Books to Read Poster No 38

 

Well, no prizes for looking at the picture and then guessing that this was The Lord of the Rings. I've been ploughing through this on Audible for several months. I had of course read it before, but only in the one volume edited edition, whereas this was the original full monty. So there was extra stuff. 

Some of the extra stuff was interesting but most of it wasn't. I don't think anyone who reads only the 'edited' edition is missing anything very much, unless they really really wat to know piles more about the Barrow Wights and listen to even more tedious songs from Tom Bombadil. Although the extended version of the scouring of the shire after the hobbits return home, something which Peter Jackson excised completely from his film version - perhaps he didn't have the time or space for it (insert knowing hysterical laughter at this point) -, was good and added some weight and extra detail thata the edited version suffered from not including. 

I did however have two huge problems with the book, which I have looked back  on with fond memories until now.  The first was the narrative style, which is pretentious, tedious and probably many other pejorative adjectives ending in -ous. The world building is detailed and through and the story itself, although there are certain structural weaknesses, is excellent. But the way the story is told is now for me a total and utter turn off. 

The second problem is Frodo. I've always found him an arrogant,  self absorbed, self pitying and entitled annoyance and this reading of the book just strengthened my feelings in that regard. Congratulations to the reader though for a magnificent effort, including singing all the songs. I rejected the new Andy Serkis version, since I do not warm to Andy Serkis, in favour of an older one by someone called Brian Inglis. He was very good. 

Sadly though, this was a miss.