The Return of the King
Common Sense Note
The continuing saga of a massive conflict between the forces of good and the servants of evil, ingeniously plotted and entertainingly told, will keep readers immersed until the final page.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Mark Nichol
The Lord of the Rings is a massively complex tale about the threshold of a new era, when the races of Middle-earth unite one last time to withstand the forces of evil.
This concluding volume of Tolkien's three-book epic maintains the dark desperation of its predecessor. Even amid all the celebration that occurs after the free peoples achieve their victory, sadness is there also, for good magic passes on with the vanquishing of sorcery, and the dominance of the human race begins.
But for all this gravity, the story is laced with humor and beauty, and although it is very much an adult tale, it appeals to younger readers. One preteen girl remained captivated by the story through nearly two years of bedtime reading, one part of a long chapter at a time. She was charmed by Sam's affectionate steadfastness, but fellow fans will not be surprised that her favorite character is the wretched Gollum.
Tolkien's writing is dense, and the writing style veers from heroic to homespun, but the plot unfolds with relentless vigor, and he brilliantly describes Middle-earth--reverently, in the case of magnificent structures and natural features, and with eloquent dread when he depicts the horror of Sauron's works.
One of the author's sons, Christopher Tolkien, has edited many of his father's unpublished works about Middle-earth, including The Silmarillion. These books are written in a much more classical, almost biblical, style and are recommended only for advanced teenage readers.
Young fans of multivolume fantasy may also like Brian Jacques's Redwall series, which begins with Redwall.
Plot Summary:
The quest to destroy the One Ring of Power before Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor, can conquer all of Middle-earth concludes in this third chapter of J. R. R. Tolkien's action-packed fantasy adventure. Four young, formerly sheltered heroes must dredge courage from deep within themselves to face the challenges before them as Middle-earth's peace-loving inhabitants seek to save their world.
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ViolenceMany battle scenes--with restrained description--plus some intense hand-to-hand combat. Frodo and Sam pass disguised through a nightmarish landscape, surrounded by hostile forces; a horrific siege, in which decapitated heads are propelled over a city's w |
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