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Anna [Bran. San. Stan]'s Reviews > The Two Towers
The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2)
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My heart and soul are replete with the greatness that is The Lord of the Rings. Listening to the amazing Andy Serkis reading it has become my new happy place, right alongside Stephen Fry reading Harry Potter.
Normally I would think that knowing the plot beforehand would detract from my enjoyment, but it really didn’t. I savored every bit of it, having even come to love the extensive descriptions of nature. They make it feel as if I‘m there with Aragorn and Gandalf, with Frodo and Sam.
Speaking of Sam, he has become my absolute favorite. His bravery and devotion, his protectiveness; he simply is the best hobbit and Frodo knows it.
Those are some of my favorite lines in this book � and in the movie. I’m always so happy to find that many great lines have made it into the film. Another favorite quotation of mine is spoken by Faramir in the movie, but I now learned that my dear Sam actually thought them. Such deep thoughts for such a small hobbit.
For the record, I love Frodo too. I don’t mean to minimize his sacrifice and bravery; Sam has just earned a special place in my heart. I also loved that Sam actually was not sent away here as he was in the movie. It might work well in the film but it doesn’t fit his character as I've come to know him in the book so I was pleasantly surprised and relieved.
What surprised me is the complete separation of the different plotlines: Book 3 tells us of Aragorn and company, of Pippin and Merry; Book 4 of Frodo and Sam. I‘m so used to alternating viewpoint chapters nowadays that it was tough to not see some of the characters for so long. I will say, though, that this made complete immersion possible and I actually did enjoy that effect a lot. Not every book can pull this off though, but here it worked nicely.
Anyway, with that cliffhanger of an ending I‘m more than eager to continue this journey. With my luck, Aragorn and co. will have their viewpoint chapters first and Frodo will remain in peril.
Onward!
Normally I would think that knowing the plot beforehand would detract from my enjoyment, but it really didn’t. I savored every bit of it, having even come to love the extensive descriptions of nature. They make it feel as if I‘m there with Aragorn and Gandalf, with Frodo and Sam.
Speaking of Sam, he has become my absolute favorite. His bravery and devotion, his protectiveness; he simply is the best hobbit and Frodo knows it.
‘And Frodo wouldn’t have got far without Sam, would he […]?”�
‘Now, Mr. Frodo,� said Sam, ‘you shouldn’t make fun. I was serious.�
‘So was I,� said Frodo, ‘and so I am.�
Those are some of my favorite lines in this book � and in the movie. I’m always so happy to find that many great lines have made it into the film. Another favorite quotation of mine is spoken by Faramir in the movie, but I now learned that my dear Sam actually thought them. Such deep thoughts for such a small hobbit.
‘He was glad that he could not see the dead face. He wondered what the man’s name was and where he came from; and if he was really evil of heart, or what lies or threats had led him on the long march from his home; and if he would not really rather have stayed there in peace […].�
For the record, I love Frodo too. I don’t mean to minimize his sacrifice and bravery; Sam has just earned a special place in my heart. I also loved that Sam actually was not sent away here as he was in the movie. It might work well in the film but it doesn’t fit his character as I've come to know him in the book so I was pleasantly surprised and relieved.
What surprised me is the complete separation of the different plotlines: Book 3 tells us of Aragorn and company, of Pippin and Merry; Book 4 of Frodo and Sam. I‘m so used to alternating viewpoint chapters nowadays that it was tough to not see some of the characters for so long. I will say, though, that this made complete immersion possible and I actually did enjoy that effect a lot. Not every book can pull this off though, but here it worked nicely.
Anyway, with that cliffhanger of an ending I‘m more than eager to continue this journey. With my luck, Aragorn and co. will have their viewpoint chapters first and Frodo will remain in peril.
Onward!
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Reading Progress
March 30, 2024
–
Started Reading
March 30, 2024
– Shelved
March 30, 2024
– Shelved as:
fantasy
March 30, 2024
– Shelved as:
have-or-will-reread
April 7, 2024
–
Finished Reading
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[deleted user]
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Apr 07, 2024 04:59PM
Sometimes I think knowing the plot ahead of time increases the enjoyment. You can just sit back and enjoy the story without trying to decipher the ramifications of every plot point. And sometimes you catch nuances that you might have missed the first time around.
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grey wrote: "Sometimes I think knowing the plot ahead of time increases the enjoyment. You can just sit back and enjoy the story without trying to decipher the ramifications of every plot point. And sometimes y..."That's so true. Knowing what happens really helped me savor the story. And there are still elements I do not know, since the film took quite a few creative licenses. It's honestly wonderful.
What an amazing review, Anna!!! Just reading the thoughts and those quotes gave me a swarm of fond memories. Like a grand hobbit hug. haha. :)
Chris Lee wrote: "What an amazing review, Anna!!! Just reading the thoughts and those quotes gave me a swarm of fond memories. Like a grand hobbit hug. haha. :)"Thank you so much, Chris! I'm glad my review brought up some happy memories. A grand hobbit hug sounds about right. 😊
Exactly THIS, my love!!!! i felt the same way about sam too! i'm so happy you're enjoying this series as much as you have been! i found these books so insightful, adding sooo much texture to the characters, indelible in my mind, because of the films! loving your thoughts as you journey onwards, sweet baby!! happy reading, my beauty, and can't wait to see what you think of TROTK💖
ivanareadsalot wrote: "Exactly THIS, my love!!!! i felt the same way about sam too! i'm so happy you're enjoying this series as much as you have been! i found these books so insightful, adding sooo much texture to the ch..."Thank you so much, hon! I appreciate all the love! 💕 And I'm so happy to have found another LotR fan - and fellow Sam fan! 🥰 In the movie, I found him annoying at times but not in the books! I can't wait to continue with TRotK! I just love getting so much more background knowledge. 😊 Onwards!
Emily wrote: "Beautiful review! <3"Thank you so much, Emily! 💕
Sam is the GOAT and the MVP. He's amazing, and his and Frodo's friendship mean the world to me. 🥰🥰 So them separating so stupidly in the movie made me see red the first time I watched it, in a crowded theater which I couldn’t just storm out of. 😂 I still hate that change to this day. So glad you enjoyed this! I remember being so impatient the first time I read this, because I wanted to know what was going on with Frodo and Sam, and instead had to endure pages and pages of Gandalf whipping off his robes and Aragorn whipping out his sword at the slightest provocation. 😂🤭 But the splits in the POVs are perfect for the book and allows Tolkien to really crank up the tension, which the movies somewhat lack, especially in that scene at the Black Gate (I see you finished ROTK) where the Mouth pulls out the mithril coat. In the movie, you know it's a bluff, but you don't know that in the book, and since Tolkien himself didn't even know how he was going to get Frodo and Sam out of that mess he left them in, it really could have gone in any direction. 😂
Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~ wrote: "Sam is the GOAT and the MVP. He's amazing, and his and Frodo's friendship mean the world to me. 🥰🥰 So them separating so stupidly in the movie made me see red the first time I watched it, in a crow..."Yay! Another person that appreciates Sam! 🥰 And of course his friendship with Frodo. I actually watched the third movie again right after I finished TRotK and I still feel the same way you do: I really hated Frodo sending Sam away - and him letting himself be sent. Granted, it made more sense in the movie than in the books, because Sam is just even more loyal in the books, but I hate it every time nonetheless.
You know, I never considered that in the book, the mithril shirt is actually something that increases the tension dramatically! But you are absolutely right: in the movie that gets lost by the alternation of viewpoints. I do think, though, that the movies had to be switching viewpoints and could not split the narrative like the books do. Like you, I also was initially impatient because of those splits, especially when Frodo is taken at the end of TTT and TRotK doesn't start with his PoV - that suspense was killing me, even if I knew how it would turn out. 😂 But thinking back, I actually ended up liking it this way. Thanks for sharing your insights, Linda! I really enjoyed them. 😊
Anna [Bran. San. Stan] wrote: "Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~ wrote: "Sam is the GOAT and the MVP. He's amazing, and his and Frodo's friendship mean the world to me. 🥰🥰 So them separating so stupidly in the movie made me se..."Oh, yes, it would have been impossible for the movies to follow the book structure, especially since the timelines also get out of sync. They did the right thing for the movies going back and forth, but it does make certain scenes less suspensuful than their book countparts, which is an unfortunate inevitability.
