The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers Vol 2 by JRR Tolkien

It’s month 3 of the LOTR Readalong in which we’re reading vol 2 – The Two Towers. (here are links to  my posts for month 2, month 1 and introduction)

This month the readalong is hosted by Teresa at Shelf Love and she has posed some questions for us …

Where are you in your reading? Are you finding it slow going or is it a quick read?

It’s convenient that Tolkien splits the Two Towers into two books which are 3 & 4 of the trilogy. I finished book 3 soon after the start of the month – I’m starting book four imminently. I found it a steady read, neither fast nor slow.

If you’re a rereader, how does this reading compare to past readings? If you’re a first-time reader, how has The Two Towers met—or not met—your expectations?What has surprised you most in your reading?

I really can’t remember my previous read much. TTTs feels like a middle novel though. I also thought I’d miss Frodo and Sam, but was surprised that I was enjoying the others’ adventures so much.

In Book 3, we visit lots of new places and meet lots of new characters. There’s Fangorn and the Ents, the riders of Rohan, Saruman at Isengard. Which are your favorites? Least favorites?

I’m not a big fan of the Ents – can’t put my finger on why – I think it’s to do with cartoonish visions of trees with faces, I can’t take them seriously. I do like the Riders of Rohan – Theoden is a great leader, and Eowyn will come into her own.

And the obligatory movie question: If you’ve seen the movie, has it affected your perception of The Two Towers? If so, how?

One of the scenes I thought they did well in the film was Theoden’s reawakening, becoming himself again. This was rather quickly dealt with in the book, but it was nice to see Bernard Hill get his time to come to.

This post was republished into its original place in my blog’s timeline from my lost posts archive