Like The Hobbit, I again really enjoyed Tolkien’s writing style. The Hobbit felt more enchanting and easier to read, but The Fellowship of the Ring is clearly cut from the same cloth.

The composition of Frodo's adventure (or what we have adventured so far, at least) is probably my favorite aspect of the book. Most noteworthy sections to me included Tom Bombadil, the Prancing Pony (and the introduction of Strider), the reunion at Rivendell, and the Mines of Moria. By the end of this volume, it feels like you’ve been on an adventure yourself, with more to go.

Separate from the plot, and not specific to this book, I love Tolkien’s invented vocabulary. Having previously watched the movies, seeing the spellings alongside the pronunciations is satisfying. I particularly like Dol Guldur and Minas Tirith - they scratch an itch and just feel right.

Throughout the book there are some passages that I thought were drawn out and boring. I can specifically remember passages around the encounter with Tom Bombadil and the pass through Lothlórien that were very slow. At times these sections felt like deep dives into seemingly irrelevant things (I can only imagine the vast LOTR trivia). It occasionally disrupted the pacing, though not enough to hurt my overall experience.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and am looking forward to finishing the series.