by J. R. R. Tolkien
(re-read)
I’ve said before that Sam is the hero here, not Frodo. He carries Frodo to the edge of Mt. Doom, for Pete’s sake. His perspective is given more than anybody else’s. And he gets the last line of the book.
I noticed on this re-reading that Pippin is maybe the second most major character. He’s given a lot of plot points, and a lot is told from his perspective.
In comparison, Frodo’s perspective is rarely given. I wonder why we think of him as the “hero”?
In re-reading, I also think that Gandalf’s effective rise from the dead is the plot’s weakest Deus Ex Machina. Moreso than the eagles.
Tytania 