R Tolkien, is the second of the acclaimed Lord of the Rings series. No work of fiction has had a more profound impact on modern science fiction. The reason for the success of the series is simple. The world Tolkien creates is engaging, the characters are captivating, and the plot is of an epic scale. The Two Towers is a novel that allows you to escape the bleak reality of this world and enter the Middle Earth, a world filled with magnificent beasts, heroic quests, and valiant warriors.
The ubiquitous themes of honor, glory, and destiny allow the reader to relate with the characters. The theoretical nature of good and evil is personified by the lords and heroes of the land. This is important as it allows the evil to be fought, and defeated. The righteous will prevail if they are courageous and willingly to sacrifice that which they love for the greater good of the Middle Earth.
This realistic way of portraying a fantasy world and the virtues of its inhabitants reinforces the reader's perception that the world Tolkien creates is tangible. Storms rage, the seasons change, and day turns to night; all of which effect the characters and the plot. This elaborate world has its drawbacks however. Mundane tasks like starting a fire or gathering food are described in detail over many pages in the wordy Old English that Tolkien uses liberally throughout the series.
The Two Towers was written in a time when communism was a serious concern and the role of woman was the homemaker. This is reflected in Tolkien's writing. The races of the characters, which draw heavily from mythology are often stereotyped and generalized. Whole races are portrayed as having the same beliefs and moral alignment. Women in significant roles are practically non-existent, and the few female characters there are do little to advance the plot of the series. Despite the heavy stereotyping, The Two Towers is a paragon of science fiction.