Title: The Fellowship of the Ring (1954)
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Pages: 480
Series: The Lord of the Rings #1 (Series Tracker)

Thanks to the mysterious and interest-piquing marketing campaign for Amazon’s upcoming LOTR series, I’m embarking on a reread of the original “trilogy” for the first time in almost 20 years. This time, I’m equipped with this great readalong to guide and enhance the experience.

I enjoyed this installment immensely and it felt like I was reading it for the first time. For so long my understanding of LOTR was based on Peter Jackson’s film trilogy, which is brilliant in its own right, but Tolkien’s text is rich, detailed, and filled with so much fascinating lore. In fact, rereading the first book has enhanced my understanding of the film while the film has provided great visual references to characters and settings that appear in the book. I love story beginnings and The Fellowship of the Ring is one of the best of all time.

★★★★½ out of 5