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nhborg's reviews
436 reviews
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
See, this is where numeric ratings become tricky.
For the first 300 ish pages, I freaking loved this book. I laughed, I cried, I felt all the emotions and was so invested in where the story was going. But as it progressed, I started feeling less and less… I appreciated the craftmanship of the intricate web of relationships, grudges and secrets, but it started feeling like I was watching a soap opera that dragged out for too long. I found it easy to read, but not easy to pick up.
I was so sure this was going to be an absolute win for me, since everyone I’ve ever discussed it with have absolutely adored it. It was then strange to witness an overwhelming amount of 5/5 stars being thrown out in excitement by other members of the book club, while I could feel my own excitement flattening page after page. Was I really reading the same story as everyone else? Was there something wrong with me for not raving over this story? Maybe I was just not in the right head space? There was nothing I wanted more than finding a new favorite in this book, but sadly… I just couldn’t. For now I’m hoping for the latter and that there will come a day when I will reread this book and let it have its redemption.
For the first 300 ish pages, I freaking loved this book. I laughed, I cried, I felt all the emotions and was so invested in where the story was going. But as it progressed, I started feeling less and less… I appreciated the craftmanship of the intricate web of relationships, grudges and secrets, but it started feeling like I was watching a soap opera that dragged out for too long. I found it easy to read, but not easy to pick up.
I was so sure this was going to be an absolute win for me, since everyone I’ve ever discussed it with have absolutely adored it. It was then strange to witness an overwhelming amount of 5/5 stars being thrown out in excitement by other members of the book club, while I could feel my own excitement flattening page after page. Was I really reading the same story as everyone else? Was there something wrong with me for not raving over this story? Maybe I was just not in the right head space? There was nothing I wanted more than finding a new favorite in this book, but sadly… I just couldn’t. For now I’m hoping for the latter and that there will come a day when I will reread this book and let it have its redemption.
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
5.0
4.5
«This is the hour of the Shire-folk, when they raise from their quiet fields to shake the towers and counsels of the Great.»
I did it!!! I’m proud and happy to have succeeded over my reluctance to read this; I tried when I was about 14 and lost the will about 150 pages in (deep in the old forest and with the appearance of Tom Bombadil). This time around I could surely feel some of the slow parts, but I had such a fun time from start to finish. Andy Serkis has been my Samwise Gangee throughout this reading experience, i.e. an ever-loyal support that made the journey more enjoyable and achievable. Over the 5 days of reading you would find me with the headphones on my head and book in my hands as often as I could.
My reading was greatly colored by my familiarity with the movies, which at this point was inevitable. Although it was very interesting and cool to compare the two to look for differences in details and emphasis, I still wonder what it would be like to read this series without knowing anything about the world! Well, there’s no question why this work was revolutionary to the fantasy genre. The world-building, descriptions, characters and plotline are simply brilliant and mightily impressive.
As we all do, I have certain preferences in what I enjoy to read. As a reader, I’ve noticed that I love dialogue and inner reflections most of all, and that descriptive passages and world-building is less my jam. Resultingly, I’m not the perfect audience for Tolkien’s in-depth history and genealogy of his world, as I choose to skim through lore-heavy passages and focus on the aspects that I enjoy. It feels like a shame, but I have to take what I can from the book, and I certainly see the value this level of detail holds for readers who appreciate a well-crafted world! I’ve removed 0.5 star from my rating to express the lack of a «perfect match» between me and the book, so to speak.
So, how did the book compare to the movie? Obviously there’s a lot more depth in the written form. I can totally see why a lot of it had to be cut out from the movie to keep it at a reasonable length, and all in all they did an incredible job! However, what I realize is that part of what had to be simplified for the movie was the characters; to give them more impact on the screen with limited time for build-up, most of them are rather charicatured. I can see why, but I also loved seeing them come more to life in the book! I grew so fond of Merry and Pippin when they weren’t only jokesters, and I also had a lot more respect for book-Frodo (he’s actually kind of independent and cool, would you look at that). I also feel like Elrond and Boromir were a lot more exciting to read about, and I loved that Bilbo played a more active role later on.
There’s a lot I want to talk about, but I’ll try to wrap up this review now! I’m honestly so excited to get going with «Two Towers», hopefully after only a brief intermission. Until then!
«This is the hour of the Shire-folk, when they raise from their quiet fields to shake the towers and counsels of the Great.»
I did it!!! I’m proud and happy to have succeeded over my reluctance to read this; I tried when I was about 14 and lost the will about 150 pages in (deep in the old forest and with the appearance of Tom Bombadil). This time around I could surely feel some of the slow parts, but I had such a fun time from start to finish. Andy Serkis has been my Samwise Gangee throughout this reading experience, i.e. an ever-loyal support that made the journey more enjoyable and achievable. Over the 5 days of reading you would find me with the headphones on my head and book in my hands as often as I could.
My reading was greatly colored by my familiarity with the movies, which at this point was inevitable. Although it was very interesting and cool to compare the two to look for differences in details and emphasis, I still wonder what it would be like to read this series without knowing anything about the world! Well, there’s no question why this work was revolutionary to the fantasy genre. The world-building, descriptions, characters and plotline are simply brilliant and mightily impressive.
As we all do, I have certain preferences in what I enjoy to read. As a reader, I’ve noticed that I love dialogue and inner reflections most of all, and that descriptive passages and world-building is less my jam. Resultingly, I’m not the perfect audience for Tolkien’s in-depth history and genealogy of his world, as I choose to skim through lore-heavy passages and focus on the aspects that I enjoy. It feels like a shame, but I have to take what I can from the book, and I certainly see the value this level of detail holds for readers who appreciate a well-crafted world! I’ve removed 0.5 star from my rating to express the lack of a «perfect match» between me and the book, so to speak.
So, how did the book compare to the movie? Obviously there’s a lot more depth in the written form. I can totally see why a lot of it had to be cut out from the movie to keep it at a reasonable length, and all in all they did an incredible job! However, what I realize is that part of what had to be simplified for the movie was the characters; to give them more impact on the screen with limited time for build-up, most of them are rather charicatured. I can see why, but I also loved seeing them come more to life in the book! I grew so fond of Merry and Pippin when they weren’t only jokesters, and I also had a lot more respect for book-Frodo (he’s actually kind of independent and cool, would you look at that). I also feel like Elrond and Boromir were a lot more exciting to read about, and I loved that Bilbo played a more active role later on.
There’s a lot I want to talk about, but I’ll try to wrap up this review now! I’m honestly so excited to get going with «Two Towers», hopefully after only a brief intermission. Until then!
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
5.0
4th (?) time reading, last time was way too long ago!
The author’s character aside, this series is a masterpiece. The escapism is strong, as I am transported straight to Hogwarts and forget that I am reading words on a page. It’s a feeling of comfort and homeliness that I will forever treasure! This first book is just euphoric, and although the series gradually descends to become deeper and darker, I’m looking forward to following its coming-of-age yet again.
The author’s character aside, this series is a masterpiece. The escapism is strong, as I am transported straight to Hogwarts and forget that I am reading words on a page. It’s a feeling of comfort and homeliness that I will forever treasure! This first book is just euphoric, and although the series gradually descends to become deeper and darker, I’m looking forward to following its coming-of-age yet again.
Jeg har ennå ikke sett verden by Roskva Koritzinsky
5.0
Andre lesning (15.12.2024)
En sterk leseropplevelse atter en gang, spesielt med lydboka lest inn av Roskva selv.
Jeg mister noen ganger pusten av hvor sårt, sterkt og vakkert hun skriver, og føler at tekstene vitner om en helt spesiell og uvanlig observant tilnærming til omverdenen. Sylskarpe personanalyser og mikrorefleksjoner - det kjennes ut som om skrivningen kommer av en trang til å legge ut livets puslespillbrikker, alle de fragmenterte inntrykkene, og ydmykt forsøke å sette dem i sammenheng (derav tittelen på novellesamlingen slik jeg tolker den).
Det blir et intimt innblikk i byrden og verdien i å ha et klokt sinn med overanalyserende tendenser, fra hvilket det tilbys unike og gjennomskuende perspektiver på liv, kjærlighet og menneskelige relasjoner.
Første lesning (2017)
En sterk leseropplevelse atter en gang, spesielt med lydboka lest inn av Roskva selv.
Jeg mister noen ganger pusten av hvor sårt, sterkt og vakkert hun skriver, og føler at tekstene vitner om en helt spesiell og uvanlig observant tilnærming til omverdenen. Sylskarpe personanalyser og mikrorefleksjoner - det kjennes ut som om skrivningen kommer av en trang til å legge ut livets puslespillbrikker, alle de fragmenterte inntrykkene, og ydmykt forsøke å sette dem i sammenheng (derav tittelen på novellesamlingen slik jeg tolker den).
Det blir et intimt innblikk i byrden og verdien i å ha et klokt sinn med overanalyserende tendenser, fra hvilket det tilbys unike og gjennomskuende perspektiver på liv, kjærlighet og menneskelige relasjoner.
Første lesning (2017)
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
4.0
4.25
My second Austen after kicking it off with «Northanger Abbey» last fall! I’m increasingly realizing the quality of her writing and its incredible ability to draw me right into the story. She writes as a sharp observer with so much wit and underlying commentary. It takes me a while to read her books because I usually reread paragraphs several times to appreciate them fully, and because I love to engage with the story by underlining/writing in the margins along the way. My own writing style has always been characterized by (too) long sentences which are convoluted yet substantial, and though I can by no means compare it to Austen’s writing, I see her example as a treat worth the extra time spent reading.
«Sense and Sensibility» revolves around two sisters, Elinor and Marianne, and their coming of age within a society where everything that matters is wealth and social standing. They are initially presented as the antithesis of sense = Elinor and sensibility = Marianne, with Marianne as a heroine in her opposition to social hypocrisy and Elinor as a heroine in her mindful adaptability. While they are sometimes presented as polar opposites, the real interest comes in the dynamics between the sisters and unity of these characteristics. I loved seeing them discuss, clash, and grow in the light of each other.
This feels like a book which has a lot more than what meets the eye, or rather, that the simplistic setup covers up for a wide range of subtle nuances and blows against social conventions. I think I would highly enjoy giving it another read in the future to do a deeper personal analysis than this time. Some interesting discussion points I picked up include:
- Linking sense & sensibility to stoicism and hedonism, self control vs. indulgence
- In regards to finding a romantic partner: Discerning self-preserving high standards from starry-eyed idealism
- Victorian society’s fixed social roles, by which everyone is supposed to follow a predetermined script
- The difficult task of balancing individuality/honesty with agreeable behavior in social settings
- The tendency of viewing young women in the family as sales objects and tools to promote everyone else’s interests
- Manipulation and harassment in the form of forced friendship
- What is more burdensome for your close relations: an excessive showcase of your misery or always pretending like everything is fine?
Lastly, I wanted to add a few amusing quotes that highlight the contrasting perspectives seen in the two sisters:
« ‘I am afraid,’ replied Elinor, ‘that the pleasantness of an employment does not always envince its propriety.’
‘On the contrary, nothing can be stronger proof of it, Elinor; for if there had been any real impropriety in what I did, I should have been sensible at the time, for we always know when we are acting wrong, and with such a conviction I could have had no pleasure.’ »
« ‘I was at Norland about a month ago.’
‘And how does dear, dear Norland look?’ cried Marianne.
‘Dear, dear Norland,’ said Elinor, ‘probably looks much as it always does at this time of the year. The woods and walks thickly covered with dead leaves.’
‘Oh!’ cried Marianne, ‘with what transporting sensations have I formerly seen them fall! How have I delighted, as I walked, to see them driven in showers about me by the wind! What feelings have they, the season, the air altogether inspired! Now there is no one to regard them. They are only seen as a nuisance, swept hastily off, and driven as much as possible from the sight.’
‘It is not every one,’ said Elinor, ‘who has your passion for dead leaves.’ »
My second Austen after kicking it off with «Northanger Abbey» last fall! I’m increasingly realizing the quality of her writing and its incredible ability to draw me right into the story. She writes as a sharp observer with so much wit and underlying commentary. It takes me a while to read her books because I usually reread paragraphs several times to appreciate them fully, and because I love to engage with the story by underlining/writing in the margins along the way. My own writing style has always been characterized by (too) long sentences which are convoluted yet substantial, and though I can by no means compare it to Austen’s writing, I see her example as a treat worth the extra time spent reading.
«Sense and Sensibility» revolves around two sisters, Elinor and Marianne, and their coming of age within a society where everything that matters is wealth and social standing. They are initially presented as the antithesis of sense = Elinor and sensibility = Marianne, with Marianne as a heroine in her opposition to social hypocrisy and Elinor as a heroine in her mindful adaptability. While they are sometimes presented as polar opposites, the real interest comes in the dynamics between the sisters and unity of these characteristics. I loved seeing them discuss, clash, and grow in the light of each other.
This feels like a book which has a lot more than what meets the eye, or rather, that the simplistic setup covers up for a wide range of subtle nuances and blows against social conventions. I think I would highly enjoy giving it another read in the future to do a deeper personal analysis than this time. Some interesting discussion points I picked up include:
- Linking sense & sensibility to stoicism and hedonism, self control vs. indulgence
- In regards to finding a romantic partner: Discerning self-preserving high standards from starry-eyed idealism
- Victorian society’s fixed social roles, by which everyone is supposed to follow a predetermined script
- The difficult task of balancing individuality/honesty with agreeable behavior in social settings
- The tendency of viewing young women in the family as sales objects and tools to promote everyone else’s interests
- Manipulation and harassment in the form of forced friendship
- What is more burdensome for your close relations: an excessive showcase of your misery or always pretending like everything is fine?
Lastly, I wanted to add a few amusing quotes that highlight the contrasting perspectives seen in the two sisters:
« ‘I am afraid,’ replied Elinor, ‘that the pleasantness of an employment does not always envince its propriety.’
‘On the contrary, nothing can be stronger proof of it, Elinor; for if there had been any real impropriety in what I did, I should have been sensible at the time, for we always know when we are acting wrong, and with such a conviction I could have had no pleasure.’ »
« ‘I was at Norland about a month ago.’
‘And how does dear, dear Norland look?’ cried Marianne.
‘Dear, dear Norland,’ said Elinor, ‘probably looks much as it always does at this time of the year. The woods and walks thickly covered with dead leaves.’
‘Oh!’ cried Marianne, ‘with what transporting sensations have I formerly seen them fall! How have I delighted, as I walked, to see them driven in showers about me by the wind! What feelings have they, the season, the air altogether inspired! Now there is no one to regard them. They are only seen as a nuisance, swept hastily off, and driven as much as possible from the sight.’
‘It is not every one,’ said Elinor, ‘who has your passion for dead leaves.’ »
2024 on Goodreads by Various
3.0
Review of 2024 and reading intentions for 2025
Happy new year! To be honest, 2024 wasn’t a great reading year for me. Although I found a good handful of new favorites, a large chunk of it makes me go «meh» looking back. Rating-wise I had approximately 47% three-star ratings or «weak» four-star ratings - way too much mediocrity!! I want to treat myself to better than this next year!
Therefore, my goal is to intentionally avoid books that look «alright» and reach for books that look «great». It sounds simple enough, but apparently I haven’t been good at it previously. First step: Stop listening to audiobooks just because and rather have it as an extra reading dimension. I rarely listen to books I think I’ll love because I save those for the physical experience, and I notice that I generally absorb much less when listening on-the-go. Physical copies/ebooks allow me to engage more actively and increase my enjoyment and appreciation. Second step: Focus on my physical TBR, tied to the fact that I trust my own reading taste enough to be confident that I have a lot of goodies waiting for me on my shelves. However, some of these goodies require some extra effort, especially if I am to follow my guts and dabble in some philosophy. Therefore I will be lowering my reading goal to 35 (ca. half of what I read in 2024) and focus on making the most out of each book rather than rushing through. Additionally, I’ll have a goal of 80% of them being from my physical TBR. I know I will occasionally pick up books I’m skeptical about, e.g. to follow my book club or for other reasons, but I’ll try to avoid doing it on autopilot.
I have gathered a list of books below that I’m eager to check out. However, I’ll consider my inclination toward mood reading in not setting a strict reading plan, so I’ll be very happy if I manage to read half of them by the end of 2025 (and super happy if I manage 2/3).
Hopeful TBR:
- «Icefields» by Thomas Wharton
- «The denial of death» by Ernest Becker
- «The god of the woods» by Liz Moore
- «Stories of your life and others» by Ted Chiang
- «Nausea» by Jean-Paul Sartre
- «Two towers» by J. R. R. Tolkien
- «Return of the king» by J. R. R. Tolkien
- «Rhythm of war» by Brandon Sanderson
- «Rebecca» by Daphne du Maurier
- «Pride and prejudice» by Jane Austen OR «Jane Eyre» by Charlotte Brontë
- «Drive your plow over the bones of the dead» by Olga Tokarczuk
- «The black tulip» by Alexandre Dumas
- «Monstrilio» by Gerardo Sámano Górdova
- «The book of disquiet» by Fernando Pessoa
- «Hamlet» by William Shakespeare
- «If on a winter’s night a traveller» by Italian Calvino
- «Nudibranch behavior» by David Behrens
- «A wild sheep chase» OR «The Elephant Vanishes» by Haruki Murakami
- «Purgatorio» by Dante Alighieri
- «Discourses and selected writings» by Epictetus OR «Letters from a stoic» by Seneca
- One of the books that are collecting dust on my «currently reading» page
Happy new year! To be honest, 2024 wasn’t a great reading year for me. Although I found a good handful of new favorites, a large chunk of it makes me go «meh» looking back. Rating-wise I had approximately 47% three-star ratings or «weak» four-star ratings - way too much mediocrity!! I want to treat myself to better than this next year!
Therefore, my goal is to intentionally avoid books that look «alright» and reach for books that look «great». It sounds simple enough, but apparently I haven’t been good at it previously. First step: Stop listening to audiobooks just because and rather have it as an extra reading dimension. I rarely listen to books I think I’ll love because I save those for the physical experience, and I notice that I generally absorb much less when listening on-the-go. Physical copies/ebooks allow me to engage more actively and increase my enjoyment and appreciation. Second step: Focus on my physical TBR, tied to the fact that I trust my own reading taste enough to be confident that I have a lot of goodies waiting for me on my shelves. However, some of these goodies require some extra effort, especially if I am to follow my guts and dabble in some philosophy. Therefore I will be lowering my reading goal to 35 (ca. half of what I read in 2024) and focus on making the most out of each book rather than rushing through. Additionally, I’ll have a goal of 80% of them being from my physical TBR. I know I will occasionally pick up books I’m skeptical about, e.g. to follow my book club or for other reasons, but I’ll try to avoid doing it on autopilot.
I have gathered a list of books below that I’m eager to check out. However, I’ll consider my inclination toward mood reading in not setting a strict reading plan, so I’ll be very happy if I manage to read half of them by the end of 2025 (and super happy if I manage 2/3).
Hopeful TBR:
- «Icefields» by Thomas Wharton
- «The denial of death» by Ernest Becker
- «The god of the woods» by Liz Moore
- «Stories of your life and others» by Ted Chiang
- «Nausea» by Jean-Paul Sartre
- «Two towers» by J. R. R. Tolkien
- «Return of the king» by J. R. R. Tolkien
- «Rhythm of war» by Brandon Sanderson
- «Rebecca» by Daphne du Maurier
- «Pride and prejudice» by Jane Austen OR «Jane Eyre» by Charlotte Brontë
- «Drive your plow over the bones of the dead» by Olga Tokarczuk
- «The black tulip» by Alexandre Dumas
- «Monstrilio» by Gerardo Sámano Górdova
- «The book of disquiet» by Fernando Pessoa
- «Hamlet» by William Shakespeare
- «If on a winter’s night a traveller» by Italian Calvino
- «Nudibranch behavior» by David Behrens
- «A wild sheep chase» OR «The Elephant Vanishes» by Haruki Murakami
- «Purgatorio» by Dante Alighieri
- «Discourses and selected writings» by Epictetus OR «Letters from a stoic» by Seneca
- One of the books that are collecting dust on my «currently reading» page
Icefields by Thomas Wharton
5.0
Who would’ve thought I’d find love at the very start of 2025?«Icefields» took my breath away.
To think that this humble, little book can contain such a vastness. It explores the lonely walk along a path to find oneself, the extremities of natural landscapes, the intruding force of colonialism and industrialization, the healing yet isolating effect of stillness and connection with nature, the co-existence of rationalism/science and intuition/spirituality, the immaterial inheritance from our parents, the terrors of war, the pain of a broken heart. The glacier looms in the background as a constant in the ever-changing world; it observes, remembers and reminds.
The writing is utterly gorgeous and full of imagery; a gold mine for literary analysis:
«Everywhere the ice bristles up with glittering frost needles as the melted and now refreezing surface water dilatates. A garden of tiny ice flowers seems to be growing all around me.»
«She can hear, rolling underneath the cold technical language, a turbulence of desires and emotions. She cannot interpret them. This is a voice out of the dark.»
This book offered so much interesting to reflect on along the way, and I can’t wait to return to my pencil-covered pages in the future for a re-embarkment. I adore how the story manages to be so simple yet so layered, almost feeling like a geological structure itself. As the back of my paperback says, «this novel rears up a shining ice-cathedral of a story, lovely, mysterious, and awe-inspiring.»
I’m hoping that this phenomenal start means that my renovated reading strategies are proving successful, and if so, I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has to offer:)
(Bonus) Another favorite passage of mine:
«She is somehow childlike. This older woman who has lived in some of the world’s great cities and written about their dangers, their seductions. She travels like the meandering heroine of a novel for children, shrugging off the entanglements of one chapter and moving on to the next, never stopping long enough in one place for its habits of defeat and cynicism to cling to her. Always asking what’s over the next hill, around the next curve of the river? But never asking how will I get home?»
To think that this humble, little book can contain such a vastness. It explores the lonely walk along a path to find oneself, the extremities of natural landscapes, the intruding force of colonialism and industrialization, the healing yet isolating effect of stillness and connection with nature, the co-existence of rationalism/science and intuition/spirituality, the immaterial inheritance from our parents, the terrors of war, the pain of a broken heart. The glacier looms in the background as a constant in the ever-changing world; it observes, remembers and reminds.
The writing is utterly gorgeous and full of imagery; a gold mine for literary analysis:
«Everywhere the ice bristles up with glittering frost needles as the melted and now refreezing surface water dilatates. A garden of tiny ice flowers seems to be growing all around me.»
«She can hear, rolling underneath the cold technical language, a turbulence of desires and emotions. She cannot interpret them. This is a voice out of the dark.»
This book offered so much interesting to reflect on along the way, and I can’t wait to return to my pencil-covered pages in the future for a re-embarkment. I adore how the story manages to be so simple yet so layered, almost feeling like a geological structure itself. As the back of my paperback says, «this novel rears up a shining ice-cathedral of a story, lovely, mysterious, and awe-inspiring.»
I’m hoping that this phenomenal start means that my renovated reading strategies are proving successful, and if so, I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has to offer:)
(Bonus) Another favorite passage of mine:
«She is somehow childlike. This older woman who has lived in some of the world’s great cities and written about their dangers, their seductions. She travels like the meandering heroine of a novel for children, shrugging off the entanglements of one chapter and moving on to the next, never stopping long enough in one place for its habits of defeat and cynicism to cling to her. Always asking what’s over the next hill, around the next curve of the river? But never asking how will I get home?»
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
5.0
4.5
Come at me, Tolkien, I’m ready for more! (Sounds slightly weird, but that’s where my energy level is at right now)
I’m having so much fun. I can’t get over how perfect it is to experience the book both physically and with Andy Serkis’ audiobook narration. I mentioned it in my review of Fellowship as well, but I have to give credit to his amazing range of unique character voices, his incredible consistency when switching between then, and the level of enthusiasm that permeates every word spoken. Getting the full Gollum experience in this second book made me thrive.
So, let’s briefly discuss «The Two Towers». I would say that although the structure is remarkably different, event- and pacing-wise the movie is more equivalent to book in this case compared to that of Fellowship. I was surprised to find several of the key scenes being more fast-paced in the book than in the movie, which I didn’t even consider to be possible! Both portrayals have their strengths; the movie fueled even more epicness into the story, while the book provided contextual lore and nuances to character relationships that I feel are more or less lost on screen. I’ll give a small list of my favorite aspects of the book:
- The wholesome relations between Gimli & Legolas and Sam & Frodo
- The lore of the Ents and their approach to language and nature
- The conversation between Gandalf and Saruman; it was hilarious and made me laugh out loud several times («‘Saruman, Saruman!’ said Gandalf still laughing. ‘Saruman, you missed your part in life. You should have been the king’s jester and earned your bread, and stripes too, by mimicking his counsellors.»)
- The amazing environment descriptions, beautiful and horrifying alike
- The bone-chilling characterization of Shelob
- The heartbreak I experienced in the last chapter
Additionally, I have to address what I experience as the wisdom of Tolkien. He is undeniably a fantastic writer and world-builder, but reading this series has made me aware of an additional quality of his, namely the incorporation of truly inspirational and wise messages in the story. Not to say that the purpose of this fantasy is to camouflage moral lessons, but rather that Tolkien shows himself to be a clear-sighted and attentive human being through the messages he conveys.
«‘It is hard to be sure of anything among so many marvels. The world is all grown strange. Elf and Dwarf in company walk in our daily fields; and folk speak with the Lady of the Wood and yet live; and the Sword comes back to war that was broken in the long ages ere the fathers of our fathers rode into the Mark! How shall a Man judge what to do in such times?’
‘As he had ever judged,’ said Aragorn, ‘Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing among Elves and Dwarves and another among Men. It is a man’s part to discern them, as much in the Golden Wood as in his own house.’»
I’m tempted to hop right into the third and final installment, but I’ll make myself wait a little while to prolong the pleasure. Until then!
Come at me, Tolkien, I’m ready for more! (Sounds slightly weird, but that’s where my energy level is at right now)
I’m having so much fun. I can’t get over how perfect it is to experience the book both physically and with Andy Serkis’ audiobook narration. I mentioned it in my review of Fellowship as well, but I have to give credit to his amazing range of unique character voices, his incredible consistency when switching between then, and the level of enthusiasm that permeates every word spoken. Getting the full Gollum experience in this second book made me thrive.
So, let’s briefly discuss «The Two Towers». I would say that although the structure is remarkably different, event- and pacing-wise the movie is more equivalent to book in this case compared to that of Fellowship. I was surprised to find several of the key scenes being more fast-paced in the book than in the movie, which I didn’t even consider to be possible! Both portrayals have their strengths; the movie fueled even more epicness into the story, while the book provided contextual lore and nuances to character relationships that I feel are more or less lost on screen. I’ll give a small list of my favorite aspects of the book:
- The wholesome relations between Gimli & Legolas and Sam & Frodo
- The lore of the Ents and their approach to language and nature
- The conversation between Gandalf and Saruman; it was hilarious and made me laugh out loud several times («‘Saruman, Saruman!’ said Gandalf still laughing. ‘Saruman, you missed your part in life. You should have been the king’s jester and earned your bread, and stripes too, by mimicking his counsellors.»)
- The amazing environment descriptions, beautiful and horrifying alike
- The bone-chilling characterization of Shelob
- The heartbreak I experienced in the last chapter
Additionally, I have to address what I experience as the wisdom of Tolkien. He is undeniably a fantastic writer and world-builder, but reading this series has made me aware of an additional quality of his, namely the incorporation of truly inspirational and wise messages in the story. Not to say that the purpose of this fantasy is to camouflage moral lessons, but rather that Tolkien shows himself to be a clear-sighted and attentive human being through the messages he conveys.
«‘It is hard to be sure of anything among so many marvels. The world is all grown strange. Elf and Dwarf in company walk in our daily fields; and folk speak with the Lady of the Wood and yet live; and the Sword comes back to war that was broken in the long ages ere the fathers of our fathers rode into the Mark! How shall a Man judge what to do in such times?’
‘As he had ever judged,’ said Aragorn, ‘Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing among Elves and Dwarves and another among Men. It is a man’s part to discern them, as much in the Golden Wood as in his own house.’»
I’m tempted to hop right into the third and final installment, but I’ll make myself wait a little while to prolong the pleasure. Until then!
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
5.0
I can always trust this series to get me in high spirits:’)
It’s easy to take the Harry Potter universe for granted having grown up with it, especially if you went through an intense Potterhead phase and and some point felt exhausted by it (speaking from experience). But damn, you really have to appreciate how great it is. I’m so impressed by all the small and large parallels/pieces of foreshadowing that are scattered across the series, as well as the amount of creativity going into all the details we now consider iconic.
It’s easy to take the Harry Potter universe for granted having grown up with it, especially if you went through an intense Potterhead phase and and some point felt exhausted by it (speaking from experience). But damn, you really have to appreciate how great it is. I’m so impressed by all the small and large parallels/pieces of foreshadowing that are scattered across the series, as well as the amount of creativity going into all the details we now consider iconic.