Hello everyone!
If you didn't, then you should have.
It makes the most logical sense to cover the movie trilogy and then ensure that the book will be standing right alongside it, just because.
And also for all the differences that came from adapting the text onto our screens!
Peter Jackson did a wonderful job, but we have to remember that it was Tolkien who first started all of this and wrote an epic saga that we continue to be drawn to years after its initial publication.
For me, personally, I read these books once a year, without fail, and have done so for over a decade now, but I STILL discover new things each time I read.
I also cry every time I read, that too.
So without further ado, let's hop right into The Fellowship of the Ring.
Our story begins with a prologue concerning Hobbits, and the events that led to the point where Bilbo Baggins celebrates his 111th birthday; this includes how the Hobbits first settled in the Shire, their smoking of pipe-weed, and how the One Ring was found, which is covered more extensively in The Hobbit book (and which I've also reviewed on here, so the link can be found below).
Then we take off, and Bilbo's celebrating, and everyone's gathering, and we get to witness the quiet, idyllic life in the Shire before everything goes to hell in a hand basket.
Once Bilbo's safely off on his journey to Rivendell, Gandalf tells Frodo to 'keep it secret', then takes off himself. Then comes a period during which many years pass, Frodo grows comfortable as his own master, Gandalf comes and goes ... and then he returns with devastating information one time.
The ring that Frodo has? It's the One Ring, and he needs to flee the Shire. As opposed to the movies, however, Frodo dawdles, and in the end Gandalf decides that they'll run off into the blue together that autumn, but when autumn DOES arrive - and every Hobbit is stunned that Frodo's selling Bag End - there's no sign of the wizard.
Still, Frodo goes, and uncovers a conspiracy: see, Merry, Pippin, Sam, and another friend of theirs, Fredegar Bolger, had been watching him closely, because they know about the Ring and what he needs to do. Also, they're terrified, but they plan on going with him in any case.
And, since Gandalf still doesn't come, they decide to disappear for a while out of sight, because they've been hunted by creepy riders in all black, and Merry proposes the Old Forest.
This is an ancient remnant of forests that used to cover plenty of Middle-Earth, and this segment is completely omitted from the movie, with good cause: it takes a bit, since our four travelers get lost inside it, rescued only by the arrival of Tom Bombandil, who dusts them off, feeds them, and sets them on the right path again (after rescuing them AGAIN from a Barrow Wight).
They finally reach Bree, but Gandalf's still nowhere to be found, but at least they run into a man called Strider there who offers to help them; what's more, after a disastrous performance in the common room during which the Ring slips onto Frodo's finger and makes him invisible, the innkeeper reveals he has a letter from Gandalf he forgot to send on to the Shire.
It explains Frodo should have been LONG gone, but hey, better late than never, right?
The inn gets raided by the Black Riders in the night, and Aragorn - yep, that's Strider alright - takes off into the wilds towards Amon Sul. Here the first real check pops up for our heroes, when the Riders attack them during the night and stab Frodo. Again, unlike in the movies, the journey with him injured takes much longer, and he's slowly starting to fade by the time they're found by Glorfindel.
An important figure in Tolkien's legendarium, Glorfindel plays a relatively small role in Fellowship, as all he does is aid our travelers, puts Frodo on his horse Asfaloth, and eventually drives the Riders into the risen river Bruinen once they try to take Frodo after he reaches it.
Afterwards, our Hobbit is healed by Lord Elrond, and a great feast is held in his honour, where he reconnects with Bilbo and learns that, welp, there's plenty more of this danger they're facing.
The Council of Elrond convenes and spends the better part of a day arguing and discussing what's to be done, in a much more in-depth debate than what we get to see in the movie. The Elves play a bigger role, and past events and the history of the Ring are all revealed to the reader so that you can know for yourself just how dangerous the situation is.
The end result, however, is still the same, in that Frodo volunteers to take the Ring to Mordor to try and destroy it - albeit much more reluctantly than in the movies. After that, he convalesces in the Hidden Valley for a few months while winter draws near, and scouts scour the land for any sign of their enemy.
The Fellowship is finally formed in full with its nine companions, and they set off towards the Redhorn Pass to try and cross into the lands beyond. The mountain sets itself against them, however, and it turns out the direction the company was to take has been a hot topic between Gandalf and Aragorn, the two de fact leaders.
Caradhras proves too difficult, so now, knowing there are spies in the air above them, they need to disappear, much to Aragorn's dismay since he's worried the road through Moria will prove dangerous for Gandalf, specifically.
Nothing to it but to grab this bull by the horns, however, and off they go into the deep places of the world, where Gandalf leads them through relying on memories of his previous journey through the old mines.
The action here is pretty much taken verbatim to the movie: they find Balin's last resting place, get attacked, and the Balrog pursues them to the bridge, where Gandalf falls.
With no other choice but to continue on, they come to Lothlórien and are given sanctuary, but in the written text Celeborn has a much bigger role to play than the few sentences he speaks in the movies. Here, he's considered the wisest of Elves and a great giver of gifts, and after a period of rest, Galadriel shows Frodo and Sam her mirror, which shows them glimpses of the future (readers should take note because all the things they see actually come to pass later).
With gifts that suit each individual that receives them, and furnished with boats, they then sail down the Anduin, nearly get caught in the rapids that probably would have killed them, and Legolas shoots one of the Black Rider's flying beasts out of the sky.
Eventually, however (after Frodo also realizes Gollum's been following them), they finally reach Amon Hen, where they have to make the final decision about their next steps. Again, the Ring overcomes Boromir, and Frodo flees from him, but unlike in the movies, no one else but Sam clocks into what's happening, and only Sam returns to the boats to head his master off, inviting himself along to the journey that'll take them to Mordor.
And this is where the story ends! The aftermath of the Orcs assailing them on Amon Hen isn't revealed until the first chapter of The Two Towers, so I'm not going to talk about it either, but will cover it next week.
There's plenty of differences but also a whole host of identical things which Jackson simply lifted from text to screen, and I think both versions are equally beautiful. Some of the written word is impossible to adapt, you see, and would have dragged while watching it, not to mention you need a much tighter narrative when working with a visual medium.
However, nothing quite beats Tolkien's written word, and his descriptions of our heroes journey are an absolute masterpiece. He uses plenty of literary tricks to make you believe you're right there with them, and you feel the danger pressing in around you from all sides the further they travel. Plus, the songs! They're omitted from the movies for the most part, but are absolutely integral to his work.
People say - and I agree with them - that the first one hundred pages drag a bit, as you get to know the Shire and its way of life, but even so it's a wondrous experience. Then, once the chase is on, there's nothing stopping this train until it reaches it's final station!
If you haven't read this yet, I highly recommend it. The movies are great and all, and are my favourite of all time, but there's depth and nuance in Tolkien's writing that you can only really discover once you've read it a couple of times, delving deeper and deeper.
And honestly, it's just beautiful! Definitely pick this up.
The tune in next week as we take a look at The Two Towers.
xx
*image not mine
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