There and Back Again

Simply put, Lord of the Rings is one of the most beautiful, moving and immersive books I have ever had the pleasure of losing myself within. No matter the countless times I have sat fascinated with Frodos adventures, I still find something quite moving about that final sentence, a moment when the reader and character briefly become joined...its Sam, young daughter in his lap, family by his side, bringing to a close his (and your own) incredible journey

He drew a deep breath. 'Well, Im back.' He said.

The complexity, and depth of Middle Earth is what strikes the reader first, in its mind boggling array of lands, creatures, characters, history and even languages. A common criticism of Tolkein is that at times his books can read like historical texts, rather than stories with real characters that people can empathise with. However I find one of the pleasures of re-reading the book is how much undiscovered depth can be found, giving a character an aspect not realised, or providing a landscape with vivid detail not remembered.

Lord of the Rings is not a melodramatic book, the characters are brave, practical, perhaps even fatalistic. Examples such as Sam and Frodos pragmatism in the face of unimaginable horrors, and Legolas and Gimli's calmness in the face of battle, is one of my favourite aspects of the book. There is a reserve about the characters, but also humour and warmth (often overlooked).

Characters do not muse overly on the nature of their fate, or the horrors they face, or even how they may feel about one another. However these are not one-dimensional characters, the unspoken relationship between Aragorn and Eowyn being an example. The subtlety in which Tolkein manages to describe the hidden depth of his characters is something I find quite wonderful, and have rarely seen.

To me its a very complex book about very simple things, having the courage and strength to do the right thing when required, and the faith in yourself to know when it is the right thing. It is also about loss, hope, sacrifice, honor, evil and just about anything else you can name, but to me its Sams stubbornness, his simple bravery to complete a task he barely understood, which I remember the most. DB