by J.R.R. Tolkien
1954
The "authorized" edition,
with a brief foreword by Tolkien about the book's success. Everyone
told me to read this classic fantasy, so I have, perhaps late in life.
My feelings toward it are ambivalent: while I admire the detail and the
craft of the vivid, exceptionally fantastic world and the history
Tolkien created, the story didn't blow me away. I feel that the book
(500 closely printed pages) gets bogged down at times by geography and
obscure genealogy, and is at times a little too caught up in its own
wonder at the breathtaking, aloof majesty of Elves and such. While
enough happened in the story, and the dialogue was fine, I didn't get a
great sense of drama from the book, odd considering the earth-shattering
importance of Frodo's quest. When the action did get going, however,
it was enthralling. The cliffhanger ending had a lot of drama, for
example.
three stars
