The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien

⭐ 10.0/10

(Originally written by Joseph)

I am certainly not worthy to evaluate such a masterpiece. "They seem above my likes and dislikes" as Sam says. But as summer rolls around, and I get that itch to read the series like every summer, I am presented with an opportunity to give more thoughts on the books as I haven't reviewed them here yet! Yay!

Something I appreciate about this series is that it has almost grown up with me. When I was young, my favorite book was the second because it has the most fights. A little later on, the third was my favorite because it has the most drama. Nowadays I find myself most drawn to this one, mostly because of the charm I find here. I LOVE everything in the shire. I love the dialogue, the good natured mischief, and their petty, loveable behavior. Each rereading, especially on audio, I most look forward to the meeting with Tom Bombadil (Now my little fellows, where you be a going-to huffing like the bellows?) and then of course Sam's old Troll song (though dead he be, it belongs to he, so hand the old bone over!). I love every moment of this trilogy, but honestly every time I get a little sad when the fellowship leaves Rivendell and there are true heroes among them. I love the charming, aimless misadventures of 4 guys who are pretty similar to me and know nothing about survival and just want to eat, sing, and take long, hot baths.

It's been hard for me to distinguish just what separates Tolkien from other fantasy writers for me, and I really do think a lot of it is this humor and charm he's committed to. Every stop in the first half introduces a new quirky character of unique land. The quest feels far less epic in this first book, and for that reason feels more grounded and linear.

LOTR also really gets better every rereading because the world becomes more familiar and for that reason immersive. Even the endless descriptions of landscapes Tolkien loves become like comfort food as I recall my trips there in LOTRO or visualize them through the movies. This reading was honestly my favorite yet I feel, though I probably feel that every year.

Anyways, I have 2 more books to say more, so I'll just say that if you've found yourself wanting to reread these, I highly recommend the audio as read by Robert Inglis. He's a terrific reader, he brings Hobbiton to life like no other, and it helps to get through the more descriptive sections when you can simply passively listen to lots of pretty words. Plus, of course, the songs go from a drag to the best part! Gah, I love these.