There were only a few problems I found in the book. For one, I disliked the constant singing, although the songs do fit in well with the storyline and setting. I just never was into short folk songs. Another problem for me was incredible amount of detail for unimportant things. I enjoyed the detail for the most part, however, sometimes it goes a bit too much into detail for my liking.

Hobbits are simply the best characters for this environment. A peace loving, very sheltered people, they have no need for war. In fact, it had been a good 300 years since the last time Hobbits engaged in any war. This is why it was so interesting to watch the Hobbits, especially Sam and Pippin, change through the course of the story. The Hobbits, Sam, Merry, Pippin, and Frodo, start off as I have described them, but by the end, they have become experienced war veterans. They no longer cower before any sign of danger. I believe that the lst few chapters back in the Shire were meant to show how much the Hobbits had indeed changed. Once back in the Shire, they find out that ruffians have taken over the town(led by Saruman) and have turned it into a dictatorship. Immidietly, our brave Hobbits rally the townsfolk and defeat the ruffians and Saruman meeats his grisly end.

Return of the King was my favorite part of the trilogy. The battle scenes in Return of the King is so intense, I could picture myself right in it, wielding a sword and shield, alongside elfs and dwarves fighting against the Enemy. The moment when the evil Chieftan shattered Ewoyn's arm and Merry killed him, saving Ewoyn just in time was one of the greatest I eer experienced while reading. Also in the last part of the trilogy, was Frodo and Sam's journey to destroy the Ring.

Character developement was one of the strongest part of Tolkien's story. In my mind, nobody changed more than Sam did. Originally a gardner, he eventually became a Ring bearer and saved Frodo's life in the land of Sauron. By the end of the book, he was a leader of his town, a Ring bearer, and a war veteran. This is not to say the other characters did not change. Gandalf became leader of the wizards and led the famed battle against the Enemy. Aragorn also changed incredibly, originally being a nomad, he ends up a King and the strongest fighter in the army against the Enemy.

There wasn't an aspect of The Lord of the Rings that I truly disliked. The songs were annoying and the detail was dense, but without it, The Lord of the Rings would not be the awesome book it is. I could write a 20 page report on The Lord of the Rings, but I believe the best way to experience the wonder Tolkien created is by reading the story itself. I encourage everyone to read this book if you haven't, especially if you plan on seeing the film version which is due out December 19.

~ Kevin Bondalapati