Summer Book Club Week 11 - The Final Stretch

It's been a little while since I posted an update, but I'm back on Week 11 with some thoughts on The Return of the King. Something went wrong with my last post, so hopefully everything shows up here this time!

As a side note, we've only got one week left in our book club! I've really enjoyed getting to dive into this classic for the first time, and I've enjoyed getting to hear your thoughts on the books as well. Many times, you pick things up that I just glossed over! With the pandemic going on, things have obviously been a little different, but I'm thankful that technology affords us the opportunity to read together from afar.

Now, to Return of the King. I'm just now starting the final part of the book, so I'm mainly going to be talking about Book V. And can. we. talk. about. it.

Personally, the section on the Siege of Gondor was one of the highlights of the series so far. Helm's Deep, in my opinion, was kind of disappointing. It was short, light on details, and overall threw no curveballs in the story at all. I don't need to hear about every orc head that is "hewn off" as Tolkien might say, but for me, a battle should be fully fleshed out and exciting. The Battle of the Pelennor satiated that desire.

It's got all the ingredients of a good battle: chaos, bickering amongst the ranks, high stakes, and (my personal favorite) the nick-of-time arrival of the Rohirrim.  "Horns, horns, horns. In dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the North wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last." Wow. Even having seen the movie, that was just a stunning paragraph. It's surprising. It's visceral. It makes you want to turn the page. To me, this section is truly one of Tolkien's great achievements in this book.

At the same time, we've got some great standout character moments. Let's be honest: Merry and Eowyn's showdown with the Witch-king of Angmar is everything you could want and more. It's a tried-and-true and yet instantly relatable formula: the two most unlikely heroes defeat the most fearsome enemy. It's a theme that runs quite clearly through all of this series, but here on more of a smaller scale. Yet, that small focus on Eowyn, who overall is really more of a side character, feels inspiring. It's not just the "chosen ones" that can beat back the dark tide, it's the ordinary folk, as a wise wizard once put it.

I could go on about the tension Tolkien ratchets up with Denethor's descent into madness, or the artful way he ties the arcs of so many characters into one harmonious thread, but I'll save that for later. In short, it was masterful, and a welcome, fiery introduction to the finale of the series.

What are your thoughts on the book so far? Let me hear you in the comments here or on social media!