Tuesday, September 15, 2009

106. The Two Towers


By:  J. R. R. Tolkien
Rated:  5 Stars
From:  Library, Unabridged Audio Book

Even though I have practically memorized the movies there is so many more details in the books.  And I am learning that I can get deeper into a story by listening than I can reading because I am forced to listen at the pace the reader reads.  

The Two Towers continues the story begun in The Fellowship of the Ring but introduces new characters, more battle scenes and a nearly palpable feeling of impending doom as Sauron and Saruman search for the ring.

In this part the Fellowship disburses with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli setting off in one direction to rescue Merry and Pippen who have been captured by Orcs.  Frodo and Sam set out on their own in another to try to reach Gondor and destroy the ring.  This part of the story starts to show more directly the dual nature of good and evil that is at the heart of each of the three books. Every element of good has an opposite. There is the dark tower and the good tower of Gondor (hence, the "Two Towers"). There is the good hobbit Frodo and his opposite Gollum who is a distortion of what was once a hobbit-like creature. There are elves (good) and orcs. (bad) There is the good wizard Gandalf and the evil Sauron. I have not figured out yet where the Dwarfs fit in except that Gimli was a good dwarf but I am not sure his goodness represented all dwarfs. {shrug}

Yet, while these pairs are opposite, they are also linked. Even Saruman was at one time a good personable fellow. Gandalf fears the ring because he can see himself becoming like Saruman and Sauron.

This book introduces my most favorite characters in the book, the enormous tree like creatures - the Ents. They are so charismatic and lovable They steal the show.