Loving "The Lord of the Rings"

I’ve had The Lord of the Rings on my mind lately.
 

Not only is it the "one fandom to rule them all," but I’ve been reading academic essays about the series as part of my light summer reading. So, what would be a better follow-up to my first blog post ever than talking about why I love The Lord of the Rings?

For those of you who might be unfamiliar with the books, The Lord of the Rings is a trilogy written by J. R. R. Tolkien that formed the basis of Peter Jackson's film adaptations. The books are entitled The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. I recommend these books to anyone who is interested in a classic tale of good versus evil and adventure (with the warning that these are not quick reads and are probably not reading-level appropriate for the very young).

Now, for a basic summary of why I love The Lord of the Rings.
 

Plot

I enjoy how Tolkien built the plot of this work. The Fellowship of the Ring begins with a joyful celebration that just about everyone has experienced – a birthday party – but then it quickly develops into a quest in which the fate of the entire world is on the line. I do not want to give too much away, but I will say that trilogy’s plot keeps reader interest high as it eventually splits, follows the activities of different groups, and then reunites at the end.

Adventures

I’ve always loved adventures, and the trials the main character Frodo and his companions face in the books are incredible. The story is basically a quest to destroy an evil Ring and defeat the evil Sauron, but to quote the wonderful movie The Princess Bride, the books are full of “fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles…” There’s something for everyone in The Lord of the Rings.

Characters

Characters unworthy of a good plot make for a disappointing story. Fortunately, this is not the case with The Lord of the Rings. The main struggle of the series might seem like a straightforward battle between good and evil (which has upset some critics for being too “black and white”), but as C. S. Lewis notes in “The Dethronement of Power,” the characters are very much NOT clear cut (para. 1-2). Some are distant and almost trapped in static myth, but many are dynamic, some even seeming as likely to come from a small rural town in America as from an imaginary land.

 Style and Language

The Lord of the Rings has been criticized for being too detailed, too dense, too slow, or not having beautiful writing. I personally find Tolkien’s writing style stark but unique. In fact, I think it is lovely at times. This simplicity of the writing allows the reader to focus on the story, not on the language. Battles and mighty deeds lose none of their grandeur for being expressed with simple words. However, the simple diction is nothing to downplay. The books are full of quotable gems, such as “your Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while all the company is true” (400-1), spoken by Galadriel in The Fellowship of the Ring.

Themes

Tolkien claimed that The Lord of the Rings is not an allegory (a story that has literal meaning and deeper meaning; a story that works on two levels), but the books are full of deep universal truths all the same. I think this book is a classic because it investigates the struggles one takes on in the fight of good versus evil. Critics have drawn out themes such as the importance of free will, the power of choice, and the corrupting influence of power (please refer to Zimbardo and Isaacs’ Understanding The Lord of the Rings: The Best of Tolkien Criticism). Some see religious meaning in the story (Tolkien was Catholic), while others like to focus on how its lessons can be applied to real life. The Lord of the Rings concerns facets of life all people face in every time: how to act in the face of evil or danger, making choices, friendship, and sacrifice. The trilogy deals with important ideas and invites readers to consider them.