The Lord of the Rings Reading Logs 3

It seemed I forgot to mention the name of the author of The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien. I'm sure most people know that but I hadn't known that until after I've seen the movies. I've finished The Fellowship of the Ring and it only took two months. Here are my thoughts. Please note, there are spoilers.  (Logs 1 link, Logs 2 link)

01 - I'm usually a continuous reader meaning, I continue reading the same book in the same time period but I didn't do this with The Fellowship of the Ring because the slow pace kind of puts me off so I had to read little bits at a time so in between I read other books which means it takes longer to finish the book but at the same time, I think it keeps me from quitting. I'm not sorry I read this. I think even if I have forgotten almost everything, I had no regrets reading this. (And I don't care what people say, The Lord of the Rings is not a series. It's a book that is divided in six parts and separated/printed in three books.)

02 - Still more singing/chanting. I want to like them but my mind refuse to.

03 - Why do ocrs announce themselves with drums? Isn't it dumb to let people know you're coming to attack? I suppose ocrs aren't quiet creatures but they don't seem too smart either.

04 - The group of travelers (Frodo, Gandalf, Aragorn, Sam, Pippin, Merry, Boromir, Gimli and Legolas) is called the Company which I find a bit too modern for the setting but I don't mind it but I also don't like it all that much.

05 - I like Gimli and Legolas's very few banters. In fact, I find there is little talking between the Company as they need to keep out of sight and quiet. It's hard to get interested in any of the characters when most of the time, they are all in despair. It's a rather grim adventure, I should say.

06 - Even if I hadn't seen the movies, I still wouldn't believe Gandalf had died in this last part of the book. A powerful wizard like him can't just fall into whatever that pit was called and not survived. That would be a dumb way to kill off a powerful character.

07 - I don't know why but this little bit annoyed me. Lord Celebron, a leader of Elves of some sort said, "And if it were possible, one would say that at the last Gandalf fell from wisdom into folly, going needlessly into the net of Moria." (page 356) Then Lady Galadriel said, "But however if may be with the guide, the followers are blameless." All this after they heard of Gandalf's demise. Aren't they being a bit opinionated not having been there to witness anything? The Company are blameless because they are just following Gandalf? What the hell are they implying? Wise people do not give such opinionated thoughts. Then Lord Celebron just apologized though probably not for the Gandalf bit and the subject was changed to dwarf relations. Really? The Company (Frodo and Aragorn and the rest) said nothing in defense of Gandalf. I think Gandalf had no choice than to lead the Company through a dangerous route so I'm just a little pissed that they should speak badly of Gandalf.

08 - I wonder why there are so few females here. Perhaps it's those time period where females are not meant to do any traveling or moving about or doing anything interesting other than being a siren of sorts. I get the impression the few females that are mentioned seems like sirens to me. Lady Galadriel and the elf queen wife of Tom Bombadil (I forgot her name) certainly have some type of powers that hypnotize people. Arwen, I don't know much of as she is only mentioned in name only. It's the only three females that is mentioned that I remember other than Frodo's relatives but who remembers them since they are such jerks and are only mentioned in the beginning?

09 - So sad about Boromir. He seems like a good fellow. I don't like the way he died. One minute it's all quiet, and the next, we hear a horn sound and then Aragorn finds Boromir dying and surrounded by dead orcs and then he's gone. That's how you end a character who seems kind of important but somehow isn't? Even if he is a minor character, I still think it's kind of a shame readers don't get to witness what happened to him.

10 - I find it strange the Company didn't make a more definite plan after their stay in Lórien. It's a dangerous journey whichever way they go but they didn't make a definite decision until the last moment. Frodo decided he needs to go the Cracks of Doom alone which it took a long while for him to make his resolve because of his fear which I can understand but Aragorn and the others, they knew where they want to go but only when Frodo and Sam left them, did they made some decisions but not before. I guess I don't know why they took so long to make decisions.

11 - Sam continued to be a devoted friend/servant and sticking to Frodo like glue. "It is hardly possible to separate you from him, even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not," Elrond to Sam (page 271). Then toward the end, "It is no good trying to escape you," Frodo to Sam (page 406) just before they decided to go the Cracks of Doom together or rather, Frodo had no choice but to allow Sam to go with him but Frodo is glad for Sam's company, I guess. I think Sam is a great guy. He's like Frodo's more outspoken side because he seems to always say what he wants. If anyone Frodo should go to the Cracks of Doom with, Sam is good choice, although I would take Aragorn, he seems to know how to fight and have common sense and Gandalf because he's a wizard and I think he would give good counsel along the way and certainly his magic would come useful.

12 - This first book was't bad but I must be honest. I was bored for most of the book. I guess what I don't like most is that, readers don't get to witness most events first hand, that is, characters tell tales of what happened to them or to whomever in a second-hand sort of way. It's almost like the interesting events gets summed up (mostly in a long tale) while the boring parts/current happenings gets long detailed explanations. Maybe it's not like that the whole book but it sort of felt like that. I'll continue to the second book because I'm the crazy sort of person who likes to finish what they started, usually.

Have you read The Fellowship of the Ring? Or maybe the whole book, The Lord of the Rings?