This is the first book I've read in 2020, the year I have the goal of reading longer books and those that intimidate me. I've read the Hobbit twice, once in fifth grade and then again last year, and I think it's a fun story, but I've never read the Lord of the Rings and haven't read much high fantasy.

I read this front to back, including the foreward and prologue - this made me very concerned that this book would be incredibly dry. It is noted that the trilogy is an attempt at "a really long story that would hold the attention of readers." Thankfully the meat of the story is usually not very dry.

I feel it reads well going into it thinking it will read like a DnD campaign rather than a "typical" novel - there are long journeys, battles, moments of rest, and I can imagine the successes, twists and turns, and failures as being controlled by a roll of the dice. (I'm not sure how typical this is for fantasy.)

There are slow moments, a lot of songs, and a lot of names of places and people, but I really enjoyed the importance of nature and the merging of human-like beings with the natural world.

Maybe it's just my current priorities in life that have colored my reading, but there were strong themes of stewardship of the land and immersion into nature. Nature is neither good nor evil in this text, rather it's shaped by the people around it. When nurtured and tended to such as Tom Bombadil and Galadriel have done, the land is abundant and nuturing back. In other regions, there is no steward for the land, and it is wild and is neither kind nor harsh.

The corrupt and imperialistc forces destory the natural world. Sam has visions of trees being felled in the Shire and smoke pouring out from a new brick building and he wishes to be home to protect it. Sam is also the character who is gifted soil with which he can garden when his journey is over. (And presumably rebuild.)

I wasn't really expecting the strength of this message of the goodness of working with the land to create bounty rather than its neglect and/or exploitation for one's personal power and gain. This message was a nice surprise because it isn't very well conveyed in the movies.

Overall, a different type of reading experience, but I enjoyed it. ( )

This is really the first volume of a single novel divided into three volumes for publishing purposes, so it鈥檚 probably more appropriate to review the whole thing than to review each volume separately.

However, I suppose this first volume is my favourite. Because, although it has various scenes of darkness and danger, overall it seems the most cheerful of the three; and also because Gollum doesn鈥檛 appear in it, although he鈥檚 mentioned now and then.

To avoid double-counting, I鈥檝e listed here only the times when I鈥檝e read this volume without reading the other two. ( )

This is not my usual book fare and I got lost amidst all the different creatures and landscapes. Still, the book gradually grew on me and it was fun reading about Frodo and gang's adventures. It was heartening to 'witness' Frodo's courage and Sam's loyalty to him. And who could forget Gandalf's sacrifice? I didn't watch the movie but I can imagine the collective gasp when Gandalf fell into the abyss. ( )

This book was amazing. I grew up with the movies and loved them as a child and as a teenager, but this adventure made my return to the first film feel like I was rushing through a story that felt far sweeter when it took its time. There were so many beautiful moments where our heroes had a discussion about the great peril they were in, and comparing that to the beauty that will come once they have completed their journey. I was also amazed by Gandalf鈥檚 response to Frodo鈥檚 offer of the ring - imagine if we had leaders in our workplaces, our churches, our schools, our governments, who were willing to turn down unfathomable power because they know 鈥溾�he way of the Ring [or the temptation of great power] to my heart is by pity, pity for weakness and the desire of strength to do good鈥�!

My heart was also warmed by the wonderful friendships in this book:
鈥溾�榊es, sir!鈥� said Sam. 鈥楤egging your pardon, sir! But I meant no wrong to you, Mr. Frodo, nor to Mr. Gandalf for that matter. He has some sense, mind you; and when you said go alone, he said no! take someone as you can trust.鈥�
鈥楤ut it does not seem that I can trust anyone,鈥� said Frodo. Sam looked at him unhappily.
鈥業t all depends on what you want,鈥� put in Merry. 鈥榊ou can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin鈥搕o the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours鈥揷loser than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo. Anyway: there it is. We know most of what Gandalf has told you. We know a good deal about the Ring. We are horribly afraid鈥揵ut we are coming with you; or following you like hounds.鈥欌��

Overall, this was an awesome adventure full of sweet moments and made me reflect on how some of the lessons from the story apply in my own life.

鈥楾he world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater鈥� ( )

One of my favorite book reviewers and booktubers is Steve Donoghue. He has a video stating what makes a book a classic. It starts with:
Fame: as unjust as it seems, usually countries with the most multinational, and economic power can steer a book to fame more easily and broadly.
Accesibility: the same as the point above, a book that has been made famous can be translated into every lenguage, make a movie deal, have publicity in the most recondite parts of the world, and be read by every reader that wants it.
Relatability: where the story can be understood intelectually and emotionally by the broadest population of readers everywhere.
Time: where the book goes through every era and non of the other three points seem to stall out.

And I'll be damned if this isn't a good example of a classic. ( )