It’s been a while since I posted here. I just wanted to ask this subreddit’s opinion of the Lord of the Rings novels.
I am currently nearing the end of Two Towers and I’m still unsure how I feel.
I tried reading Fellowship three times before finishing it on my fourth try. I usually lost interest around Tom Bombadill.
So far, I am enjoying the book but JRR Tolkien’s writing style is not my favorite. Not bad, but not my favorite. That being said, I can definitely see why these are classics.
by CommonSteak2437
13 Comments
Excellent book.
It’s amazing lol
I gained interest when Tom bombadil entered the scene.
It’s good, but personally not my taste in fantasy.
Great books and sort of the intro to modern fantasy. Yes, the writing can take some getting used to, and if I re-read it I generally skip the songs and poems. But they are master pieces that stand the test of time.
Everyone hates LOTR. It definitely isn’t the most prolific and inspirational fantasy work of all time.
Had I read it at 13 it would have been one of my favorite books of all time. As it is however I read it at 40 and thought it was just ok.
I think it’s a great fantasy Epos. But it’s boring af tbh.
Yes some parts are really good but I needed like 3 month to read all 3 books (at that time I could easily read at least 400 pages a day).
Great book that I read at least once a year
I have read through them twice. You are right about the Tom Bombadill bit in the fellowship, it drags a bit and ultimately goes nowhere. But I felt both times that I hit my stride with them both in the Two Towers, the pace picked up and I ‘got into’ the writing style. I felt that they only get better well into the return of the king, but that bit at the very end in the shire felt a bit tacked on and unnecessary.
I love the books and would recommend them. But there are some shortcomings in my opinion.
Dense. First time reading is potentially difficult. Repeat readings are a breeze. Classic. Legendary. Work of art.
When I read it in middle school I didn’t understand the importance of each little event in the timeline, but when I read it at 30 it all made sense
The original 4 books? 100/10
Everything after Tolkiens death? Ehhhh maybe not