I’ve just finished listening to the unabridged The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring for the first time. I read the books yearly for probably 10 years starting in 2001. I have listened to the BBC dramatization several times. And I’ve obviously seen the films countless times as well as all the documentary features. I spent my high school years and most of my adult life steeped in Tolkien.
I love this version of the audiobooks. Andy Serkis narrates, and as you might imagine, he’s great at voices and accents. He also sings very well, and I love the tunes that were picked for the songs. It’s nearly like a dramatized version as well.
I think if I were to pick up LOTR right now for the first time, I might find it fairly dry. Generally I prefer sci/Fi and don’t usually gravitate towards high fantasy. It’s very binary: not very nuanced as far and good and evil. The races of beings are very delineated and rarely mix. I much prefer the gray areas, moral dilemmas, character arcs, conflict resolution. There are definitely some parts that have not aged well as our society has progressed. Specifically all the baddies being described as “dark”, “swarthy”, “squint-eyed” and the like.
But it’s so nostalgic, so I still love it. I’m still enthralled by the world he created. I love the languages and the history and the songs. It’s idyllic and simple, and lovely.
And I love, love, love Tom Bombadil. The most amazing thing about Tom Bombadil is that even though he’s ancient and has seen the comings and goings of civilizations and woods and rivers, he’s still ridiculously joyful. He goes about dancing and singing and caring for the land and animals and the people who he comes across. How do I find that joy?
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