Al Carondas
Lorien
Mar 24 2016, 2:23am
Post #27 of 27
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I find it a great adventure, and then some
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One of the reasons I like Book IV is that it returns to the story of "The Quest". The many diversions of Book III - the Orc Hunt, the Entwood, The Wizard's Vale, The battles of Rohan - are wonderful aspects of Tolkien's great tale, and so much fun to pursue. They give Book III its special flavor, and it is a pleasure to get sidetracked. But I do greatly enjoy getting back to the central quest as well.
It is a bit grim in places, but I would call it every bit as adventurous as any other part of the story. For me, this is largely because of Gollum's return. Smeagol is such an enigmatic character, and his very presence reconnects me to Bilbo's adventures, which I find priceless. And through Gollum we also discover the mysterious nuances of the Dead Marshes. We hear tales of the Tower of the Moon. We find the Secret Stair. We meet the Spider Queen. Virtually the whole book is fascinating to me, right up to the part where we find ourselves smack in the midst of our enemies.
The action bogs down in places, true, and the story does start to grow more serious, but I quite like the introspective and personal aspects of Book IV. I love the glimpses Tolkien gives us into the minds and souls of Frodo, Sam and Gollum. (And also Faramir and Boromir, now that I think of it.) And after all, that is a crucial element to any quest story.
Book IV is unquestionably one of my favorite parts of the story, and contains many of my favorite moments.
"Good Morning!"
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