Day 01: Favorite Novel
Right now, your mind is utterly blown by this. LOLJK. This was predictable. Too predictable, perhaps. But guess what?! I DON'T CARE!!
If you can believe it, I wasn't too crazy about the books at first. This might be attested to the fact that my parents read The Fellowship of the Ring to my sister and me when I was nine. A nine-year-old cannot possibly have a keen interest in such a mature, dense trilogy. However, I was a fan of the books by the time I finished The Return of the King, which I finished at age ten.
I admit that I prefer the movies to the books (this is the one time I will ever say that), but the books are still wonderful. J.R.R. Tolkien has such a gift with language. His vivid descriptions provide such a clear picture to the reader. In addition, the dialogue is simply beautiful. One of my favorite Lord of the Rings quotes is only in the books: "I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend," spoken by Faramir in The Two Towers.
Let's not forget all the remarkable characters. Whether it's an unlikely Hobbit hero, a Ranger with hidden majesty, a wizard with the gift of wit, or a woman who kills a seemingly formidable monster, the characters are all astounding in their own rights. Even the villains are interesting!
I think my favorite thing about the books is that they use the oft-used concept of good triumphing over evil, but Tolkien puts an entirely new spin on it. There are so many obstacles for the characters to overcome. Many times, their obstacles seem insurmountable, but they somehow manage to triumph. The Witch-King of Angmar is the one whom no living man can kill, but Éowyn, because she is a woman, kills him. Gandalf fell at Khazad-Dûm, but he comes back to life. Finally, of course, the Ring, evil at its purest form, is destroyed.
Despite all this, the ending is not the typical "and they all lived happily ever after." In fact, the ending is very bittersweet. It is happy for many. Aragorn becomes King of Gondor. Sam marries, and Legolas and Gimli remain close friends. But it is not happy for all. I'm talking, of course, about Frodo Baggins, who sacrifices his life to destroy the Ring. He explains this to Sam as Frodo is preparing to leave the Shire for the last time: "I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me. It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: some one has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them."
The final few pages are particularly bittersweet to me. They describe the sense of hope, comfort, and healing that comes over Frodo as he sails into the Undying Lands, and then the great despair and grief that enter Sam's heart as he watches the departing ship. I was reading those paragraphs recently, and they brought tears to my eyes. I had forgotten about that passage, and the great departure from joy to bitter sadness was overwhelming. Only Tolkien could master something like that.
This trilogy holds a high place in my heart. I don't think any book can ever overtake this masterpiece. I love it.
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