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A review by rikuson1
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I Liked It 😌
-★★★✬☆-(3.25/5.00)
My Grading Score = 65% (C+)
In the Fellowship of the Ring, I can see a more refined and put-together overall story than what came in the Hobbit.
Many details that happened in the Hobbit were left unexplained or had random McGuffins occurring that allowed the main character to get out of situations that I wasn't too big of a fan of. The prologue and the first chapter of the Fellowship of the Ring seemed to dedicate the majority of their time to not only setting up the journey to come but also trying to connect it to the Hobbit and explain certain details that were left out in the Hobbit, like for example how Gollum got the ring in the first place.
The lore behind the ring went from a plot device in the hobbit to the most important item in the entire series having its lore connected with the entirety of the series and everything that came with it was very interesting. In regards to the journey though I did feel the double-edged sword of the overwhelming amount of explanation in detail that JRRT goes into when it comes to explaining every single thing especially when it comes to the locations to be a blessing and a curse. A blessing because the amount of detail he goes into if you pay attention you can vividly picture what he's trying to portray to you but also a curse because this by far more than anything else in the story hurts the overall pacing of the story.
Many times I was impressed by the detail and dedication he put into but at the same time I felt like I just wanted the story to continue I've read enough about how this location looks and I just want the plot to continue. The number of characters that come along with the journey was once again a bit bloated. Sam, Aragorn, and Legolas were fine. Everyone else was more or less forgettable to me, and I did not care for them. The conflict and battle scenes also felt were actually kind of short and disappointing when it came to explaining how a fight plays out. It left a lot to be desired from me, especially when it goes into such long and heavy detail when it comes to other things. I wish that energy was more in the fight scenes as well, and the ending to the first book, although alright, was just alright. It wasn't amazing or great, just alright. It felt like an end of a chapter (which it was sure) instead of an ending to a book, I guess it was just a tad anticlimactic to me.
J.R.R Tolkien's Prose
I'm glad that within the 17-year release gap between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, that his prose are more refined. Still quite unorthodox but it didn't seem like he has that "casually talking to a friend" type of attitude when it came to writing this one. I understand The Hobbit was written for children and this was not. I'm more so also talking about his transitions into different scenes and feel were more smooth and organic as well.
Verdict
Nonetheless, I liked this entry, and I'm looking forward to the next one as I feel I'll probably like that one more. (Update, I do)
I Liked It
-★★★✬☆-(3.25/5.00)
My Grading Score = 65% (C+)
In the Fellowship of the Ring, I can see a more refined and put-together overall story than what came in the Hobbit.
Many details that happened in the Hobbit were left unexplained or had random McGuffins occurring that allowed the main character to get out of situations that I wasn't too big of a fan of. The prologue and the first chapter of the Fellowship of the Ring seemed to dedicate the majority of their time to not only setting up the journey to come but also trying to connect it to the Hobbit and explain certain details that were left out in the Hobbit, like for example how Gollum got the ring in the first place.
The lore behind the ring went from a plot device in the hobbit to the most important item in the entire series having its lore connected with the entirety of the series and everything that came with it was very interesting. In regards to the journey though I did feel the double-edged sword of the overwhelming amount of explanation in detail that JRRT goes into when it comes to explaining every single thing especially when it comes to the locations to be a blessing and a curse. A blessing because the amount of detail he goes into if you pay attention you can vividly picture what he's trying to portray to you but also a curse because this by far more than anything else in the story hurts the overall pacing of the story.
Many times I was impressed by the detail and dedication he put into but at the same time I felt like I just wanted the story to continue I've read enough about how this location looks and I just want the plot to continue. The number of characters that come along with the journey was once again a bit bloated. Sam, Aragorn, and Legolas were fine. Everyone else was more or less forgettable to me, and I did not care for them. The conflict and battle scenes also felt were actually kind of short and disappointing when it came to explaining how a fight plays out. It left a lot to be desired from me, especially when it goes into such long and heavy detail when it comes to other things. I wish that energy was more in the fight scenes as well, and the ending to the first book, although alright, was just alright. It wasn't amazing or great, just alright. It felt like an end of a chapter (which it was sure) instead of an ending to a book, I guess it was just a tad anticlimactic to me.
J.R.R Tolkien's Prose
I'm glad that within the 17-year release gap between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, that his prose are more refined. Still quite unorthodox but it didn't seem like he has that "casually talking to a friend" type of attitude when it came to writing this one. I understand The Hobbit was written for children and this was not. I'm more so also talking about his transitions into different scenes and feel were more smooth and organic as well.
Verdict
Nonetheless, I liked this entry, and I'm looking forward to the next one as I feel I'll probably like that one more. (Update, I do)
I Liked It