Volume 2 – The Two Towers
The main story line in Volume 2 follows the movements and experiences of 3 sets of characters. The Hobbits, Merry and Pippin wander into the Forrest of Fangorn and establish a mission of their own with a new life form, the Ents.
The second set involves Aragorn (a.k.a. Strider the Ranger), Gimli (The Dwarf) and Legolas (The Elf). See my review of Volume 1 for more information on each of the identified characters and the role they play. They meet the Riders of Rohan and visit the King of Rohan. This meeting establishes an alliance that lasts through the remainder of the Triology.
The third set of characters Frodo and Sam continue their journey into Mordor and get assistance from an unlikely ally. Each of these sets of characters move seemingly apart. Tolkien artfully weaves their movements and actions in separate acts of good for Middle Earth.

Central Issues Within the Story
It becomes clear for the audio book listener that the ring bearer is carrying a tremendous weight. The ring creates a battle between mind and soul. The strain on the bearer is enormous and is a constant drain on energy and strength. The power of the ring becomes increasingly more apparent as the journey moves closer to Mordor.

Sauroman the White (Wizard), ally of the Dark Lord, exerts his strength and influence in unexpected ways in Volume 2.

Aragorn increasingly exhibits growing strength in both character and leadership in Volume 2. His real role in the story is not obvious to the listener, yet his growing influence is a strong omen.

Character Development
Overall, I believe that Tolkien consistently develops the central characters in the Two Towers. He does this without betraying what their role will be in the final volume of this trilogy. The one exception to this is Sauroman. Sauroman plays a key role in this volume, yet he is enigmatic, when compared to any of the other key characters. We learn something about him but comparatively little when one looks at the substantial role his actions have in this part of the story. I felt it was insufficient to simply show his actions as our main source of insight.

Rob Inglis’s Narration
Rob Inglis seems to be unlimited in his abilities. He makes The Two Towers come to life. It is so easy to listen to, I felt as if I had a talented story teller sitting beside me telling a true story. Each character and each situation sounds credible because of his flawless performance. I mentioned he seems to be unlimited in talent because, not only is he one of my top 5 narrators (out of 465 plus narrators that I have listened to), but he is also a journalist, a theater critic and a playwright.

Tolkien’s Writing Style
Tolkien’s writing style is very complex and detailed. I’ve read and listened to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I found reading the Lord of the Rings very slow and difficult to follow, when compared to listening to the audio book. I believe this audio book production will make it much easier for people to follow the story line.

Author: Tolkien, J. R. R.
Title: The Lord of the Rings - Book 2 The Two Towers (Cassette)
Publisher: Recorded Books, LLC
Year Published: 2001
ISBN: 0788789546
Format: 10 Cassettes
Length in Hours: 17 Hours

The Trilogy
J.R.R. Tolkien authored a three volume fantasy titled, “The Lord of the Rings.” The volumes are:

Volume 1 -The Lord of the Rings – Book 1 The Fellowship of the Ring
Volume 2 – The Lord of the Rings – Book 2 The Two Towers and
Volume 3 – The Lord of the Rings – Book 3 The Return of the Kings


Recommended: Yes