The Two Towers

Quality hardcover edition, ribbon bookmark, Tolkien’s original drawings, nice sized font, easy on the eyes. Feels really good in your hand, good quality paper. Love this book, so happy to find a beautiful hardcover edition of this beloved story to enjoy for years to come! I purchased the full series of books in this edition.

I have read "The Hobbit" & "Lord Of The Rings" so many times, I was 1st introduced to Bilbo in 5th grade. I love the books. And we all know the book is always better than the movie. I think same is my favorite Hobbit, & Gimli my favorite of the core group.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It is necessary to read "The Fellowship of the Ring" before this book and read this book before "The Return of the King". The book is slightly less "dramatic" than the film, but that is a good thing because more time is spent on explaining what is going on and why, which is something that the film lacked considerably. I especially liked how Tolkien choose to separate the parallel stories when the Fellowship splits with the war against Sauraman and the journey of Frodo/Sam to Mordor. The book ended with a nice cliff-hanger (I won't spoil it for those who have not read it). Clearly, Tolkien attempted to mimic the speech of medieval times (or so I think), specifically old England with the dialogue. There are a few times it becomes slightly "over-the-top", though nothing that by any means takes away from the greatness of this story. In some ways, it adds to the nostalgic feeling, but at times can be hard to follow. A word about the Kindle version (or any other electronic version): Given the advances in technology with reading books electronically, all of the Tolkien books could take advantage of those advances. One thing that I like about the electronic versions is the availability of a dictionary to look up words on demand. Given the fact that Tolkien created a very complex setting for his stories (essentially nearly an entire alternate fictional existence), electronic devices now deliver the opportunity to create a sort of "Tolkien Dictionary" that could be used to enhance the books. These reference materials could even be used to direct the ready to part of other books such as the Silmarilian and The Unfinished Tales to explain references made in this book (and the others). Also, those links could direct the user to officially recognized Middle Earth map sources to illustrate relevant areas (e.g. Helm's Deep). Certainly, this would entail the ready to purchase an entire collection, but in this case, it would make sense.

For curious newcomers, The Lord of the Rings is one novel, often published in 3 volumes. (This being the second, after "Fellowship" and before "Return of the King".) This novel is spectacular. I hate that I put off reading it for so long. I grew up on the 70's cartoon version of The Hobbit, and of course Larry the Cucumber's "Lord of the Beans", and subsequently the Peter Jackson films. I read The Hobbit in middle school, but was discouraged from attempting to read LotR because it was "long and dry", which is a horrible lie. Long, sure, I believe it's over 1000 pages from the beginning of Fellowship to the end of Return of the King, but dry? Nonsense. It's more entertaining and inspiring that any movie series. 10/10 will probably re-read several times.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Two Towers delivers a compelling continuation of Middle-earth’s saga, earning a solid 4.5 stars. The story’s scope is vast, weaving battles, alliances, and perilous journeys across detailed landscapes—from Rohan’s golden plains to the bleak Emyn Muil. Characters like Aragorn, Frodo, and Sam shine with complex depth, their loyalty and resilience driving the narrative, as “Not all those who wander are lost” captures their enduring spirit. Book IV’s introspective arc, centered on Frodo and Sam, is a standout, its emotional weight nearly perfect. However, Book III’s search for Merry and Pippin drags with slow pacing and prolonged details, tempering the adventure’s momentum. Tolkien’s prose, while clear and evocative, occasionally lingers too long, testing patience. Still, the rich world and heartfelt bonds make this a memorable read, though it falls just shy of The Fellowship’s brilliance.

A gripping middle chapter—and bonus? It helped me finish my box set! I’ve always been a fan of Tolkien, but this volume truly shines. The Two Towers delivers non-stop adventure, unforgettable landscapes—from the lush forests to the ominous depths of Mordor—and rich storytelling that pulls you deeper into Middle-earth. The narrative cleverly splits into two interwoven journeys—one following the broken Fellowship and the other tracking Frodo and Sam’s path toward Mordor—creating suspense that keeps you turning the pages. What I love most? This book didn’t just captivate me—it helped me complete my entire box set. It felt like a milestone moment—I closed the back cover and thought, “I did it. The journey’s real.” It’s both a fantastic standalone tale and a powerful connective piece in the epic trilogy. A must-read for any fantasy lover.

Beautiful vintage style cover. Love it!!

I read this the first time over 50 years ago ,and it’s still just as wonderful. Tolkien just draws such a vivid picture of this world. I’ve never seen Hollywood’s cheap version as the visions he writes in my head are far better.

Heel mooie uitgave, soms een beetje licht gedrukt maar steeds goed leesbaar

'An angry Ent is terrifying. Their fingers, and their toes, just freeze on to rock; and they tear it up like bread-crust. It was like watching the work of great tree-roots in a hundred years, all packed into a few moments'. The wonderful thing about the Lord of the Rings trilogy is the poetic and beautifully descriptive way that Tolkien describes Middle Earth and the many and varied characters, beasts, locations and events within it. It is all very well being able to use language rhetorically in fantasy tales but the magic is in describing an event as if it has actually occurred in wonder before your very eyes; as in the example above. And the Ents are just one example of how Tolkien layers deep meaning within his characters; such as how nature can be both serene and calm and devastating and all powerful. The idea that man sees himself as separate from nature and having the ability to conquer the many terrains and rich array of resources; what you could describe as a self-important and justified attempt to control the environment without truly respecting the force that nature can wield at any given moment, or the complex relationship between organic and mineral matter. Or maybe we do understand to some extent the magnitude of these truths, but it seems that our desire to achieve success and acquire leverage in our social groups has seen the initial work of the 'great' explorers in producing inventories of places and things progress into practices which have indeed expanded trading relationships, yet separated our thinking from our environment (by we and our I mean those with social influence). I don't personally believe that the Enlightenment period in itself precipitated the dogmatic devotion to the idea of a Utopia to be achieved by continual technological progress, as the question 'should we do that' often accompanied the statement 'we can do that' in the public sphere at that time. But it is obvious that somewhere along the line the spiritual appreciation for creation has fallen by the wayside and that the unabashed exploitation of the earths natural resources through our manufacturing and industrial capabilities has proceeded with very little resistance. Wisdom and due diligence have been lost and the game of power now plays out without limits. In order of significance, we are a mere aspect of the history of the Earths complex ecology, though regrettably as a race blessed with the ability to make choices based upon logic and common sense we act in ownership rather than custodianship. We can only really surmise about how the earth has developed and the many factors which influence it's gradual environmental changes; and what leads to things like aggressive patterns of weather. Very much like modern medical thought, prevailing mainstream industrial practices consider and treat materials (or symptoms) in relative isolation; marginalising holistic approaches, and of course there are dangers in this particular type of thought and behaviour when unchecked. And 'The scientific community' is far more advanced in it's understanding of particular objects of study over others, with knowledge in scientific terms being essentially our understanding of concrete causes and effects. We can see as far back as 13 billion years or so into space, tracing our steps back to a time long ago (to the Big Bang which is but a theory). As a counter point, how much do we really understand about the depths of our oceans or the sub-tectonic workings of the inner Earth? When we extract oil from the Earth or fracture shale rock are we truly aware of the long term changes that will occur by way of the initial act. Have we Humans recently demonstrated due diligence in our use of the earth as a resource, proportionately weighing up the advantages and potential risks of a given practice in equal measure. Did our planning help to mitigate the damage cause by The Deep Horizon disaster by way of an ever-progressing movement to search further, dig deeper, and extract more? From the news it would seem that the actual industrial practice is fine... it was the specific actors who failed. Yet ultimately we conceptualise in terms of Man's time when nature works in aeons and shifts subtly over vast distances. A blink of nature's eye can seem like complete devastation on the human scale. I have narrowed my focus here to offer something slightly different as a review in appreciation of the attention to detail and meaning inherent within the LOTR. Not forgetting the absolutely amazing plot, characters and battle between good and evil which make for epic reading. The films are a homage to the original book make no mistake about it. I love Peter Jackson's movies and they are great to get my Wife gripped as she prefers film to reading but the book is that awe inspiring that you can actually finish it and, if approached with the right frame of mind, come out the other end a more virtuous and noble person for it.

Książki przepiękne❤️ Jednak przesyłka niczym niezabezpieczona przez co dotarły do mnie poniszczone…

Prachtig boek, maar het is nu voor de tweede keer in 1 week beschadigd afgeleverd, omdat het niet goed verpakt was.

Great book.