The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, Book 2)

I just finished reading the book, and now I am listening to it starting with the hobbit straight through the return of the king because I read them that way and I think the hobbit is in a way a part of the lord of the rings. its 60+ hours total but its worth it the narrator is great, I would of course recommend actually reading it before listening to it because as the story is a big journey, so is reading the book, its a very long story and part of appreciating it is working your way through it and for those that say "Oh I saw the movies", There is ALOT that the movies left out and gives the story a new feel. Since I read it long after seeing the movies I was not prepared for what I read, there are so many small parts that either were left out or changed slightly that its like reading a story you don't know entirely. I have to say that I love the movies and if not for them I would never have wanted to read the books. If the only way you are willing to experience the book is audiobook only then I still recommend it because they are wonderful books, my favorite actually. If you do read them first, finishing them does feel great, like a journey complete.

Anyone who read all of The Fellowship of the Ring and bemoaned its supposed slow start or lack of action (misguided souls ... surely God will correct them im the afterlife) will finally find a home in the second part of The Lord of the Rings. The Two Towers has the benefit of an established world the author no longer needs to set up, and the story moves along from wonder to terror and back again at a most satisfying pace.

When we left Frodo, he had abandoned all the fellowship except his servant Sam, unwilling to share his seemingly certain destruction with them. Thus, Tolkien splits his narrative. Book III is devoted to the adventures of Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli as they learn the fate of the fallen wizard, Gandalf, and seek to rescue the hobbits Merry and Pippin from the clutches of the orcs. Book IV returns us to Frodo and Sam on the hopeless trek to Mordor. Along the way, they enlist the help of a most unlikely guide ...

Epic battles, walking tree-gods, monstrous spiders, and reintroduction of literature's most tragic villain, Gollum, highlight this most worthy second part of the greatest fantasy epic ever written.

(This review has been posted by Marcus Damanda, author of the vampire fantasy, "Teeth.")

This book picks up where "Fellowship of the Ring (Lord of the Rings, Part I)", left off. The fellowship is dispersed. We are lucky in the fact that J. R. R. Tolkien will completely follow each path from beginning to end. All the wars are covered in detail and the progress of the ring bearer is chronicled. New creatures and old vermin reveal themselves.

As with Ramayana by William Buck ISBN: 0520043944, we find that every creature has its function and that there is no black and white in this purpose. Frodo alludes to this when he thinks of Gandalf, Aragorn, and Gollum. Even Gandalf tells not to hurt Gollum as he may play a larger role in the story that one could imagine.


Ramayana

first time listening to books on cd very good but sometimes difficult to keep myself focused.

the second book of the series it is also qiute good even for the ten thousanda of twists and turns tolkien provides. the fellowship is split in 3 now 1) Araghorn , Legolas and Gimli 2) merrin and pippin 3) Sam and Frodo . Gandalf who died in the fellowship of the ring returns as a white wizard.

Merrin and Pippin were taken away by the orcs in the first escape to a forest where they find a most unlikely alley in TreeBeard the Ent . Araghorn and co who set out after Merrin and Pippin meet Gandalf and together they travel to the empire of Rohan . Gandalf cures King Theoden from the grasp of Saruman . The King orders the citizens of Rohan to go to a refuge camp . on the way they have an encounter the Warg riders in which Araghorn is gets thrown over from a cliff . Araghorn survives and o0n his way back sees a 10000 strong army of Uruk Hai coming tp attack the refuge camp. he rushes to hte camp and gives the news to the King . they still prepare to battle and they are joined by elves . as the battle begins they know they are gonna los but still fight hard . the battle is almost over . they are still holding the fort but their manpower is less . but they decide to go down fighting . kill 50 get killed . as they launched their assault on the evil force with no hope of survival they suddenly say athe white wizard with rohhirims just behind . they launch their attack and win . on the other side Merrin and Pippin tried to convince the ents to join them on their assault of the evil . they were not convinced . but as they see their tree friends destroyed by Sarumans forces to make arms for the evil army they become angry and attack Sarumans strongho;d Isengard and and destroy it . Sam and Frodo find an unlikely guide in Gullum who takes them to Mordor . but their they are captured by Captain Faramir . atlast they get back on their to the mountain of fire to destroy the ring.