Join us as we participate in an epic adventure through Middle Earth! The Return of the King is the third and final book in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure series, The Lord of the Rings.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

As the shadow of Mordor grows across the land, the companion of the Ring have become involved in separate adventures. Aragorn, revealed as the hidden heir of the ancient Kings of the West, has joined with the Riders of Rohan against the forces of Isengard and takes part in the desperate battle of the Hornburg. Merry and Pippin, captured by Orcs, escape into Fangorn Forest and there encounter the Ents.

Gandalf has miraculously returned and defeated the evil wizard, Saruman. Sam has left his master for dead after a battle with the giant spider, Shelob; but Frodo is still alive , but now in the foul hands of the Orcs.

Meanwhile, the armies of the Dark Lord are massing as the One Ring draws ever nearer to the Crack of Doom.

In this multi-day class, we will meet once weekly for seven weeks to dive deep into this third book in the series. During class time, full participation in class discussion is expected. There is grace for a shy student, of course, but students will be encouraged to dive into the discussion as they acclimate to the group. Each student will have a turn to share their thoughts and ideas. I will have questions and discussion prompts ready each week, should conversation lag.  After our discussion time, we will end with a game if time permits! My book clubs are typically highly engaging, highly interactive, very lively! 

Chapters will be assigned to be read ahead of time, before class. There are 19 chapters in this book, plus appendices. The book is also available as an audiobook! All of class time will be dedicated to discussing the books, applying critical thinking, discussing characters, plot, and other literary aspects, etc, and ending with a fun game, all related to the book. Our last class will be a book party! Snacks are welcome and encouraged!

Week 1 - Please read chapters 1-4 BEFORE class!
Week 2 - Please read chapters 5-8 BEFORE class! 
Week 3 - Please read chapters 9-12 BEFORE class! 
Week 4 - Please read chapters 13-16 BEFORE class! 
Week 5 - Please read chapters 17-19 BEFORE class! 
Week 6 - Please read the Appendices BEFORE class! 
Week 7 - Book Party and Series Overview