The Return of the Shadow
Fascinating
Beautiful
Unforgettable

The Return of the Shadow The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part One

In this sixth volume of The History of Middle-earth the story reaches The Lord of the Rings. In The Return of the Shadow (an abandoned title for the first volume) Christopher Tolkien describes, with full citation of the earliest notes, outline plans, and narrative drafts, the intricate evolution of The Fellowship of the Ring and the gradual emergence of the conceptions that transformed what J.R.R. Tolkien for long believed would be a far shorter book, 'a sequel to The Hobbit'. The enlargement of Bilbo's 'magic ring' into the supremely potent and dangerous Ruling Ring of the Dark Lord is traced and the precise moment is seen when, in an astonishing and unforeseen leap in the earliest narrative, a Black Rider first rode into the Shire, his significance still unknown. The character of the hobbit called Trotter (afterwards Strider or Aragorn) is developed while his indentity remains an absolute puzzle, and the suspicion only very slowly becomes certainty that he must after all be a Man. The hobbits, Frodo's companions, undergo intricate permutations of name and personality, and other major figures appear in strange modes: a sinister Treebeard, in league with the Enemy, a ferocious and malevolent Farmer Maggot. The story in this book ends at the point where J.R.R. Tolkien halted in the story for a long time, as the Company of the Ring, still lacking Legolas and Gimli, stood before the tomb of Balin in the Mines of Moria. The Return of the Shadow is illustrated with reproductions of the first maps and notable pages from the earliest manuscripts.
Sign up to use

Reviews

Photo of Jason Rivette
Jason Rivette@jrivette1
5 stars
Aug 26, 2024
Photo of Abdul Rehman Ismail
Abdul Rehman Ismail@syfyabdu
5 stars
Jul 22, 2024
Photo of 𝚕𝚒𝚕𝚢
𝚕𝚒𝚕𝚢@avonleawritings
5 stars
Jul 16, 2024
Photo of Kellie Davis
Kellie Davis@kelliedavis
5 stars
Jul 8, 2024
Photo of anjali
anjali@anjalislibrary
4 stars
Jul 8, 2024
Photo of Emma Lechner
Emma Lechner@emmyofthevalley
5 stars
Jun 13, 2024
Beautiful
Delightful
Photo of car
car@literatere
5 stars
May 12, 2024
Photo of elizabeth
elizabeth@ekmclaren
4 stars
May 11, 2024
Photo of Melissa J
Melissa J@warlockmel
5 stars
Apr 25, 2024
Photo of Amna A.
Amna A.@crayoladagger
5 stars
Apr 5, 2024
Photo of Rebeca Keren Nuñez
Rebeca Keren Nuñez@rebecanunez
5 stars
Apr 5, 2024
Photo of Luke Harkness
Luke Harkness@lukesblog1
5 stars
Apr 4, 2024
Photo of maitha mana
maitha mana@maithalikesapplepies
4 stars
Apr 3, 2024
Photo of Maria
Maria@nocturnes
3 stars
Apr 2, 2024
Photo of Christine
Christine@definitelynotskittles
5 stars
Apr 2, 2024
Photo of Sean Wilson
Sean Wilson@seantwilson
4 stars
Mar 25, 2024
Photo of Sean Wilson
Sean Wilson@seantwilson
5 stars
Mar 25, 2024
Photo of Isabella
Isabella@isabella1210
2.5 stars
Mar 17, 2024
Photo of Sandrin
Sandrin@sandrin
3 stars
Mar 9, 2024
Photo of Sandrin
Sandrin@sandrin
3 stars
Mar 9, 2024
Photo of Pedro Figueiredo
Pedro Figueiredo@pfig
5 stars
Mar 3, 2024
Photo of Apurva Chitnis
Apurva Chitnis@apuchitnis
5 stars
Feb 27, 2024
Photo of Mel
Mel @melsbooknook
4 stars
Feb 3, 2024
Photo of julia
julia@ctrljulia
4 stars
Jan 31, 2024

Highlights

Photo of Funda Firdevs Beyoğlu
Funda Firdevs Beyoğlu@fundab
Page 248
This highlight contains a spoiler
Photo of cedar winslow
cedar winslow@cwinslow
Page 379
Photo of cedar winslow
cedar winslow@cwinslow
Page 349
Photo of Jess
Jess@jessbear
Page 457
Photo of Jess
Jess@jessbear
Page 369
Photo of Jess
Jess@jessbear
Photo of Elise Thompson
Elise Thompson @ellaelise
Photo of Petar Toushkov
Petar Toushkov@cellfourteen
Photo of Elise Thompson
Elise Thompson @ellaelise
Photo of anne
anne@gh0stlikesreading
Page 405
Photo of anne
anne@gh0stlikesreading
Page 175
Photo of fira
fira@orufrey
Photo of Pavonini
Pavonini@papaver
This highlight contains a spoiler
Photo of Pavonini
Pavonini@papaver
This highlight contains a spoiler
Photo of Pavonini
Pavonini@papaver
This highlight contains a spoiler
Photo of Agustina
Agustina @agusquimeyg
Page 362
This highlight contains a spoiler
Photo of Rachael Copas
Rachael Copas@rachaelcopas
Photo of Rachael Copas
Rachael Copas@rachaelcopas
Photo of Ashlyn palmere
Ashlyn palmere@aopalm
Page 217
Photo of Naomi
Naomi @naomi
Page 549
This highlight contains a spoiler
Photo of Abby Lane
Abby Lane@abbyquail
Page 342
Photo of Abby Lane
Abby Lane@abbyquail
Page 281
Photo of Abby Lane
Abby Lane@abbyquail
Page 274
Photo of Abby Lane
Abby Lane@abbyquail
Page 266