The lord of the rings…

         

A friend recommended that “The lord of the rings” is a wonderful book/movie – told me about ents, hobbits, Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas and nazguls and got me interested. I had tried watching the movie earlier and somehow could not get much of what was happening. If there is a movie or a book in the world not worth missing, I would want to definitely check it out. So I picked up the book, the size was not very encouraging. Till Frodo meets Aragorn the story seems somewhat slow, and the weight of the book bothered my wrists. After that I could not be at peace till I read the book and watched the 3 part movie. Wow, what a story and how brilliantly told. When I read that Gandalf goes into the darkness in “The fellowship of the rings”, I randomly opened some page ahead of where I was and looked for the word “Gandalf”. Only after confirming that he will reappear did I continue reading. I wouldn’t have read further if he wasn’t there! The story is all about hope and friendship and believing in good. The spirit is amazing and the characters are delightful.

I liked how Frodo overcame the evil influence of the ring, was moved by Sam’s faithfulness, loved Gandalf for all that he was, for being there when anyone needed him and being so wise and guiding them all. Aragorn is very real, very brave but has a lot of self doubt. When the time comes, he musters all the courage he can find and conquers his doubts and does not give up hope throughout. He trusts deeply and lets go when needed. Very human, his goodness is the only super power he has. Pippin and Merry are two most delightful hobbits and the episodes with Treebeard are so entertaining. The hobbits in general are such simple creatures and in the movie the Shire is shown to be such a wonderful place. Loved it more than where the elfs lived. Many characters create a lasting impression. Even Gollum creates a lasting impression, with his creepy possessiveness of his “precious” and the constant battle he has with the good side. His self talk, as shown in the movie is scary and interesting at the same time.

I initially had a notion that fantasy was not what I enjoyed reading. I am not sure how I got the idea. I used to think the same many years ago about science fiction until I got hooked to Doctor Who series. And it is surprising given that I while reading these books I half believe that they happened and in general I believe in miracles and have a very active imagination, sometimes dwell in imaginary stuff for so long that, I feel alien in the real world!

It is one the nicest books I have read. The movies are beautifully made and it is a very good adaptation of the book. Loved reading and watching it.

A big thank you to the friend for suggesting it.

One thing that I have in common with the hobbits is the fool’s hope, like Gandalf puts it! J