The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, Part 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

by J.R.R. Tolkien (Author)
Key Phrases: wild man, black rider, errand riders, Paths of the Dead, Bag End, Farmer Cotton (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
New Line Cinema will be releasing "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy in three separate installments, and Houghton Mifflin Tolkien's U.S. publisher since the release of The Hobbit in 1938 will be re-releasing each volume of the trilogy separately and in a boxed set (ISBN 0-618-15397-7. $22; pap. ISBN 0-618-15396-9. $12).
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
"The story moves on with a tremendous narrative rush to its climax... extraordinarily imaginative work, part saga, part allegory, and wholly exciting." Daily Telegraph --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Del Rey; 50th Anniversary Edition edition (July 12, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345339738
• ISBN-13: 978-0345339737
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (267 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #57,679 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 3 in The Lord of the Rings Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The end of the Third Age, February 2, 2000

By	Javier Pleitez (Lynwood, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Return of the King (The Lord of The Rings, Part 3) (Paperback)

The Return of the King is the final part of The Lord of the Rings. In this last part the feeling of good versus evil reaches its pinnacle in LOTR. Tolkien gave incredible detail describing the War of the Ring, as it spanned several chapters. All of the characters are developed further, and for most of the TROTK, the story remains a two way split. TROTK has an amazing conclusion, and that is partly bad. Upon finishing the novel, I was sad that it was over, and I didn't want it to be over, because Middle-Earth is a great place to get lost in. You go on the journey that the Fellowship undertook, and feel everything that each member of the party felt. This is possible because throughout LOTR, Tolkien wrote vivid passages describing the regions of Middle-Earth, the characters, and what they were thinking. I read TROTK more slowly, because I wanted to stay longer than what the novel would allow. The four hobbits of the Fellowship become harden warriors, a trait that was virtually absent from their kind. Even though the novel finally came to a complete finish, it felt like it left room for more. It's to bad that there is no direct sequel, and while it answers most of the questions left from the end of The Hobbit, the reader can come up with plenty more questions upon finishing LOTR. Professor Tolkien did a work that was unexpected in its depth. He invented several REAL languages and writing systems, a complete history to back the novel, and created a wonderful world filled with diverse races and environments. Some fantasy authors may have tried to reach Tolkien's level in fantasy literature, but I am certain the The Lord of the Rings will never be duplicated. The Return of the King stands as the incredible conclusion of the greatest epic ever written. My only regret was that it ended.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Of The Lot, September 4, 2003

By	Judith W. Colombo (Deposit, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

One Ring to find them
One Ring to bring them all
And in the darkness bind them

Each generation of storytellers creates a new myth that grabs hold of the imagination of future generations for decades to come. In 1937, J.R.R Tolkien started such a myth with the publication of "The Hobbit". Despite the flaws of their creator and the displays of racial, class, and gender prejudices that is obvious to a modern audience, the books of the trilogy brilliantly recount the tale of Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves and Men and their battle with evil. It is in the portrayal of his heroes struggle against the baser forces that the author transcends his own shortcomings to pen what has become one of the best sagas of courage, nobility of spirit, and raw adventure.

Although often referred to as a trilogy Tolkien first wrote "The Lord of the Rings" as a single novel consisting of six books plus appendices. Tolkien's publisher divided this massive book into three novels. The first novel, "The Fellowship of the Ring", was first published 1954. This book continues the story begun in "The Hobbit" when Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit, found a shiny ring lost by a creature called Gollum.

"The Fellowship of the Ring" reintroduces the audience to Middle Earth and her occupants. Each of the nine characters that compose the fellowship of the ring represents a different race that lives in Middle Earth. There is Gandalf the gray, a mighty wizard; Legolas the noble elf; the men Aragon a ranger and future king of men and Boromir eldest son of the Stewart of Gondor; Gimli, a dwarf lord; and finally the Hobbits Frodo, the ring bearer; his gardener and friend Sam and his two younger cousins Meriadoc or Merry and Peregrin or Pip.

This first book also tells the story of the creation of the Rings of Power by the Elven-smiths and how Sauron the Dark lord of Mordor forged the One Ring filling it with his own power so that he could bind all the other ring wearers to his will. Although defeated centuries ago and his ring lost, Sauron now awakes and seeks it. Bilbo's ring is soon discovered by Gandalf to be the One Ring. Soon it is decided that Frodo and his companions must enter Mordor and cast the ring into the very fires from which it was forged. This is the only way to destroy it.

The fellowship ends with the fall of Gandalf to the fiery creature the Balrog, the death of Boromir at the hands of the evil Orcs who kidnap Merry and Pip and the decision of Frodo to continue on with only Sam to Mordor. Aragon, Legolas, and Gimli set of to rescue Merry and Pip from the Orcs.

Book two, "The Two Towers," chronicles the separate adventures of Aragon traveling with Legolas and Gimli, Pip and Merry fleeing from the Orcs meeting up with the Ents and reuniting with Gandalf and of Frodo and Sam moving toward Mordor. This book also introduces us to new characters: Faramir, younger brother of Boromir; the Ents, the treelike guardians of the woods; King Theoden of the Rohan, his nephew Eomer and his niece Eowyn. We are also reintroduced to the evil wizard Saruman and his city of Isengard and to the creature Gollum.

Book three, "The Return of the King," is the final novel in the trilogy and by far the best. This is an example of the author surpassing his own limitations as the characters thrive and grow. This novel opens as the shadow of Mordor grows. The companions of the Ring continue to follow separate paths all leading toward the same goal, the overthrow of Sauron. Aragon is now revealed as the heir of the ancient kings of the West. Along with Legolas, Gimli, and Merry, he has joined forces with king Theoden and the riders of Rohan to go to the aid of the mighty city of Gondor. If Gondor falls so will the rest of Middle Earth.

Pip is now in the service of Denethor the steward of Gondor and father of Boromir and Faramir. He serves this harsh lord while awaiting the coming conflict. Gandalf gathers news and makes his own preparations for battle. Frodo and Sam after escaping the clutches of the giant spider Shelob continue their journey toward the Cracks of Doom and the destruction of the One Ring. All the while, Sauron's forces gather for the great battle for Middle Earth.

When I first read these books as a child, they captured my imagination and have not completely let it go yet. Rereading them in my late teens and early twenties I became disappointed by the author's prejudices that marred some of the passages for me. However, as I grew older and reread them again I realized that those things that offended my sensibilities were mere reflections of the age and climate in which the author was raised. They were not essential parts of this tale of the continuing battle between good and evil.

Tolkien set out to tell a story about the struggle between the world of nature represented by the Elves and the Hobbits and the age of the machine represented by Sauron and especially Saruman who destroyed entire forests to build his city and war machines. However, these stories transcend mere allegories about the struggle between man and machine or good and evil and become cosmic in their application when speaking of basic concepts such as good, evil, courage, friendship, loyalty and hope.

I had first set out only to review the third book "The Return of the King", because the movie will be out in December. However, I realized that for those of you who have not read the other books that it was essential to give back-story and this resulted in a review of all the books. I hope you find this review helpful and derive as much pleasure from reading these books as I did. The only thing I found confusing in the entire trilogy was the fact that the name of the evil overlord Sauron was so similar to that of Saruman the evil wizard. Fantasy and adventure lovers who have not yet read the books should do so.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The grand, bittersweet finale, May 16, 2002

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Return of the King" is the worthy climax to J.R.R. Tolkien's epic saga, the fantasy that created the genre as we know it today. Now, as the blockbuster movie adaptation is one-third over, evidenced by Viggo Mortenson on the book's cover, waves of new readers are checking out what is yet to come.

The story opens where "Two Towers" left off. Gandalf has ridden to the city of Gondor with Pippin (partly to keep him out of trouble), where the forces of Mordor are attacking. There is upheaval in the city itself, as the steward of Gondor is going nuts. Merry pledges his service to King Theoden of Rohan, not knowing what is ahead for the king and his relatives. And Aragorn is seeking out allies to fight Sauron on a military scale, even if they can't defeat him unless the Ring is destroyed. His search will take him to tribes of forest-dwellers, to Gondor -- and even to summon an army of the dead.

In Mordor, the unconscious Frodo has been captured by Sauron's orcs, and taken to the fortress of Cirith Ungol. Sam is desperate to free his friend, but knows that he can't take on an army, and that Frodo would want him to finish the quest. Sam manages to free Frodo from captivity, but they must still brave more dangers before they can come to Mount Doom, the only place where the Ring can be destroyed. As they travel Sam sees Frodo slipping further and further into the Ring's grasp. Will Frodo be able to destroy the Ring?

Usually, the climax of an epic adventure is a disappointment. "Return of the King" succeeds in almost every way, wrapping up each individual storyline. The ending has a feeling of finality; this is one story that could never have a sequel. With his own experiences in war, Tolkien shows that in a struggle against evil, there is no true "happy ending." Even if the good guys win, there will still be scarring, and death, and haunting memories of what once happened. And even if a person survives, he will never be the same.

Frodo is almost unrecognizable in parts of this book. The bright, naive young hobbit of the first book has been worn down by the pressure of the Ring, to the point where he seems to be only a pale shadow of himself. As he grows increasingly attached to the Ring, we even see him doing what seems unimaginable: threatening Sam with a dagger. Yet these actions make chilling sense, even when Frodo recovers his self-control only a moment later. It's a devastating demonstration of the hold the Ring has on him; he tries to resist it while knowing that he's falling too far into its grasp. When he lapses into depression and nihilism, the reader will start wondering if he can actually give it up.

Sam has come a long way from the shy young hobbit who couldn't say a word around the High Elves. This book has him chasing orcs with Sting, carrying Frodo physically through Mordor, fending off Gollum, and acting as the ultimate pillar of strength for his crumbling friend right to Mount Doom. Merry and Pippin have changed as well; Merry is exposed firsthand to the horrifying consequences of war, and has a hand in destroying one of the most evil entities in the world. Pippin's adventures are tame compared to those of his friends (possibly because he's still an adolescent), but we see him moving past his initial flakiness in an effort to be a serious warrior against Sauron. Gandalf's true nature is glimpsed yet again, but in a subtler manner. Aragorn breaks completely from the mold of rugged ranger and into the new status as a king, leading armies (both living and dead) without flinching. Legolas and Gimli assist as well; their friendship grows deeper, even as Legolas falls completely in love with the sea. Gollum's degenerate journey remains intertwined with Frodo's, even though he betrayed the hobbits in the previous book; and the icily passionate war-maiden Eowyn affects the War of the Ring in a stunning way that nobody could have predicted.

This is the grimmest of the three books in this trilogy. Aside from Frodo's emotional deterioration, we also have Merry becoming almost catatonic after the battle with the Witch King, and Denethor's descent into suicidal madness. There is a lot less humor, though it is still there: Pippin and Merry both thinking about food, Gandalf's reaction when Pippin pledges his sword to Denethor, some choice witty comments of Frodo's in the last chapters, and Gimli's half-joking threats to axe Eomer if Eomer doesn't consider Galadriel the most beautiful woman in the world.

Though a section of the book near the end descends into near-biblical prose, which changes post-Gondor, Tolkien does not waver in his ability to evoke emotion. One of the most touching scenes in the book is when Sam finds Frodo naked, unconscious and being beaten by an orc. Others include Aragorn calling the dead, Merry's farewell to Theoden, Eowyn's slaying of the Witch-King, the literally earth-shattering climax, and of course the Havens scene.

The story doesn't really end on the last page; for more background, especially on Aragorn and Arwen, readers should also read the appendices at the end of the book. I also advise readers to check out "The End of the Third Age," in which the unpublished epilogue of LOTR can be found. Though this is probably not canonical, it nicely concludes the story and is a heartwarming look at what happens in the years following LOTR.

It's difficult, once the story has finished, to accept that one has to say goodbye to Middle-Earth and its enchanting inhabitants. But as Gandalf says, "I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil."