The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien [1954]

...Well! Wasn't this book so awesome? Dialogue, Prose, Characters, Plot, practically everything about this book is terrific. :)
I know the stories inside out, or at least I thought I did. Random little things are different, so there were still surprises and what not around every corner! Uh, page turn! Like Frodo singing on a table at the Prancing Pony to distract the bar attendees from Pippin blabbing about their quest! Or Frodo actually having a sense of humor... Reading this book totally ruined Movie Frodo for me. XD
Anyway, I'm not sure where to start. I suppose the writing would be a good place to start. Tolkien's writing is descriptive (especially the landscapes) and so poetic. There are a lot of songs and poems, and they're very pretty. Especially the one about Luthien Tinuviel. It's a writing style I hadn't really had experience with before, and it kind of cast a spell on me. ;)
I really liked the characters, especially Gandalf! He's a little quick-tempered and maybe a little mean, but never in a serious way. Sure, he yells at poor little Pippin, but it's not like he really did want him to throw himself into that well. Or did he? I think this verse from a song the elves sang about him sums up Gandalf the Gray quite well.

A lord of wisdom throned he sat,

Swift in anger, quick to laugh;

An old man in a battered hat
Who leaned upon a throny staff.

 

Sam Gamgee too, is a terrific character. He's brave, loyal, and emotional but not excessively so. And Gimli. Such a sweetheart. A very gruff one. ;)

A lot of people talk about the allegorical qualities of this book, but because I'm not perceptive at all, I wasn't able to isolate a whole lot of examples. Maybe when I'm finished with the whole series I'll be able to ramble at length about the Christian imagery. I did really like this bit that's in the first half, where Gandalf and Frodo are talking about Gollum (in the movie this scene takes place in Moria). I think that the whole Gollum storyline is tragic and at the same time a little mysterious, I don't know how to explain it. It's like one of those things that you think is really unfortunate, but turns out to be exactly how things were meant to be. How many times do we ask God to lift some misfortune from us, only to find that this 'misfortune' is exactly what helped us along the right path. As Gandalf said, that is an encouraging thought! Man, I did not do a good job at all of explaining that, but I'm sure its a very obvious reflection that you noticed already. :)
I'm trying to find something to nitpick so that I don't sound like a starry-eyed fangirl (though I kind of am one. Sorry. Okay, no I'm not.), so um... well, the pacing might be a little slow to readers used to modern fiction. The last book I read before starting this was The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, which is very fast paced, so for a little while it felt a tad slow.
There are some books that you read fast, in one day. And there are other books that you read slowly and savor, and I think that LOTR is one of those kinds of books. :)

The Verdict: A+
I um... not sure what exactly to say here. I mean, this wasn't really a review so much as a rant. I really enjoyed this book, and it's definitely one of my favorites. :)




The Tale of Despereaux [2003]

Is it ridiculous for a very small, sickly, big eared mouse to fall in love with a beautiful human princess named Pea? The answer is... yes. Of course, it's ridiculous. Love is ridiculous. But love is also wonderful. And powerful. And Despereaux's love for the Princess Pea would prove, in time, to be all of these things: Powerful, wonderful, and ridiculous.
-Chapter Five: What Furlough Saw

You'll have to forgive me for being so sentimental about this book, because it's one of my favorite books. I love it so much that I willfully (and with great joy) ignore the age recommendation on the back of the book. Ages 7-12? Really? Why should children be the only ones to enjoy this story?
The Tale of Despereaux is about a tiny, sickly, big-eared mouse boy who falls desperately in love with a human princess. However, his actions (Instead of eating books, he reads them, for example) deeply disturb the other mice, and he is banished to the dungeons where he'll surely be devoured by rats.
I suppose that does sound a little childish, and it was very appealing to my ten-year-old self. But here's the thing. I've read Michael Crichton and Victor Hugo, and this book holds up very well next to those books. Because even though the premise is simple, this is a very intricate book. It's told in a non-linear fashion which is very interesting, and it's very deep.
Our hero, Despereaux knows his limits. He knows that he is tiny, he knows that he is sickly. At the beginning of the book, he faints as often as Lucie Manette at a courtroom trial. But he is gallant, and his devotion to the princess is what gives him his strength. Despereaux's faith is challenged, and he almost loses faith completely. And yet he keeps on going anyway. That is a really admirable show of character, at least to me. There's also Chiaroscuro, a rat from the dungeon who's love and yearning for the light leads to tragedy, and Miggery Sow, a simple serving girl who wants desperately to be a princess. All these characters have satisfying and complete story-arcs. The only one who I think is maybe a little flat is the princess Pea herself. She suffers from Cosette/Lucie syndrome. Her purpose as a character is to be the person who's presence drives the other character's actions. But even she has her flaws and moments of conflict.
The writing is quite good. It's very easy to read and understand, but it's not like reading a Little Golden Book or something like that. It's simple, but not condescendingly so. And there is so much quotable-ness. Okay, that isn't a word, but there are a lot of very interesting passages from the book that warrant mention, especially the one at the top of the post. Here are a few more.

 

Reader, you must know that an interesting fate (sometimes involving rats, sometimes not) awaits almost everyone, mouse or man, who does not conform.

-Chapter Three: Once Upon a Time

 

Farewell is a word that, in any language, is full of sorrow. It is a word that promises absolutely nothing.

-Chapter Twelve: Adieu

 

The dungeon, reader, stank. It stank of despair and suffering and hopelessness. Which is to say that the dungeon smelled of rats.

-Chapter Fourteen: Darkness

 

"Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark. Start at the beginning. Tell Gregory a story. Make some light."

-Chapter Fifteen: Light

 

Rats have a sense of humor. Rats, in fact, think that life is very funny. And they are right, reader. They are right.

-Chapter Sixteen: Blinded by the Light

 

There are those hearts, reader, that never mend again once they are broken. Or if they do mend, they heal themselves in a crooked and lopsided way, as if sewn together by a careless craftsman.

-Chapter Twenty-Two: He puts his heart together again

 

Reader, there is nothing sweeter in this sad world than the sound of someone you love calling your name. Nothing.

-Chapter Fifty: In which the Princess says his name

 

The Verdict: A+

As you can see from the quotes above, this book isn't all sunshine and lollypops. There are sad things that happen, and dark things. I think it might be a little too much for some younger kids. But there's also a lot of light and forgiveness. It's definitely not your average fairy tale story. So for that reason, even though it doesn't look like much on the outside, I recommend this book. :)
Have I oversold my point or WHAT?





The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (by Kate DiCamillo) [2006]

Like The Tale of Despereaux, another book by Kate DiCamillo, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is a fairy tale written for children. However, the story isn't just for children.
It's a beautiful story about a toy china rabbit who becomes separated from his little girl, and is unable to find his way back to her. But there isn't just that. Edward Tulane, the titular china rabbit, is quite vain, being very proud of his fine looks and vast wardrobe of clothes. He takes his luxurious life for granted, so when he's separated from his owner, Edward's world is shattered.
It's not a long book, but I don't remember any other book that made me so depressed, or brought me to tears. Edward passes through many lives over the years, and some of the situations are absolutely heart-wrenching. As he progresses along his journey, Edward grows a heart and learns to love. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is a rather intense book, but the dark facets of the story are presented gently. Gently, without being watered down. The writing style is easy to read, but the imagery is beautiful, and it's quite accessible to all ages. There are also illustrations in the book, you can see a little on the cover up there. They're quite well-drawn, with gorgeous attention to detail. So... you can probably tell that I love this book. XD

The Verdict: A+
Notes: Like I said above, there's some really sad stuff in there. But it's perfectly fine for kids. I totally recommend this book.