01 - So that's how the ring met its doom. I thought Frodo or even Sam would throw the ring into the Crack of Doom/Fire-mountain at the last moment before their strength gave out but I guess it's better that Gollum did that part though he did met his end. For someone who is suffering, perhaps it's better he ended his miserable existence. So technically, Gollum is the one that finished off the quest even if he did it accidentally.
02 - So Sauron is also called the dark lord. I had thought there is a third bad guy (aside from Saruman and Sauron) since they keep saying dark lord this, dark lord that and only once or twice Sauron. As far as I can remember, there was only one scene with him (supposedly the dark lord) and Gandalf and then he's not heard of again. After the ring is destroyed, he is gone so does that mean Sauron is dead? They didn't say how he was killed though or had I missed that bit?
I do have a question: Isn't the dark lord the one who created the Fire-mountain and made it possible for the ring to be destroyed there or was Fire-mountain there before he came to Mordor? That Fire-mountain must be powerful or else it wouldn't have been able to destroy the ring.
03 - I thought there would be a final battle between good and evil but that didn't happen. There might have been some fighting when Aragorn and the Captains and all the soliders came to Mordor but basically, they didn't do much or rather, they didn't have to do much once the ring is destroyed. The bad guys just either disappear or flee which I thought is kind of a dull way to end that part of the story. I guess I would have prefer another battle so at least people aren't standing around while their enemies run off. And maybe I prefer that the bad guys get some sort of punishment (considering a lot of people died by their hands) instead of banishment but maybe it's better this way since there would be less deaths.
04 - It was good that Frodo had Sam with him or else Frodo would have probably gone mad. I think the burden of the ring made Frodo almost as hopeless and single-minded as Gollum so Sam is there to somewhat help Frodo in this aspect just a little. It's probably why you should never go on such journeys by yourself.
05 - Éowyn & Faramir seemed well matched. They had a lot in common. They both have father-like figures who are a little mad/power-hungry and they seemed to have the same sort of sensibility about wanting to fight instead of staying at home.
06 - Who says such things as a farewell? Celeborn said this to Aragorn: "Kinsman, farewell! May your doom be other than mine, and your treasure remain with you to the end!" (page 982) Should we take this the wrong way because it sounded like Celeborn is being a jerk. Aragorn just rode off without responding.
07 - I really like that Legolas and Gimli are traveling together to the places they spoke about going after the ring is destroyed. I really like this pair. They seems like fun traveling companions.
08 - Are we to pity Saruman and Wormtonuge when we see them in rags? I find that scene very odd. They not only didn't seem like they are repenting. Saruman seemed a bit snobbish about meeting Gandalf and company. I just can't pity them nor do I think they can be redeemed not when you think about all the people that died because of their doing.
09 - I didn't except a battle in the Shire when Frodo and company returned home. And I didn't except Saruman to appear in the Shire either. His attempt at stabbing Frodo seems a bit dumb but I suppose that's what's to expect from a guy who is such a sore loser that he refused to even admit defeat. And his nickname is Sharkey is kind of hilarious. Wormtongue killing Saruman seemed unsurprising to me but I guess this is what happens when you treat other people badly.
10 - So Sam married Rosie and he and his wife moved in with Frodo because he couldn't decide between Rosie and Frodo. Sam remained a very faithful servant because he continued to take very good care of Frodo. Isn't it nice but kind of weird when Sam thought of naming his first born Frodo though she was a girl? I'm thinking now Frodo is like Sam's father and he even named Sam as his heir so that probably make some sense. Why do we care what kind of relationship they have? Heck, Merry and Pippin aren't married and they live together so why do we speculate about relationships between people when really, we should just think of everyone as family who cares deeply for one another and that's that.
11 - I kind of understand why Frodo had to leave the Shire since he is no longer the same person who started the journey with the ring. But is Haven some type of heaven or perhaps those retreats for people who needs help, like those rehab centers and yet it seems like a permanent stay for Frodo and perhaps Gandalf is going there too.
12 - Sadly, there is only one scene with Treebeard. I really like that character and his people, the Ents. I had thought they would show up at the end to sort of help with some of the fighting but we just get a farewell scene. It's a shame they haven't found the Entwives.
13 - That's the end of The Lord of the Rings and I enjoyed reading it. Though I have to admit, I like to see more of Gandalf, Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas and a little less of Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, to even out the perspectives. But I think now this is a hobbits-oriented tale more than the other races. Éowyn remains the only woman in this book who actually did something worthy aside from Lady Galadriel who gave useful gifts to Sam and Frodo but really, women here are pretty much nonexistence.
I still don't quite like the lyrics/poems/singing throughout the books. I sort of think of characters breaking into song like those musicals and maybe it's why I don't like them much. Everyone here seems to love to sing or listen to other people sing. Even Legolas sang a song.
There is so many landscape details and history and back stories and I guess with my short attention span, I'm not made to read this type of book. Honestly, I would have quitted reading after a couple of chapters with book one if I had not taken breaks in between reading. And also, writing about it keeps me interested in the story. Overall, it's not a bad reading experience but it was pretty slow seeing it took two months to read three books that gathered together is a little over 1,000 pages.
14 - There are appendices at the end full of annals of the kings and rulers; tales of years which is a timeline and it tells you who came and left, who died and born and such; hobbits family trees; Shire calendar; writing and spelling; and there is an index but I only flipped through these. They are more like extra backgrounds and histories for people who are interested in the little details. And there was a map at the end of each book with enlargements. (My copy is the HarperCollins 2020 edition.)
Have you read The Lord of the Rings? If you did, did you enjoy it?
Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteChristine: Thank you forr eading.
DeleteThank you for stopping by. Have a lovely day.
I have read the Lord of the Rings, but not in years. Like you I would have liked to have seen more of the Ents, and still mourn for the Entwives. The Ents will live a very long time without them...
ReplyDeleteElephant's Child: There's just not enough of the Ents here...
DeleteThank you for stopping by. Have a lovely day.
The Ents are some of my favourites as well. I love the poem and poetry in these books, and I think I've used as much time reading all the appendixes as one reading of the whole story - Mainly the language appendixes, but also timelines and genealogy :) I admit to being a nerd.
ReplyDeleteCharlotte: There's nothing wrong being a nerd. And if you enjoy the appendices, there's nothing wrong with that.
DeleteThank you for stopping by. Have a lovely day.
Isn't that wild how Gollum is the one who falls in with it? I never caught it before until my last re- read, but earlier in the series I think gandalf remarks that showing mercy to Gollum (someone debated killing him at some juncture?) was might have ramifications in the future, and... yup.
ReplyDeleteSauron is supposed to be dead. And it's interesting to think about what happens after. I think in the Appendices it discusses the early Fourth Age and how Aragorn has to deal with the Easterlings yet or whatever... but yes Sauron's forces wouldn't all just disappear.
Frodo would have failed if Gollum hadn't intervened, which is... scary.
Greg: I think Gandalf had foreseen that Gollum would somehow take the ring with him when he die. Gandalf did keep a lot of things to himself.
DeleteI already forgotten what I read about Sauron. There just doesn't seem to be any particular scene about his demise. But bad guys never really go away, someone, somewhere will always be the bad guy or they turn into one. But yes, Sauron's forces wouldn't have all just disappear because some of them are actual humans and they weren't killed off.
I think Frodo did succeed because he brought Gollum to the fire-mountain and maybe that was what he was meant to do - bring the ring to the right place. We know Gollum would try to steal the ring from Frodo so it wasn't entirely unexpected how it ended, at least, for me.
Thank you for stopping by. Have a lovely day.
Gandalf did keep a lot of things to . I like that he rode to Minas Tirith to consult the archives. He was a Maia too and was sent to Middle earth to advise the forces of good, but with limits.
DeleteSauron was originally a lieutenant of Morgoth, the original Dark Lord, so when Sauron was finally gone it was like the first time since the First Age that neither Morgoth or Sauron would be a threat. I think that's pretty momentous but you get more from the supplemental stuff than the actual book.
That's an awesome point. I never liked the Gollum angle and thought it took up sooo much story but in the end he was pretty pivotal, wasn't he??
Greg: I don't like the idea of having to read other books to understand or get more details for the book I'm reading. I don't think I'll be reading the supplements.
DeleteIf Gollum didn't existed, then the ring might not ended up with Frodo but at the same time, without his existence, it might not get destroyed either so Gollum's character was necessary. But I suppose if Gollum wasn't there, there would be another one like him to take his place because the ring is the major thing and if it was never found, then there's no story.
Thank you for coming by. Have a lovely day.