75% !!!

My goodness this is a long book!!
75% in and they are mid-Mines of Moria. There is still so much stuff that still needs to happen. Looking back (so far) I have enjoyed all of the description and back story but while I am reading I just want to get to the end. I was hoping that I could finish the entire series before my summer class begins next week but apparently that is not a possibility; I'll be lucky to finish just this book. I still have about 95 pages to go, and if I finish that it will be perfect timing for a 6-week hiatus from real reading in the name of getting my homework done. Blah. I am SO not excited for that.

It took me a while to get through the second chapter of book 2. There is back story out the wazoo. While I definitely see the necessity of it, the amount seems a bit excessive. Also, I am wondering if their various travel mishaps are going to be important later on. I can understand if every misstep shows the significance of something, but there are a few too many that just kind of hint at the fact that the journey is hard. Believe me, I can sympathize. Hiking and camping without any food or shoes are definitely not for me. We'll see if they get any luck in the mines (probably not though, I seem to remember a tomb and a fight scene).

Conclusion: These books are long, detailed, and epic. They are fantastic but you really have to commit to reading them because if you miss so much as a sentence you are hopelessly lost.

The Fellowship of the Ring (50%)

I finally made it to the halfway point in this book. It has been slow going, not because I don't like the book, but because I often get bored reading. Also, I was out of town for a few days without the book, but now that I am in bed with the plague I can make a little more progress.

Frodo and company finally made it to Rivendell. It only took 12 chapters. In the movie it happened so quickly and the majority of the movie was about the fellowship, but so far that has not even happened yet. It's amazing how much the film cuts out, although I can't say there was any scene I wish they had added from the beginning.

In this section, the 4 hobbits running away from the black riders reminded me of Jews trying to escape the Nazis. I'm not sure if that is what Tolkien had in mind, but keeping with the WWII motif it makes sense. Strider then is one who is helping them out but who is not immediately in danger himself, and using his connections to ensure their safety. He leads them to Rivendell, a safe haven.

Not a lot has happened, so I guess I'll end there. I'm sure it will get more exciting in Book II