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The Two Towers (2003)

The Two Towers (2003)

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Rating
4.39 of 5 Votes: 1
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ISBN
0618346260 (ISBN13: 9780618346264)
Language
English
Publisher
mariner books

About book The Two Towers (2003)

The second installment of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien, was more exciting than the first. For some reason, The Two Towers was a much bigger page turner for me than Fellowship of the Ring. I'm not sure why, perhaps because there were more action scenes. The Battle at the Two Towers was fascinating to me, and not at all like I remembered. I really enjoyed it, even though Tolkien seems to have a minimalist way of writing. He's a good writer, but I find the climatic scenes diminished, and not as "climatic" as I would have liked. For instance, when he brings in the Ents, they're just there as if they'd been there all along, instead of having them charge over the hill at a great time of perilous need. Perhaps he thought that was creepier, and I suppose in a way it was, but after all the build up of their relationship with Pippin and Merry, and having been dormant so many years, I thought somehow it would be a bigger entrance. But I see this happening a lot with Tolkien and think it's more his style of writing. Maybe it's my love of obsessive cheese in stories that's makes me unable to better appreciate his more subtle style. His imagery is beautiful, but because of the let down in the big scenes, these aren't a part of my list of favorite books. Even though they aren't my favorites, that doesn't take away from the fact that these should be considered classic literature. For all the same reasons I stated in my review of The Fellowship of the Ring, the same holds true for this book as well. Another aspect of this book I like was Tolkien's was of incorporating various story telling techniques into the plot. Besides the poetry and songs, there were a few times that the actual dialogue accomplished this. One example I particularly enjoyed was towards the end, when Frodo and Sam are walking up the stairs, they discuss how their story will be told to children years from now. Sam even goes so far as to make up speech that the would be children might say, "Yes, that's one of my favourite stories. Frodo was very brave, wasn't he, dad?" And Frodo responds in kind, but showing that the kids might be more interested in hearing about his loyal and true companion, Samwise the stouthearted. Then they go on to discuss aspects of their story, such as where they're stuck right now in it and if the reader might not consider closing the book at this point because they don't want to read anymore. In this way, Tolkien is adding more depth to the multiple layers of storylines, and talking directly to the reader as well. It's done in a brilliant way that doesn't make it too obvious or corny. It's one of the things I love about Tolkien. In this passage they also discuss whether or not this is even a good story and whether Gollum would think himself the hero or the villain. It was rather clever. One other thing I'd like to note that bothered me, or rather that bothers me often about stories such as these, and it's a small thing really, but the fact that the characters disburse of potentially helpful items so easily. I know it's a sense of honor and a show of how important a person is and all that to send them off in their funeral with important items, but really, if you're on a life or death mission, don't you think said dead person would rather you kept the things you might need? When they ship off Boromir's body in the boat and send with him the things of value, all I could think of was how stupid it was, what if they could use that stuff later? Granted, it came into play later, when his brother had the vision and noted these things, but still, was it that important he still have them in the boat? If I had been the one that died, I would've wanted my friends to use what they could to further their quest if possible. You never know what you might need. Small point in any case. Overall, I finished this book quickly and found it quite suspenseful. The spider creature at the end was nice too, totally creeped me out. It's been awhile since a creature has disgusted me that much. I really don't remember anything much about these books so I wasn't expecting it, along with Gollum's betrayal. Looking forward to finding out what happens in the final book, Return of the King. ClassicsDefined.com

A review of Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by SauronAfter my review of the Fellowship of the Ring, my agent BBMed me and said that people still thought I was a bitter a-hole. He suggested that I learn to deal with my situation by talking with some likeminded people who have faced similar frustration. So he signed me up for Dark Lords and Villains Anonymous. At least that’s what it's called on the website. When I send out a FB invite to my peeps I usually use the subject line "Hatas Beware". Because General Zod is still trapped in that ridiculous Phantom Zone, we can't really meet in person so we IM. Every week a member discusses his or her public failure. This is the transcript from my week.Sauron: Hello, my name is Sauron, and it's been 56 years since the publication of my defeat.Group: Hello Sauron!Sauron: I'm…I'm not sure where to start. I just don't think I've been given a fair shake. I recently emailed an op-ed piece to the editor of the Times. In it, I argued that the name of Tolkien's "masterpiece" should be renamed "An Unprovoked Attack On Sauron the Merciful" and that the second book should be entitled "Saruman F*cks The Pooch". Crusty old cracker. It looked like my email was blocked so I tried another. None of them worked: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]. Nothing. Anyways, my point is that none of this was my fault. I mean, things started off fine. That Boromir got what he deserved. I've never tried to destroy someone who cared more about their hair!General Zod: Can anyone help me!!??Agent Smith: Shut the hell up windowboy!Sauron: Thank you. Ahem. Darth Maul: Bllllllaaarrgghhh.Darth Vader: You'll have to excuse my associate. He's…useless.HAL 9000: Just what do you think you're doing, Dave? Agent Smith: OMG! Can anyone stop this light bulb from saying that every week!Moby Dick: ArrrrrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuflllllllllllllllllllAgent Smith: Jesus, now the whale is talking.Randall Flagg: Let…Sauron…talk.[silence]Sauron: If I may continue. Helm's Deep. My grandma could have tossed that joint before breakfast. But instead of sending her wheelchair-bound ass in to lead the charge I chose an Uruk-hai. In retrospect, since I took the time to hatch those suckers, I could have included some dolphin or chimpanzee in the mix to boost the IQ a little. Or at least supplied them with better loincloths. One Uruk-hai had a bad habit of talking to me while his leg was up on the table. We don't need to see that. Oh, and why don't I put all my faith in Gríma Wormtongue, he sounds reliable. Every time I looked at his multi-coloured eyes I wanted to puke.General Zod: That was pretty dumb.Khan: [shouts] THIS IS CETI ALPHA FIVE!Sauron: OooooK. I also regret relying on that damn Palantir for global communications! That freakin snowglobe basically told me that everything was going just fine. These days Saruman would have just texted me something like, "Yo, Sauron, we may have an issue." Instead his ass is whooped by trees. You know, man invented fire like 10,000 years ago. Trees.Jabba the Hutt: Sorry, I got here late. Has that loser Sauron started yet?[silence]Khan: I shall avenge you.Sauron: Thanks. Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah, Shelob. Stephen King's made me afraid of clowns and spiders. I don't want to discuss that bitch.Khan: You see, their young enter through the ears and wrap themselves around the cerebral cortex. This has the effect of rendering the victim extremely susceptible to suggestion. Later, as they grow, follows madness and death. Sauron: STOP! A-hole. That's why Kirk can beat you while simultaneous boinking a green chick. You're pathetic. Go back to selling coffee or whatever you've been doing. This is getting me nowhere. I never should have signed up for this. And there's no fracking way I'm writing a review of my demise in The Return of the King. [end transmission]Moby Dick: Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrhhhhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuflllllllllllllllllll[end transmission]

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The Two Towers is the second part of LOTR. In this installment, the Fellowship is rent and struggles to survive. This book is made up for mirrors and doubling. In the first section, you follow closely the Three Hunters as they hunt their prey across the landscape. With Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, Tolkien presents a group in chase. It feels like a hunt, and it is a hunt of the sagas.There second trinity is made up of Frodo, Sam, and Gollum. This second threesome echoes in a way the first. They two are on a quest, not to just save two lives, but to save anyone. It is this trinity; however, who faces the most general and is in some ways a false trinity, for Gollum is a reluctant main.Other doubling occurs in the novel. The reader is introduced to Faramir, brother to Boromir, and a worthy and true he is. The character of Faramir is also doubled to a degree by the character of Eomer. Both young men serve in dark and dangerous times, both show the worthiness of men, both protect their country. They represent the new order that will come after the War of the Ring.The sense of change that began in the Fellowship is continued here. There is a sense that Theoden will son give place to his sister-son, Eomer. That he has grown too blind to be an effective leader for much longer. This is not due surely to the influence of Grima Wormtongue (who has the coolest bad guy name ever), but is revealed also in his own character. Look at his treatment, his forgetfulness of Eowyn. When to leave on his war path, he acknowledges Eomer, but is confused when Hama says the people wish to be protected by the House of Eorl. Hama must point Eowyn to her uncle. Shades of Queen Elizabeth II in WWII, perhaps? This theme of disregarding worthiness will also be picked up in The Return of the King.Eowyn is not the only female in the story, and in this installment, she doesn’t have a very big part to play. The other female in the story is Shelob, perhaps the most controversial female character in Tolkien’s work. After all, she is a deadly female spider and that must mean that Tolkien has issues.Unless, he is just afraid of spiders and knows that the female is the deadlier of the species.Joking aside, Towers contains one of the most moving passages anywhere in Tolkien. This passage concerns the character of Gollum. During their trek, Sam and Frodo finally succumb to tiredness, and Frodo falls asleep with his head resting in Sam’s lap. Gollum returns and sees them. Tolkien then writes, “Gollum looked at them. A strange expression passed over his lean hungry face. The gleam faded from his eyes, and they went dim and grey, old and tired. A spasm of pain seemed to twist him, and he turned away, peering back up towards the pass, shaking his head, as if engaged in some interior debate. Then he came back, and slowly putting out a trembling hand, very cautiously he touched Frodo’s knee – but almost the touch was a caress. For a fleeting moment, could one of the sleepers have seen him, they would have thought that they beheld an old weary hobbit, shrunken by the years that had carried him far beyond his time, beyond friends and kin, and the fields and streams of youth, an old starved pitiable thing.”And then Sam wakes and ruins the spell. What makes the passage so moving, what the reader knows here but Samwise doesn’t, is Gollum could have been saved there. If Sam had not been Sam, if he had spoken softly, Gollum would have turned from evil. The passage speaks of loss and missed opportunity so poignantly.Added 12/11/12 - Is just me or is Wormtongue somewhat like Shakespeare's Richard III? It's strange, each time I re-read this series, at least after the release of the Jackson movies, I gain a more respect for the Jackson adaptions, even with the changes in regards to Faramir. The TTs is the fastest paced of the books because it starts with a hunt. But it is also very emotional because of the father/son relationships that appear as well as those of the brothers in all forms.
—Chris

As with my Fellowship of the Ring review, I'm not going to do a proper review. You've more than likely already decided whether or not to read this; I sincerely doubt that this silly little review will convince you otherwise."The Two Towers" is a strange book and movie. It's a strange book because the whole first half/book is about the Quintet - Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Merry, and Pippin - while the second half/book is all about Sam and Frodo. So if you want to know what Sam/Frodo are up to while the Trio are at Helm's Deep - tough luck. If you want to know what Merry and Pippin are up to while Sam/Frodo are noming with Faramir - figure it out yourself.The movie rectifies this for an audience (switching back and forth between all the protagonists), but, unlike FOTR, veers quite a bit from the source material, upping the ante at Helm's Deep with the arrival of the Elves, moving Shelob's lair to "Return of the King", doing that stupid "OH NOES ARAGORN FELL OFF THE CLIFF and is TOTALLY DEAD!!!" thing, and trying to squeeze more of Arwen/the romance in. Plus, it's the middle book/movie of a trilogy. That could be a death knoll for it.What's more weird is how my thoughts and opinions have changed 180 about this book. When I first read it, I LOVED the first book with the Quintet! Characters come back, there are funny quips, battles, chases, etc. I was SHOCKED when I realized that, nearly a decade later, I was BORED STIFF with these sections. Suddenly the battle banter wasn't witty but odd - laughing your butt off as people are dying left and right? (And it didn't strike the good balance like I felt the movie did.) A huge portion felt like a waste of time as Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli run after Merry and Pippin - until *SPOILER* Gandalf tells them, nope, the hobbits are Totes OK, time to head to Edoras, biotches!! And let's not forget that Tolkien loves to have his characters tell stories that may or may not be related to the story of The Lord of the Rings! In fact, instead of SHOWING US what happens to Merry and Pippin while the Trio are at Helm's Deep, he has Merry TELL US, in a rather boring conversation with the Trio. YAWN.And the second half, which used to bore me to death, nearly sent me into tears (and if you know me, that almost NEVER happens!) when Sam is bent over the still form of Frodo after one of the most exciting battle scenes - a rather simple one between Sam, wielding Sting, and Shelob. I finally saw the split personality Gollum, but more than that, I sympathized with the poor guy. I saw how fragile Frodo was, the courage and bravery and stalwartness of Sam. And even when Sam and Frodo meet up with Faramir and have a jolly conversation about the old days (Tolkien telling stories that may or may not be about the current story!), it was actually rather interesting and NOT BORING! (Though I will admit, Jackson's revision to make Faramir desire the Ring makes total sense, and I felt it was a good change - different, but because the movie was a different beast.)I sit here, contemplating all this, and I'm rather stunned. It goes to show you how time changes a person, how ONE BOOK could mean so many different things to different people or even the same person at a different age. Truly, we are always growing, always changing and what we read and watch changes with us.I must say, I like "The Two Towers" less than FOTR, even still (both book and movie), but while my views on the individual books have changed, I still do enjoy the story. It will be most interesting to see what my thoughts are on the final entry into the LOTR saga.
—Crystal Starr Light

It's obvious that Tolkien crafted his sentences very carefully, in terms of structure as well as word choice. His writing is rich and descriptive, making the reading process a slow one. In my opinion, the books are worth the level of attention they demand. The world Tolkien created here is unbelievably well-thought out and complete. It's so detailed that it could easily be the long-forgotten history of our world-- a better version of our world, perhaps, where darkness is eventually conquered by friendship, loyalty, courage, perseverance, beauty, and hope.For me, one aspect in which the movies triumph the books is characterization. The book characters are more static, more interchangeable, and experience less development than the movie characters. I'm not exactly sure whether this is a flaw of the books or a great achievement of the movies, though.
—Maud

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