!!

(view spoiler)[As far as the movies vs the books, I can appreciate the viewpoint of Tolkien’s son, Christopher (who did the heavy lifting from Silmarillion forward and passed in 2020 at age 95…if you think the books are dense, look how many more Christopher created from his father’s notes…Tolkien actually spared us the worst of it). Christopher was old school…like me. (Although, for the most part, I loved the movies.)

Tolkien has become a monster, devoured by his own popularity and absorbed into the absurdity of our time. The chasm between the beauty and seriousness of the work, and what it has become, has overwhelmed me. The commercialization has reduced the aesthetic and philosophical impact of the creation to nothing. There is only one solution for me: to turn my head away. (hide spoiler)]

I've been putting off reading The Lord Of The Rings, while i definitely respect it I just don't think I would have very much fun reading it

Theres a really good audiobook on Spotify for the hobbit and its by some artist called traditional Catholic books anyway highly recommend

Just finished watching Bones and All.

Guess what Maren was reading???

The 1981 Ballantine blue paperback edition of Fellowship…the same edition that rarely left my side (unless I was reading Two Towers…green…or Return of the King…red).

One of my best Christmas gifts ever. I loved that book. More than Maren did. She preferred Timothée Chalamet.

The Hobbit is one of my favourites - but the rest leave me cold! E xxx

Alex wrote: "I've been putting off reading The Lord Of The Rings, while i definitely respect it I just don't think I would have very much fun reading it"

It's not fun. It's classic and it's important, but it's definitely not fun. Do with that what you will. lol

Caliente261 wrote: "Theres a really good audiobook on Spotify for the hobbit and its by some artist called traditional Catholic books anyway highly recommend"

Really? Ok, I'll check that edition out. Thank you! I'm always on the lookout for a good audiobook.

Dave wrote: "Just finished watching Bones and All.

Guess what Maren was reading???

The 1981 Ballantine blue paperback edition of Fellowship…the same edition that rarely left my side (unless I was reading Two ..."

Good grief! Did she eat the book at the end?

Anne wrote: "Good grief! Did she eat the book at the end?"

Uh, no.

She ate something (someone?) else.

Books are for loving (especially Tolkien). People are for eating.



Have you watched the 70s animated Lord of the Rings? It makes Jackson’s trilogy seem…brittle. May help the medicine go down.

Took me three tries to get through, and this was the first audiobook I ever listened to, and I credit it with my success.

I’m praying for you Anne, and I know you can do it. I read them many, many years ago. I had to find the paperbacks that I read to determine when I read them. I didn’t write anything in them, but I’m pretty certain it was in 1969 while in college.

Try the audio book recorded by Andy Serkis, unless that's the one you are currently using. I vastly preferred his performance to the one I did previously.

Chris wrote: "Try the audio book recorded by Andy Serkis, unless that's the one you are currently using. I vastly preferred his performance to the one I did previously."

I'm listening to the one with Rob Inglis as the narrator. He's not bad!

Shannon wrote: "Took me three tries to get through, and this was the first audiobook I ever listened to, and I credit it with my success."

Audiobooks are my saving grace in a world this hectic.

Gary wrote: "I’m praying for you Anne, and I know you can do it. I read them many, many years ago. I had to find the paperbacks that I read to determine when I read them. I didn’t write anything in them, but I’..."

Holy crap! Ok, if you can do it, I can do it. Thanks for the vote of confidence.

Dave wrote: "Anne wrote: "Good grief! Did she eat the book at the end?"

Uh, no.

She ate something (someone?) else.

Books are for loving (especially Tolkien). People are for eating.



Have you watched the 70..."

No, I'm NOT watching that cartoon! Stop it! lol

My first read was with Rob Inglis I believe. I found it a little dry. Andy Serkis is the actor who did Gollum in the films (if you didn't know). His voices are so engaging. Good luck!

My exact experience reading those books lol, only exception was The Hobbit, actually hooked.

I read The Hobbit for the first time as a teenager and liked it. I have reread it many times over the years and my intended reread next year will start with that! And I will finish off with The Silmarillion—for the first time! I got a nice, illustrated hardback edition…

Chris wrote: "My first read was with Rob Inglis I believe. I found it a little dry. Andy Serkis is the actor who did Gollum in the films (if you didn't know). His voices are so engaging. Good luck!"

It's the only version the library has, sadly.

Andy wrote: "My exact experience reading those books lol, only exception was The Hobbit, actually hooked."

I've got The Hobbit on my list, as well!

Cathy wrote: "I read The Hobbit for the first time as a teenager and liked it. I have reread it many times over the years and my intended reread next year will start with that! And I will finish off with The Sil..."

What is this Simarillion that you speak of...?

Anne wrote: "Andy wrote: "My exact experience reading those books lol, only exception was The Hobbit, actually hooked."

I've got The Hobbit on my list, as well!"

Hobbit is great!

Anne wrote: "What is this Simarillion that you speak of...?"

the boring Prequel to LOTR.

Kay Dee wrote: "the boring Prequel to LOTR."
😝 The Silmarillion

Oh no! There's more?! LOL

Don't get me wrong, I love the concept of LOTR, the books, the movies, the world (the audiobooks have an amazing narrator), but DAMN, it can be DRY to get through it! Anyone who does should get a medal.

I'm aiming for that medal, Crystal! I'll expect a Fabio for this, btw.

Oh wow! I am 40 pages in and it’s been delightful so far lol

If you aren't liking this, you should probably just stop. The third book is much worse. There's at least 100 pages of Sam and Frodo trudging through Mordor that is pure misery. Enough that I set it aside for months. I do love what happens when they return to the Shire though. You don't have to read and finish every Classic. A lot of them just aren't appealing to everyone decades later.

BTW, this one is my favorite of the trilogy.

Jesus wrote: "Oh wow! I am 40 pages in and it’s been delightful so far lol"

I'm so glad you're loving it!

Chad wrote: "If you aren't liking this, you should probably just stop. The third book is much worse. There's at least 100 pages of Sam and Frodo trudging through Mordor that is pure misery. Enough that I set it..."

Right now it's not so bad. The stuff with Gandalf coming back was interesting. I don't know, it just feels like I need to finish this. At the very least the trilogy. There are just so many references made to it.