The Fellowship of the Ring (Book Two) by J.R.R. Tolkien

In the review of Book One of The Fellowship of the Rings, I described how Tolkien introduced his readers to his themes and to his invented world.  In Book Two, we get a repeat dose, except this time things are on a far grander scale.

'The Council of Elrond' provides a fuller exposition of the problem facing Frodo and friends than that given in 'The Shadow of the Past'.  The band of five travellers that reached Rivendell is now become a Fellowship of nine with the addition of Gandalf, Boromir, Legolas and Gimli.  The episodes in Moria and Lothlorien are amplified versions of the encounters with the Barrow-wight and the Old Forest; however, each comes with its own back-story, and the action leads the travellers (and the reader) further and deeper into the history and geography of Middle-earth.

And where we had mysterious horsemen stalking the hobbits through the countryside, we now have Gandalf declaring:

"The Morgul-lord and his Black Riders have come forth.  War is preparing."

Yes, war.  Things are getting bigger, and yet the strategy of the Council pivots around the small and frightened hobbit Frodo Baggins.  As Elrond remarks:

Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere.

And next to Frodo we have Sam Gamgee, a hobbit of a far humbler origin - with even smaller hands, if you will.  It is very easy for the reader to notice the feats and leadership first of Gandalf and then, later, of Aragorn, or to get entangled in the Elf-magic of Galadriel, or to wonder at the unfolding beauty and danger of Middle-earth, and not to notice the loyal Sam.  It is the growing relationship between Frodo and Sam that will provide the heart and core of two of the later books.  Book Two ends with Frodo reluctantly accepting Sam to accompany him with no other help into the wilderness:

‘Of all the confounded nuisances you are the worst, Sam!’ he said.
‘Oh, Mr. Frodo, that’s hard!’ said Sam shivering. ‘That’s hard, trying to go without me and all. If I hadn’t a guessed right, where would you be now?’
'Safely on my way.’
‘Safely!’ said Sam. ‘All alone and without me to help you? I couldn’t have a borne it, it’d have been the death of me.’
‘It would be the death of you to come with me, Sam,’ said Frodo, ‘and I could not have borne that.’
‘Not as certain as being left behind,’ said Sam.
‘But I am going to Mordor.’
‘I know that well enough, Mr. Frodo. Of course you are. And I’m coming with you.’

 No greater love...