The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
Description:
“Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power – the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring – the ring that rules them all – which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins.
In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.
Now published again in B format, J.R.R. Tolkien’s great work of imaginative fiction has been labelled both a heroic romance and a classic fantasy fiction. By turns comic and homely, epic and diabolic, the narrative moves through countless changes of scene and character in an imaginary world which is totally convincing in its detail.”
My review:
I am giving this book a rating of 3 out of 5.
** Please note: There are many, many different versions of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings novels written by J.R.R. Tolkien. Since my husband gifted me a Lord of the Rings boxset of lovely paperback novels, I’ll include a link to the specific boxset he bought for me, which is available from Amazon.co.uk. **
Just as with The Hobbit, I want to make clear that this is another story that’s very much ‘of its time’. I went into this book with that understanding, though I think it’s still worth mentioning that I’m reading this book as a woman in my 30s during 2026 – as opposed to reading it as a young person in the 1950s without access to the limitless options for entertainment available to us today (and with less time to read, given that I’m an adult with responsibilities).
So, firstly, I’ll take a second to acknowledge the incredible amount of time, effort, and devotion Tolkien had poured into his creation. Crafting an immersive world with such a detailed backstory is a feat in itself – yet, that is perhaps one of the reasons I haven’t enjoyed this book as much as I could have. As an author, I’m bound by the expectations of contemporary readers when crafting my novels, meaning I won’t have the opportunity to indulge the longing to delve into world building to the extent it has been laid out in The Fellowship of the Ring. That being said, fellow authors writing now are also bound by those very same expectations – therefore, this type of epic fantasy, with its complex history shared through pages upon pages of exposition describing the vast world Tolkien has developed, isn’t necessarily what I’m/we’re used to reading nowadays. I’d imagine I’d have enjoyed reading this as a teenager (especially since horses are usually regarded with respect, which can be unusual for novels written in previous centuries!), when I could spend an entire day reading without the distraction of a phone or an endless to-do list…
I struggled to pick this book back up at times due to its confusing array of similar character names and place names (e.g. Saruman/Sauron, Gandalf/Galdor/Glorfindel/Galadriel, Moria/Mordor, Elrond/Elendil/Erestor; plus Aragorn’s different titles, to note but a few) and frequent forays into historical notes that seem unrelated to the main storyline (I am aware this is a trilogy, so certain elements might be relevant in later books – yet I’ll definitely have forgotten the details by then!). In fact, it took me around 3 weeks to finish reading this novel, which is way longer than I normally take to complete a novel of this length.
Now, I have seen the films before – which may well have influenced my opinion of the book – though I do think my experience may have been improved because I’ve seen the films, since I’m sure my understanding of who’s who from the film helped me follow the story as it’s told in the book.
The setting is detailed and easily envisioned (which is largely thanks to Tolkien having the freedom to write lengthy, in-depth descriptions of the characters’ surroundings; not jealous of his ability to do that at all…).
Although they’re not heavily featured, Bill the pony and Shadowfax the horse are my favourite animal characters (obviously). As for the main featured characters, Sam’s loyalty is endearing and, although he’s technically Frodo’s subordinate, finding courage through the friendship he has with Frodo makes him relatable; as does his love for Bill the pony! Gandalf is a well-illustrated character, too – his dialogue seems the least stilted (although The Council of Elrond chapter went on a bit!). Otherwise, given that many of the characters speak in a similar way, it was a little challenging at times to keep track of who was speaking; particularly if I fell asleep while reading a page, then picked up the story in the middle of a scene.
I’d recommend readers consider the era within which these books were written before embarking on The Fellowship of the Ring. But, if you enjoy epic fantasy, complex backstory, and plenty of pages of description, then I highly suggest diving into The Fellowship of the Ring – it’s definitely an adventure, even if it’s written in a style that’s not commonly seen in books today.
Read in: April 2026
Format: Paperback
I’m including the date and format in which I experienced this story for transparency, since whatever is going on in the world (and a reader’s private life) at the time of reading, along with a book’s reading format, can impact an individual’s enjoyment of a story.
Disclaimer: This book was gifted to me by a loved one, meaning they either purchased it in person (e.g. at a bookshop, supermarket, charity shop, etc.) or purchased it online. All opinions expressed in this review are mine and have not been influenced by the author or publisher in any way. This book review does not contain affiliate links.