The Two Towers- an enthralling sequel
5
By appleBook Critiques
The second volume to the epic Lord of the Rings saga, The Two Towers is a perfect follow-up to the first volume. J. R. R. Tolkien immerses us in Middle-earth once more in the second book of Middle-earth.
After the breaking of the Fellowship, The Two Towers begins with the death of Boromir, whose lust for the Ring grew uncontainable, and under its dark influence grew jealous of Frodo. After attempting to take the Ring from him, Boromir was slaughtered in an ambush by murderous orcs. Peregrin and Meriadoc are seperated from the Fellowship in the conflict.
The book takes a new approach in perspective. As Pippin and Merry escape from their orcish captours, they find themselves in Fangorn Forest, an ancient wood where some trees, wallowing in silence and contemplation, gain a spark of consciousness and begin to move. These mighty forest guardians, called ents, protect and feed the two hobbits.
Meanwhile, near the land of Isengard, the remaining members of the Fellowship wage war against Saruman, a once-pure Istari who, now corrupted by Sauron’s wicked forces, wields dark mystical powers and commands legions of orcs and trolls. Furious by Saruman’s desecration of Fangorn Forest and inspired to fight by Meriadoc and Peregrin, the ents begin to travel towards Isengard for vengeance.
Beyond the battle of Isengard, Frodo Baggins and his loyal companion, Samwise Gamgee, travel towards Mordor, the land of shadows, to destroy the Ring. Frodo feels the presence of the Ring corrupting him as it did Boromir, and bursts out in anger and avarice when Sam attempts to relieve Frodo of his burden.
As they grow ever closer to the great Mountain of Fire, they gradually become aware of someone following them. When this creature reveals itself, Frodo finds a horrific humanoid with the gruesome moniker of Gollum, an echo of the guttural sounds that he utters.
Gollum, once Sméagol, was once an innocent Stoor hobbit, living in the peaceful Shire. But when his companion and brother Déagol discovered the Ring at the bottom of the river where Isildur had lost it millenia ago, he found himself overwhelmed with yearning for the Ring. When Déagol refused to give him the Ring, Sméagol strangled him to death and took the Ring.
Many years later, scorned by his family, exiled to the Misty Mountains, Gollum has been twisted into a pale, horrific form, hunched and bloodthirsty, feeding of the flesh of any creature he could find.
Frodo and Samwise, acknowledging Gollum’s knowledge of Mordor, employ him as their guide into Mordor. This proves to be a risky proposition, however, as Gollum’s two-sided mind and personality twist him between the obedient, hobbit-like servant and the murderous, horrific assassin, and a guide as unpredictable as Gollum is a bad one.
Nevertheless, the trio of hobbits venture towards Mordor, fighting through lands corrupted by his influence, as they grow ever closer- and ever further- to defeating the mighty Lord of the Rings.
The Two Towers is certainly deserving of the acclaim it has been given, as a fantasy masterpiece and the second volume of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
