Name: The Two Towers
ISBN: 9780008376130

J.R.R. Tolkien

Alan Lee

The Two Towers is the second part of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic adventure, The Lord of the Rings. Frodo and the Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. They have lost the wizard, Gandalf, in the battle with an evil spirit in the Mines of Moria; and at the Falls of Rauros, Boromir, seduced by the power of the Ring, tried to seize it by force. While Frodo and Sam made their escape the rest of the company were attacked by Orcs. Now they continue their journey alone down the great River Anduin - alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go. The text of this edition has been fully corrected and revised in collaboration with Christopher Tolkien and is accompanied by sixteen watercolour paintings from Alan Lee.

The Two Towers

Moira

Christine

Abby Lane

Tawny ✨

After losing Gandalf and being divided from their other companions during an Orc attack, Frodo and Sam continue towards Mordor, Land of the Enemy, to destroy the Ring, accompanied only by a mysterious figure that follows them.

Tolkien is a slow read but still a good book

Liam Curson

The third volume in J.R.R. Tolkien's epic adventure THE LORD OF THE RINGS One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them As the Shadow of Mordor grows across the land, the Companions of the Ring have become involved in separate adventures. Aragorn, revealed as the hidden heir of the ancient Kings of the West, has joined with the Riders of Rohan against the forces of Isengard, and takes part in the desperate victory of the Hornburg. Merry and Pippin, captured by Orcs, escape into Fangorn Forest and there encounter the Ents. Gandalf has miraculously returned and defeated the evil wizard, Saruman. Sam has left his master for dead after a battle with the giant spider, Shelob; but Frodo is still alive—now in the foul hands of the Orcs. And all the while the armies of the Dark Lord are massing as the One Ring draws ever nearer to the Cracks of Doom. “A triumphant close . . . a grand piece of work, grand in both conception and execution. An astonishing imaginative tour de force.” – Daily Telegraph Includes the complete appendices and index for The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Being the Third Part of the Lord of the Rings

The Return of the King

Roderick

After discovering the true nature of the One Ring, Bilbo Baggins entrusts it to the care of his young cousin, Frodo, who is charged with bringing about its destruction and thus foiling the plans of the Dark Lord.

Being the First Part of the Lord of the Rings

The Fellowship of the Ring

This is my first time reading through. It started slow, though it is clear from the beginning why people love Tolkien. His pen is strong. Once the fellowship forms, the book picks up a pace and the thrill does not end. I’m eagerly looking forward to reading the next one. 

Jason Rivette

Continuing the story of The Hobbit, this three-volume paperback boxed set of Tolkien's epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, features exclusive covers from Peter Jackson's award-winning film trilogy, the definitive text, and a detailed map of Middle-earth.

A-Format Boxed Set

The Lord of the Rings

Abdul Rehman Ismail

The Fellowship of the Ring - the first volume in the trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" - tells the fateful power of the One Ring, and begins the magnificent tale of adventure which is continued in the Two Towers and reaches its mighty climax in The Return of the King.

--back cover

Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings

𝚕𝚒𝚕𝚢

5 ★ - (adored, absolute favorite) 

 rtc! this. was. amazing.

 Tolkien has got to be one of my most favorite authors *cries*



CWs, or things that caught my attention: mentions/descriptions of death, evil, spying, lying, threat of death, creepy half-alive beings,

Kellie Davis

Re-reading this series for my Tolkien class at school. A classic. Everyone should read these books especially if you like the movies. Tolkien's images through out the book are just amazing. I can picture ever little detail. The pacing is great and through the books you get the added bonus of the hobbit songs, which I love. Highly recommend for any fantasy lover.

In a sleepy village in the Shire, a young hobbit is entrusted with an immense task. He must make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ruling Ring of Power – the only thing that prevents the Dark Lord Sauron’s evil dominion.

Thus begins J. R. R. Tolkien’s classic tale of adventure, which continues in The Two Towers and The Return of the King.

The Lord of the Rings, Part 1

anjali

Gets off to a slow start, but once you've left The Shire, you've left the book, the immediate place you are in, all earthly dimensions, and any plans of what you were about to do before you picked up this book. It's pure story telling, and at its best.

I mean, come on...it's freakin LOTR, man.

I'm not crying...there's just something in my eye...

Emma Lechner

elizabeth

I don't have the most coherent review of this book or some grand statement(s) to make about its literary merit or importance or uniqueness. I just have some disparate thoughts that ultimately boil down to the fact that I mostly really liked this. It's not imperative that you really commit every paragraph about hobbit history to memory, but it's also not a story to rush through. It's just a journey to enjoy. 

And look, I didn't enjoy every detail. It's very man-forward. Good and bad are mostly oversimplified and the villain isn't so compelling as he is intimidating. There's a lot of (too much) singing, and if Tolkien wanted to be a poet, he should have been a poet (probably good that he didn't, though). Like everyone else including Peter Jackson, I was like, "why?" at Tom Bombadil. Sam needs to go to therapy to figure out how to break codependent patterns. A world-ending ring is kept in a pocket for some reason. I wanted to scream every time the phrase "at long last" was used because it's used that much. 

But oh, my goodness, this trilogy has been a wonderful winter companion. I always crave fantasy this time of year (upper midwest escapism, maybe), and this hit the spot. It's warm. It's cozy. The audiobook versions made walking my dog in my small town feel kind of epic. Even if I'm not that into Sauron as a villain, the Nazgul are dope enemies. The fellowship that bridges races and histories is compelling even if individual character's aren't. Plus, whatever complexity the characters lack is made up for tenfold in the settings and creatures that Tolkien creates; the Lothlorien section in particular really took me there. It's hard to explain, but even the depths of Moria made such a peaceful bedtime read. A warm blanket of a book.

Melissa J

De todos los libros de Tolkien, esta segunda entrega de la trilogía es uno de los mejores. Me gusta que al final de la historia no sea la trama central la que entretiene de verdad, sino las tramas alternas que surgen a la par. 

Es un libro enriquecedor, tanto en valores como en palabras y vocabulario. Todos deberían poder leerlo y disfrutarlo tanto como yo.

As the Shadow of Mordor grows across the land, the Companions of the Ring have become involved in separate adventures. Aragorn, revealed as the hidden heir of the ancient Kings of the West, has joined with the Riders of Rohan against the forces of Isengard, and takes part in the desperate victory of the Hornburg. Merry and Pippin, captured by Orcs, escape into Fangorn Forest and there encounter the Ents. Gandalf has miraculously returned and defeated the evil wizard, Saruman. Sam has left his master for dead after a battle with the giant spider, Shelob; but Frodo is still alive — now in the foul hands of the Orcs.

And all the while the armies of the Dark Lord are massing as the One Ring draws ever nearer to the Cracks of Doom.
--back cover

Being the Third Part of The Lord of the Rings

Amna A.

There's definitely a whole lot more to this book than destroying the One Ring, but every single part represents a different allegory. Pretty sure this book was published around the time of World War II, which might suggest that Tolkien had written this book to bring ease to those around him and help them understand the situation which they were in, for instance, "From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring".

Rebeca Keren Nuñez

Hermoso, simplemente hermoso. Mi recomendación es que, comiencen la saga de el señor de los anillos, leyendo este. Como siempre la pluma de Tolkien impecable, muy estimulante. Lo lees y es imposible no verlo en tu mente. Si hay que elegir cuales son los libros que quiero tener para siempre en la biblioteca, sin dudas son los de esta saga, con este incluido.

Luke Harkness

Undeniably phenomenal but not without flaws

This book (well this and it's two original companions) pioneered fantasy and are the reason that elves, dwarves, long journeys and so much more are tropes of modern fantasy and have just become part of fantastical world's without explanation. In the 500 pages (only 1/3 of the full journey) this book explored such a variety of people, cultures and lands that it felt like a book of many smaller stories. Truly something special.

However, as mentioned, this book isn't perfect. At times the pacing can be very slow, there's also a LOT of text that is purely long text of the travelling they're doing and the land around them. If the land were fantastical and there were much to see during all of these, it would make sense, but often it is simply written to emphasise the length of their journey. As a result, it can drag and can sometimes take a little rereading.

However I cannot knock this book down for that as it is part of what gives the book its feel. It is supposed to feel like a long journey for naive hobbits travelling much much further than they ever have before and seeing many characters, creatures and cultures they never knew even existed. Can't wait to read the second...but may have a couple days off to build up the concentration levels again.

maitha mana

'So Frodo and Sam set off on the last stage of the Quest together.'

The first part of Tolkien's epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, featuring an exclusive cover designed to complement the new 'History of Middle-earth' series. Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power -- the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring -- the ring that rules them all -- which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose. Now available in smart a new livery to match the 'History of Middle-earth' series, and impossible to describe in a few words, JRR Tolkien's great work of imaginative fiction has been labelled both a heroic romance and a classic fantasy fiction. By turns comic and homely, epic and diabolic, the narrative moves through countless changes of scene and character in an imaginary world which is totally convincing in its detail.

Maria

3-3.5 at times. 
i enjoyed reading this a lot more than the first time around, but i do think the first part of this was way too long. it takes them forever to leave the shire and then another eternity to finally get to rivendell. immediately after the council of elrond happens, the pace picks up though, and it's a much easier read. it's also, i think, in these parts that tolkien's writing excels (gandalf's fall in moria was beautifully done, and the grief that comes after; the entire lothlorien chapter felt like a fairytale). 
overall, i can also say that i'm not mad about any of the changes that they've made in the movies, and i find them all pertinent. tom bombadil's chapters were quite long & honestly didn't really fit the tone of the movie, leaning more into a bizarre, adventurous tale, than fitting for this story (removing him also doesn't change much, overall, so... makes sense to not include him and burden viewers with more information than they need). i also like that in the movies, aragorn is given an arc throughout the entire series, where we see him grow into accepting his role as king. i do have to say though that i love book aragorn so much, he's charming and confident, and a friend to all. frodo relies so much on him and his counsel, and i loved the little bits when he notices the small changes in aragorn - no longer a ranger, but slowly becoming the king he was meant to be. another change i personally enjoyed is how they breathed more life into characters like boromir and even gandalf a little more so that when (view spoiler)[ their deaths come  (hide spoiler)] it would be more impactful, and we would care so much more. legolas, however, i kind of like more in the book - he's a bit weird, and says the strangest things, and only speaks to bring the worst news, i love him. 
i switched between reading my physical copy & listening to this on audio, and i have to say andy serkis does such an incredible job of narrating this, to the point that it felt as if i was watching the whole thing play out in my mind (completely separate from the movie). it made all the singing come to life, and i didn't actually find it annoying (although, it does feel at times as if tolkien wanted this to be a musical), and he does such good impressions of the characters, that i almost wondered at times if they brought the entire cast together for this. so, if you want to go about reading this in any way, i fully recommend the audiobook narrated by serkis, it's so worth it.

Oh. My. Goodness.

I had read The Hobbit a year ago for an English class and never thought to read LOTR. 
I got this copy of the trilogy bc I found it on sale on Amazon one day. 
I didn't actually pick it up and read it for quite a while, but when I did, I was immediately captivated. 
I saw why my friends were all telling me to get this book...
It is my favorite book.
Ever.
JRR Tolkien is a master writer.

Fantasy fiction. The first ever illustrated paperback of part one of Tolkien's epic masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, featuring 19 colour paintings by Alan Lee.

Sean Wilson

This book is a better book than I am a reader, I think. The attentive and imaginative reader will have a great time here, and I expect that it rewards multiple reads over time.

Well worth the whole journey to arrive here. Deeply satisfying.

(view spoiler)[After all we've been through, ending the story by doing battle with petty tyrants and liars was very clever and I think enjoyed that most of all! (hide spoiler)]

Isabella

The second volume in J.R.R. Tolkien's epic adventure THE LORD OF THE RINGS One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them Frodo and his Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. They have lost the wizard, Gandalf, in a battle in the Mines of Moria. And Boromir, seduced by the power of the Ring, tried to seize it by force. While Frodo and Sam made their escape, the rest of the company was attacked by Orcs. Now they continue the journey alone down the great River Anduin—alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go. “Among the greatest works of imaginative fiction of the twentieth century. The book presents us with the richest profusion of new lands and creatures, from the beauty of Lothlórien to the horror of Mordor.” – Sunday Telegraph

Being the Second Part of The Lord of the Rings

Sandrin

Book 3 was so freaking fun! Pippin and Merry are my beautiful best boys. 4 stars

Book 4 was boring af almost dnf. I just dont vibe with Frodo and Sam. 2 stars

IN LITTLE over ten year, J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy "The Lord of the Rings" has passed from the discovery of a small cult to become one of the treasured and most widely read novels of an entire generation.
The Fellowship of the Ring - first of the three books that comprise the complete story - tells of the fateful power of the One Ring, and begins the magnificent tale of war and adventure which is continued in The Two Towers and reaches its mighty climax in The Return of the King.
--back cover

Aragorn, my beloved, you can do no wrong.

Anyway, 3.5 stars cuz I still dont like Frodo and Sam ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
(also I prefer my female characters to actually talk to each other but thats just me ig)

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth still it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell, by chance, into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. From his fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, Sauron’s power spread far and wide. He gathered all the Great Rings to him, but ever he searched far and wide for the One Ring that would complete his dominion. On his eleventy-first birthday, Bilbo disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin, Frodo, the Ruling Ring, and a perilous quest; to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom. 'The Lord of the Rings' tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring; Gandalf the wizard, Merry, Pippin and Sam, Gimli the Dwarf, Legolas the Elf, Boromir of Gondor, and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.

Pedro Figueiredo

there's not much to be said, really. it's my favourite book of all time (i read it every 2 years).

The company of the Ring is torn asunder. Frodo and Sam continue their journey alone down the great River Anduin - alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.

Thus continues J.R.R. Tolkien's classic tale of adventure, THE LORD OF THE RINGS, begun in The Fellowship of the Ring and which reaches its awesome climax in The Return of the King.
--back cover

Apurva Chitnis

A classic of high fantasy, and one of my favourite books of all-time. Tolkein's world-building is second to none, and no author I've read comes close to him when describing darkness that Frodo and Sam experience in Middle-Earth.

There's certainly some slow sections that now seem dated (eg the chapters with Faramir) and others that could do with more detail (eg the Ents).

But overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this re-read. I'm looking forward to finishing the trilogy with The Return of the King, but I'm saving it for when I can really enjoy it.