THE LORD OF THE RINGS

THE LORD OF THE RINGS

 

The lord of the rings is a book saga written by JRR Tolkien. I red it when I was 10 years old and I think it is one of the most wonderful books ever written.

SYNOPSIS

The world that we know nowadays, doesn’t exist. Now, is the Middle Earth. There, a lot of different races have to live together: humans, elves, dwarves, wizards, hobbits, and… orcs (horrible and very ugly creatures without soul, only created fron dust to kill).

Long time ago, seven rings were created. This is the text written by the author that tells who the rings were given to:

"Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky.
  Seven for the Dwarf-lords in stone palaces.
  Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die.
  One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
  in the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
  One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them,
  One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind
  in the Land of Mordor where the Shadows stretch. "

The last ring is extremelly powerfull. The person that posseses it, has the power to being invisible, disappear, has the power to control everything but… The ring is able to absorb you, control your personality until you become NOTHING, it can make you forget who you are, which people you love… The ring is very dangerous, so it has to be destroyed. The thing is that the ring can only be destroyed at the same place that it was created, so they need someone to  carry the ring to the Destiny mount. 

This story is divided in three parts: The Fellowship of the ring, The two towers and The return of the King.

 

THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING

Frodo was living a very quiet and calm life (as it is usual in hobbits) ,  with his uncle Bilbo (Bilbo had a very interesting story behind him, that is narrated in ‘’The Hobbit’’, but that’s another trilogy, that I have red too and I recommend everyone to read it). Frodo was very happy, and didn’t wanted to be involved in any adventure. One day, Gandalf the Gray (a very important wizard, that knew his uncle, and wanted to go to his birthday party) There, Gandalf persuades Bilbo to give him the ring, because he wanted to destroy it. Not everybody could carry the ring except Frodo. Frodo was very strong, and Gandalf proposed it to him. He accepted. but… He couldn’t do that alone. Gandalf created the Fellowship of the Ring, composed by:

FRODO

 

He is the main character. He is a hobbit. Hobbits are small, very households. They don’t like changing his routine. Frodo is very strong and brave, and he suffers more that any human can imagine trying to furfill his mission. He deserves everybody’s admiration.

How the thread takes a lifetime? How do you go on when in your heart you begin to understand that there is no return possible, there are things that time can not mend, those who wound deep inside, leaving scar? "

SAMSWISE GAMGEE

First, I would like to say that Sam is my favorite character. He is extremely loyal. He is capable to give his life for save Frodo. He is disinterested, self-sacrificing and brave. One time, he said something that I won’t ever forget:

‘’ Come back, Sam!I am leaving to Mordor alone!
- Sure you will!And I'll go with you! "

  "I made a promise, Mr Frodo, a promise. Would not give up, Samwise Gamgee. And I do not think so. I will not do"

  "You forget an essential character. Samwise the Brave. Tell me more about Sam! Frodo would never have gotten this far without Sam.
Frodo-Lord, do not laugh. I was not kidding.
  'Nor do I, Sam "

  "I'll be, but I leave everything but the bones way. Mr. Frodo and take his back, but the back and break my heart"

  "It's me. Sam I'm her. Did not you know your Sam?"

  "Let him go! Would never touch you'll never ..."

  "'I'll stab like a sparrow spitted ... Ah!
  Not if you skewered before I you ...
- Sam "!

  "'Well, we get it over with him. C'mon, Mr. Frodo with the Ring Load I can not ... But I can carry you!

ARAGORN

 

He is a human, a mortal. He is the heir to the crown of  Gondor, but he has got a problem: he is in love with Arwen, an elve that love him too. The problem is that she’s inmortal and he is not. Arwen’s father doesn’t accept their relationship. He is very fighter, he is the master with the sword, and very good warrior and person. This is his speech before going on a war. I love it, and I know it by heart:

“Sons of Gondor! And Rohan! My brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart. There may come a day when the courage of men falter, when we forsake our friends and our community ties were broken; But today is not that day!. In an hour of wolves and shattered shields initialed the consummation of the age of men; But today is not that day! This day we fight!, By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I call to fight,! Men of the West! "

LEGOLAS

Legolas is an elve. Elves are very beautiful, pure, clever, silent and discretes. Legolas is like this. Legolas is extremely talented with the bow and the arrows. He is also very sarcastic, and has got a very good relationship with Gimli, despite they say elves and dwarves give up very bad. This is a dialogue with him:

“Gimli - never thought I'd die fighting alongside an elf.

Legolas - either with a friend?

Gimli - Yes, without hesitation”.

GIMLI

He is a dwarf. He is very bad tempered, but behind his long beard and his appearance of hard, he hides a very big heart. He is also a great warrior. Nobody can go near him when he is with his ax. Legolas always laughs of his height:

Gimli - What's out there?

Legolas - Would you describe it, Gimli? Or I'm looking for a stool?

He is also very negative:

“Certanity of death…minimum hope of success… What are we waiting for?”

GANDALF

He is one of the last wizards in the Middle Earth. He is very wise and always knows what to do. Without him, nothing on this book would happen, so he is a very important character. Also he is very interesting.

“A wizard is never late, nor early, arrives exactly when he wants."

PIPPIN AND MERRY

They are hobbits too. They are very funny, and they always make you laugh even in the most seri0us moments.

It seems that you need people need list for this purpose, mission, the thing is…Where are we going?

 

BOROMIR

Boromir is also a human. He was a very good warrior, and very brave, but he dies because of his greed.

Aragorn - Do not move

Boromir - Frodo ... Where is Frodo?

Aragorn - I let him out ...

Boromir - You did what I could do ... I tried to snatch the ring.

Aragorn - The ring is already out of reach.

 

 

 

Sauron is the enemy of all the races, and that’s why each of them sends a person ofr represent them in the Fellowship of the Ring. There were alliances between men and elves, but Sauron got what he wanted: separate them again and forever.  The king Isildur got Sauron to lost his body and human’s shape, but he becomed a big eye that could control everything. The only form of destroying him was destroying the ring. Isildur was possessed by the ring, and didn’t destroy it. When they are on their journey, thay have to face a lot of dangers, wounds, pain, sadness… and when Boromir tried to get the ring, the Fellowship of the Ring was destroyed. Pippin and Merry were kidnapted by orcs and taken to Sauron’s place, Sam and Frodo escaped to destroy the ring alone, Gandalf felt into a volcano and ‘’died’’, and Aragorn Legolas and Gimli decided  to save their friends’ life.

THE TWO TOWERS

On this book, each character follows a different direction. Frodo and Sam are lost on the Emyn Muil hills, where they meet Gollum: the disturbing creature corrupted and destroyed by the ring. Gollum promishes to take them to Mordor, but Sam doesn’t trust him.

In other place, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are on the Rohan kingdom. This kingdom is now horribly bad, because it’s now governed by King Théoden (possessed by a spy of Sauron). Aragorn nearly falls in love with Éowyn, the king’s nephew, but he doesn’t forget his love to Arwen.

Gandalf has reborn as a new and powerfull wizard. Now he is GANDALF THE WHITE. Now, he has to try to make an alliance between Rohan and Gondor.

Pippin and Merry scaped from the Uruk-hai orcs and arrive to the Fangorn forest, where they met trees that were able to walk and talk. The trees told them that the forest was destroyen by Saruman.

Together, they have to retain the powerfull forces going out fron the two towers: Orthanc (where the evil wizard Saruman is forming a huge army of 10000 orcs)  and Barad-dur (Sauron’s fortress).

THE RETURN OF THE KING

The community’s journey is nearly ending. Sauron’s forces have attacked Tirith’s mines, killing everybody and rampaging with everything. The kingdom needs now a new king, and Aragorn is the right person to assume that, but… Does he have enough force to face that? Does Frodo have enough force to reach the Mount, and Sam to go with him? Does Legolas and Gimli have enough force to face a huge battle? Does Pippin and Merry have enough force to find a new army?

This book finishes with a huge battle in which only one of both sides can win.

There's film adaptation, directed by Peter Jackson. In my opinion is very good. Here are the links to the trailers:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIgkpEgCV-I

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG-1Gtus7KQ

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygFhh3AwA7M

Lucía Celdrán Noguera