10/10First things first, check out this huge picture. What the? That is a representation of how big the stakes are for the characters in this book. Sometimes I'm just all about the symbolism.
We are now at the conclusion of the trilogy. Part Three. The Final Act. The Grand Finale. And so forth. Obviously, it is tremendous. Again, however, the first half of the book covers the other portion of the Fellowship who aren't Frodo and Sam. They take part in some pretty high drama themselves though. Certainly nothing to shake a stick at. But with the state of affairs in which Frodo and Sam left us at the conclusion of 'The Two Towers', it could fairly make a guy go insane with anticipation. What could be more intense than two halflings meandering their way through the heart of enemy territory and straight into the cracks of Mount Doom? Not much, I say. About the most exciting storytelling in the history of storytelling.
Also, the climax reaches it's peak a lot sooner than you'd expect. Which was both good and bad. Good because I didn't see it coming so soon. And bad because of the partial drag after all was said and done. I also happen to be the type who feels the need to read everything contained between the covers. This happens to include, in this particular instance, a number of appendices. Appendix A through F as a matter of fact. That was an interesting and ultra-nerdy time learning all about the family history of hobbits, the details of different invented languages, and the Shire calendar, and etc. and etc. and etc. Oh boy. Why does my OCD require me to read what I don't want to read? I highly recommend this story. Just not the Appendix portion. Unless a chemical imbalance requires you otherwise.
Now for a gratuitous Gandalf quote, like you knew I would:
"It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till."
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