The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, Part 3)
The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, Part 3) book cover

The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, Part 3)

Mass Market Paperback – July 12, 1986

by
Price
$8.53
Publisher
Del Rey
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0345339737
Dimensions
4.2 x 1.1 x 6.8 inches
Weight
8 ounces

Description

“There are very few works of genius in recent literature. This is one.” —The Nation From the Inside Flap THE GREATEST FANTASY EPIC OF OUR TIME While the evil might of the Dark Lord Sauron swarmed out to conquer all Middle-earth, Frodo and Sam struggled deep into Mordor, seat of Sauron's power. To defeat the Dark Lord, the accursed Ring of Power had to be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. But the way was impossibly hard, and Frodo was weakening. Weighed down by the compulsion of the Ring he began finally to despair. The awesome conclusion of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings, beloved by millions of readers around the world. THE GREATEST FANTASY EPIG OF OUR TIME While the evil might of the Dark Lord Sauron swarmed out to conquer all Middle-earth, Frodo and Sam struggled deep into Mordor, seat of Sauron's power. To defeat the Dark Lord, the accursed Ring of Power had to be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. But the way was impossibly hard, and Frodo was weakening. Weighed down by the compulsion of the Ring, he began finally to despair. THE AWESOME CONCLUSION OF J.R.R. TOLKIEN'S THE LORD OF THE RINGS, BELOVED BY MILLIONS OF READERS AROUND THE WORLD. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892, in Bloemfontein, South Africa. After serving in World War I, he embarked upon a distinguished academic career and was recognized as one of the finest philologists in the world. He was a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, a fellow of Pembroke College, and a fellow of Merton College until his retirement in 1959. He is, however, beloved throughout the world as the creator of Middle-earth and author of such classic works as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings . He died on September 2, 1973, at the age of eighty-one. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. MINAS TIRITH Pippin looked out from the shelter of Gandalf’s cloak. He wondered if he was awake or still sleeping, still in the swift-moving dream in which he had been wrapped so long since the great ride began. The dark world was rushing by and the wind sang loudly in his ears. He could see nothing but the wheeling stars, and away to his right vast shadows against the sky where the mountains of the South marched past. Sleepily he tried to reckon the times and stages of their journey, but his memory was drowsy and uncertain. There had been the first ride at terrible speed without a halt, and then in the dawn he had seen a pale gleam of gold, and they had come to the silent town and the great empty house on the hill. And hardly had they reached its shelter when the winged shadow had passed over once again, and men wilted with fear. But Gandalf had spoken soft words to him, and he had slept in a corner, tired but uneasy, dimly aware of comings and goings and of men talking and Gandalf giving orders. And then again riding, riding in the night. This was the second, no, the third night since he had looked in the Stone. And with that hideous memory he woke fully, and shivered, and the noise of the wind became filled with menacing voices. A light kindled in the sky, a blaze of yellow fire behind dark barriers. Pippin cowered back, afraid for a moment, wondering into what dreadful country Gandalf was bearing him. He rubbed his eyes, and then he saw that it was the moon rising above the eastern shadows, now almost at the full. So the night was not yet old and for hours the dark journey would go on. He stirred and spoke. ‘Where are we, Gandalf?’ he asked. ‘In the realm of Gondor,’ the wizard answered. ‘The land of Anórien is still passing by.’ There was a silence again for a while. Then, ‘What is that?’ cried Pippin suddenly, clutching at Gandalf’s cloak. ‘Look! Fire, red fire! Are there dragons in this land? Look, there is another!’ For answer Gandalf cried aloud to his horse. ‘On, Shadowfax! We must hasten. Time is short. See! The beacons of Gondor are alight, calling for aid. War is kindled. See, there is the fire on Amon Dîn, and flame on Eilenach; and there they go speeding west: Nardol, Erelas, Min-Rimmon, Calenhad, and the Halifirien on the borders of Rohan.’ But Shadowfax paused in his stride, slowing to a walk, and then he lifted up his head and neighed. And out of the darkness the answering neigh of other horses came; and presently the thudding of hoofs was heard, and three riders swept up and passed like flying ghosts in the moon and vanished into the West. Then Shadowfax gathered himself together and sprang away, and the night flowed over him like a roaring wind. Pippin became drowsy again and paid little attention to Gandalf telling him of the customs of Gondor, and how the Lord of the City had beacons built on the tops of outlying hills along both borders of the great range, and maintained posts at these points where fresh horses were always in readiness to bear his errand-riders to Rohan in the North, or to Belfalas in the South. ‘It is long since the beacons of the North were lit,’ he said; ‘and in the ancient days of Gondor they were not needed, for they had the Seven Stones.’ Pippin stirred uneasily. ‘Sleep again, and do not be afraid!’ said Gandalf. ‘For you are not going like Frodo to Mordor, but to Minas Tirith, and there you will be as safe as you can be anywhere in these days. If Gondor falls, or the Ring is taken, then the Shire will be no refuge.’ ‘You do not comfort me,’ said Pippin, but nonetheless sleep crept over him. The last thing that he remembered before he fell into deep dream was a glimpse of high white peaks, glimmering like floating isles above the clouds as they caught the light of the westering moon. He wondered where Frodo was, and if he was already in Mordor, or if he was dead; and he did not know that Frodo from far away looked on that same moon as it set beyond Gondor ere the coming of the day. Pippin woke to the sound of voices. Another day of hiding and a night of journey had fleeted by. It was twilight: the cold dawn was at hand again, and chill grey mists were about them. Shadowfax stood steaming with sweat, but he held his neck proudly and showed no sign of weariness. Many tall men heavily cloaked stood beside him, and behind them in the mist loomed a wall of stone. Partly ruinous it seemed, but already before the night was passed the sound of hurried labour could be heard: beat of hammers, clink of trowels, and the creak of wheels. Torches and flares glowed dully here and there in the fog. Gandalf was speaking to the men that barred his way, and as he listened Pippin became aware that he himself was being discussed. ‘Yea truly, we know you, Mithrandir,’ said the leader of the men, ‘and you know the passwords of the Seven Gates and are free to go forward. But we do not know your companion. What is he? A dwarf out of the mountains in the North? We wish for no strangers in the land at this time, unless they be mighty men of arms in whose faith and help we can trust.’ ‘I will vouch for him before the seat of Denethor,’ said Gandalf. ‘And as for valour, that cannot be computed by stature. He has passed through more battles and perils than you have, Ingold, though you be twice his height; and he comes now from the storming of Isengard, of which we bear tidings, and great weariness is on him, or I would wake him. His name is Peregrin, a very valiant man.’ ‘Man?’ said Ingold dubiously, and the others laughed. ‘Man!’ cried Pippin, now thoroughly roused. ‘Man! Indeed not! I am a hobbit and no more valiant than I am a man, save perhaps now and again by necessity. Do not let Gandalf deceive you!’ ‘Many a doer of great deeds might say no more,’ said Ingold. ‘But what is a hobbit?’ ‘A Halfling,’ answered Gandalf. ‘Nay, not the one that was spoken of,’ he added seeing the wonder in the men’s faces. ‘Not he, yet one of his kindred.’ ‘Yes, and one who journeyed with him,’ said Pippin. ‘And Boromir of your City was with us, and he saved me in the snows of the North, and at the last he was slain defending me from many foes.’ ‘Peace!’ said Gandalf. ‘The news of that grief should have been told first to the father.’ ‘It has been guessed already,’ said Ingold; ‘for there have been strange portents here of late. But pass on now quickly! For the Lord of Minas Tirith will be eager to see any that bear the latest tidings of his son, be he man or—’ ‘Hobbit,’ said Pippin. ‘Little service can I offer to your lord, but what I can do, I would do, remembering Boromir the brave.’ ‘Fare you well!’ said Ingold; and the men made way for Shadowfax, and he passed through a narrow gate in the wall. ‘May you bring good counsel to Denethor in his need, and to us all, Mithrandir!’ Ingold cried. ‘But you come with tidings of grief and danger, as is your wont, they say.’ ‘Because I come seldom but when my help is needed,’ answered Gandalf. ‘And as for counsel, to you I would say that you are over-late in repairing the wall of the Pelennor. Courage will now be your best defence against the storm that is at hand—that and such hope as I bring. For not all the tidings that I bring are evil. But leave your trowels and sharpen your swords!’ ‘The work will be finished ere evening,’ said Ingold. ‘This is the last portion of the wall to be put in defence: the least open to attack, for it looks towards our friends of Rohan. Do you know aught of them? Will they answer the summons, think you?’ ‘Yes, they will come. But they have fought many battles at your back. This road and no road looks towards safety any longer. Be vigilant! But for Gandalf Stormcrow you would have seen a host of foes coming out of Anórien and no Riders of Rohan. And you may yet. Fare you well, and sleep not!’ Read more

Features & Highlights

  • The awesome conclusion to The Lord of the Rings—the greatest fantasy epic of all time—which began in
  • The Fellowship of the Ring
  • and
  • The Two Towers
  • .
  • Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s
  • The Great American Read
  • While the evil might of the Dark Lord Sauron swarms out to conquer all Middle-earth, Frodo and Sam struggle deep into Mordor, seat of Sauron’s power. To defeat the Dark Lord, the One Ring, ruler of the accursed Rings of Power, must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. But the way is impossibly hard, and Frodo is weakening. Weighed down by the compulsion of the Ring, he begins finally to despair.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

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Most Helpful Reviews

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The Best Of The Lot

One Ring to find them
One Ring to bring them all
And in the darkness bind them
Each generation of storytellers creates a new myth that grabs hold of the imagination of future generations for decades to come. In 1937, J.R.R Tolkien started such a myth with the publication of "The Hobbit". Despite the flaws of their creator and the displays of racial, class, and gender prejudices that is obvious to a modern audience, the books of the trilogy brilliantly recount the tale of Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves and Men and their battle with evil. It is in the portrayal of his heroes struggle against the baser forces that the author transcends his own shortcomings to pen what has become one of the best sagas of courage, nobility of spirit, and raw adventure.
Although often referred to as a trilogy Tolkien first wrote "The Lord of the Rings" as a single novel consisting of six books plus appendices. Tolkien's publisher divided this massive book into three novels. The first novel, "The Fellowship of the Ring", was first published 1954. This book continues the story begun in "The Hobbit" when Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit, found a shiny ring lost by a creature called Gollum.
"The Fellowship of the Ring" reintroduces the audience to Middle Earth and her occupants. Each of the nine characters that compose the fellowship of the ring represents a different race that lives in Middle Earth. There is Gandalf the gray, a mighty wizard; Legolas the noble elf; the men Aragon a ranger and future king of men and Boromir eldest son of the Stewart of Gondor; Gimli, a dwarf lord; and finally the Hobbits Frodo, the ring bearer; his gardener and friend Sam and his two younger cousins Meriadoc or Merry and Peregrin or Pip.
This first book also tells the story of the creation of the Rings of Power by the Elven-smiths and how Sauron the Dark lord of Mordor forged the One Ring filling it with his own power so that he could bind all the other ring wearers to his will. Although defeated centuries ago and his ring lost, Sauron now awakes and seeks it. Bilbo's ring is soon discovered by Gandalf to be the One Ring. Soon it is decided that Frodo and his companions must enter Mordor and cast the ring into the very fires from which it was forged. This is the only way to destroy it.
The fellowship ends with the fall of Gandalf to the fiery creature the Balrog, the death of Boromir at the hands of the evil Orcs who kidnap Merry and Pip and the decision of Frodo to continue on with only Sam to Mordor. Aragon, Legolas, and Gimli set of to rescue Merry and Pip from the Orcs.
Book two, "The Two Towers," chronicles the separate adventures of Aragon traveling with Legolas and Gimli, Pip and Merry fleeing from the Orcs meeting up with the Ents and reuniting with Gandalf and of Frodo and Sam moving toward Mordor. This book also introduces us to new characters: Faramir, younger brother of Boromir; the Ents, the treelike guardians of the woods; King Theoden of the Rohan, his nephew Eomer and his niece Eowyn. We are also reintroduced to the evil wizard Saruman and his city of Isengard and to the creature Gollum.
Book three, "The Return of the King," is the final novel in the trilogy and by far the best. This is an example of the author surpassing his own limitations as the characters thrive and grow. This novel opens as the shadow of Mordor grows. The companions of the Ring continue to follow separate paths all leading toward the same goal, the overthrow of Sauron. Aragon is now revealed as the heir of the ancient kings of the West. Along with Legolas, Gimli, and Merry, he has joined forces with king Theoden and the riders of Rohan to go to the aid of the mighty city of Gondor. If Gondor falls so will the rest of Middle Earth.
Pip is now in the service of Denethor the steward of Gondor and father of Boromir and Faramir. He serves this harsh lord while awaiting the coming conflict. Gandalf gathers news and makes his own preparations for battle. Frodo and Sam after escaping the clutches of the giant spider Shelob continue their journey toward the Cracks of Doom and the destruction of the One Ring. All the while, Sauron's forces gather for the great battle for Middle Earth.
When I first read these books as a child, they captured my imagination and have not completely let it go yet. Rereading them in my late teens and early twenties I became disappointed by the author's prejudices that marred some of the passages for me. However, as I grew older and reread them again I realized that those things that offended my sensibilities were mere reflections of the age and climate in which the author was raised. They were not essential parts of this tale of the continuing battle between good and evil.
Tolkien set out to tell a story about the struggle between the world of nature represented by the Elves and the Hobbits and the age of the machine represented by Sauron and especially Saruman who destroyed entire forests to build his city and war machines. However, these stories transcend mere allegories about the struggle between man and machine or good and evil and become cosmic in their application when speaking of basic concepts such as good, evil, courage, friendship, loyalty and hope.
I had first set out only to review the third book "The Return of the King", because the movie will be out in December. However, I realized that for those of you who have not read the other books that it was essential to give back-story and this resulted in a review of all the books. I hope you find this review helpful and derive as much pleasure from reading these books as I did. The only thing I found confusing in the entire trilogy was the fact that the name of the evil overlord Sauron was so similar to that of Saruman the evil wizard. Fantasy and adventure lovers who have not yet read the books should do so.
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I felt like I should have liked it more

I somehow made it long past adolescence without reading THE LORD OF THE RINGS books. I read THE RETURN OF THE KING and the others (in order, of course) because I wanted to before the movies came out. Somehow I didn't get into these books as much as I felt I should. I found the battle scenes no less boring than the over-extended descriptions of journey. The smaller-scale conflict, especially the part of the story revolving around Frodo and Sam were more interesting, but requiring a greater suspension of disbelief. The climatic moment in the final book (more than 100 pages before the actual end of the book) was anti-climatic in the extreme, and while a friend of mine who is a devotee of these books found Sauron's lack of appearance to be "brilliant," I was disappointed. The evil faced by our heroes had a name, but no face, I guess (the move got around this by explaining that he is non-corporeal).
Still, the last 100 pages, essentially a post-script, brought the whole series together for me. The allegory was strongest, or at least most obvious, here. The hobbits are a race of Cincinatuses, only wanting to mind their own business. They are totally innocent and un-ambitious. That's why they were the only ones who could be trusted with the evil ring. At the same time, they were all too quick to accept authoritarian rule without question or resistance. Frodo lost his innocence to save the world, but a little loss of innocence was needed to save the hobbits from their own apathy. The message of the last part of the book is that evil must be engaged; those who hope to ignore evil will be suppressed like everyone else, and ultimately give in to its ways.
As for the battles and daring escapes, they didn't do it for me. Battle participants are often built up as Davids and Goliaths, with Goliath always losing because of David's will, luck, outside help, or reasons unexplained. Seldom do our heroes' wits or cleverness get them out of trouble, more often they are saved by eagles dropping out of the sky. Still I will miss these characters and enjoyed the movies. I'm actually thinking of re-reading THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING. Maybe someday I'll re-read this one, too.
9 people found this helpful
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The Return of the King

The Return of the King gives a spectacular ending to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The final book begins as the city of Minas Tirith, capital city of Gondor prepares for war against the Dark Lord Sauron. The realm of Rohan musters all its remaining strength in the hope of saving Minas Tirith. Aragorn son of Arathorn, heir to the throne of Gondor, also gathers an army to try to save the city of Minas Tirith. Meanwhile, Frodo's royal servant, Sam, rescues him from the Tower of Cirith Ungol where a company of orcs holds him captive. Once Frodo has been rescued he and Sam set out to destroy Sauron's evil ring of power at Mount Doom in the heart of Mordor. Will Frodo and Sam make it all the way to Mount Doom through the orc infested barren wastelands of Mordor? Will Minas Tirith fall to Sauron or will they triumph to face him in the final battle?
I recommend the Return of the King to anyone who enjoys fantasy, action or drama. Though before you read Return of the King, you should read the first two books in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.
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Perfect finale

I guess most of the people reading a review for this book must be LOTR fans; otherwise, why would they have bothered reading the first two? Keeping that in mind, I would say that "Return of the King" might be my favorite of the three. We are introduced to the land of Gondor, the last stronghold against the dark lord Sauron. There is naturally a great battle sequence in this book as the free peoples of the West defend the city of Minas Tirith from the winged Nazgul and Sauron's minions. We are introduced to some new characters, such as Denethor, the aging steward of Gondor, and the King of the Nazgul, who challenges Gandalf to a final dual. I don't want to give too much of the plot away, but I do think it's interesting that the fate of the ring is decided with nearly one hundred pages left in the story. The remaining chapters are devoted to following up on the various characters, and Tolkien does this nicely. He does not leave any loose ends; Aragorn, Gandalf, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Legolas, Gimli, Eomer, Faramir, Eowyn, Arwen, Galadriel, Elrond, Bilbo, all of these characters are firmly situated at the end of the story. I also like how Tolkien follows the four hobbits back to the Shire, where they find out that things are not the same. He could have taken them on an amazing adventure and left it at that, but instead he lets them learn from their adventures to the benefit of the Shire. Although the outcome of the story is good, we are left feeling somewhat despondent, since the elves are departing and the "third age" is coming to an end. All in all, this trilogy is simply one of a kind; I don't think I'll ever again enjoy sci-fi or fantasy that doesn't bear the Tolkien label.
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"Drive away bad air and darkness with bright iron!"

Someone who has read and been enthralled by the first two volumes of "The Lord of the Rings" might fear that J.R.R. Tolkien could not possibly have written an ending for his great fantasy epic that measures up to what has preceded it. Such a fear would be groundless. "The Return of the King" is a nearly perfect, fully satisfying conclusion to one of the best-loved stories of the twentieth century.
Tolkien has been accused by some of not being good at character development, and yet by the time the reader reaches the opening chapters of "The Return of the King" he or she loves all the main characters of Tolkien's story and knows them as well as old friends. In my opinion, the explanation of this paradox is that Tolkien, in his presentation of his characters, is the antithesis of a writer like Charles Dickens (whose works I also love). The hobbits, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, and the rest of Tolkien's cast of characters do not burst with exaggerated personality the instant we meet them, as do Pecksniff, Scrooge and Micawber. Their personalities are revealed to us slowly and steadily as they experience their adventures, so that we come to know them gradually, as we would come to know real people. A reader glancing at almost any individual page in "The Lord of the Rings" might think Tolkien's characters are not very distinctive or strongly characterized, yet the cumulative effect of the whole long story is to fix an indelible impression of each character in our minds. This process is completed in "The Return of the King," in which the characters -- especially the hobbits -- reveal new levels of heroism and wisdom previously unguessed-at.
All the themes that Tolkien has raised in the first two installments of "The Lord of the Rings" -- the horror of war balanced against the necessity of just war, the dilemma of capital punishment, the senselessness of environmental destruction, the reality of both evil and good, cruelty and heroism -- are resolved and clarified in "The Return of the King" in a profound, often heartbreaking, and entirely satisfying way. The marvelous, complicated plot of this epic story is resolved in a powerful, surprising and yet logical climax. This climax is followed by several concluding chapters containing some more surprises -- both pleasant and unpleasant -- and some of the most beautiful writing you'll ever read. Indeed, the final chapter of all, which brings the story to an unforgettably bittersweet conclusion, is so perfectly written that one would not wish to change a single sentence or word.
"The Lord of the Rings" is undoubtedly one of the best novels in any genre ever written by anyone, and Peter Jackson's adaptation of it into a movie trilogy is to be commended for attracting many new readers to Tolkien's book.
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Into the west...

The road may go ever onward but, for us at least, the journey is done. It is difficult not to be emotional arriving at the end of Return of the King after making it through the entire trilogy. The thing about this particular book, for me, is it seems much such shorter than the other two. At least half the number of pages are devoted to the Appendices. The Two Towers had brought us so far that all that remains in Return of the King is climax after climax. Here, Frodo and Samwise's journey through Mordor is much more arduous than in the movie. It is in the third installment I think that we get the despair that Tolkien felt coming home from the Great War. He, like Frodo, must have found it impossible to pick up the threads of his old life.
Like the movie, there is a very long denouement after the climax of the story. You may think it is over, but we have to find out what happens to all the characters. Peter Jackson left a lot out of the film - especially what happens to Saruman and the Shire.
Now that it is over, I realize who my favorite characters are by who I will miss. Oddly, I don't miss any of the Men. Aragorn, for all we are told we are supposed to love him, falls rather flat on the page. Yeah, he is heroic, but I can't relate to him. I will miss Gandalf - he was fun. Legolas and Gimli are too thinly drawn to have any true love for them. Ultimately, Lord of the Rings is the hobbits story. They have personality. I feel for Frodo and the task that has been thrust upon him. I feel I know him and Samwise. That is the true statement the books have to make about heroism - you don't have to be a super-human like Aragorn. As Gandalf says, "you just have to do the most with the time that is given."
It's sad to watch your friends sail off into the sunset, but ultimately, that is the only way the book can end.
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All good things must come to an end

The conclusion of the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy is an excellent read, and is only the least of the series when compared with the quality of the first two books. By itself, 'The Return of the King' is a tale for the ages. It ties up nearly every loose end. Readers might wonder why the book does not end where it seems like it should. Not to worry, for it continues because there is still one more adventure... one more challenge waiting for the Hobbits when they return home after completing the Quest. Our heroes are forever changed from the individuals they were back when we first met them in 'Fellowship of the Ring,' as are their surroundings. Such is the nature of the Hero's Quest. As with any good fantasy adventure (though 'Lord of the Rings' can be interpreted as a mythology of sorts), all characters within the story earn what they receive, and those that do evil get what they deserve.
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The costs of war

In this final installment of "The Lord of the Rings," the quest to destroy the One Ring is concluded and the power of the Dark Lord finally defeated. Tolkien's attention to detail shines here, both in his descriptions of the battle scenes, and in the attention to the struggles of Sam and Frodo. In the end, you almost feel as if you've lived through the war yourself.

Tolkien has a message here. While he clearly considers war to be an evil, it is equally clear that he feels that it is sometimes necessary for good people to sacrifice everything to fight the forces of evil. Tolkien wrote these books in the aftermath of two World Wars, and that influence is almost palplable in this book. Above all, this is a story of courage and sacrifice, about standing up and fighting for what is good against those that would destroy it.
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Average

There is no question you will read this book. Like any trilogy, after you read the first 2, you feel obligated to complete the series and read the final one. No matter what I say in this review, nothing will deter you from reading the third of the trio. This review is written for posterity's sake, and in keeping with my practice of reviewing books after I read them.
The book is mediocre-good, much like the first one. It's better than the second book and probably not quite as good as the first one. Towards the end of book 5 (the 3rd of the series actually contains Book 5 and Book 6) it seems to me that Tolkein is so far off the deep end that he loses all ability to communicate words in a digestible manner. The writing borders on horrendous, and the reader cannot differentiate one speaker from the next. Everyone speaks in the same voice, with the same grand tones, saying the same trite things.
Book 6 is better. It wraps up the series and allows the reader to put the book down satisfied with the series. Without book 6, I don't think that would have been possible. One problem is this. There's no suspense for too many pages. Relatively early in the narrative we see the "return of the king" and the tidy conclusion subsequent to that. After this, there's no suspense, no reason to keep reading. If it weren't for the hijinx in the Shire at the end, this book would have been pretty bland, all in all.
I have thought before, and this book again shows me, that Tolkein had a great imagination but was a weak writer. Pages upon pages are devoted to the most mundane of things, while action scenes are over in mere paragraphs. It seems the author wanted to gloss over most of the action, preferring to work with the majesty and pageantry he had created in his mind. If Tolkein could have forgone the written word and found a way to allow people a brief glimpse into his head, Peter Jackson's films would seem mundane in comparison.
But the reality is we're dealing with the printed word, and this is not the strongest medium for Tolkein to have chosen. In his time, it was all he had. Now Jackson has taken that and worked wonders with it. I think the movies are a better reflection of what Tolkein would have liked to portray. The books, other than the Hobbit, could have been done better.
Still, as I said, you will read it. It's a good enough ending to a classic series. Assuredly, the time it takes to read this book is worth it, even if it does drag a bit. It's a fantasy classic, and you should immerse yourself in it for the sake of the experience.
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Return of the King and End of the Ring

'The Return of the King' marks the conclusion of the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy. Actually, the story really begins in J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit,' but that book is not necessarily needed in order to understand 'The Lord of the Rings.' The story began in 'The Fellowship of the Ring,' in which the wizard Gandalf learns of the return of Sauron, a being of great evil, and discovers that Bilbo Baggins possesses the one thing that will make Sauron's return complete: the 'one' ring.
The 'one' ring was discovered by Bilbo in 'The Hobbit.' He relieved its original owner, Gollum (a cave dwelling creature with multiple personalities), while on an adventure with Gandalf and a platoon of dwarves out to destroy a dragon, recover the dwarven king's treasure, and the dwarves' home. The ring will make it's wearer invisible, and in the right hands, will give it's bearer incredible power. However, the ring is evil and seeks to bend the will of those who wear it to conquest.
In 'The Fellowship of the Ring,' Gandalf decided that Bilbo was no longer fit to wear the ring and sent him off to see the elves. Frodo, Bilbo's nephew, was Gandalf's hand picked successor to carry the ring, and was sent off with a few friends on an adventure to ultimately destroy the ring in the one place it can actually be destroyed: the home of Sauron and actual forging place of the ring known as Mount Doom.
Bilbo, accompanied by Samwise, Merry, and Pippin (three other hobbits), and eventually Gimli (a grumbling axe carrying dwarf), Legolas (the bow weilding elf), the Ranger Strider (also known as Aragon), and other along the way set off to carry the ring to Mount Doom. Along the way, they encounter Ring Wraiths and other perils.
The story continued in 'The Two Towers,' in which the Fellowship was split. Aragon, Legolas, and Gimli set off to help fight the coming war while Merry and Pippin are carried off to other battlefields. Fearing for his friend's safety, Frodo set off on his own with the ring, and was followed by Sam and the creature Gollum.
The story finally concludes in 'The Return of the King.' The Orcish armies of Sauron have massed to attack Gondor. Strider must rally the armies of Middle Earth to fight against Sauron's dark forces. He must also make a decision as to whether he should reveal his true identity as the true King of Gondor. In the meantime, Frodo and Sam seek to complete the final stage of their journey to Mount Doom to destroy the Ring.
Anyone who has read a great deal of fantasy literature will see Tolkien's influence. The power of the ring is mimiced in other fantasy novels, such as R.A. Salvatore's 'The Crystal Shard,' the races of elves, dwarves, and orcs are oft repeated my dozens upon dozens of fantasy authors, and the other magical items and treasures are now commonplace in fantasy literature. His description of the ring wraiths is the model by which all other undead creatures are compared against. Tolkien's work was obviously influenced by ancient mythology from the Norse to the Romans and perhaps by such novels as Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' with his portrayal of the undead.
Tolkien accomplished his goal of writing a long sustained narrative. Depending on which version of the trilogy the reader gets, he is likely facing 1,000 pages of fine print text. At times, the reader will likely think Tolkien was either being paid by the word, or that he just wanted to write as long a story as possible. While the rich detail Tolkien provides is artful, it can be a bit tedious.
For instance, the opening chapters of 'The Return of the King' detail the march of the armies to Gondor in minute detail. This goes on for dozens of pages. Bye the end of it, the reader feels like they have marched to Gondor across mountains and miles of fields. Perhaps that was Tolkien's goal, but it does make the book discouraging to read at times. A similar effect happens as Tolkien details Frodo and Sam's weariness as the approach Mount Doom. Also, nobody in the trilogy appears to be able to say 'goodbye' in under the space of three to five pages.
The novel does have a satisfactory conclusion to the trilogy that is entirely appropriate. The final chapters only relate to the larger story in a remote fashion, but they are a fun read. Sam, in my opinion the true hero of the final volume of the trilogy, steals the spotlight from Frodo, the protagonist of much of the trilogy. His actions, will, and resolve allow Frodo to see his quest to an end (whether that be good or bad, you'll have to read the novel to find out). Yet, Sam is one of the least celebrated characters in the trilogy compared to Frodo, Aragon, Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf.
I enjoyed reading the trilogy. Anyone who has seen Peter Jackson's recent movie treatments of the trilogy will probably enjoy these books as well. If you haven't seen the movies yet, I recommend reading each novel first before viewing the movie. This was the plan I used, and it made the movies immensely enjoyable. It is a rare incident when the movie turns out to be better than the book, but Jackson's movies so far have been better than Tolkien's novel, at least in my opinion. General fans of fantasy literature will enjoy this trilogy, if for nothing more than they will recognize Tolkien's influence in the works they are already familiar with.
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