Reviews and Comments

I won't go into too many plot details in the book. I was not caught up in the same hype that many people seem to have been caught up in surrounding "The Testaments" by Margaret Atwood. I agree with many reviews that say that there was a clash between people's expectations and the finished product. But I try hard to separate out my expectations and the intent of the author, which I usually respect the most. Atwood is a brilliant writer - she can write in many different genres and styles and still make the landing. So, I would say that I liked "The Testaments," though I think that "The Handmaid's Tale" is a better book mainly due to the way the narrative is hemmed in by the restrictions of the narrator. Part of its appeal is all that we do not know about the regime and its circumstances. But I am glad that "The Testaments" exists because I think it worth exploring the rise and maintenance of Gilead - and what could have led to its fall. For some, "The Testaments" may be a lesser work because it punctures the mysteries built up in the first novel. But truth be told, I would rather explore the mysteries of tyranny, violence, and power. I found Aunt Lydia's narrative and Agnes' narratives to be stronger than Daisy's (a girl raised in Canada). But I think that all three were necessary. And I think of of the more brilliant sections of the novel comes with Agnes and Daisy are brought together and you see the clash of two different conceptions of femininity. I will say that I did not see the ending coming entirely - maybe because I have not watched the show at all. The ending feels weaker than I had hoped. But perhaps I could say that we are not as used to having happier endings anymore. Tragedy seems more respectable and serious. Yet, if we look at the world around us, there are moments of triumph as well as tragedy. I think that Atwood has earned the right to give us some hope.

"Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis is an engaging introduction to Christianity for any audience. Sometimes lacking in deeper intellectual rigor, the book is a well-written, easy to read and ultimately humane book that tries to lay out the Christian worldview in a clear manner.

Written as a series of lectures during World War II, Lewis interweaves theology, philosophy, and his own personal history together to present Christianity generally to a lay audience. The book improves as it goes forward, particularly in the sections on the ethics of a Christian life and oddly enough, in his explanation of the Trinity.

Lewis' thought as a Christian apologist has become very popular in the past eighty years and he is a thinker worth engaging, even only as a manifestation of a Christian viewpoint for the public sphere. I would put the caveat that this is indeed a book of apologetic written by an unapologetically Christian author from the mid-20th century and reflects some factual, social, and intellectual biases reflecting his time and context.

That being said - I enjoyed the work and would recommend it to anyone interested in getting an understanding of the "implications" of the Christian worldview.

Whenever I read Tolkien, I am struck by just how prodigious his imagination was and how expansive the world he created could be. While many know him for "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings," these are only the tip of the spear for a huge number of beautiful, well-crafted stories made with deep love, creativity, and affection.

"Beren and Luthen" are part of the three texts which editor Christopher Tolkien says are the three most complete, stand-alone stories from the earlier works of his father (the other two being the "The Children of Húrin" and "The Fall of Gondolin." These stories were told in shorter form as part of his monumental work "The Silmarillion." What makes this sort of book so fascinating is that the editor takes this one tale and shows how it evolved over multiple iterations and forms throughout JRR Tolkien's creative process. It was a story that meant a great deal to the author, as demonstrated by the fact that he had the two names inscribed on the headstones of himself and his wife. While this edition may appeal more to a devoted reader of the Tolkien legendarium (hence why I give the book a 4 out of 5), the story of Beren and Luthen is beautiful in an of itself and worth reading.

"The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien brings the "The Lord of the Rings" to a ringing conclusion. At the end of the journey, one cannot help but be impressed by the level of detail and imagination that went into this beloved work of literature. While for the most part "The Return of the King" is a satisfying conclusion the story, the experience is lessened by a disjointed and often confusingly crafted narrative structure of the whole novel.

"The Return of the King" follows the battle between the forces of the West led by Gandalf and those of the Dark Lord Sauron. What is so wonderful about this volume is that each of the Hobbits is able to come fully into his own - Frodo completes his quest, Sam shows courage and bravery in Mordor, Merry becomes a squire to the King of Rohan, and Pippin enters into the service of the Steward of Gondor. Following each of these characters we are allowed to see them play integral parts in the story, which I think is one of Tolkien's main points - the Hobbits are the essential players for the fate of the world.

It is in this volume where much of the complex mythos that Tolkien has constructed comes into play. Here we see the passing of the Third Age and the departure of the Elves from Middle-earth and the transition to the Fourth Age and the Age of Men. This gives the author the opportunity to pose interesting thoughts about the passage of time and history.

While I have done my best to focus this review on the third volume of the novel, it is impossible to consider the last part without looking at the whole work that came before it. The novel as whole is truly brilliant in its creativity and imagination. And after reading nearly 800+ pages one becomes heavily invested in the story and wants to see it through to its conclusion.

But in my opinion "The Return of the King" is the weakest volume of the novel because of what is my biggest criticism of "The Lord of the Rings" - a disjointed narrative structure. There are some wonderful passages and images in "Return" (I found myself noting quotations in this volume more than the other two). But, whether an intentional creative choice or not, the novel for all of its brilliance is hindered by Tolkien's style of story telling. I give the whole novel four stars but this volume three stars for its narrative flaws. Even with those flaws, however, volume three was captivating and immensely enjoyable!

"The Two Towers" by J.R.R. Tolkien continues the rich, epic journey of "The Fellowship of the Ring," raising the stakes and plunging the heroes deeper into the fight for the fate of Middle Earth. This second volume is filled with memorable characters, rich landscapes, and poetic passages that shines through a somewhat odd and disjointed structure.

In this volume, the Fellowship splits into two parts. Book Three follows Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli as they chase after Merry and Pippin, kidnapped by Orcs and Urukai from Isengard, into Rohan, a fiercely independent kingdom under attack from Saurman. Book Four follows on parallel the story of Frodo and Sam as they move closer to Mordor to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom and along the way, they encounter a malevolent character lurking the shadows.

In a previous review of "The Fellowship of the Ring" I commented on the fact that the level of detail in the text makes one forget that they are reading a novel instead of a long-lost history or legend. How can one not be enchanted by the magical details Fangorn Forest, Rohan, Helm's Deep, Gondor, Minas Morgul? Each setting fits like a puzzle together to create a rich tapestry.

What makes this so volume stand out are new characters like Treebeard, Theoden, and Faromir and the new details of characters we have only heard about like Sauruman and Gollum. We also gain deeper insights into the character of Frodo and Sam. Their journey towards Mordor, though less colorful than Book Three, has some of the most well crafted images, characters and concepts of the whole novel. What is clear is that by this point in the story Tolkien has hit his stride and his sheer joy drips from the pages.

However, given these strengths, what ultimately weakens this volume is that while there are many splendid pieces "The Two Towers" feels like the text was written in chunks over the course of time and the radically different focuses of Books Three and Four can be distracting and less satisfying than "The Fellowship of the Ring." Still, an amazing read.

"The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien is the kind of book rich in details that one can find themselves getting lost in. Imaginative, magical, engrossing, and brilliantly constructed, the individual text is part of a larger novel title "Lord of the Rings" which is a amazing work of the imagination which often overshadows what is sometimes slow pacing and one-dimensional characters.

One is struck by the level of detail Tolkien put into creating his literary world. The details are so well drawn and defined and the background so deep that one often forgets that they are reading a work of fiction and not a long-lost history or legend. This is where Tolkien's background as a linguist and folklorist really shines, utilizing standard folkloric techniques and creates rich languages for his text.

"Fellowship" follows the story of Frodo Baggins, a hobbit who inherited a mysterious golden ring from his Uncle Bilbo (the main subject of the novel "The Hobbit) which turns out to be the Ring created by the Dark Lord Sauron. I do not want to give too much away because as much as people may know the story, it is enjoyable to go along for the ride. Tolkien often noted that he did not create an allegory or metaphor of his time but that he was creating something that people would read and enjoy. The books one strength is that it shifts tone over the course of the novel so quietly that the awareness of the darkness behind everything comes upon the reader as a surprise. What makes this novel stand out is that it is not just an entertaining story but one that is "experienced" by the reader. Highly recommended.

“The Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien is a book that is meant to be enjoyed slowly (but not too slowly). This is the second time that I have read the novel. The difference between the first and the second time is that when I first read the novel, I read it in the aftermath of the films. The films loomed so large over my teenage existence and you really could not get away from them. I started reading the novel and I got through the first half. Then I watched films and became annoyed at the novel because it the narrative was not linear and the images in the book did not match the ones in the film. I am saddened today by this fact – I remember the images in my mind from my reading of the first half without the film influencing my imagination. I also read the novel for the first time over the course of three years where I would pick up one book, read it for it a bit, then set it aside for a few weeks. Because of this, I don’t think I considered the novel as a single work. And I think my reading was a bit unfair.

This time, I picked up the book because I wanted to have something that had nothing to do with my academic work – I wanted a book to get lost in. I had not watched films in years and so I thought that I might finally have enough distance to give the book another goes. I had two stipulations when reading it: I would read it in a single-volume edition and I would read it more quickly than before. I moved along steadily and read consistently but I found my second reading was a revelation. It took my about six months to reach the end of the journey. How do I feel? In a film, you can see the forest. It is immense and grand. But in the novel, you see the trees, you feel the texture of the bark, the glow of the leaves. It is the details of this novel which make it breathtaking—the imagination of one man enveloped in a world of his own creation. A mark of this prodigious imagination is how a single word or name could be underpinned by complex and well-rendered backstories. The novel is enjoyable if not the best written work but it is the work going on behind everything that makes the work truly shine. I bow to Tolkien’s joy and his craft. I recommend reading the physical book. It is not the same as reading an electronic copy. I also recommend simple going slow and savoring the details. But one should be careful not to good too slowly and get caught up in those details—leave some of them for a subsequent reading! The novel has much more coherence than I remember from my first reading. To read such a long work at a steady pace is an exercise in patience but one I think is well-worth the effort.

You may notice that I have not really described the content of the novel. I think that would take too long and do a disservice to the reader. Go, pick it up with no expectations and enjoy the journey.