The Return of the King - JRR Tolkien

Published by Collins Modern Classics: Hammersmith, London, 2001. Originally published 1955. A Sequel to The Hobbit; The Fellowship of the Ring; The Two Towers.

 The Return of the King is a classic for a reason, as is The Lord of the Rings in general! Not only does Tolkien wrap up his epic fantasy beautifully, but he tells the story in such a poetic and descriptive fashion. He is not only creative in terms of the story he developed, but is a great 'painter' of words.

As a fan of the films as well, I nonetheless prefer the book in a lot of areas, including the scenes at the Houses of Healing, and the subplot of Eowyn and Faramir. The Scouring of the Shire is also a fun addition to the story, allowing for Merry and Pippin to take more responsible roles, as well as for Sam to make his first connections with Rosie Cotton. Eowyn's triumphant "I am no man" from the movie is missed however.

It's hard to say anything about Tolkien that hasn't been said before, and so I will wrap this up. But Tolkien is a master of fantasy, and Return of the King is a beautifully satisfying conclusion to his Middle-Earth saga.

Completed with Elise, 1 March 2020.

(Elise Books)

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