8 Things I Learned From The Lord of the Rings

Today is the start of the Tolkien Blog Party 2024 celebrating all things Tolkien. It's hosted by Rachel at The Edge of Precipice over here. Here's my contribution to the party - 8 things I learned from reading The Lord of the Rings books.

01 - It's best to go on a long and dangerous journey with a friend – It was good that Frodo had Sam with him or else Frodo would have probably gone mad or died. This is why you should take a friend when you go on a dangerous journey and preferably someone who can fight orcs or giant spiders or is so loyal that they would lay down their lives just to save you.

02 - Friendship can bloom with the unlikeliest people – Like the friendship between Legolas (an elf) and Gimli (a dwarf), who, at one time, competed who could slay more orcs. We should all want friends who we can enjoy doing gruesome things together. Okay, maybe not slaying orcs.

03 - Some journeys can change you – After his journey, Frodo wasn't the same hobbit anymore. His mind, his very being, had been altered. After all, your mind can only endure so much harmful things.

04 - People do not check if you're really dead – If someone is lying unconscious (and maybe among other dead people after a war), they are assumed to be dead which is kind of careless and bad because the dead are burned and if someone's not dead, they would be after they are burned.

05 - Loyalty to your lord or king is absolute — If your lord wanted you to help him kill himself and his son, you will have to do it even if it's madness to do so.

06 - Being hasty isn't always good – I like the Ents who do not rush into anything. They take their time. Like when Treebeard met Merry and Pippin and he said, "I almost feel that I dislike you both, but do not let us be hasty."

07 - Women don't fight in wars, not really – Women don't go to war and if they do, they are mostly healers or cooks, not warriors. Éowyn is maybe an exception because she is close to a king and probably have the privileges to learn to fight and use a sword while other women probably would not have such chances. All the other females are either elves or some powerful beings so they probably don't fight either.

No. 09-ish

08 - Sometimes going forward is the only way to go – The Company (Frodo and the others) barely have a plan to start or even to continue but they carry on and maybe that's enough. Sometimes you only know what to do when something happens during the journey.

Have you read The Lord of the Rings? What did you learn from the books?

The Tenth Annual Tolkien Blog Party Tag

This week (Sept. 18-24) is the Tenth Annual Tolkien Blog Party hosted by Rachel at The Edge of the Precipice. This is in celebration of all things related to J.R.R. Tolkien - the books, the movies, the world of Middle-earth. I'm not a big fan but I am somewhat a small fan ever since I saw the movies. I only read The Lord of the Rings this year. Today, I decided to answer the tag. For more about the party, go here.

1. Who first introduced you to Middle Earth? 
I have no idea but I probably saw a commercial for one of the movies. The Lord of The Rings movies were my first time that had anything to do with Tolkien.

2. Has your love of Middle-earth affected your life?
Not that I can say but I do appreciate the idea of such a place in existence even as a fictional place.

3. Have you ever dressed up like a Tolkien character?
No, but if I were to dress as one, I would prefer dressing as Lady Éowyn in armor.

4. What people in your real life would you want in your company if you had to take the ring to Mordor?
None I can think of as I do prefer to have people who knows magic and someone knows how to use a sword and can fight really well. I don't know anyone who could do those things.

5. What Middle-earth location would you most like to visit?
Rivendell? But only because it's the one I can remember aside from the Shire. The Shire sounds like a good place for a quiet visit. I think any place but Mordor, even if the evil people are gone from there, I doubt it would be a pleasant place for a visit.

6. Are there any secondary characters you think deserve more attention?
Treebeard, I really like his people's way of not rushing through things, never hasty in making decisions.

7. Would you rather attend Faramir's wedding or Samwise's wedding?
Sam (I always call him Sam) because there would be lots of food and one would not feel like they have to be too careful about what they touch or say. Let's just say Faramir's wedding would be a far too serious affair for one to truly enjoy.

8. How many books by J.R.R. Tolkien have you read?
If you count The Lord of the Rings as three books, then three, if not, then one.

9. Are there any books about Middle-earth or Professor Tolkien (but not written by him) that you recommend?
None that I can say.

10. List up to ten of your favorite lines/quotations from the Middle-earth books and/or movies.
There are many but I'll just list two from the books:

"I almost feel that I dislike you both, but do not let us be hasty." - Treebeard to Merry and Pippin, The Two Towers

"There are some things that it is better to begin than to refuse, even though the end may be dark." - Aragorn, The Two Towers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here are the questions if you want to answer the Tag:
1. Who first introduced you to Middle Earth? 
2. Has your love of Middle-earth affected your life?
3. Have you ever dressed up like a Tolkien character?
4. What people in your real life would you want in your company if you had to take the ring to Mordor?
5. What Middle-earth location would you most like to visit?
6. Are there any secondary characters you think deserve more attention?
7. Would you rather attend Faramir's wedding or Samwise's wedding?
8. How many books by J.R.R. Tolkien have you read?
9. Are there any books about Middle-earth or Professor Tolkien (but not written by him) that you recommend?
10. List up to ten of your favorite lines/quotations from the Middle-earth books and/or movies.

The Lord of the Rings Reading Logs 6

I've finished reading The Return of the King, The Lord of the Rings Part 3 by J.R.R. Tolkien. This concludes the last of the reading logs. The other logs: logs 1, logs 2, logs 3, logs 4, logs 5. Here are my final thoughts on the last part of The Return of the King and The Lord of the Rings with spoilers.

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?

The Lord of the Rings Reading Logs 5

I've finished The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings, Part 2 by J.R.R. Tolkien.

(The other logs: logs 1, logs 2, logs 3, logs 4)

Here are my thoughts on the last part of The Two Towers with spoilers.

01 - It seemed rather slow this last part but probably because of all the descriptions of the landscape even as Frodo and Sam are moving.

02 - Gollum/Sméagol is quite pitiful. I guess his mind has been warped by the ring so much that he no longer can tell right from wrong, all he wants is the ring. If I was Frodo, I wouldn't trust him but they really didn't have a choice. Sam certainly didn't trust Gollum.

03 - I don't like that Sam acknowledged Frodo as master and Frodo also accepted Sam as his servant, both using the terms quite easily. How are classes defined with hobbits in the Shire? I think Frodo is considered higher class but I'm not sure. We know they care for one another so there's friendship between them so I really do prefer to see them as equals.

04 - I admire Sam for fighting off Shelob, a giant spider of some sort. He's quite courageous but I suppose anyone can be when in dire need. But I think Sam's more admirable when he decided he should complete the task of the ring and carry on Frodo's work when he thought Frodo was dead. It really is a quite a burden and a hard task to decide on.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I've started on The Return of the King, The Lord of the Rings Part 3. The plot according to the back of the book: The armies of the Dark Lord are massing as his evil shadow spreads ever wider. Men, Dwarves, Elves and Ents unite forces to do battle against the Dark. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam struggle further into Mordor in their heroic quest to destroy the One Ring.

Here are my thoughts on the first part of The Return of the King with spoilers.

05 - I realized with this final installment why we get mostly the hobbits' perspectives - it's more of their tale than men. So it makes sense we get mostly Merry, Pippin, Frodo and Sam's perspectives rather than Gandalf or Aragorn though we do get some of their views.

06 - I notice all the men are described as tall (tons of times) aside from hobbits and dwarves - this makes sense considering where it comes from (see #5 above).

07 - I would like to know more of what Gandalf did when he leaves Frodo, Aragorn and company. He seemed to have done a lot of things but we only a get tiny glance here and there. But I think he cares deeply about the world and wants to help everyone even though most people thought he's nosy which they actually said so even to his face. I suppose since he keeps a lot of things to himself that it makes it hard people to understand him. And he didn't get a lot of apologies or thanks even though he helped a lot of people.

08 - I don't want to say Lady Éowyn is repressed but she is since she only keeps house for the king. I guess in those times, women are not sent to battle but stayed at home or go off into safety (along with the children) while the men fight and if they are around, they are there to heal the wounded.
    I only realized Éowyn was disguised as a soldier calling herself Dernhelm a few pages before the reveal but I thought that was kind of amusing and admirable. But the way everyone around her seemed so surprised to see her, it just says women are expected not to be around.
    But I like that Éowyn rebelled and joined the battle even if she put herself in danger. And the way people just assumed someone is dead (namely Éowyn) just because they lie around unconscious, that's just odd. I just wonder why they don't check first to make sure a person is really dead because they burn the dead (and they were going to burn her) so I think they should have checked first.

09 - Men here so devoted to their kings and lords that they always did what they are told even if it seemed mad which I thought is a bit too much. In the case of Lord Denethor, it's a bit crazy to help him kill himself and his son, right? I would think being loyal means helping your lord or whomever to stay alive and not the opposite. But Denethor was mad so he couldn't help himself but those around him, well, I don't know. But I guess some madness would show up since wars are quite depressing.

Have you read The Lord of the Rings?

The Lord of the Rings Reading Logs 4

I've started on The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings, Part 2 by J.R.R. Tolkien. It pretty much continues from The Fellowship of The Ring and they even continued the page count. Book 3 (the three books are divided into 6 parts) starts on page 413.

    The plot according to the back of the book: The Company of the Ring is sundered. Frodo and Sam continue their journey along down the great River Anduin — alone that is, save for a mysterious creeping figure that follows whenever they go.
    My copy is the HarperCollins 2020 edition. If you haven't read The Fellowship of The Ring, there is a synopsis in the beginning of the book which I thought is kind of nice for people who forgot what they read in the previous book. (The other logs: logs 1, logs 2, logs 3)

Here are my thoughts on the first part of The Two Towers with spoilers.

01 - I really like what Aragorn said in respond to Gimil's, "His foresight failed him." "The counsel of Gandalf was not founded on foreknowledge of safety, for himself or for others. There are some things that it is better to begain than to refuse, even though the end may be dark." (page 441)

02 - Everyone here chants or sings and I should expect this and yet I'm still find these a bit annoying. I don't know. I guess I have less patience for them than the first book.

03 - What's with Gimli and Lady Galadriel? Does he have a thing for her? Why does it sounds like he worships her? Since I didn't finish reading, I suppose there is some explanation later on but it's still weird since they seems to not have known each long but Lady Galadriel does have some hypnotic powers.

04 - Evilly - I find that word a bit silly but they used it in speech. I didn't mark the page but I remember something like, "He has gone evilly" - doesn't it sound a bit, I don't know, childish? I guess I expected more of a sophisticated language spoken by these people. So I'm nitpicking even though it was used only twice.

05 - I like Treebeard and the Ents, tree people they are called. His people are not into rushing through things. "I almost feel that I dislike you both, but do not let us be hasty." (page 463), Treebeard to Merry and Pippin.

06 - Silly me, I thought Sauron and Saruman are the same person but no, it's two people. I guess since they just mentioned them at the same time and didn't elaborate much, that might have made me confused.

07 - I think I prefer to witness Treebeard and the Ents with Merry and Pippin fighting the Orcs and Saruman's men than Gandalf and Aragorn and company's battle with the Orcs. (I did enjoyed it when Gimli and Legolas competes who can slay more orcs.) So maybe Merry and Pippin doesn't do much fighting but I like to see how the Ents fight since they are like giants. But we do get an account of what happened from Merry and Pippin which is still a second-hand report. I suppose the book would be longer if readers get to witness every single event in the book.

Have you read The Two Towers or the entire The Lord of the Rings?

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?

The Lord of the Rings Reading Logs 2

The three books (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King) are divided in six parts which are titled Book 1, Book 2, Book 3 etc. at least with my copies. Currently I'm still reading The Fellowship of the Ring and so far,  I'm at the beginning of Book 2. Please note, there will be minor spoilers.  (First log is over here)

01 - Sometimes it feels like I'm reading a history book. It's not exactly boring but it's not exactly the most exciting read. I guess with these sort of books, there are usually a lot of history and back stories because there are so many people involved and so many places and so many of many things.

02 - That Tom Bombadil is a strange fellow. He's not big enough for a human (aka Big People) and not small enough to be a hobbit and has an elf queen for a wife and seems to have some sort of power over the forest. The way he is described as the 'Master of wood, water and hill' (p125) and kind of like a jolly fellow who is into nature, makes me think of a lumberjack. His character seems oddly out of place in this book. But then again, odd might not be the correct term.

03 - Until chapter 10, do we get some kind of description of Frodo - 'taller than some, fairer than most, and he has a cleft in his chin' according to Gandalf (page 168). As for Sam, Pippin, Merry, no descriptions that I can remember other than they are kind of fat because they all love a good meal but it doesn't matter because I end up picturing the actors from the movies.

04 - We are introduced tons of new characters but Strider aka Aragorn aka Dúnadan, is the one that stands out to me. He is one of the Big People and also a descendant of some great people. There isn't much about him at this point. Honestly, I'm just glad to see a familiar-ish character that I know other than Frodo, Sam, Pippin, Merry or Gandalf. There are tons of new characters but I don't know them since I've not read this series before and only knows what I remember from the movies.

05 - Sam seems kind of dumb but at the same time, kind of smart and wise. I guess people who aren't all that smart can be smart at times, right? I'm not putting Sam down but often, he keeps being described as not so smart.
    I don't get why Sam calls Frodo master considering they are about the same age and even if Sam works for Frodo and takes care of Frodo's garden, how is Frodo Sam's master? I guess master is a respectable term? Update: I might have been mistaken about Sam calling Frodo, Master but he did refer to Frodo as his master on occasions such as, "My master is sick and wounded." (page 211). From what I'm currently reading, Sam calls Frodo Mr. Frodo or sir most of the time, which I think in a way is similar to master.
    Sam is quite a devoted friend to Frodo but I think it's a bit much that he acts like Frodo's servant and seems quite passionate about Frodo's health and safety. I'm not saying it's weird or anything, well, it's a little weird. Even best friends can't be that overprotective of each other right? I guess I never got any sense these two were that close friends but hobbits lived a long time and they do know each long a long time since they are essentially in their fifties but they looked like they are in their twenties. I guess I can't understand since I do not have such a devoted friend as someone who is willing to go on a journey with me knowing they might not return or that they might die.

06 - At this point, I'm not attached to any of the characters. Say if Frodo and company gets hurt, I don't care all that much. I want to care but the writing doesn't seem to make me care. Although at one time, Sam threw an apple at someone (forgot his name) for being a jerk and that moment was amusing and it did make me like him more. It seems like 50% of the first half of the book, they are singing, telling tales and sitting down for a meal because that's what hobbits do and in between some history/back story and traveling.

07 - Is chanting better than singing? There is now chanting along with the singing. I don't know why but I still find these lyrics annoying. But since hobbits (and elves) are prone to singing, I should have expected this, right?

08 -  There are now footnotes but they are short and spare.

09 - So many names I can't pronounce. This is why I'm glad I never have to read out loud. For hobbits, their names are more simplified but all the other races, their names became quite complex with different diacritic marks here and there. I doubt I got any of the names correctly in my head.

10 - I don't want to say this book is boring but I keep wanting to put it down because it seems boring. But there is quite a lot of actions toward the end of Book 1. Book 2 seems to come down back to the more calming state. I guess people do not read these for the actions but for the characters and the places. I really do like the idea of a simple being saving the world from evil but maybe this is too far complex for me as a reader and also, I lack the patience to read through all the back stories and song lyrics and the slow pacing does not make want to read faster.

Have you read The Lord of the Rings?

The Lord of the Rings Reading Logs 1

I'm reading or trying to read The Lord of the Rings and I thought it would fun to keep a record of my reading or not reading. My wandering mind and eyes can't stay attention to the words too long so I decided to read a little bit at time so it might take a while to finish the first book and then maybe the rest. Who knows. I might quit just after the first book.
    A while back, I brought the paperback box set that included 4 books: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King and The Hobbit. I didn't start with The Hobbit because I just prefer to think of that as a long prequel that I might or might not read depending on if I like these books.
    The plot according to the back of the book: In a sleepy village in the Shire, a young hobbit is entrusted with an immense task. He must make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ruling Ring of Power - the only thing that prevents the Dark Lord's evil dominion.

Here's a my thoughts on my reading of The Fellowship of the Ring so far. My copy is the HarperCollins 2020 edition.

01 -  I started reading The Fellowship of the Ring in the beginning of April. The prologue is 16 pages and even have chapter breaks. It's all about the history of the hobbits which I find quite a slow start. I am doubting I'll remember reading any of this by the end of the book. I didn't read the two notes on the text nor the foreword. Does this still count as reading if I skip those?
    As of today, I read up to a little over 100 pages so you can tell by that how slow I'm going and we're still in the Shire and haven't moved an inch toward the journey that Frodo has to go on.

02 - So many details, so many back stories and every little thing is mentioned in detail. Okay, I'm exaggerating but it feels exactly like that. Most of the things mentioned might be better summed up but perhaps the details is what most people love but I don't quite care for them but at least the writing is enjoyable.

03 - I don't get why there is sometimes a space between paragraphs. Spaces between paragraph usually means time had passed or it's starting a new scene or something new but some of the spaces didn't make sense to me but who am I to question such decisions?

04 - The singing/lyrics annoys me. I never seem to have patience for them and I don't know why that is. I flipped through the pages and there seems to be more of them. It's probably a bad idea to peek forward because that creates expectations, bad expectation.

05 - Here's this passage that stood out to me and sort of sums up my reading experience so far:
'I should like to save the Shire, if I could - though there have been times when I thought the inhabitants too stupid and dull for words, and have felt that an earthquake or an invasion of dragons might be good for them. But I don't feel like that now. I feel that as long as the Shire lies behind, safe and comfortable, I shall find wandering more bearable: I shall know that somewhere there is a firm foothold, even if my feet cannot stand there again.'
- Frodo, page 62.

That's it for this first log. If you plan on reading along, let me know.