The Return of the King by J.R.R. TolkienMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I've always struggled with LOTR despite being a big fan of fantasy, and even Tolkien's other short stories and tales. I think in part this is due to the rather ponderous style of prose and the separating of the action into different 'books'. For example here the main thread of the story as Sam and Frodo journey to Mt. Doom to throw the ring into the depths of the volcanic fires is only in the second half of the book (the first being concerned with the battles near Gondor and journey of Aragorn and the Fellowship).
I decided to watch the film whilst reading this, which in some ways did help inform what was going on and I became more familiar with the different lands and characters. Having read the book however, I feel a great deal was missed at the ending of Peter Jackson's effort. I much preferred the chapters where the Hobbits fight back against the remnants of Saruman's forces and flush them out of their villages. The ending in the film feels particularly saccharine and rushed.
Tolkien is unparalleled however when it comes to world building and I did enjoy reading LOTR, just not as much as other fantasy series. It felt slightly stilted for my tastes.
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