If you are looking at the book The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers and are feeling a little overwhelmed by how thick it is, you are not alone. Many people who have read The Hobbit and The Fellowship of The Rings have found that some portions are hard to get through. However, as it links together the first and third books, it is important for you to read since it answers many questions and provides information you need to make the third book, The Return of the King, make sense.

You will find that the book tends to be a study in contrasts. There are some portions that are filled with action, suspense and intrigue. There are also sections which focus more on the environment that the characters are traveling through and which tend to be a bit slower paced.

It is for this reason that the movie version, released in 2002 and directed by Peter Jackson, was excellent. Although there have been some criticisms about some of the plot choices that were made in the movie, on the whole it is an excellent film. Like the first movie, Jackson uses a combination of sets, special effects and make-up in order to recreate key locations such as King Theoden's hall in Rohan.

Because the focus in on action and not description, it is harder to ignore the references to the two towers. The first is that of Sauron himself, deep in the heart and darkness of Mordor. The second is that of the wizard Saruman who has fallen under Sauron's control. You see the extent of Saruman's treachery which is first mentioned in the Fellowship of the Ring.

The Fellowship was broken at the end of the first movie due to the attempted theft of the Ring from Frodo by Boromir. The movie is split into two different sub-plots. The first is the travels of Frodo and his companion Sam and the second is the travels of the remainder of the Fellowship. The companions are further separated due to events which occur during the book, and this gives us the opportunity to be introduced to many of the different cultures and races in Middle Earth.

In the book, it is difficult to jump back and forth between the different parts of the Fellowship. The movie does this well and also allows us to get to know other important characters as well. It makes it more interesting for the audience to see the bravery of Eowyn of Rohan, the cowardice of Golum and other pivotal characters.

If you are someone who loves action, this book is filled with some of the most incredible scenes of any in fantasy literature. The main battle is that of Helm's Deep, where humans hole up and are besieged by Orcs, Goblins and Uruk-hai.

Both the movie and the book have an important role to play in the overall trilogy. Peter Jackson's version keeps the viewer riveted and the visual scenes of travelling keep the interest level up more than the book tends to do.