What is the title of the second volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings?
Answer
The Two Towers
The second volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is titled The Two Towers.
The volume was published on 11 November 1954, between The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King. Its title refers to two major strongholds in Tolkien’s story: Orthanc, the tower of Isengard, and Barad-dûr, the Dark Lord Sauron’s fortress in Mordor.
The Two Towers continues the story after the Fellowship is broken. Its narrative follows several groups, including Frodo and Sam, Aragorn and his companions, and the hobbits Merry and Pippin. The book also contains the important meeting with Gollum and the Battle of Helm’s Deep.
The title has sometimes prompted debate because Tolkien’s notes considered alternative interpretations. Nevertheless, the published volume and its official title are unambiguous: The Two Towers.