Hello, people! Where's Saruman?

Rating: Null/10 (1 October 2004)

I read the Lord of the Rings in 2002, and it took me around nine months. It was extremely heavy going, until well past page 900. I was surprised when I discovered that there was about another 100 pages to go after the ring was returned to Mount Doom. Those last 100 pages were the best in the whole book. Why? Because of the unexpected (and unwelcome) reappearance of Saruman in the Scouring of the Shire.
Fast forward to seeing the film (I have purchsed all three on a DVD set). I was already concerned when I read of Christopher Lee's part being cut. My worst fears were realized when the plot missed this hugely significant sequence altogether. This gaffe alone made this by a long way the least satisfying of the trilogy.
So to all you people who haven't read the book but have seen all three films, and proclaim this as "The best of all time", didn't you wonder what happened to Saruman? As for those who have read the book and still regard this as a masterpiece, shame on you!