Return of the King: Book 6 Discussion Post

It's over :'(

This is our last discussion post!

This has been a fun 3 months!

Thank you to everyone who participated!

Jenni's Discussion Questions:

1.    Has your favorite character changed in The Return of the King? If yes, why?

A little, I really liked Eowyn's role a lot. I also loved Aragorn and Theoden. Gimli wasn't as prominent in this one. If I had to choose one, I'd go with Theoden.

2.    Which is your favorite book of the series? Why?

Probably The Two Towers, It had more action and a lot going on. I really liked the content and what happened during that book, but my favorite part is in The Return of the King.

3.    Do you like how the series ended? Why?

Yes, It was a good ending. Everything wrapped up nice. I love that Sam inherits Bag-End. I like how the Fellowship had one last meeting and parting. I like how Bilbo and Frodo get to sail away with the elves. It was good. I'm content.

4.    If you could change one thing about the ending what would it be and why?

I wish Sam had the opportunity to go with Frodo. Obviously he had a family to take care of and everything, but they could have at least extended the invitation. 

5.    Were there any changes in The Return of the King movie that you liked or disliked?

Ugh! Faramir!!! WHY!? 

I wanted them to show Aragorn healing people in the movie.

I liked Theoden's death better in the movie. I liked that his last words were to Eowyn instead of Pippin.

6.    What was your favorite moment in Book 6?

The ending, when Frodo passes along the book to Sam. It is one of those tingly moments when you know something special is ending, but life is going to continue. 

7.    Which death affected you the most?

This might be getting repetitive, and I'm sure you can all guess, but I LOVE Theoden's last words! They are so awesome! His death is so amazing.

8.    Why do you think Frodo didn't want to kill Saruman and Wormtongue, even after all the destruction and heartache they caused in the Shire?

I DON'T KNOW! Frodo didn't want to kill anyone! Saruman needed to die! Thank goodness Wormtongue stabbed him in the back, and thank goodness the other hobbits shot Wormtonge. Geez!

9.    If you were in Frodo's place, would you have done the same thing? (See previous question.)

No! I would have encouraged Saruman's death. 

10.    If J.R.R. Tolkien were still alive and wrote a sequel to The Lord of the Rings, which character would you want to see the most and why?

That is a hard one. I'd like to read about Gimli and Legolas traveling together. I liked to read about Aragorn as king. I'd want to know about Sam and the Shire. I'd want to know how Eowyn and Faramir are doing. I would want an epic story with everyone again.

You won't want to miss:

Twitter Chat

Monday, August 4 @ 7:00 PM Mountain Time

We'll be discussing the books and stuff.

#LotRreadalong

Movie Night

Saturday, August 9 @ 6:00 PM

We'll be watching The Return of the King!

If interested, ask for more details!

The Return of the King

From Goodreads:    The Return of the King is the third part of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic adventure, The Lord of the Rings.

The Companions of the Ring have become involved in separate adventures as the quest continues. Aragorn, revealed as the hidden heir of the ancient Kings of the West, joined with the Riders of Rohan against the forces of Isengard and took part in the desperate victory of the Hornburg. Merry and Pippin, captured by the Orcs, escaped into Fangorn Forest and there encountered the Ents. Gandalf returned, miraculously, and defeated the evil wizard, Saruman.
Meanwhile, Sam and Frodo progressed toward Mordor to destroy the Ring, accompanied by Smeagol -- Gollum, still obsessed by his "preciouss." After a battle with the giant spider, Shelob, Sam left his master for dead; but Frodo is still alive -- in the hands of the Orcs. And all the time the armies of the Dark Lord are massing.

My Thoughts:

-    I'm always a little sad when the epic journey ends. I want it to never end. 

-    I LOVE this book, and I LOVE this series! It never gets old. There is always something new.

-    I loved Alan Lee's illustrations throughout the book, but I liked his pictures in the previous books better. A lot the illustrations were scenery in this one. 

-    The battles were awesome! Theoden and Eowyn are awesome!

-    I wish the movie hadn't cut a few things. I really wish we could have scene Aragorn healing the wounded. I understand why they couldn't show the scouring of the Shire, but it would have been fun to see.

-    I think the scouring of the Shire really shows how the hobbits have grown. They are fearless and leaders. They don't hide away from the world anymore. 

-    Sam is amazing! I think he is more of a hero than Frodo. Sam does so much to make sure the ring is destroyed. 

-    I wish the book moved along a bit faster after the ring is destroyed. There is a lot of stuff that happens after the climax, and some of it is slow. 

-    The ending is good! I love that it turns into Sam's story. I love the Sam inherits Bag-End. He should just change his name to Gamgee-Baggins.

-    I don't feel like I'm doing this book justice. I just can't gush enough! I could talk and talk about all the things I loved, but I think I'll stop here. 

-    Read this! It's awesome!

Previous Lord of the Rings Book

(click on cover to see my thoughts)

 

The Return of the King: Book 5 Discussion Post

Can you believe we are almost done!! Only one more book left!! AH!

Discussion Questions:

I'm going to do something a little different for this post. There are a lot of symbols in The Lord of the Rings, and there a lot of lessons to learn. For example: fighting evil, fighting for what is right, friendship, willpower, one's duty, sacrifice, etc. I would like everyone to pick a topic from Lord of the Rings and write a little something about it. 

My Answer:

 

I would like to talk about Theoden vs Denethor or in other words Courage vs Despair. Their lives and stories have so many similarities, but their outcomes are so different. Lets list some stuff:

They are both rulers of their lands 

Theoden is King of Rohan while Denethor is the steward of Gondor. 

Both are troubled by the war

They both lost a son

Theoden loses Theodrid, and Denethor loses Boromir.

Both are shaken by the loss of their son.

They are both influenced by the enemy.

Theoden is heavily influenced by Wormtongue/Saruman, and Denethor is influenced by the palantir/Sauron.

They both die

They die in very different ways, but they both die.

There are other similarities, but my mind is drawing a blank. These are the big ones though.

Anyhoo, Gandalf is able to help Theoden regain himself, and Theoden becomes an amazing character! He leads his people with courage and great leadership. He is kind and loving with Eowyn and Eomer. His death is one of my favorites, and his lines are EPIC! "I go to my fathers. And even in their mighty company I shall not now be ashamed." I LOVE THAT! My favorite line in any movie! There are a lot of lines in books that are awesome, so I can't really say it's my favorite for books. Theoden knows he has done all he can, and he is not afraid to die. He dies in peace. I can only hope of having that kind of peace and knowledge when I die. 

p.s. I think Theoden's death was better in the movie. I like that Eowyn is the last one he sees and speaks to.

Denethor succumbs to grief, anger, and pain. I don't feel like he ever gets over his mourning for Boromir. He doesn't ride out to battle with his soldiers. He gives up. He decides everyone is going to burn, and he wants to commit suicide! AND he wants to take Faramir with him. How sad is that? Denethor could have been a great man like Theoden, but instead he chooses despair. 

Theoden dies leading his people into battle, and facing off with the enemy. He has overcome his grief. He is a mighty man. It is a tragedy that he dies. Denethor dies with the ultimate act of despair, suicide. 

This makes me really think about my life and what I choose. There are always ups and downs in life. I want to face my challenges with courage, not despair. I want to pick myself up and do what I feel is right. 

I look forward to everyone insights on things. Please link up your post!

The Return of the King Kickoff

We are starting The Return of the King today!!!

Can you believe we are on the last book?

I'm so excited!

Here is my edition:

Page Break Down:

Book 5:    11

Book 6:    9

My book has a lot of Appendices and things at the end. I don't know if I'll read them all, but they look interesting.

I'll be doing a discussion post on Book 5 on July 15.

Jenni will be discussing Book 6 on July 31.