Tome.

I'm almost at the mid-point of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, which I've been working on for almost a month now. What a good book! I've read it before, but the first time I was pretty impatient and skipped most of the songs and a good part of the last chapter. So I've slapped myself in the head and decided not to jump ahead over any parts this time, and thus get a fuller, richer experience. Man, it's just so vivid! I love how Tolkien will describe thoroughly a location before any action takes place. This way he doesn't have to stop the action to describe the path that the characters are running down, not to mention the picture it paints in your mind of a real world, brimming over with history, lore, and mythology.

The one thing that still irks me is how casual everybody is towards the Ring. It's like "You, Frodo Baggins have discovered the weapon of the Enemy. He needs only this ring to cover all the lands in a second darkness, and He knows a hobbit of the Shire is in possesion of this most deadly and seductive of artifacts. Since you have resolved to bear this heavy burden as far as you may and your mind is set on the task ahead, take seven or eight months to begin your journey."

I guess in the movies they coneyed a sense of urgency which is, shall we say, lacking in the books. But then the books have such excellent, evokative description that are hard to translate into film. But like ol' PJ himself said, "the films are not a literal translation. That would be impossible. Any films will only ever be an interpretation of the book."

In either case, if y'all have a few months of nothing to read and a fair chunk of patience in your corner, then may I suggest The Lord of the Rings.