The Lucius Flux: 2015-07-19

Flux Reviews: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

10:21 pm

Title: The Lord of the Ring: The Two Towers
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Publication Date: 1986
Publisher: Del Rey
Format: Paperback pocketbook
Price: ₱315 (Philippines) - $8.54 (Amazon)

Plot Synopsis:

The Fellowship is scattered. Some are bracing hopelessly for war against the ancient evil of Sauron. Some are contending with the treachery of the wizard Saruman. Only Frodo and Sam are left to take the accursed Ring of Power to be destroyed in Mordor--the dark Kingdom where Sauron is supreme. Their guide is Gollum, deceitful and lust-filled, slave to the corruption of the Ring.

The Review

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them,
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

Above is the full poem, because you've probably heard of the "One Ring to rule them all . . ." line, which is engraved on the One Ring of Power and a variation of the first four lines are said by Lady Galadhriel in the Fellowship movie.

The second volume to J.R.R. Tolkien's larger book Lord of the Rings, it follows where the Fellowship of the Ring left off:

The Fellowship is separated, some go to the North-East, towards Mordor, a few follow a trail to Gondor, towards the South-East, yet there are those who are lost in a forest dark and full of walking trees and ancient Ents. And one, one fell to the darkness.

And who they thought was a powerful ally, is not who he seems. An army is gathering that to rival the Orcs of Mordor but not to oppose it. Together, with the might of Sauron and this betrayer of Middle-Earth, none can stop them.

Mr. Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee of the Shire must brave the wilderness a La Bear Grylls-but-not-really-Bear Grylls because-they-won't-eat-Honey Badger-intestines-or-drink-their-own-piss kinda crap, step by step, dreading their final destination, and behind their backs lurks the pitiable creature Gollum, who desires to take the Ring no matter what.

Cities of old, ruins, deep forests, beautiful caverns will our adventurers discover, bromances will grow, and we'll finally know what the hell happened at the end of the Fellowship of the Ring, because J.R.R. Tolkien left out an an important part (it was in the Fellowship of the Ring movie) from that book, and it feels like multiple arrows in us. *badum tss*.

As much as I liked the previous book, this one to me was slightly better. Not saying that the series has this first place, second place, third place-thing, not really, because the books were written very solidly and with consistently being amazing in all three books. But here we see our characters develop more and more, the timid becomes brave, the gardener shows signs of becoming an amateur poet, resolves strengthen, new friends are met and new foes are fought, and we get to see more background information on the Fellowship's members, more history, we find out what Rohan (land of the horse-lords) and Gondor looks like, and more AWESOMENESS!

Bunch of guys kicking ass

Here you see some relationships forming and growing *cough* Legolas and Gimli's bromance *cough*, since the first book was more chill than this one, here our characters will be tested and here we'll find out their mettle.

This is the book where more of the action kicks off, battles here and there, foul orcs ravaging villages and homesteads, mounted Rohirrim charging disorganized lines of enemies, and a friend who was thought to be dead is back again, for now he is still needed by the hobbits, and others of the Company. The first part revolves around the rest of the fellowship, while the latter part focuses more on Frodo and Sam's journey into Mordor.

Tolkien weaves us a tapestry of a fair land torn by war, of the destruction of the orcs, the richly beautiful land of Middle-Earth, the people, and of his legendarium (which is what this whole quadruple rainbow of a background to his Lord of the Rings!)

Times are dire as their time runs out, can Frodo reach Mt. Doom in Mordor and end this journey? Will the Fellowship unite again? And might the elves and dwarfs and humans once again forge an alliance like that of old, for the sake of their freedom? I dunno about you, but why the hell would there be a third volume in the book when all seems bleak? I dunno, I'm not Tolkien. *shrugs shoulders*

“Still, I wonder if we shall ever be put into songs or tales. We're in one, of course, but I mean: put into words, you know, told by the fireside, or read out of a great big book with red and black letters, years and years afterwards. And people will say: "Let's hear about Frodo and the Ring!" And they will say: "Yes, that's one of my favourite stories. Frodo was very brave, wasn't he, dad?" "Yes, my boy, the famousest of the hobbits, and that's saying a lot."'It's saying a lot too much,' said Frodo, and he laughed, a long clear laugh from his heart. Such a sound had not been heard in those places since Sauron came to Middle-earth. To Sam suddenly it seemed as if all the stones were listening and the tall rocks leaning over them. But Frodo did not heed them; he laughed again. 'Why, Sam,' he said, 'to hear you somehow makes me as merry as if the story was already written. But you've left out one of the chief characters: Samwise the stouthearted. "I want to hear more about Sam, dad. Why didn't they put in more of his talk, dad? That's what I like, it makes me laugh. And Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam, would he, dad?"''Now, Mr. Frodo,' said Sam, 'you shouldn't make fun. I was serious.''So was I,' said Frodo, 'and so I am.”