Rate: 5/5
Medium: Audiobook
Overview (No Spoilers):
With my return journey to Middle Earth now complete, I can’t recommend this version of the Lord of the Rings enough. Andy Serkis as the narrator gives the story a life of its own and I would honestly pick up any audiobook he might read to me.
My childhood impressions of the Return of the King really centered on the bureaucracy and feeling like the story was too mired in the politics once the fighting was over. As an adult revisting this story, I could understand the sentiment but found that I loved how all the loose ends were addressed and that we saw the hobbits truly come into their own without the aid of Gandalf. I’d totally forgotten that Faramir was granted a kingdom of his own by Aragorn, as well as that Legolas and Gimli go off on their own adventures to show each other the wonders of their people.
Overall, with all the fantasy I’ve consumed over the past couple of years, revising a title that so influenced my youth and started my love of reading, gave me new appreciation for Tolkien. I was surprised to find the lack of details I so typically love in literature. Tolkien’s approach seems to effortlessly create this complex world and conflict, without getting bogged down in the minute details, allowing the story to be carried along on the solid foundation and backstory he had established. The whole feat is remarkable and a true gauge is how this story has lasted and generated so much love through the ages.
The Critiquing Chemist 