I remember reading it for the first time a few months ago ;), so I can say
that, yes, I was surprised by the Prologue's matter of fact accounting of the
end of the story. I don't remember the references to Boromir/Faramir -
but then I had already seen FOTR when I read the book.
I was surprised by the accounting of the hobbits. But nothing prepared me
for the shocker I got when I was later reading the books and introduced to
Gollum. I popped onto the Encyclopedia of Arda and looked him up and
RIGHT THERE in one sentence it summarized him by saying he grabbed the ring at
the edge of Mt. Doom from Frodo then slipped and fell into the fire!
ARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH. &*(&( I was so mad.
I stayed away from looking anything up there again, but between that and the
prologue and hopping onto this board while I was reading, I pretty much did in
the surprise
factor.
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