I felt that Rowling, just for example, did something different with her series, in that her story reads both as an ongoing plot as well as separate discrete books. LoR on the other hand - to me at least - read as one long story that was somewhat arbitrarily chopped into 3 pieces so that it wasn't a 'tome.'

I don't feel that the Two Towers was flawed necessarily, it just seemed like it lacked a certain about of 'discrete' unity as a book in an of itself.

Well The Lord of the Rings is technically one long story and Tolkien wrote it as such; it was the publisher who split it into three novels because of paper shortages after the second world war.

Probably my favourite part of the novel is the introduction of Faramir. The way he was portrayed in the movies, (which I ), causes me much consternation in the way his character was changed from an honourable man to someone who initially wants the ring. Novel Faramir remains one of my favourite characters.

I also loved the ending. Until the final pages, the reader believes Frodo has perished. To end on such a joyous note is very clever and makes you want to immediately delve into the third novel.