April 24, 2018

There are indeed many pieces of influential literature out there in a variety of different genres. The most influential of the fantasy genre is J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Authors such as George R.R. Martin, author of the acclaimed Game of Thrones books, Stephen King, writer of both fantasy and horror novels such as The Stand and The Dark Tower series.

John Ronald Reuel (J.R.R) Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. At age four he and his mother along with his younger brother settled in Birmingham, England after his father died in South Africa. In 1900 his mother converted to Roman Catholicism and J.R.R Tolkien became a devout practitioner. In 1904, Tolkien’s mother died, resulting in both him and his brother becoming wards of a Catholic priest. Four years pass and Tolkien meets another orphan named Edith Bratt who he proposed to when he was 21. All the while he attended classes at King Edward’s School in Birmingham and Exeter College, Oxford. When the tides of war emerged in the form of the First World War, Tolkien saw combat in the Somme. After the Armistice he was on the staff of The Oxford English Dictionary. A majority of his adult life was spent teaching the English language and Literature at the University of Leeds and Oxford. It was in 1930 that The Hobbit was published, followed by The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which was released in 1954. He produced a number of other works in his life, too many to list, but his work did not go unnoticed. The Lord of the Rings is, according to a poll in 1996, the best book of the 20th century as well as the most influential. Eventually, Tolkien met his end on September 2, 1973.

Tolkien was influenced heavily by his love for myths and legends, specifically Norse mythology. He was also influenced by other works such as Beowulf, Das Rheingold by Richard Wagner, and both the Prose Edda and Poetic Edda. Finnish mythology played a large role in Tolkien’s creation of Middle Earth, more specifically the Finnish national epic Kalevala. A few of his personal experiences found their way into his books. For example, The Shire is speculated to be based off of the countryside around Stonyhurst College, where he lived in the 1940’s.

The story of Lord of the Rings begins in The Shire with a young hobbit, Frodo Baggins who is the adopted son of Bilbo Baggins, the main character of The Hobbit. Bilbo is about to celebrate his 111 birthday which results in Gandalf the Grey coming to see him. When Gandalf appears Frodo learns of the Ring of Power, which is in Bilbo’s possession, and is left to Frodo upon Bilbo’s departure to Rivendell. This results in a grand escapade in which Frodo is destined to throw the Ring of Power into the fires of Mount Doom where it was created. Along the way, many encounters with Dwarves, Elves, Orcs, Ringwraiths, Spirits, Elephants, and greedy stewards occur.

With a fine blend of high fantasy, adventure, and themes of greed and good versus evil, The Lord of the Rings was indeed a very compelling read. The sweeping landscapes and epic tales of companionship and good versus evil still to this day makes reading the story quite interesting. The best parts seem to be when the reader is entranced in the massive world that Tolkien has constructed. Every intricacy and plot is constructed in such a fine detail that they become hard to forget after one has completed reading the books. Another charm that this series brings forth, more so for the current generation, is realizing how influential the books are. When one reads other works of fantasy created in the last 50 years, following Tolkien’s work, one can notice the influences that the author has taken from Tolkien. One could claim that the good versus evil trope has been done to death and that The Lord of the Rings is just another book with this particular theme. However, looking back at works past and seeing classic tales full of themes that would be disregarded in modern literature is part of the charm.

If you are searching for a book that will take more than a week to finish, a book with sweeping landscapes and fantastical stories, a book with strong characters and a strong story arc then The Lord of the Rings is a great choice.