The Lord of the Rings - J R R Tolkein

I was initially unsure about these books as Fantasy writing has never been my favourite genre and I had always assumed these books were not for me. People either told me they were the most wonderful books or that it was the most pretentious thing they had ever read. However, I loved the films so eventually decided to bit the bullet and try and read the books to judge for myself.

What struck me most about the first book – The Fellowship of The Ring – is how much was not included in the film. I was half way through the book and had discovered new characters and events, long before I reached Rivendell (the home of the elves). It is a very enjoyable, if long, opening to the trilogy.

Although I enjoyed the first book, I found the second and third ones – The Two Towers and Return of the King – much harder going. The story dragged more then it did in the film, and this time the detail did not seem to fresh, but just bog the book down more, and I was willing it to be over.

As someone who does not normally read fantasy-adventure type books, I was glad I had seen the films to help me relate to and understand some of the key characters and creatures that I came across. I think that if I had read the books first I would not have read the films, the books are too slow and long winded for me.