vlog ☁ I read Lord of the Rings for the first time! 

Hey guys 😊 there are a lot of insightful comments going on here which is lovely~ but I just wanted to gently mention: this is just my honest reaction and response to reading lotr for the first time. I mentioned that I've researched Tolkien's influence and I have memories of watching the films in childhood, but other than that, I don't know the story. I'm SURE I've gotten plenty of things wrong and, because this is just my honest experience of reading the book: no, I didn't feel the need to google every single plot point before talking about it. I love how passionate you guys are about Tolkien, but please keep that in mind. Take care everyone and happy holidays 💛💛

Ohhh yesterday my husband and I finished the three extended version movies. It's a tradition. We always watch them at this time of the year. I love the book and the movies.

Oh dear, the comments are a lot. So, as others have pointed out, the eagles couldn't carry the ring or someone with the ring because the enemy had eyes everywhere and would have attacked. Also, the ring would have corrupted the eagles and that's never a good thing. One of the reasons why Frodo is the only one who could take the ring was because Hobbits as a whole are really hard to corrupt, the ring even tried it on Sam and it didn't take because he's just not built for greed and power. I too am not a fan of Tom Bombadil, his chapter drags on the story and he's a really annoying character. Now Eowyn, on first reading you think she gets a crap ending and this is where a rushed reading of the books is bad. She went looking for glory and renown in battle and discovered that war is none of that. It's death, terror and losing those you care for. She lost her uncle and was at death's door herself. As she recovers and becomes close to Faramir (also a fellow soldier who has seen battle and death) she see's that there's more to life than seeking glory and renown. That healing and loving is just as important and brings it's own renown, Eowyn chose to live and love. That's an amazing ending for her. Also, her brother lives, he becomes king of Rohan.

So yeah, the POV thing. I think it works amazing in LOTR, because Book 3 and 5 give you NO idea what’s going on with Frodo and the Ring. It gave me that feeling like I was Aragorn, not truly knowing if Frodo is even alive, but having hope, and still charging the Black Gate anyway.

The enemy had fell beasts and other flying horrors that stopped the eagles from flyings the ring in. Also, the reason they didn't fly the dwarves further in the Hobbit is because they didn't want to get shot by arrows. Mordor certainly had more bow and arrows than the country folk there. Also, the eagles didn't move in until after it was safe enough.

When Tolkien says he hates allegory he means what might be called a “closed”allegory where the author has intended a singular meaning for an element of their story. He isn’t opposed to readers finding their own meanings in the work-for him that’s essential to anyone enjoying a work of fiction. He preferred “open” symbols where readers have the freedom to see whatever is meaningful to them in a work. That’s why he refused to explain to people what the Ring symbolizes.

Tolkien was a master worldbuilder. The Lothlorien chaptera made me want to live there. Other fantasy worlds feel shallow in comparison. Sam is definitely a fan favourite. Faramir is also such a great character. This video made my day thank you and you are awesome

Regarding Eowyn, she did fight in the battle of Minas Tirith as Dernhelm, and she still has her brother Eomer. She ends up marrying Faramir, Boromir's brother, and they're actually a really good match.

I have the same edition of Lord of the Rings, isn't it so beautiful? I'm so glad you read it, I did it last year and it was such an amazing experience. I think Eowyn actually did have a satisfying ending - she got to fight and played a significant part in saving Middle Earth, and she ended up marrying Faramir who fit with her more than the idea of Aragorn that she fell in love with. Honestly, Faramir is one of my favourite character in the books. They deserve each other.

The Scene with Sam saying: "one more step and it's the farthest from home I've ever been" does happen just not in the same way. It's during chapter five: a conspiracy unmasked when on the ferry crossing the Brandywine river. All the other Hobbits are looking forward to the other side of the river, whist Sam looks back. Seeing the crossing of the river as the passing of his life as he has known it.

Eowyn wanted to be a warrior but it's something which is not truly for her when she gets the chance. She wants glory and has feelings for Aragorn believing that together she will get great glory and become well-known, instead Aragorn rejects her feelings and this sends Eowyn into a death wish- she wants to die in battle as she wants nothing else in life. By chance she finishes off the witch king of Angmar (the black captain, the leader of the Nazgul) after Merry stabs him with a blade which has a deadly curse against wraiths such as the Nazgul- so thank God Frodo and his friends stumbled into Tom Bombadil, took the wrong way by going to the Barrow-Downs and then were rescued by Tom and Tom then encouraged Merry to keep that enchanted sword! Eowyn suffers from the "black breath" the worst as her heart is full of despair and bitterness, she is barely revived by Aragorn and when she awakens she feels purposeless and takes no joy in victory. It is only when Faramir says that Eowyn can do something else- be more than a maiden or a warrior, that Eowyn's heart lightens and she acknowledges her love for Faramir. The two have seen much tragedy, death and destruction and both wish to build and don't place the glory of the warrior above all else. Faramir becomes a prince and is given the east Gondor land of Ithilean to rebuild it- so Faramir and Eowyn go to Ithilean to build a new a deserted land. Eowyn and Faramir represent the future for Middle Earth and perhaps a change for the coming 4th Age. Lastly, Eowyn is partly Gondorian which may explain why she ends up permanently living in Gondor. In later years Tolkien began rewriting some characters and for some of the female characters he greatly increased their significance: for instance Galadriel was to be considered the greatest of all the Noldor Elves save for Feanor, and Melian (the mother of Luthien and Luthien whose line extends all the way to Aragorn!) was to be the head of the wizard order- not Saruman. I'm not sure what Tolkien's views on feminism were but he was clearly becoming more interested in the female characters he wrote.

Everyone forgets the flying wyrms that where there even before the ring wraiths rode them into battle. Not until the ring was destroyed and Sauron's hold over the wyrms faltered was it possible to send the eagles into Mordor. If the Great Eagles had appeared in the sky over Mordor before this, his great eye would be upon them and they would have been set on by the flying wyrms. That is a battle that wouldn't have likely given Frodo the chance to get the ring to Mount Doom. Distraction was key. The battle at the gates of Mordor was necessary. Sauron believed that the ring would be there with the men of Gondor. He was wrong thanks to the efforts of two brave little hobbits. Anyway, I hope that makes sense. Not really a plot hole.

From what I understand, there’s a few reasons out there of why Gandalf didn’t use the eagles but the one I’ve always liked is that Gandalf didn’t want to hand over that much power to the eagles who are practically God like creatures. It’s the same reason he himself didn’t take it and why Galadriel didn’t either. Whether that’s right or wrong I have no idea.

How to start a fight with LOTR fans: "Why didn't they just fly to Mordor on the Eagles?" 😂

tom bombadil is one of my favorite characters. hes the forest itself and the only thing not affected by the ring. his silly songs are the best part!!

When it comes to the Eagles, I think everyone is missing the fact that , as the servants of Manwe, they aren’t supposed to be involved in the affairs of middle earth. Remember. Since everyone rejected the rule of the Ainur, they are all on there own in dealing with Sauron, manwe was merciful enough to send the istari. This also goes to why Gandalf restrained himself from acts of wizardry outside of basic or dire need.

The passing of Boromir is rather understated in the original text... which is why I am so glad it was handled with more nuance and detail in the movie.

In regards to the eagles there’s two reasons it’s not a plot hole. First, if they had tried to fly the fellowship to Mordor, they could have been easily stopped by Sauron. He both can command animals like fell beasts, and conjure storms. Also, it is very important to note that eagles are sentient beings in this universe. They would be at just a big a risk of being corrupted as Boromir was. The same reason Frodo couldn’t stay with the fellowship would apply to the flying with an eagle. Brings of great power pose the greater risk of failing.

Great stuff. A few notes, if you're interested. 1. Tolkien acknowledges that Sam is the real hero of the narrative in several of his correspondences. Of course, Frodo was meant to carry the Ring, but it was Sam that was needed to get Frodo to Mount Doom. 2. Arwen is a late addition to the story (and, as others have mentioned, most of their story is in Appendix A). To dip into opinion a bit, I'm confident that the original intention was for Éowyn and Aragorn to marry, but then Tolkien decided that Aragorn needed a 'higher status' wife. You can see the same sort of revisionism in the changing history of Galadriel (except in that case he kept changing their history but not their names). However (and this is typical of his revision process) he left all of the Éowyn foreshadowing in, so it reads now like the narrative is cobbled together from competing traditions, e.g. one oral version says he married Éowyn, one version says he married Arwen and the scribe just combined both versions as much as possible. (See the other comments about the framing story of this being a found narrative for why that works.) So he gets to the end of Return of the King, invents Arwen, and then revises the text to include her... she only shows up in Rivendell and only at the dinner, so it's easy to miss. 2a. I personally suspect that if Tolkien had had time for further revisions, he would have given Arwen more prominence, She might even have replaced Legolas in the Fellowship. Of course, since Tolkien very rarely changes lines and just instead gives the old lines to the new character, that could have made Arwen and Gimli kind of flirty. :) 3. Sorry about all the eagle stuff. With any long-existing narrative, this discussion has been running in circles for about 70 years (see also, Balrog wings). 4. Remember that Éowyn did get to fulfill her destiny. Without her, the Witch-King could not have been defeated and he was a notch or two below Sauron (and probably Gandalf the White) in power terms. She's literally saved the world, and getting to explore/reclaim Ithilien with Faramir is a reward, not a consolation prize.

Eowyn did get to fight! She killed the Witch-King. Also, King Eomer is her brother so not all her family died.

I think you said that Eowyn did do any fighting. But what? She fought the most dangerous enemy in Middle-earth, the Witch-king, and killed him (Merry helped, but she actually killed him). That was the actual turning point of the battle and without that who knows how long they would have lasted before being overrun. And who knows if even Gandalf would have survived if the Witch-king had not been taken out.

Tolkien pioneered the concept of a secondary world in contemporary fiction. Secondary worlds existed before Tolkien, but they were mostly considered fairytales, myths, or pulp fiction. Any modern adult story taking place in an alternate world owes its thanks to Tolkien.

The eagles are not mere animals or pets that can be commanded. They are intelligent creations and servants of the very gods of Middle Earth, just as Gandalf is. This is why Gandalf always asks them for help and never commands them. They are basically peers of Gandalf, on the same level as him, but with their own divine tasks and directives. The eagles are also not so physically powerful that they could bear riders across the world, even though they are large enough to carry people short distances. If Sauron had spotted the eagles carrying his ring then could have sent his flying Nazgul after them. The trek the fellowship takes is based on secrecy and misdirection, which is the reason for all the warfare. Countless people were sacrificing their lives just to distract Sauron. And finally, it might be that the eagles would never have agreed to physically bear the ring on their persons, just as Gandalf refused to carry it himself, as it was that seductive.

Very nice video, but I'd like to throw my two cents in on a few of your qualms that I haven't seen addressed: "Does he ever actually kill characters?" I would argue that he kills the characters that are necessary. Tolkien also was a firm advocate for what he called "eucatastrophe" in his Endings (meaning the opposite of catastrophe). Essentially, the end of a story should be entirely happy and complete, and all of the characters should receive what they deserve (Hence why it takes so long to wrap up Rotk). So, while some characters do die, using main character death in order to encourage development would keep it from being a full eucatastrophic, escapist conclusion. "It's a disappointing end for Eowyn" I disagree with this take. She was able to fight, first when she was chosen by her people to rule when Theoden had to leave for Helms Deep. Then, in the battle of Pelennor fields, she snuck her way onto the battlefield and was the last one standing in the fight with the Witch King, arguably one of the fiercest opponents in the 3rd age. With the help of the Hobbit she snuck into battle, she killed the Witch King, earning her a permanent place as a maiden warrior in the legendarium. Because of her, Theoden died with dignity. Due to the trauma she sustained, she was unable to continue to fight, but she met Faramir and they were able to find healing of their bodies and minds together. She became the Lady of Faramir's lands, no small position, and although she gave up fighting to he one a healer, I believe that this is her way of owning her trauma, and processing it into a healthier, more sustainable outlet. Sure, she doesn't get Aragorn in the end, but she is also a twenty four year old woman, crushing on a man who is nearly 90 years old. She is able to find a much better match in Faramir. It may not be what she initially wanted but I think her story is one of realizing that what you want may not be what you will always want, and it's alright to adjust your dreams as you grow and change. "Sam doesn't get nearly enough recognition" A lot of people have mentioned in comments that the Fandom does recognize Sam as the hero, but I totally get why reading it would make you feel that he didn't get what he deserved. In the context of the story, Sam certainly isn't recognized as the hero, but that's what makes him so admirable. In his role as the servant, he is completely humble and does not seek the limelight, even if he is the strongest character in the story. Tbh, I think if he saw the amount of love he gets on the internet now, he would be profoundly uncomfortable with it, so perhaps it's best that he can remain a humble servant in the story, but the hero of our hearts. Overall, lovely video though! Gorgeous cinematography and some beautiful sentiments.. Hopefully this first dip into LotR will keep you coming back for more, it really is one of those timeless tales where you can always come back and immerse yourself and learn more. Thanks for sharing!

HANG ON! Eowyn rides to war, takes part in the charge at the Pelenor fields, Kills the Witch King of Angmar in single combat, though is badly wounded. She the meets someone who loves her back (unlike Aragorn), and her brother is on the throne of Rohan. How is that a disappointing ending for her? I never saw the eagles as a plot hole. They fly to mordor after Sauron is destroyed. At that point Gandalf could've openly walked to Mt Doom on his own and rescued them, except he'd be too slow. If everyone else had just marched into Mordor after the ring was destroyed, would people say "Oh well they should've marched to Mt Doom in the first place?"

I loved this vlog! It’s been ages since I read LOTR, but I believe you can find Aragorn and Arwen’s whole story in the appendix.

Frodo did not throw the ring in the fire. He failed, but the ring was destroyed because of his earlier act of mercy in not killing Gollum whose greed in the end destroyed himself and the ring.

Picky detail: the two towers are not Orthanc and Barad-dur but Orthanc and the tower of Cirith Ungol (where Frodo was taken after being poisoned by Shelob).

Also theme: friendship. The power and importance of friendship and shared experience. A lot of Tolkien's writing is driven by his great friendships and those friends he lost in the horror of WWI.

I'd have to disagree that Tolkien was a compulsive world-builder. It's often said that he wrote backstory for decades before he got down to the story and wrote _The Lord of the Rings,_ but that is misleading. Those decades were spent writing the stories he wanted to write, but the publishers couldn't be convinced that they would sell. They became backstory only in retrospect.

"Tolkien, do you ever actually kill your characters?" *Laughs in The Silmarillion*

I love how you described Frodo as a tragic character and how you compared him to Bilbo. Interesting insight! Arwen is mentioned more in the appendices than the book, and I like that the movie adaptation gave her a stronger role. In case you’re interested, I have a wonderful Lord of the Rings discussion on my channel with Medievalist, Philip Chase, who has a brilliant channel dedicated to critical examination of fantasy. Thank you for another wonderful vlog!

Okay, the thing is, the whole purpose of the fellowship was so that theycould go to destroy the ring in secret. If you haven't noticed, there was a huge eye on the tower. The eagles would've been dead the minute they got spotted, which would be instantly. They tried so many things to stay hidden. The eagles only came after the tower was destroyed. Also they are not regular eagles, they don't really respond to every call as far as I know. (They only answer Gandalf's and that is not everytime either.) But we need more qualified fans to explain the other aspects of it. But you're not the first one to think that that's a plothole and you can actually search to see that it is in fact, not a plothole.

The change from "cannot pass" to "shall not pass" is great, because it puts the ownership of the line with Gandalf. You cannot implies that the Balrog is incapable of passing, but changing it to shall not implies that Gandalf is so much more powerful than the Balrog, that HE will not let him pass

The first time I read these books, after reading the beginning of Two Towers, I went back and checked to see if I missed a chapter. One of the things Jackson did that I really liked is he showed Boromir's death, instead of having it happen off the page.

My sister gifted me this series ages ago and I still haven't read it. I only read The Hobbit so far. This is really encouraging me to pick it up soon!!

Love that you took us on this journey. The thoughts, the questioning 😍 I could watch the whole nine days 😂

Eowyn killed the Witch King! What do you mean she didn't really get a chance to fight?! One of the biggest "Hell yeah!" moments of both the books and the movies. And she marries Faramir, one of the few people in the books that is not tempted by the Ring. He is essentially the "vanilla mortal" version of Aragorn. (If you go on to read the appendices, it is made clearer that everything Aragorn does in the books is to be be worthy to marry Arwen.) - And you absolutely are right, Sam is the true hero of the books! ( Frodo did not throw the ring into the fire. He did not give up the ring, Gollum took it from him.))

Regarding Shelob and He-lob, probably. Allow me to refer you to Bilbo's line in The Hobbit where he says "Lazy lob and crazy cob are weaving webs to wind me". I believe both lob and cob are dialectal English words to refer to spiders (cf. cobwebs).

You do Eowyn a great disservice, she was one of the biggest heroes in the story...she killed the Witch-King of Angmar, lord of the Nazgul, it would do you good to both rewatch the movie and reread the chapter on the Ride of the Rohirrim

As someone who has read the books but also watched the movies many MANY times, I found myself talking back at screen-Christy a lot 😅 but it was very funny and entertaining! ❤️ Also happy holidays everyone

I read the books before the movies and I remember getting to the balrog scene and I just slammed the book closed and went in my room and sobbed for like two hours

Yaay this vlog gave me such joy! I find it so interesting that you considered writing a thesis on LOTR despite not having read it. It's clearly one of those books that everyone seems to absorb via a kind of cultural osmosis. There was loads of great fantasy before Tolkien as well, and sometimes I'm a bit upset that it gets forgotten that Tolkienesque High Fantasy is just one small corner of a very expansive genre, but it's obvious why he's had the influence he's had. I hope you have a lovely Christmas!

So everyone here is discussing the books but I'd like to comment on how perfectly you captured the atmosphere of LOTR and the feeling of reading it with this video. The little cuts to tea and the music, its all so perfect. Well done.

On a reread of the series I came upon a part I had not noticed before. When Theoden was going off to war the people picked Eowyn to be their leader until/if he didn't return. It is easy to skip over since she instead puts on armor and hides among the soldiers but I found it interesting.

I personally love the long descriptive passages but to each their own. I’ve immersed myself in this world several times over the years, will likely do so several more times before my demise, and am always rather sad when it comes to an end. I always end up continuing on to The Silmarillion but that book is rather different in nature and not everyone’s cup of tea.

I understand that many readers aren’t too enamoured with the Bombadil chapters but I personally love them. However, I also understand why they weren’t included in the movies.

I loved this vlog, Christy! It was fun to watch you experience reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time. And you are right, Sam is the true hero in this story.

Ah! First read this masterpiece as a 12yr old boy and was completely spellbound. Subsequent readings change preferences for favourite chapters. The parts I initially thought slow and rather tiresome have now emerged as my favourites (The Old Forest, A Shortcut to Mushrooms, The Council of Elrond). This book is ageless as it addresses fundamental human themes all backed up by (still) unparalleled foundations of research & lore.

I don’t know if it’s cannon or just a theory, but I read somewhere that the Ring corrupts anyone who holds it and can reduce them into a shell of a creature, like how it turned Sméagol into Gollum. There’s a fanfic where it turned dragons from free-flying creatures into treasure-hoarders, or slaves to Sauron. And it’s implied that the more powerful you are, the more terrible the effects of that corruption are, which is why Gandalf and Galadriel didn’t dare touch it. So it’s possible the Ring would’ve turned the eagles into lesser beings, hence why they weren’t used, and Tolkien just never explained it. But I think this is just a theory, so take from that what you will.

another word on the eaglels, as well as the other races in LOTR. these days, fantasy tends to view races of people quantitatively, as in a series of abilities, subject to deductive logic. one hundred dwarves on a mountain would beat 150 elves due to....etc. a very important element of lotr races, and tolkien's view of them, is "what are their natures?" for example, magic (an ability) is rarely referenced. elves dont have the magic ability to walk on snow, that is what they tend to do. they are not a species defined by magic and bowmanship, rather a people defined by memory, grace, and sadness. the reason we don't see dwarf and elf armies in lotr is not just because they are fighting their own battles, but because they are all fading as peoples as we evolve into a world of humanity and the mundane. the dwarves hide deeper in their mountains, the ents become tree-ish, and the elves despair and return to valinor to steep for the rest of their lives in sad remembrance. the eagles are not animals, but demigods, representative of the god of the wind in middle earth. they have watched scores of great battles, fom morgoth to the wars or mortals and elves, and sauron. their leige lord has drawn away from middle earth and the grace of the world is fading to the time of men. i've just assumed they really just stay out of it until their drawn in by the movement of destiny. they come when it's their time to come. also remember that all the happenings in middle earth are a song and story sung by god (eru illuvatar). the story is the key. sam is more important than the eagles, elrond, galadriel, even gandalf. not because of power or even strength, but because he is expressive of such an important theme in this sung story: earnest, selfless faith. more powerful than flight. and that's why the eagles didnt bring the ring to mt doom. because that's not how the story goes.

Good one on the representation of the two towers. Like the Ring. Tolkien said in a letter that the Rinf works like in the Our Father -- lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil. It draws evil out from inside you, like it did to Saruman, and it attracts evil from outside you to you, like Sauron.

Just to clarify something about the eagle “plot hole” that isn’t clarified elsewhere, to my eye: the eagles couldn’t fly into Mordor, even if they could bear the Ring (which other people have explained below that they couldn’t), because the land of Mordor was wreathed in thick smog and gloom put forth by Sauron’s magic. Only his eye could see through it, which would mean that the eagles would struggle to navigate and be spotted. To cap it off, Sauron has aerial forces to counter any avian interloper - the Nazgûl and their Fellbeasts. So a plan to send the eagles in would most likely have played right into Sauron’s hands.

I’ve tried reading this book and I just CAN’T, I’m so bored, it’s literally a text book (I mean because I know the story was made for the language lol) and I just couldn’t finish it. The Hobbit I did read though because I wanted to read it before the movie came out and it took me MONTHS to finish it and I hated it. I feel like such a bad fan for not liking the books but reading was never something I fully enjoyed like my siblings (who have all read LOTR and Hobbit by the way) and I hope that when I’m old and bored maybe I’ll actually read lotr and appreciate it more lol

For more Arwen, you would need to read the appendices. Many of the appendices are non-narrative, but one is "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen" edit: People always forget Lobelia Sackville-Baggins. She's probably the third-most developed female character (after Eowyn and Shelob) in the book.

I agree that the ending was sad. I think that it makes sense when you remember that Tolkien fought in World War 1 and he would have had experience with people who had come back from the war who were never truly whole after that. The imagery of The Dead Marshes also has parallels with the horrors of no man's land, particularly at Passchendaele. I was surprised to find that he'd never served in that particular battle.

You're not really paying attention to the book and thinking about the films too much. The 2 towers featured in each of the 2 books of the Two Towers are Orthanc and Cirith Ungol. The alternating viewpoints in the books provide a lot of suspense. The eagles are not a plot hole, they explain at length that Frodo needs to sneak in to Mount Doom.

A suggestion, if it has not been made yet and if you happen to see this comment: Read the Appendices at the end of the Return of the King. Many skip them as the main story has ended. It gives you post ending events for the characters and puts in details, Like Arwen and Aragorn’s relationship. Anyway, thanks for the video. It is enjoyable to see someone else’s unique journey of discovery; reminds me of my own.

I'm only 41 but read the books at around the age of 16, before the movies were released. It's funny to hear a younger person's perspective where the movies are the baseline and initial impression of Tolkien. Where you sort of want the book to comform to the films, instead of the other way around. It sounds strange to me but I know there's millions of people with your perspective because of the success of the movies. The books are so much better and I'm glad a younger generation that started out with the movies were inspired to read the original books because of the them.

Tolkien said the two towers were Isengard (Saruman's tower) and Cirith Ungol (the tower where Frodo was taken prisoner), because those are the two towers that dominate the story in the second "book". (Sorry, it's all one book to me.) Lots of people think Sauron's Dark Tower is one of them, but that tower does not come strongly into the story until the last part. :)

14:30 “There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead.” - Miracle Max, _The Princess Bride_ (1987)

This is your first video I happened across and I think it was wonderful. I loved this style of reaction and the commentary involved. Thanks for sharing it all.

Oh gosh watching you read the LOTR is honestly a treat and I love how you are trying to match the movie and the book with what you remember. Also, if you would like to read a book where Tolkien kills a lot of people and rips your heart out in the process, I recommend the Silmarilion (sarcasm as I start tearing up thinking about it)

I loved this video! Your video essays are such a delight. Thank you so much for taking us along on your journey reading Lord of the Rings - you've definitely inspired me to reread it in the new year :)

"Tolkien, do you kill any of your characters?" Somehow, Tolkien foresaw the casting of Sean Bean before he was even born.

I agree with you about Sam being the main reason that Frodo made it to Mount Doom at all, but I think it’s important to mention that it wasn’t Frodo who destroyed the ring but Gollum. It was Frodo’s pity and compassion for him and refusal to kill him when virtually everyone else wanted to that allowed Gollum to be there at the end and fulfil the quest. In the end the power of evil was destroyed by an act of mercy.

I think one of the main reasons Frodo suffered more than Bilbo was not just the ring. He was stabbed by a ring wraith with the morgul knife. Which would have eventually turned him into a ring wraith himself if not for Glorfindel in the books. Arwen played this part in the movies. This injury is also part of the reason he departs to the undying lands. I also believe the ring fought to not be destroyed the closer they got to Mordor the heavier the burden of the ring became which is why Sam had to help him so much. Just a few observations of why Frodo was so much more affected than Bilbo.

Love that a lot of people are reading or rereading Lord of the Rings this month and you posted this video on the 20th anniversary of the Fellowship of the Ring movie. I'm about to start The Return of the King.

There are so many comments disputing with what she had to say on the book and her experience reading it. I know there are many passionate fans however there is a lot to unpack in this book as a whole and it was great to just see her reading journey! I think it is great that she tackled the intimidating read regardless what her opinions were on plot and characters! Those were her thoughts and that’s ok ☺️

A note: Lord of the Rings is not a trilogy ot a series; Tolkien wrote it as a single novel and intended it to be published in one volume in a box set with The Silmarillion. His publisher split it into 3 volumes to save on printing costs due to post-war paper shortages.

Today, Nov. 29, 2022, is the 50th anniversry of the death of Tolkien's wife, Edith. On her gravestone is th ename Luthien, an elvish princess who rescued the mortal man Beren from the dungeon of Morgoth and gave up her immortality to marry him. Beren is the name on Tolkien's gravestone. Maybe you can use that in your thesis. Enjoyed your reaction very much. Thanks for mentioning his Christian faith and his influence on Lewis.

My biggest disappointment from the movies (which I loved for the most part) was the elimination of The Scouring of the Shire. I've always felt that the transformation of the sweet & innocent hobbits into very capable defenders of the Shire was both impressive and sad (but necessary). I would love to hear your perspective.

Technically, not a trilogy as the individual parts are not complete in themselves. It is one story in three parts.

I made a joke yesterday that if all the songs from the book were in the movies they'd be musicals.

This was a nice video to watch, thanks! 🙂 One little thing I want to note: Tolkien's desire to invent a mythology for England and a world for his languages is not what made him write "The Lord of The Rings", but the "Quenta Silmarillion" and the related stories. Tolkien started writing "The Lord of the Rings" because his publishers weren't interested in the Quenta Silmarillion and had requested a sequal to "The Hobbit". While writing "The Lord of the Rings" he integrated it in the world that he had already created for the Quenta Silmarillion. Later on he intended to publish the Quenta Silmarillion as well, but wasn't able to finish revising it before his death.

In the edition I have, there is a note at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring stating that the The Two Towers named after Orthanc and Minas Morgul. This is different to the films, where Saruman talks about "the alliance of the two towers" between Orthanc and Barad-dûr. The films move the Minas Morgul and Shelob scenes to The Return of the King. Tolkien hadn't planned for the series to be published in three volumes, so their titles were afterthoughts.

Allow me to geek out for a moment: It's a wide spread myth that the Great Eagles are a plot hole. More importantly than Sauron's eye spotting them and attacking them with his air force (the Nazgul), the one ring's ability to corrupt is actually proportional to the creatures power and might. This is why one of the weakest creatures in all of middle earth was allowed by the Council of Elrond to be the ring bearer. The Great Eagles are very powerful creatures and (like Gandalf and Galadriel) would be turned to a great evil if in possession of the one ring. I loved the reading vlog and I wanna watch more!!!!

When I was a little boy in the 1st grade (1969 - shortly after the Apollo 11 moon landing) my class had an English exchange college student assigned to us for a few months. She was studying to become a teacher and we were among her first students. Sorry to say, I was not at all well-behaved as I should have been. I must have seemed like a dreadful rebelling little colonist to her. lol. Anyway, she read a story to us that deeply influenced me. It was The Hobbit. I still remember how enchanting she was to me. I adored her accent and mannerisms. You remind me greatly of her. I later read The Lord of the Rings while still in elementary school. She sparked a life-long love of reading within me. I eventually became a high school teacher and am currently a professor of economics. Thank you so much for bringing back a fond memory to me. All the best from the "misty" mountains of Central Pennsylvania.

Great video! - You can't spell Da-Bomb without Bombadil because he was, in fact, THE BOMB. - Tolkein is so iconic now that people forget he was actually subverting certain tropes. For instance, Eowyn killed the Witch King of Angmar (the most powerful Nazgul) because she was "no man," subverting the prophesy. Of course, Tolkein was so influential that he established new tropes in so doing. - Tolkein claimed he did not like "allegory," but the LOTR clearly has elements that are symbolic or allegorical of the real world. Maybe it's not an allegory in the very strict sense that you can say this character is so-and-so in the real world (like George Orwell's Animal Farm), but clearly the themes of power, corruption, industrialization, etc. all apply to the real world and England specifically.

I read the books long before any LOTR movies. Although it is interesting seeing what Middle Earth and all its creatures may have looked like I really feel the movies took from our imagination. The books are rich in the writing and content. The movies are an adaptation. Very good but tapered for movie audiences. If you try to compare books to movies it’s easy to see the differences. Unfortunately most people (kids especially) don’t read much and so rely on movies for the story. There are whole sections left out or modified from the books. I hope more people will take your cue and READ and really getting the full LOTR experience.

You need to rewatch the extended versions of the movies at least once a year otherwise Sauron wins

I know people have harped on this already but the eagles are NOT a taxi service and they were not created to be ridden. They are intelligent creatures who clearly communicate news to Gandalf regarding Rohan. I thought this communicated enough about them to me on my first read and why Gandalf was gracious enough to not even consider it as a plot in any way. Secondly, stealth was always the mission.

Words have to be changed sometimes to fit a movie script. Remember as they shot the film every there was new updates to the script. They did a really stellar job keeping to the book and the Balkshi animated version.

Where Éowyn is concerned, when she first encountered Aragorn "she now was suddenly aware of him: tall heir of kings, wise with many winters, greycloaked, hiding a power that yet she felt. For a moment still as stone she stood, then turning swiftly she was gone." (The King of the Golden Hall). The feelings she felt, “her winter" were on display in The Passing of the Grey Company and in The Muster of Rohan. She had desired to be a queen. When Éowyn did not answer her brother's call to go to Cormallen Faramir spoke to her, “‘you do not go because only your brother called for you, and to look on the Lord Aragorn, Elendil's heir, in his triumph would now bring you no joy. Or because I do not go, and you desire still to be near me. And maybe for both these reasons, and you yourself cannot choose between them. Éowyn, do you not love me, or will you not?’ ‘I wished to be loved by another,’ she answered. ‘But I desire no man's pity.’ ‘That I know,’ he said. ‘You desired to have the love of the Lord Aragorn. Because he was high and puissant, and you wished to have renown and glory and to be lifted far above the mean things that crawl on the earth. And as a great captain may to a young soldier he seemed to you admirable. For so he is, a lord among men, the greatest that now is. But when he gave you only understanding and pity, then you desired to have nothing, unless a brave death in battle. Look at me, Éowyn!’" (The Steward and the King) Faramir, like his father Denethor can read men. He asks Éowyn if she remains in the Houses of Healing because she does not want to leave him, or because she has not been summoned by Aragorn, or even because both of these reasons tug at her. Éowyn’s true feelings had been confirmed previously in Aragorn's remarks to Éomer in the Houses of Healing. “I saw also what you saw, Éomer. Few other griefs amid the ill chances of this world have more bitterness and shame for a man's heart than to behold the love of a lady so fair and brave that cannot be returned. Sorrow and pity have followed me ever since I left her desperate in Dunharrow and rode to the Paths of the Dead; and no fear upon that way was so present as the fear for what might befall her. And yet, Éomer, I say to you that she loves you more truly than me; for you she loves and knows; but in me she loves only a shadow and a thought: a hope of glory and great deeds, and lands far from the fields of Rohan.” (The Houses of Healing) When Éowyn initially encounterd Faramir in the Houses of Healing she saw that "here was one whom no Rider of the Mark could outmatch in battle" (The Steward and the King) sort of like Aragorn. Faramir is the one who Pippin thought was a slightly lesser version of Aragorn, “Here was one with an air of high nobility such as Aragorn at times revealed, less high perhaps, yet also less incalculable and remote: one of the Kings of Men born into a later time, but touched with the wisdom and sadness of the Elder Race.” (The Siege of Gondor) Éowyn was into both the King and the Steward. She did not lose out on anything, in fact she was healed by Faramir in the end when she understood her heart, “Éowyn, do you not love me?” (The Steward and the King)

Yay! My new years resolution for 2022 is to read all of Tolkien's work. As a fantasy lover, I also haven't read them all. Just The Hobbit! 💕

I agree with other commenters that the eagles aren't a plot hole, and that Eowyn ends up as a heroine. You see, the Chief of the Nazgul - the former Witch-King of Angmar, and Sauron's chief lieutenant - had a prophecy about him that no man could kill him. So it was the combination of a hobbit and a woman that did so. In the Appendices - your edition may not have all of them - the 'Tale of Aragorn and Arwen' gives the love story of those two. One of the greatest messages of the trilogy is political. When we fight evil in this world, sooner or later somebody suggests that "we have to be realistic" and "practical" and that we'd better be ruthless and worldly ourselves, to defeat the evil. The wisest in The Lord of the Rings perceive that this is a trap. Sauron is a supernatural figure - a minor dark angel if you like - and very, very clever, but he never conceives that his foes would destroy such an item of power as the One zring

Read the appendices to answer almost all of your questions. Any remaining questions (for instance, who are the spiders and where do they come from?) read The Silmarillion (talk about "world building".....)

I have often wondered how someone that grew up with the movies would react to the original work, given the many changes. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us. 18:35 Actually, Eowyn was pretty much the only person that could have killed the Witch King, so her part in the story may not have been as "big" as in the movies, but her role was not insignificant. As for Arwen, yes, she was given a much larger presence in the films.

I need to say that I really love your videos. And it's very awesome that you posted this on the 20th anniversary of FOTR ✨ BUT, as a LOTR fan, I got kinda upset when you talked about Eowyn, the eagles and allegories 😂 Nonetheless, I found all of this very interesting and also enjoyed the fact that you express your genuine point of view. Keep going, Christy!❤️

Sometimes I'll pick up lotr just to read a few pages. Tolkien's prose is top tier.

You put so much into your videos and it shows in the overall quality! I always look forward to the next one ♥️ I’ve always been a bit intimidated by the books even though I know the movies by heart, but I just might try to read them in 2022! Side note: I’ve binged Arcane and it was absolutely incredible.

TOP 25 FAVORITE BOOKS. 1) "Verbal Behavior" by Dr. B. F. Skinner 2) "The Idiot" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 3) "Fathers and Sons" by Ivan Turgenev 4) Myth Adventures - series by Robert Asprin 5) The Chronicles of Narnia - series by C. S. Lewis 6) "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy 7) "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 8) "Roots" by Alex Haley 9) The Silmarillion - The Hobbit, or there and back again - The Lord of the Rings - Middle Earth stories by J. R. R. Tolkien 10) Foundation Series - Isaac Asimov 11) "Eugene Onegin" by Alexander Pushkin 12) "Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky 13) "Paris 1919: six months that changed the world" by Margaret MacMillian 14) "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen 15) The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn - by Mark Twain 16) Old Mother West Wind series - wildlife series by Thornton Burgess 17) "Microbe Hunters" by Paul de Kruif 18) "Cancer Ward" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 19) "Kon Tiki" by Thor Heyerdahl 20) "From Beirut to Jerusalem" by Thomas Friedman 21) "The Berdine Un-Theory of Evolution: and Other Scientific Studies Including Hunting, Fishing, and Sex" by William C. Berdine 22) "Interview with the Vampire" by Anne Rice 23) "Mere Christianity" by C. S. Lewis 24) "Emma" by Jane Austen 25) "In the First Circle" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Eowyn DOES get to fight...she and Merry ride with the Rohirrim to the Battle of Pelennor Field and she kills the Lord of the Nazgul. She is specifically referred to as a "shieldmaiden, not a wetnurse." Her brother Eomer inherits the crown of Rohan after the death of Theoden. She is healed, realizes she cannot have Aragorn but discovers there are other heroes as worthy, and marries Faramir, Boromir's brother, who goes on to become Steward of Gondor after the crowning of Aragorn as King.

These books were read to me over sixty years ago when I was ten. I have loved them ever since and although Professor Tolkien believed they could never be successfully dramatized, in my opinion, Peter Jackson et al. did an amazing job at faithfully bringing these stories to life through the "lens" of cinematic media. Two points about Eowyn. One: After meeting in the Houses of Healing, Eowyn eventually marries Farimir, Borimirs brother who becomes Prince of Ithilien and is a much better match for her than Aragorn, the last descendent of Elendil and was way above her station. Also saying that she didn't succeed in battle is completely erroneous, she did, after all, succeed, with Merry's help, in killing the Witch-King of Angmar the Lord of the Nazgul, other than the destruction of Sauron I can't think of a higher battle honour. Speaking of which while it is obvious that the tale of Tom Bombadil and Goldberry had to be removed as too distracting from an already slowly developing story in the movie, There are important themes Tolkien introduces here. Firstly Tom is referred to as "Eldest", even the Ring has no effect on him, and more importantly, it is from the Barrow on Barrow-downs where Merry and Pippen receive their weapons. Because they were enchanted specifically with spells to aid in the destruction of the Witch-King of Angmar. Merry by stabbing him with this blade allowed Eowyn to kill him. As you can see from reading the original work, Arwen's role was pretty minimal in the book, and referring to her lineage, Arwen, Elven princess of Rivendell, is the daughter of Elrond (Aragorn's uncle many many generations removed), and his Queen Celebrian. Celebrian is the only daughter of Galadriel and Celeborn of Lothlorian. When PJ dramatized the work he exchanged Glorfindel's role (rescuing Frodo after the stabbing at Weathertop) for that of Arwen to help build her character. To remember the lore regarding the spider Shelob, and yes she is the only one, not a race, you need to refer to the stories in the Silmarillion about Ungoliant a primordial taking the shape of a gigantic spider. She was initially an ally of Melkor in Aman, and for a short time in Middle-earth as well. She was a distant mother of Shelob and the oldest and first giant spider of Arda.

So happy to see a reaction video to this book! This is the book that sparked my deep love for fantasy when I was a kid. My dad, a Tolkien fanatic as well, gave me this to read when I was 10. So, when most kids were reading short novellas or choose-your-own-adventure books, I was reading this masterpiece

Éowyn falls in love with Faramir while they are both in the Houses of Healing so their getting married is a happy ending for her, plus her brother survived the battle. Boromir died at the end of Fellowship of the Ring defending Merry and Pippin, The Two Towers just refers his being dead at the start as a reminder. His battle there is his redemption for falling for the lure of the ring.

Enjoyed this presentation! One aspect of LotR that struck me on my most recent reading is the contrasting ways that characters respond to the threat of impending doom. There is something haunting, but also understandable, about the madness of Denethor. Some pages later, Gandalf confesses to Pippin, "The truth is, there was never very much hope." (Not sure if my memory is perfect here, but that is what I recall.) Gandalf didn't need a positive prognosis to act.

I'm so glad you finally got to read it!! I also suffered terribly until we got back to Frodo and Sam! I love Sam with all my heart. The reason Gandalf's line was changed in the movie is that apparently Ian McKellen got it wrong and they decided to keep it. I think he explained it in an interview at the Graham Norton Show 😄 Don't pay any attention to all the condescending comments about the Eagles. I don't know why some people are unable to say things without being rude.

Reading the "tome" is quite an experience! And in such a long tale it's easy to forget details or alter them in your mind. There are people (like Christopher Lee, for instance, who played Saruman) who read the book over and over again, which is laudable. There is, however, a really excellent audiobook series, read by Robert Inglis, that I highly recommend if you want to experience it again.

The reasons Frodo suffered much more terribly than Bilbo for bearing the ring are: 1) When Frodo inherited the Ring Sauron was waxing in power, compared to when Bilbo found it and Sauron was still much weaker. 2) Bilbo, for the most part, walked away from Mordor with the Ring, apart from his trip to Erebor. Conversely, Frodo was walking towards Mordor as Sauron regained much of his power and potency. 3) Bilbo had a much smaller version of Frodo’s choice in the door at Bag End, and with the help of an angel (Gandalf) he relinquished the Ring. However, Frodo had a much harder version of that challenge, with only humble, mortal Sam to counteract all of Frodo’s exhaustion, temptation, misery and fear. Consequently, Bilbo can feel content with his decision to give up the Ring, whilst Frodo feels like a failure. The Quest succeeded but he failed at the final hurdle. He feels tarnished by that failure, and disenfranchised from the success and recognition received by the rest of the Fellowship. Also, Frodo quite clearly has PTSD :( . There’s reams of evidence in the book, and if you’d like to hear more about this topic then listen to Jordan Doyle’s presentation on Trauma in Tolkien’s work from the 2021 Spring Seminar by the Tolkien Society on RU-vid.