Tolkien doesn’t write chapters; he builds civilisations. The Fellowship of the Ring is a slow, deliberate march through languages, histories and the lived feel of time, a marathon of meaning more than a sprint of action. I respect the scope, loved the journey, but prefer punchier reads.
(00:00) “You shall not pass.”
(00:09) Welcome & why review Fellowship now
(01:14) Trilogy intent & page heft (535pp!)
(01:34) Comparing to The Hobbit — brisk romp vs dense saga
(02:15) Tolkien the philologist: languages → world → story
(03:46) Book vs films; songs, lore, and density
(04:50) When detail drags — what I skimmed & why
(06:25) Feeling the journey: Tolkien makes time pass on the page
(07:52) “Feels familiar” because it birthed the genre
(08:31) Fellowship in a nutshell (plot sketch)
(09:44) What I loved vs what I didn’t (I like punch)
(10:51) Verdict, who should read it, and why — 7/10
(11:31) Sign-off & CTAs
Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast
Connect with Mere Mortals:
Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspods
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts
Value 4 Value Support:
Boostagram: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support
Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast
Popular Podcasts
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com