🎇I’ve FINALLY read it!🎇

It’s slightly ridiculous that it’s taken me this long, but I finally read The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien, the first of three parts of The Lord of the Rings. This is a classic high fantasy that defined the genre, and for some reason I never read it when I was younger. Well at least I’m starting to fix that now.

I had been worried that I wouldn’t get on with this book. I’ve been told there’s excessive descriptions of the environment, and as a character driven reader that can be pretty boring for me. But I actually ended up really enjoying the reading experience. I think part of this is because I listened to it via audiobook. I got to have someone telling me these details, and in that way it felt like less of a chore and more of a story.

Tolkien was able to lay so much foundational work in this first third, with emotions set and plotlines started for stories that I know continue throughout the next two thirds. It was also a delight, as someone who enjoys reading high fantasy books, to see the inspiration that so many of my favourite authors had drawn from this book. From the music and the taverns, to the monsters and the hero’s.

On CAWPILE I rated this: Characters: 7, Atmosphere: 8, Writing: 8, Plot: 9, Intrigue: 7, Logic: 7, and Enjoyment: 7, giving an average of 7.57 and a 4* rating.

Highlight here for trigger warnings: child abuse, kidnapping and captivity.

I’m so pissed that it took me this long to get around to these books! I enjoyed The Hobbit too (also via audiobook) and to think I could’ve read these years ago! I just need to finish up the books and delve into the movies now!!

Have you read these? And if not do you plan to or are they not on your tbr? I’d love to know your thoughts on this classic high fantasy story!