Book Review – J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring”
Today I finished reading J.R.R. Tolkien‘s The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume in the three-volume epic story of The Lord of the Rings.
First published in 1954, The Fellowship of the Ring continues the tales of Middle-earth told in The Hobbit. This time around the adventure takes place roughly sixty years after Bilbo Baggins has returned from his quest to the Lonely Mountain and his discovery of the One Ring.
The Fellowship of the Ring begins in The Shire. A large party is being planned for Bilbo Baggins‘s 111th birthday. It’s going to be one of the grandest parties in the recent history of The Shire. Coincidentally, the birthday is also the same date as Frodo Baggins‘s birthday, the nephew of Bilbo. Frodo will be turning 33 years old and taking responsibility for Bilbo’s estate.
It’s a little bit unusual that Bilbo has lived to the age of 111, yet he still looks and feels young at heart. This has caught the attention of some people, but nobody knows Bilbo’s secret.
Bilbo’s secret is the One Ring, a magical ring that he discovered a long time ago while helping a band of dwarfs reclaim their home in the Lonely Mountain. In addition to giving the bearer of the ring the power of invisibility, the ring’s powers also flow into its carrier. It gives the person an unnaturally long life. In the wrong hands, the One Ring can also bring incredible power and complete destruction.
Nearly everybody in The Shire attends Bilbo’s elaborate birthday party. At the end of the party Bilbo gives a farewell speech to the crowds. He tells them that he’s leaving, and then Bilbo slips the ring onto his finger, instantly disappearing from the people. He easily sneaks back to Bag End, his hobbit home.
In Bag End, Gandalf the Grey, a powerful wizard and old friend of Bilbo, confronts Bilbo about his ring and disappearing act. Gandalf has known about Bilbo’s ring for some time now, but at this point it’s still believed that the ring is simply a magical ring and not as powerful as it seems. But Gandalf can see that Bilbo has an obsession towards the ring. Bilbo is reluctant to let go of the ring and pass it on to Frodo. He finally does so, leaving the One Ring in an envelope for Frodo, before leaving Bag End for good.
Frodo Baggins inherits Bag End from Bilbo and spends the next 17 years maintaining the home as well as Bilbo’s affairs, including selling some goods and dealing with some of Bilbo’s greedy relatives.
During that time period Gandalf heads out and researches the ring. When he finally returns to Bag End to confront Frodo, he has quite a tale to tell. It seems impossible, but Elvish writing on the interior of the One Ring confirms its identity.
The One Ring once belonged to Sauron, the Dark Lord. Sauron had forged the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom, deep in the land of Mordor. With that ring he would have nearly unstoppable power and be able to conquer all of Middle-earth. In the War of the Last Alliance at the end of the Second Age, Sauron took to the battlefield near Mount Doom and defeated the commanders Gil-galand, the Elven king, and Elendil, the High King of Gondor. Elendil’s sword, Narsil, was broken as the king was slain by Sauron. Isildur picked up the broken pieces of his father’s sword and used it to cut off Sauron’s fingers, taking away the One Ring. Sauron’s physical body was defeated and his spirit hasn’t been seen for over two thousand years.
Instead of destroying the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom, Isildur kept the ring for himself. Isildur would later be slain and the One Ring would be lost in the Great River Anduin. Thousands of years would pass before the One Ring is discovered by a hobbit named Deagol. Deagol was quickly murdered by his friend Smeagol, who, in turn, kept the ring for himself. The One Ring allowed Smeagol to live for hundreds of years, and he transformed into the creature Gollum. It would later be Bilbo Baggins who finds the One Ring deep underneath the Misty Mountains and takes it from Gollum. Years later, that ring has now found its way into Frodo’s possession.
Gandalf has learned that Sauron has returned to Mordor, and he’s actively searching for the One Ring. Sauron’s forces had captured and tortured Gollum, and he revealed the name Baggins as well as the Shire. The Ring is no longer safe in the Shire. It’s only a matter of time before Sauron’s forces arrive.
Dealing with the One Ring is beyond Gandalf’s power. He doesn’t even want to touch the Ring and be tempted by its incredible power. Gandalf tells Frodo that he needs to take the Ring to Rivendell, an Elven outpost on the river Bruinen. There they can seek the wisdom of the elves and determine what needs to be done with the Ring.
While detailing this plan, Gandalf discovers that Samwise Gamgee, Frodo’s gardener and close friend, has been outside of the window and eavesdropping to their conversation. Sam is fiercely loyal to Frodo and agrees to accompany him to Rivendell.
Over the next couple of months Frodo sells most of Bilbo’s belongings and makes plans to move to a new location in the Shire. This is to throw off the residents so that nobody will suspect anybody when Frodo leaves on his mission to Rivendell. Fellow hobbits Peregrin “Pippin” Took, Meriadok “Merry” Brandybuck, and Fredegar “Fatty” Bolger assist Frodo with his move, though none of them know about the Ring or Frodo’s true intentions.
One day Gandalf leaves the Shire to take care of important business, but he promises to return before Frodo leaves for Rivendell. Time passes and there’s no sign of Gandalf. Frodo decides that he cannot keep waiting, so he, Sam and Fatty leave in the direction of Rivendell. Throughout their journey they are followed by Ringwraiths (Black Riders), nine Men who succumbed to Sauron’s power and are forced to serve the Dark Lord. The Ringwraiths are mostly in spirit form and invisible to the eyes of mortals, but Frodo can see them when he wears the One Ring.
The Ringwraiths are hot on the trail of Frodo and his One Ring, and they’re in the Shire looking for him just after he leaves for Rivendell.
The hobbits make their way across the Shire and, with the help of some elves, they eventually find Farmer Maggot‘s residence. The farmer is helpful to the hobbits and gives them shelter and food. At night, he gives them a ride to a spot where they can catch a ferry across a river. At the river the hobbits encounter Merry, originally thinking that he was an approaching Ringwraith. They successfully use a ferry to cross the river and enter the village of Crickhollow.
It’s in Crickhollow where Frodo Baggins had bought a house and decided to move to. To help play along with that story, Fatty agrees to live in Frodo’s new home while Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Merry continue on to Rivendell.
The hobbits try to cut through the Old Forest to elude the Black Riders, but they only become lost and tired. They’re rescued by Tom Bombadil and given food and shelter inside of his house. After the hobbits set out again, they’re captured while traveling through the Barrow-downs and nearly killed. Frodo manages to call for the help of Tom Bombadil, and Tom once again rescues the hobbits.
The gang makes their way to the town of Bree and find food and drinks at the Prancing Pony Inn. It’s at the Prancing Pony where Frodo meets a mysterious Ranger named Strider. Strider has taken an interest in Frodo and the One Ring. He convinces Frodo that he’s really a friend, and Frodo allows Strider to join their group and quest for Rivendell.
It’s later revealed that Strider’s name is really Aragorn, and that he’s a friend of Gandalf.
While camping on a hilltop, the group is attacked by the Ringwraiths and Frodo is stabbed by a cursed knife. Aragorn uses fire to drive away the Raingwraiths, but Frodo has been poisoned by an evil power. There’s little that he can do out in the wilderness. If Frodo is to survive, he’s going to need elf magic in Rivendell.
Part of the poisoned blade’s knife has remained inside of Frodo. Unless he has help quickly, then he’s goign to turn into a wraith himself. Aragorn helps carry Frodo through the wilderness and to the river Bruinen. Near the river they’re met by Glorfindel, an elf-lord from Rivendell.
The ringwraiths ambush the group near the river Bruinen. Glorfindel places the weakened Frodo onto his horse, and has the horse run him across the river and into Rivendell. The horse does so. The Black Riders quickly follow, but they’re stopped at the river when Elrond, the lord of Rivendell, uses his magic to summon a massive wave of water. The water washes away the ringwraiths and allows the group to safely reach Rivendell.
Frodo wakes several days later in a bedroom in Rivendell. He’s greeted by none other than his uncle, Bilbo Baggins. Gandalf is also there, and the other hobbits are pleased to see that Frodo has recovered from his injury.
Gandalf shares his story with Frodo and tells the hobbit why he didn’t return to the Shire before Frodo and Sam departed for Rivendell. The wizard had gone to Isengard to seek the council of Saurman, the chief of all wizards in Middle-earth. Gandalf was betrayed when Saurman reveals that he desires the Ring for himself so that he can control Middle-earth. When Gandalf refuses to join him, or reveal the location of the Ring, Saurman imprisons him in Orthanc, an inescapable tower. However, Gandalf does later escape thanks to the help of a giant eagle.
It’s also learned that Saurman is not yet in alliance with Sauron, and he’s been raising his own army of Orcs.
In Rivendell, the group holds a meeting called the Council of Elrond. It’s known that the One Ring cannot be destroyed with mortal weapons. It can only be destroyed in the place where it was created — Mount Doom. It’s also agreed that the Ring cannot be hidden or simply discarded. The enemy continues to grow and Middle-earth will be destroyed as Sauron’s forces hunt for the Ring. Even the Elven city of Rivendell will eventually fall and be destroyed.
No, the only option is to take the Ring into Mordor and have it destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. The Ring cannot be used for good power and to conquer Sauron as its incredible corrupting power will conquer even the strongest of minds. The Ring must be destroyed in order to defeat Sauron for good.
Frodo Baggins volunteers to carry out this task, and he becomes the ring-bearer. Aragorn agrees to guide Frodo to Mordor. Accompanying them is Boromir, the Steward of Gondor. Boromir believes that the Ring should be taken to Gondor and his kingdom in Minas Tirith, where it can be used with an army to conquer neighboring Mordor. Other members of the Fellowship include Legolas, Prince of the Silvan Elves of Mirkwood, and Gimli, a dwarf and son of Gloin, one of the dwarfs who accompanied Thorin and Bilbo to retake the Lonely Mountain. Along with them are Sam, Pippin and Merry.
The Fellowship departs Rivendell and heads into the Misty Mountains. The group tries to cross over the mountains, but extremely heavy snowfall stops their progress. They nearly freeze to death in the mountains. It’s then decided to turn back and instead travel underneath the mountains through Moria, an underground dwarf kingdom.
The mines of Moria are more of a tomb instead of a lively dwarf kingdom. It’s discovered that all of the dwarfs are long dead, including Balin, Ori and Oin, more of the dwarfs who accompanied Thorin and Bilbo. They were all killed by orcs and other creatures.
Inside the mines, one of the hobbits accidentally makes some noise. This inadvertently alerts the other occupants of the mines of the group’s presence. Orcs and goblins follow the group and eventually launch an attack, even using a cave-troll against them. The attack fails and the group reaches the Bridge of Khazad-dum, where a massive creature called a balrog attacks the group. Everybody makes it across the narrow bridge while Gandalf holds back the balrog. The bridge is destroyed and the balrog falls into the endless ravine. As it falls it snatches Gandalf, dragging the wizard with it into the abyss.
The rest of the Fellowship escapes from Moria and emerges on the opposite side of the Misty Mountains. They make their way into a forest and encounter a group of elves. The elves allow the Fellowship access to the Elven town of Lothlorien where they receive food and shelter from the pursuing orcs. While in Lothlorien, they meet with rulers Celeborn and Galadriel, and they receive gifts to help them on their journey.
After departing Lothlorien, the Fellowship arrives at the Great River Anduin, and they use a set of small boats to make their way south on the river. Orcs are on the shores and try to use bows and arrows to attack the Fellowship, but their attack fails. The group successfully makes it to shore near a region called the Brown Lands.
Frodo needs some time by himself to decide which way to go next. Without the wisdom of Gandalf, Frodo is forced to make the decision on his own. While he’s out in the woods, Boromir finds him and tries to convince Frodo to go to Minas Tirith. When he asks to see the Ring, Frodo realizes Boromir’s obsession for it. Frodo uses the ring to become invisible and escape from Boromir before he can attack again.
Seeing how one of the trusted members of the Fellowship tried to attack him for the Ring, Frodo decides to set out to Mordor by himself. By the time that the other members of the Fellowship realize that Frodo is gone, it’s too late. They spread out and try to look for the missing hobbit. Sam realizes what Frodo is going to do, and sure enough, he spies a lone boat out on the water. Sam tries to walk to the boat but he starts to drown. Frodo removes his ring, becomes visible, and helps his friend into the boat.
The Fellowship of the Ring ends with Frodo and Sam heading to Mordor and Mount Doom together.
So is J.R.R. Tolkien’s book The Fellowship of the Ring any good?
If you either love or can handle fantasy books written by an English author, then The Fellowship of the Ring is a fascinating story and great tale of adventure. The characters are great, the locations are quite interesting, and some of the evil creatures and scenarios are simply amazing.
This book can be a bit intimidating though if you’re new to the fantasy realm or if you’ve never see The Lord of the Ring films. It’s rather easy to be mixed up and confused with all of the names, terminology and locations throughout the book. Thankfully there are a series of maps in the back of the book so you can follow along with the locations.
The Fellowship of the Ring is just the first part of a trilogy that makes up The Lord of the Rings. This book is followed by The Two Towers, and it’s concluded with The Return of the King.
In 2001, The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring was released as a live-action (and quite impressive) adventure film.
