A Simply Enchanted Life

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Two Towers is part two of The Lord of The Rings trilogy and much like Fellowship of the Ring—this story is truly epic. I read the works of J.R.R. Tolkien yearly, these stories are the kind that you can come back to and never get bored of them. The characters in these tales come to life and inspire and enrich the lives of those that choose to read these stories. So, kick off your shoes and curl up in front of a cozy fire and pick up The Lord of the Rings—you will not be disappointed!

The Fellowship has been broken and the nature of our beloved characters becomes apparent in this tale. Gandalf has been lost in the mines of Moria, Boromir—gone. Pippin and Merry have been taken as orc prisoners and Sam and Frodo find themselves being lead closer to Mordor by their unlikely guide—the creature, Gollum.

Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli journey together on a quest to save Merry and Pippin from the orcs which throws us into a rich storyline separate from the quest of Sam and Frodo. We have a surprise return of an old friend and a huge battle along with some mysterious talking trees that are called Ents during this part of the story –fun stuff! Then our story splits and we find that we are back in the company of Sam and Frodo as they trek through the dead marshes and into the lair of the great spider, Shelob.

Honestly? It’s so hard to sum up my thoughts, feelings and even the plot of this book—it’s THAT good! There are differences in the book from the movie but if you’ve watched the movie before reading the book you won’t be disappointed. The movie was one of the rare ones that didn’t completely slaughter the storyline—even with the differences. I think if you enjoyed the movie you will fall in love with the book!

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John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE, was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the high fantasy classic works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings .

Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford from 1925 to 1945, and Merton Professor of English language and literature from 1945 to 1959. He was a close friend of C.S. Lewis.

Christopher Tolkien published a series of works based on his father's extensive notes and unpublished manuscripts, including The Silmarillion . These, together with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, form a connected body of tales, poems, fictional histories, invented languages, and literary essays about an imagined world called Arda, and Middle-earth within it. Between 1951 and 1955, Tolkien applied the word "legendarium" to the larger part of these writings.

While many other authors had published works of fantasy before Tolkien, the great success of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings led directly to a popular resurgence of the genre. This has caused Tolkien to be popularly identified as the "father" of modern fantasy literature—or more precisely, high fantasy. Tolkien's writings have inspired many other works of fantasy and have had a lasting effect on the entire field.

In 2008, The Times ranked him sixth on a list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945". Forbes ranked him the 5th top-earning dead celebrity in 2009.

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The Light of Eärendil

The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1) by J.R.R. Tolkien

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I've just finished my yearly reading of The Fellowship of the Ring and I've avoided giving reviews for it in the past because how does one give an adequate review for such a story? Middle Earth is a beautiful place and though it is filled with danger it is also filled with good people and appreciation for simple things in life like music and laughter. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is just pure magic. Many have tried to emulate the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and none have ever touched the sheer genius. Other stories may have a made up language but none are an actual language that you can learn and even speak or write and none can compare to the beautiful poetry and portrayal of loyalty that you'll find within it's pages. Very few stories inspire people the way that Lord of The Rings has for years. If you haven't read the Lord of the Rings then you're missing out.

In The Fellowship of the Ring we pick up years after the stories in The Hobbit. We meet an aging Bilbo Baggins and his nephew, Frodo Baggins. Bilbo has long been in possession of the ring of power which is wearing on his mind and the time has come for him to leave the ring in Frodo's possession, not fully understanding how important this decision is. The ring has already seeped into and is slowly poisoning his mind.

After the departure of Bilbo, Frodo learns the truth about the ring that has come into his possession and sets out on a perilous journey to destroy the ring once and for all in the fires of Mordor.

Accompanied by his loyal friends from the Shire he sets out and is later joined by a company, a fellowship of friends who have vowed to aid him in his quest. Staying loyal and true, even in the face of despair and adversity.

So, if you haven't read this epic tale, I encourage you to take the time to go to your library or find a copy somewhere and then sit back to enjoy one of the greatest stories ever written!




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The leaves were long, the grass was green,
The hemlock-umbels tall and fair,
And in the glade a light was seen
Of stars in shadow shimmering.
Tinúviel was dancing there
To music of a pipe unseen,
And light of stars was in her hair,
And in her raiment glimmering.

There Beren came from mountains cold,
And lost he wandered under leaves,
And where the Elven-river rolled.
He walked alone and sorrowing.
He peered between the hemlock-leaves
And saw in wonder flowers of gold
Upon her mantle and her sleeves,
And her hair like shadow following.

Enchantment healed his weary feet
That over hills were doomed to roam;
And forth he hastened, strong and fleet,
And grasped at moonbeams glistening.
Through woven woods in Elvenhome
She lightly fled on dancing feet,
And left him lonely still to roam
In the silent forest listening.

He heard there oft the flying sound
Of feet as light as linden-leaves,
Or music welling underground,
In hidden hollows quavering.
Now withered lay the hemlock-sheaves,
And one by one with sighing sound
Whispering fell the beechen leaves
In the wintry woodland wavering.

He sought her ever, wandering far
Where leaves of years were thickly strewn,
By light of moon and ray of star
In frosty heavens shivering.
Her mantle glinted in the moon,
As on a hill-top high and far
She danced, and at her feet was strewn
A mist of silver quivering.

When winter passed, she came again,
And her song released the sudden spring,
Like rising lark, and falling rain,
And melting water bubbling.
He saw the elven-flowers spring
About her feet, and healed again
He longed by her to dance and sing
Upon the grass untroubling.

Again she fled, but swift he came.
Tinúviel! Tinúviel!
He called her by her elvish name;
And there she halted listening.
One moment stood she, and a spell
His voice laid on her: Beren came,
And doom fell on Tinúviel
That in his arms lay glistening.

As Beren looked into her eyes
Within the shadows of her hair,
The trembling starlight of the skies
He saw there mirrored shimmering.
Tinúviel the elven-fair,
Immortal maiden elven-wise,
About him cast her shadowy hair
And arms like silver glimmering.

Long was the way that fate them bore,
O'er stony mountains cold and grey,
Through halls of iron and darkling door,
And woods of nightshade morrowless.
The Sundering Seas between them lay,
And yet at last they met once more,
And long ago they passed away
In the forest singing sorrowless.

- from The Lord of the Rings: One Vol. Edition, by J.R.R. Tolkien

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The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world"
Thorin OakenShield, The Hobbit

I have read this book many times and, as always, I am drawn to Middle Earth as a moth is drawn to a flame. Oh the lessons that we can learn from Bilbo Baggins! I could give a long elaborate review on this book but feel it is pretty unnecessary. The beauty (and danger) Of Middle Earth has enticed many a reader without my help and I'm sure it will continue to do so for many years to come. So, I leave you all with one of my favorite poems from The Hobbit and I hope that you enjoy!

Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.



Roads go ever ever on
Under cloud and under star,
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green
And trees and hills they long have known.

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