The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wrapping up the quest the Fellowship set out to accomplish, Sam and Frodo make it to Mordor while the rest tie their fates the world of men and the battle at Monas Tirith.
After the major events conclude the Fellowship is reunited and the diverging narratives come back together like it was in the beginning.
Then begins the part I hate: the goodbyes. I hate goodbyes. Literary or real. Especially after something like an epic quest. But such is the way of stories and Tolkien wraps it up as it should. It’s hard to read because I know how it ends but the looking final goodbye is done so well that it’s hard to not feel for Sam, Merry, and Pippin as they ride back to The Shire.
This was a great reread. I got distracted by events outside the book but was so glad to finally wrap up the book. Once again I’m reminded of the depth of the lore and world building that Tolkien did and I’m inspired to read the works that are drawn from “The Lord of the Rings”.
I don’t know that this would be a good book club read due to its length. As for an independent read I highly recommend it. I’d even be curious to try it out in an audio book.