Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

I don't know why this book was hard for me to follow. Too many characters, maybe, too much history. But I started watching the movie right after I finished the book. Either it was quite different, or I really missed more than I was thinking in the book. I know the wizard that turned bad imprisoned Gandalf. But not much else was said of him - I think. In the movie it shows him creating a whole army out of trees? It started with Bilbo's party, and Gandalf explaining the Ring to Frodo. But I was not sure I understood Merry and Pippin. They seem to be twins.

Also, Pippin and Merry join Same and Frodo in quite a different way than in the book. In the book, they plan on joining him, and meet up at a Hobbit city en route. In the movie, they just stumble upon them.

The scenes with Strider, and the white horse fooling the 9 dark riders, seems consistent with the book.

A romance between the elf queen and Strider? Could I have missed it in the book? Maybe it is introduced in the later books?

Frodo's decision to take the ring to Mordor is very dramatic, and touching. I didn't find it as powerful in the book. Also, I don't think Frodo put the ring in the middle of the council, but I am not sure about that.

Foreshadowing when Boromir picks up the ring when Frodo drops it. Strider holds his sword as he tells him to give the ring back to Frodo.

Saruman seems to have a much bigger part in the movie. I only remember him mentioned briefly in the book, but he seems to be behind almost every evil in the film. He also serves as a narrator, which of course come in handy in a film. When they decide to turn back from the mountains and go through the mines (which also occurs in the book), it is Frodo who decides, rather than Gandalf and Strider, as it is in the book. Gimli the dwarf is eager to go through the mines too. They leave the pony (Bill) outside the mines, but he is not mentioned before that. In the book he is almost a 10th character on the journey, and Sam's loyal companion. The creature they encounter in the water outside the mines is much more dramatic than in the book. Made for great special effects.

I think I remember thiis from the first time I saw the film. Strider and Boromir look too darn much alike. It is hard for me to tell them apart now, when I understand how different their actions are. I can't imagine how confused I was the first time around.

When Merry (or Pippin, is there really much difference?) sends something down the well and wakens the Orcs, Gandalf is just as annoyed and mean. THe hobbits fight bravely against the Orcs, which is how it goes in the book too. But it is touching to see onscreen.

The ending of the movie confused me somewhat. It was completely different from the book. Then I started The Two Towers (the 2nd book), and I understood. The movie attempted to add a little more drama but incorporating the battle scene from the 2nd book. Also, Aragorn tells Frodo directly "I would have followed you to the end" in the film, which is more powerful than when he just tells it to Legolas in the book. Frodo also tests Aragorn in the movie, by offering him the ring. Aragorn just closes his hand and then tells him the line about follwing him.