Not Reviewing These

I just finished reading The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings again, and I will not be reviewing them.

I can't say how many times I've read them -- I first read The Hobbit in 9th grade, and have read them pretty regularly every few years since then, which would be approximately 20 readings! I'm sure I would find something new to delve into, if I tried. I'm just choosing not to set that task for myself.

One of the nicest things about being a grown-up is being able to make one's own rules.

That said, I know a review would include one or more of these topics:

* Class distinctions between Frodo/Merry/Pippin and Sam, Frodo's "servant"
* Distinctions between the races (Men, Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, etc.) and within the families of Men, although there are "good" and "bad"/"high" and "low" in all the races
* Permeation of the entire worldview by the contrast between Good/Light and Evil/Dark

In some ways, this is how we tell stories -- conflict and contrast are what move a tale forward. It's important, though, to recognize and name stereotypes for what they are and to make sure our judgments in real life are also rigorously scrutinized.

While the books remain the same, I am definitely a different reader these days.