From the back cover, about the author.
J.R.R. Tolkien (1892–1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing The Hobbit , The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion , plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over sixty languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.
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J. r. r. tolkien.
J.R.R. Tolkien was born on 3rd January 1892. After serving in the First World War, he became best known for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, selling 150 million copies in more than 40 languages worldwide. Awarded the CBE and an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Oxford University, he died in 1973 at the age of 81.
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Customers find the storyline unparalleled, timeless, and fun to thumb through. They appreciate the completeness, saying it's all the LOTR books in one volume. They also find the illustrations beautiful. Readers describe the book as readable and easy to read. Opinions are mixed on the page thickness, with some finding it thick and others saying the pages are thin.
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Customers find the illustrations in the book beautiful, realistic, and detailed. They also say the author really knows how to paint a picture with his writing.
"...This is a very well designed and well printed/bound edition, built to last and beatufil...." Read more
"...gallantry, while other men show weakness by succumbing to evil... very realistic ...." Read more
"...The grand landscapes , the epic battles. He captures the very essence of Middle-earth.That's not to say he only writes on a grand scale...." Read more
"Seems like a nice volume of LOTR. The slip cover is glossy and nice-looking , and the font is clear. The cover itself has a papery feel...." Read more
Customers find the storyline unparalleled depth, the best fantasy epic ever written, and an epic trilogy. They also appreciate the richness, subtlety, and detailed world. Customers also say the book is fun just to thumb through and timeless.
"...Characters are well drawn and story is packed with great description ." Read more
"......" Read more
"...His writing flows extremely well, and he moves the story steadily along while keeping consistent pacing, which is a very important aspect of any..." Read more
"...And Rob Inglis does an epic job of bringing this story to life . I would definitely recommend this audiobook to anyone...especially LoTR fans...." Read more
Customers find the book readable, with nice typeface and layout. They also appreciate the writing style becoming more emotionally real as the characters' conflicts. Readers also mention that the print is decent, and the characterization is wonderful.
"...His writing flows extremely well , and he moves the story steadily along while keeping consistent pacing, which is a very important aspect of any..." Read more
"...Rob's voice combined with his wonderful characterization pulls me into the story and I have caught myself more than once actually moving in sync..." Read more
"...The slip cover is glossy and nice-looking, and the font is clear . The cover itself has a papery feel. It’s a heavy book, but that’s to be expected...." Read more
"...The writing style is slightly archaic but is beautifully prosaic : it will take a few pages to get used to..." Read more
Customers like the maps in the book. They mention that there are some errors, a big fold-out map in the back, and a detailed index.
"...At the very end of the book is a compilation of maps of Middle Earth ...." Read more
"...It’s a heavy book, but that’s to be expected. Maps are included in the back of the book...." Read more
"...It includes an exceptional index, maps , and many other resources in over 100 pages of end material." Read more
"...The map at the back is very nice and clear ...." Read more
Customers appreciate the completeness of the book. They mention that it contains the entire trilogy and appendices.
"...The table of contents lists the SIX books , as Prof. Tolkien intended! Page numbering does not start over after each book:..." Read more
"...The Alan Lee illustrations are first-rate and abundant throughout the book . There is a nice red bookmark sewed into the book's spine...." Read more
"...The entire trilogy is here , as well as the appendices. But what really makes this edition so special is the fine craftsmenship of the volume itself...." Read more
"...I was a little wary buying off this ad but it is the full one volume edition ! However, there are NO PICTURES...." Read more
Customers find the book a great gift for Lord of the Rings aficionados of any age.
"...I enjoyed it and it's a great gift for any other fan who may not already have their own set." Read more
"...many times over the years , my son is now old enough to enjoy it , great gift ." Read more
"...is a dream come true, it's beautiful, great prize and makes the perfect gift for a fan ." Read more
"Absolutely gorgeous book. A great gift for those who love Tolkien." Read more
Customers find the book convenient to use, saying it's Middle-Earth made easy. They also say it'll be an excellent guide for learning basic elvish. However, some customers feel it'd be inadequate for higher level learners.
"...The story is can both be described as very complex, or very simple . On this alone, I would give the book five stars...." Read more
"...The book itself is bound well, using good paper, and is surprisingly manageable for a 1000+ page volume...." Read more
"...and this version has all of the books in one volume, which is really convenient and reasonably priced...." Read more
"...appendix with multiple maps as the very last pages, so they are easy to reference as the Fellowship traverses Middle Earth...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the page thickness of the book. Some find the pages thick and white, while others say they're very thin.
"...The paper is on the thinner side , but the quality is great! The paper has a good feel to it, similar to bible paper, but not nearly as thin...." Read more
"...The font size is just right, the paper is smooth and of the right thickness (some multi-book volumes have thin, Bible-like paper)...." Read more
"...The paper itself seems a little cheap. It's kind of thin and reminds me of paper that you might find in a textbook...." Read more
"...Print quality is excellent, but page thickness is just good ...." Read more
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Best Audiobooks for Kids
The lord of the rings, by j r r tolkien.
Tolkien published The Lord of the Rings in three parts: The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers (both in 1954) and The Return of the King (1955). This edition allows you to buy all three of them as a single volume. At more than 1,100 pages, it’s a large book and perhaps easier to read on a Kindle. Perhaps even better is to buy the whole Lord of the Rings epic as a boxset , whether plain or one of the beautifully illustrated editions.
“This trilogy is the gold standard in terms of fantasy writing….It was that sense of scale, as well – that sense of this vast world going on, then a vast story being set inside it. It was all very inspiring to a small lad. I read it several times while growing up and each time I got something different from it.” Read more...
Best Science Fiction and Fantasy for Young Adults
Philip Reeve , Children's Author
“I first read The Lord of the Rings when I was about 17. I loved it because I’d read a lot of Scandinavian mythology and suddenly I found this book which had all those stories incorporated into this very beautifully told and engaging narrative. It drew me in completely. I was living in Middle Earth for quite some time–seeing elves everywhere! It’s not just a novel that you enjoy while you are reading it–it stays with you. I think because he had created an entire world–this allows the readers to do the same. It is an alternative world and mythological system that is totally coherent. It’s a fantastic gift that he has given us.” Read more...
Books Drawn From Myth and Fairy Tale
Alan Lee , Cartoonists & Illustrator
A great way to introduce a child to Tolkien is through the audiobooks. Listening rather than reading the books fits with Tolkien’s clear passion for oral storytelling, although it does make it harder to move quickly through bits of history that younger kids might find harder to concentrate on.
Narrator: Rob Inglis
Length: 19 hours and 53 minutes (Part I: The Fellowship of the Ring )
Ages: 12 and up
The fall of númenor by alan lee, brian sibley (editor) & j r r tolkien, the hobbit by j r r tolkien, the hobbit & the lord of the rings box set by j r r tolkien, the silmarillion by christopher tolkien (editor) & j r r tolkien, the fellowship of the ring (lord of the rings part one) by j r r tolkien, our most recommended books, war and peace by leo tolstoy, on liberty by john stuart mill, middlemarch by george eliot, nineteen eighty-four by george orwell, republic by plato, the odyssey by homer and translated by emily wilson.
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In this week’s issue, Lauren Christensen, an editor at the Book Review, revisits the languages of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth . In his 1954 review of “The Fellowship of the Ring,” W.H. Auden praised the realism of the imaginary world they describe. Read an excerpt below:
Seventeen years ago there appeared, without any fanfare, a book called “The Hobbit” which, in my opinion, is one of the best children’s stories of this century. In “The Fellowship of the Ring,” which is the first volume of a trilogy, J. R. R. Tolkien continues the imaginative history of the imaginary world to which he introduced us in his earlier book but in a manner suited to adults, to those, that is, between the ages of 12 and 70. For anyone who likes the genre to which it belongs, the Heroic Quest, I cannot imagine a more wonderful Christmas present. All Quests are concerned with some numinous Object, the Waters of Life, the Grail, buried treasure etc.; normally this is a good Object which it is the Hero’s task to find or to rescue from the Enemy, but the Ring of Mr. Tolkien’s story was made by the Enemy and is so dangerous that even the good cannot use it without being corrupted.
Mr. Tolkien is fortunate in possessing an amazing gift for naming and a wonderfully exact eye for description; by the time one has finished his book one knows the histories of Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves and the landscape they inhabit as well as one knows one’s own childhood.
Lastly, if one is to take a tale of this kind seriously, one must feel that, however superficially unlike the world we live in its characters and events may be, it nevertheless holds up the mirror to the only nature we know, our own; in this, too, Mr. Tolkien has succeeded superbly, and what happened in the year of the Shire 1418 in the Third Age of Middle Earth is not only fascinating in A.D. 1954 but also a warning and an inspiration. No fiction I have read in the last five years has given me more joy than “The Fellowship of the Ring.”
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Home » All Posts » A Beginner’s Guide to The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
FallenKingdomReads’ Beginner’s Guide to The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
We also have a Reading Guide for all of Tolkien’s Books in Order if that’s what you’re looking for!
The Lord of the Rings is a fantasy novel series written by J.R.R. Tolkien. It is one of the most popular and beloved works of fantasy literature in the world, having sold over 150 million copies worldwide. The story has been adapted into a series of award-winning films directed by Peter Jackson. The books are set in Middle-earth, a fictional world created by Tolkien that is inhabited by various creatures such as hobbits, elves, dwarves, and orcs.
J.R.R. Tolkien was an English writer, poet, and academic who was born in 1892 and died in 1973. He is best known for his works of high fantasy, including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Tolkien was a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University and had a passion for languages, which is reflected in the detailed and intricate languages he created for Middle-earth.
The Lord of the Rings is a trilogy consisting of three books: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. The story follows the hobbit Frodo Baggins as he embarks on a perilous journey to destroy the One Ring, a powerful artifact that has the power to enslave all of Middle-earth. Along the way, he is joined by a fellowship of characters, including Gandalf the wizard, Aragorn the ranger, Legolas the elf, and Gimli the dwarf. The books are known for their epic battles, complex characters, and intricate world-building.
The Lord of the Rings books were originally published in the following order:
In addition to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Tolkien also wrote other books set in Middle-earth, including The Hobbit (1937), The Silmarillion (1977), and Unfinished Tales (1980). These books provide additional context and detail for the world of Middle-earth.
The Lord of the Rings books have been adapted into a series of award-winning films directed by Peter Jackson. The films were released in three parts, with The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003). The films were critically acclaimed and won a total of 17 Academy Awards. In addition, The Hobbit, a prequel to The Lord of the Rings, was also adapted into a trilogy of films directed by Peter Jackson, released between 2012 and 2014.
The Lord of the Rings is a timeless classic that has captivated readers and viewers for decades. Whether you are a longtime fan of the books or are just starting to explore the world of Middle-earth, there is something for everyone in this epic tale of adventure and heroism. With its memorable characters, intricate world-building, and stunning visuals, The Lord of the Rings is sure to continue to enchant audiences for generations to come.
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The latest book reviews and book news, lord of the rings trilogy: book review.
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
Many people have heard about The Lord of the Rings by J.R R. Tolkien but not many people have actually sat down and read them. The trilogy is long and not the easiest to read. But even if that is the case, I believe anyone who is a fan of fantasy and epic high fantasy and world building novels, you have to read the one that has influenced hundreds if not thousands of books.
The plot behind The Lord of the Rings is pretty simple; Frodo Baggins, a hobbit, must destroy the Ring and prevent Sauron, the dark lord, from getting it and regaining his former power. We are given a basic good versus evil plot and are thrown into the Middle-World, a place that is home to hobbits, elves, dwarves, humans, wizards, and goblins.
In the novel , Frodo and his friends make a long and arduous journey across the Middle-earth. They encounter many enemies as well as make new friends. Sauron pursues them with his army and wages war against the kingdom. Frodo and his friends have to overcome many obstacles and destroy the ring before it’s too late for everyone in the Middle-earth
The Fellowship of the Ring can be read as a stand-alone novel but the right order of the novel is The Hobbit and then the trilogy. The Hobbit take place a hundred years before the Fellowship and the events that take place in that novel do affect the Fellowship. However, you can read the fellowship first and then go back and read the Hobbit. And then watch the movies so you don’t feel lost!
As many of my readers might have guessed, I love fantasy novels and high fantasy novels. And as someone who has read a bunch of them, I can tell you how often I see the Lord of the Rings’ influence on many of those novels. It is amazing to see how much influence one author can have in one genre.
The hard part about reading the trilogy is putting it down. There is a lot that happens and it is hard to stop reading so read at your own risk. I obviously loved the novels and they are near the top of my all-time favorite lists and would recommend them to anyone that loves fantasy and world-building novels.
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The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic works of literature in modern times. First published in 1954, J.R.R. Tolkien ‘s epic fantasy series has sold over 150 million copies worldwide and inspired a generation of writers and filmmakers. The books are set in the fictional world of Middle-earth, which is full of fantastical creatures, ancient magic, and incredible landscapes.
To appreciate the books fully, it is essential to have a good understanding of the Lord of the Rings universe. It is a vast, complex world, rich in history and mythology.
The history of Middle-earth is a fascinating one, full of twists and turns, triumphs and tragedies. It all began with the creation of the universe, called Eä, by the supreme being known as Eru Ilúvatar. Eru Ilúvatar then brought forth the Ainur, a group of angelic beings, who helped him shape the world.
As time passed in Middle-earth, various factions rose and fell, each leaving their mark on the world. The Elves, a noble and wise race, were the first to awaken in Middle-earth, followed by the Dwarves, a hardy and industrious people. However, the peace of Middle-earth was not to last. Morgoth, the Dark Lord, rose to power and sought to dominate the world. He was eventually defeated by the Elves and the Valar, their angelic allies, but his legacy lived on in the form of his lieutenant, Sauron.
Sauron, a powerful and malevolent being, sought to claim the power of the Rings of Power, which had been crafted by the Elves. He created the One Ring, which would allow him to control the other rings and dominate Middle-earth. However, the ring was eventually lost and found its way into the hands of a hobbit named Frodo Baggins, who embarked on a perilous journey to destroy it and defeat Sauron.
J.R.R. Tolkien ‘s books are not just a source of entertainment, they are a work of art. They have influenced generations of writers, and their impact can still be seen in modern works like Game of Thrones and The Witcher. However, the books are more than just a source of inspiration, they are also a powerful meditation on human nature, morality, and the importance of fellowship.
Tolkien’s characters are deeply human, flawed and imperfect, yet capable of great courage and sacrifice. They are a reflection of the best and worst of humanity, and their struggles and triumphs resonate with readers to this day.
Furthermore, Tolkien’s works are a celebration of language and mythology. He created entire languages, complete with grammar and syntax, and wove them into his stories. He drew on the mythology and folklore of many cultures, including Norse and Celtic, to create a rich and vibrant world.
In conclusion, the Lord of the Rings universe is a masterpiece of fantasy literature, full of rich history and mythology. J.R.R. Tolkien’s works are essential reading for anyone interested in the genre, and their impact on literature and popular culture cannot be overstated.
The Lord of the Rings series is composed of three books: The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers , and The Return of the King . Together they form an epic and unforgettable story.
The story begins with The Fellowship of the Ring . The first book in the series introduces us to the humble hobbit Frodo Baggins, who inherits a powerful, corrupting ring from his uncle Bilbo. The ring, which was forged by the Dark Lord Sauron to control the other rings of power, must be destroyed before it falls into the hands of evil.
Frodo must leave his home, the Shire, and embark on a perilous journey to destroy the ring. Along the way, he is joined by a fellowship of diverse and compelling characters, including the wise wizard Gandalf the Grey, the brave warrior Aragorn, the loyal hobbits Sam, Merry, and Pippin, the mysterious elf Legolas, the gruff dwarf Gimli, and the tragic Boromir.
The Fellowship of the Ring is a timeless classic that has captivated readers for generations. J.R.R. Tolkien’s vivid descriptions of Middle-earth, his masterful storytelling, and his unforgettable characters make this book a must-read for anyone who loves epic fantasy .
The Two Towers continues the saga, taking us through the horrors of war and the power of friendship. The forces of evil are growing stronger, and Frodo and his companions must navigate treacherous terrain, avoid corrupting influences, and battle impossible odds to complete their mission.
The book is divided into two parts: the first follows the adventures of Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli as they search for their captive friends Merry and Pippin, who have been taken by the evil orcs. The second part focuses on Frodo and Sam’s journey to Mordor, where they must destroy the ring in the fiery depths of Mount Doom.
The Two Towers is darker than The Fellowship of the Ring, but it is no less essential. The book explores themes of loss, hopelessness, and the power of determination. It also introduces new characters, such as the tragic and complex Gollum, who becomes a key player in the story.
The final book in the series, The Return of the King , brings the story to a climactic conclusion. Frodo and his companions face their greatest challenge yet as they attempt to destroy the ring and prevent the rise of a new Dark Lord.
The book is divided into multiple sections, each with its own epic battles and heart-wrenching moments. The first section follows Aragorn as he rallies the armies of Middle-earth to fight against the forces of Sauron. The second section focuses on Frodo and Sam’s final journey to Mount Doom, where they must overcome impossible obstacles to destroy the ring.
The Return of the King is a magnificent and epic work of fantasy literature. It is a fitting end to one of the greatest series ever written. The book is a masterpiece of storytelling, with unforgettable characters, breathtaking action, and a deeply emotional and satisfying conclusion.
The Hobbit is a beloved classic in the world of literature, and for good reason. Written by J.R.R. Tolkien , it serves as a prequel to The Lord of the Rings series. The book follows the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, Frodo’s uncle, as he embarks on a journey to help reclaim the lost kingdom of Erebor.
The Hobbit is a delightful read that is lighter in tone than the trilogy, but it is still packed with magic and adventure. The book is a coming-of-age story that is perfect for readers of all ages.
In The Hobbit, Bilbo is content with his quiet life in the Shire. He enjoys his comfortable hobbit hole, his garden, and his daily routine. However, when the wizard Gandalf arrives and convinces him to join a group of Dwarves on a quest to reclaim their homeland from a dragon, Bilbo’s life is forever changed.
Bilbo’s journey takes him through treacherous terrain, and he faces many challenges along the way. He encounters trolls, goblins, giant spiders, and even a dragon. Through it all, Bilbo discovers his inner strength and courage, and he becomes a hero in his own right.
The book is filled with memorable moments, like Bilbo’s encounter with Gollum, and his discovery of the One Ring, setting the stage for the events to come in The Lord of the Rings.
Although The Hobbit is not required reading to understand The Lord of the Rings series, it is a fascinating window into the world of Middle-earth. It provides backstory and depth to characters like Bilbo, Gandalf, and Gollum, and helps create a more extensive and immersive universe in which the trilogy takes place.
The Hobbit also introduces readers to important concepts and themes that are explored further in The Lord of the Rings. For example, the concept of greed is explored in depth in The Hobbit , as the Dwarves’ desire for their lost treasure ultimately leads to the awakening of the dragon Smaug. This theme is echoed in The Lord of the Rings, as characters like Saruman and Gollum are consumed by their own greed for power and possessions.
Overall, The Hobbit is a timeless classic that is sure to delight readers of all ages. Its themes of adventure, heroism, and self-discovery continue to resonate with readers today, and its impact on the world of literature cannot be overstated.
The Silmarillion is a complex and often challenging book that serves as the foundation for all of Tolkien’s work. It tells the story of the creation of Middle-earth and the epic battles fought between the forces of good and evil.
The Silmarillion delves deeply into the mythology behind Middle-earth, describing how the universe was created and detailing the histories of the various races that inhabited it. The book’s first section covers the creation of Arda, the setting for Middle-earth, and the early battles between the Valar and the legions of Morgoth.
The Silmarillion’s later sections detail the events of the Second and Third Ages, including the rise of the Númenóreans, a powerful race of men, and their eventual downfall.
The book’s final sections explore the creation of the Rings of Power and the rise of Sauron, the chief villain in The Lord of the Rings series.
Unfinished Tales and The History of Middle-earth are collections of works by Tolkien that provide readers with a deeper understanding of his writing process and the universe he created.
Unfinished Tales offers readers a glimpse into the early drafts of Tolkien’s work. The book contains stories that were intended to be expanded upon but never fully realized. It also offers context and background information on many of the events and characters that are present in the novels, helping to provide a more extensive and immersive reading experience.
The History of Middle-earth series is a massive collection of writings by Tolkien that details the evolution of the universe created in The Lord of the Rings series. The books include early drafts of the novels, notes, and extensive commentary by Tolkien’s son and literary executor, Christopher Tolkien.
The History of Middle-earth is a remarkable achievement and a must-read for anyone interested in Tolkien’s works. It offers a fascinating look at the creative process behind one of the greatest literary achievements of the 20th century.
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most influential and important works of modern literature. It is a magnificent journey filled with unforgettable characters, epic battles, and incredible moments of beauty and horror. Whether you are a casual reader or a lifelong fan, the books in this series are must-reads . From The Hobbit to The Silmarillion, every book in the series offers something unique and captivating, and they are all essential for anyone interested in exploring the vast, complex world of Middle-earth.
J.R.R. Tolkien wrote this trilogy in the 1950s.
Return of the King, the last of the three books, is often referred to as the best.
This epic story follows a group of people made up of elves, men, dwarves, hobbits, and wizards who go on a quest to destroy the most powerful ring in Middle Earth. They fight the armies of Sauron and Saruman along the way and must restore order to the world before it’s too late.
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In this week’s issue, Adam Gopnik considers how J. R. R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” set the template for the fantasy genre, creating what Gopnik calls “one of the most successful commercial formulas that publishing possesses.” Gopnik goes on to define that blueprint:
A vaguely medieval world populated by dwarfs, elves, trolls; an evil lord out to enslave the good creatures; and, almost always, a weird magic thing that will let him do it, if the hero doesn’t find or destroy it first—that is the Tolkien formula…. Of all the unexpected things in contemporary literature, this is among the oddest: that kids have an inordinate appetite for very long, very tricky, very strange books about places that don’t exist.
Though “The Lord of the Rings” has spawned Harry Potter, the Eragon books, and any number of other imitations aimed at young adults, Tolkien’s trilogy was written with an older audience in mind. When the first volume, “The Fellowship of the Ring,” was reviewed in our Briefly Noted section in 1954, our unnamed critic called it, “a whimsical and sententious fairy story, which is intended for grownups.” While praising the novel’s “majestic and gleeful” language, the reviewer observed that “The Fellowship of the Ring”
has the air of having been written as a hobby by a man with a ferreting imagination and a capacity for industry that will not allow him to stop inventing long after all the acts are down and the picture is clear…. Perhaps this is a book that should be read as it was presumably written—a little at a time.
When the second volume of the trilogy, “The Two Towers,” was released six months later, it also received a brief, unsigned review in the magazine. This time our reviewer showed less forbearance:
Mr. Tolkien writes with love and precision, but his intoxication with the world he has created and with the message he is conveying, and his apparent conviction that what is imaginative is necessarily beguiling, blind him to the danger of becoming tedious, and so he is tedious a good deal of the time.
Fear of further tedium may have influenced the decision not to review the third volume of “The Lord of the Rings,” when it was released in 1955. In fact, it was not until Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of the trilogy, that Tolkien’s epic received a critical reassessment in the pages of The New Yorker . In 2001, Anthony Lane began his celebration of the book by looking back to his own adolescence:
I first took on the “The Lord of the Rings” at the age of eleven or twelve; to be precise, I began at the age of eleven and finished at the age of twelve. It was, and remains, not a book that you happen to read, but a book that happens to you: a chunk bitten out of your life.
While acknowledging the book’s flaws, Lane made an argument for its special appeal to younger readers:
What the explorer of “The Lord of the Rings” soon comes to understand as he launches himself into the text, and what puffs him with pride as, weeks or months later, he reviews his completed task, is the fact that this book about a quest is itself a quest. You battle through it, against the odds; you fend off the blizzards of bewildering mythology; you stand firm as the reams of dodgy dialogue try to suck you into the mire; and you come through. If you encounter it as a child, it will be the longest book that you have ever mastered, and, for many adults, it will retain that talismanic status…. The reader grows in the reading; such is the source of Tolkien’s power, and it is weirder and more far-reaching than even he could have foretold.
Tolkien’s publisher, Allen & Unwin, initially printed fewer than four thousand copies of each of the volumes of “The Lord of the Rings.” Sales were modest until the release in the mid-sixties of a one-volume paperback. By the end of 1968, as Lane notes, “total readership of the trilogy was thought to stand at around fifty million.”
And counting…
_The article—and the complete archives of The New Yorker , back to 1925—is available to subscribers. Non-subscribers can purchase the individual issue.
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The Lord of the Rings is a singular book. It stands alone among 20th century fiction as the single greatest story produced in the English language. The magnum opus of its author, J.R.R. Tolkien, it has been widely panned or ignored by critics, but amongst those who have read it and enjoyed it, it is often considered their favorite book. I count myself in that number.
And yet, it is a polarizing book which remains opaque and inaccessible to many. With its assortment of elves, hobbits, goblins, wizards, and ringwraiths, it is considered simply too odd or bizarre for many readers to even consider. Tolkien realized this himself and composed this short verse to describe the way readers approach his work:
The Lord of the Rings is one of those things: if you like it you do: if you don’t, then you boo!
So, for those who already enjoy this book, this review will potentially be superfluous and to those who are put off by fantasy in general, perhaps unconvincing. And yet, it is, after all, my favorite book, and really, after having recently re-read it, it is high time, I think, to put my thoughts down about what makes it a book of such special magnificence.
For some interesting trivia check out my 10 Amazing Facts about Lord of the Rings
Of its many qualities, the most obvious at first blush is Tolkien’s portrayal of hobbits, a small people with harry feet and big appetites. Though personally I actually enjoy reading about the elven race and the elven characters most, the existence of Hobbits, their oddities, qualities, and ways is key to understanding the story. It is primarily through hobbit characters that the tale is told and Tolkien rightly bookends the novel with sizable sections set in the hobbits’ ancestral home of The Shire, a quiet, sheltered, and green country in the Northwestern part of Middle-earth.
The Shire is a pastoral, idealized version of England, though in some ways its charm stretches beyond England to all lands where food, flowers, trees, and “good tilled earth” are valued above wealth and industrialization. Though I myself live happily amidst dozens of modern conveniences, there is a pull when one reads of the hobbit lifestyle that awakens a desire for gentler, simpler times.
Of the hobbit characters featured in the novel ( side note: though released as a trilogy, The Lord of the Rings was originally composed as a single novel and I will be treating it as such for the purposes of this review) Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin, are the central characters, though Bilbo, whose exploits feature prominently in The Hobbit does have an important role in the beginning of the book.
As noble and important as Frodo is, Sam is the character I connect with the most. Simple though he is, there is an uncomplicated sincerity about everything he does. His devotion to Frodo and to what is good and right is unshakable. Of all the characters in the novel, it is Sam who grows the most, from a humble, obscure gardner, to one of the most celebrated heroes of Middle-earth.
Another of the wonders of The Lord of the Rings is that it reads very much like a history. There are lands and places, peoples, nations, and events, that have this living, organic quality, such that you feel as if Tolkien were pulling back the veil and ushering you into a place which actually existed. What C.S. Lewis wrote in his review of The Hobbit in 1937 is doubly true of The Lord of the Rings. It is a book that “admits us to a world of its own—a world that seems to have been going on before we stumbled into it but which, once found by the right reader, becomes indispensable to him.”
Tolkien is able to invest these lands of elves, men, dwarves, and hobbits, with such verisimilitude in part due to his background as a philologist. For Tolkien, the language behind these peoples comes even before his interest in their histories or the individual characters themselves. In this, he is unique amongst almost all other authors I am aware of.
Most authors simply do not share Tolkien’s interest in language as the driving force for building a world. That is perhaps why most fantasy novels coming after The Lord of the Rings often feel derivative of Middle-earth, rather than wholly original (though Tolkien’s story was itself inspired by northern mythology and other authors, in particular E.R. Edison, whom Tolkien called “[T]he greatest and most convincing writer of ‘invented worlds’ that I have ever read.”). Tolkien has, in a sense, done all the hard work for us. The rest of us are only able to tinker with the recipe a bit, omitting this or that aspect, putting more emphasis on one thing or another.
Not so, in The Lord of the Rings. Here we meet characters like Aragorn, who is willing to spend years in the wilderness, defending people who do not even know he exists, rather than take the throne which is his by right. We meet Gandalf the wizard, an ageless person who is something more than human, but who refuses to accept the One Ring when it is offered to him for fear of the terrible power he would wield with it.
Even characters who succumb to temptation such as Saruman and Boromir, serve as cautionary examples that even the mightiest among us are not above a fall.
But there is more to Tolkien’s moral fabric than simple honor and a sense of duty. The moral compass of its central heroes is grounded in a transcendent, eternal framework. The echo of the Undying Lands lays heavy upon Middle-earth. This immortal realm beyond the sea shines in the eyes of the elves, in the Phial of Galadriel, and the tree of Gondor and is ultimately the fountain from which flow the goodness, truth, and beauty, which so guide the heroes of this tale. Though it may not be obvious upon a casual reading, the distant call of these lands touches every page of the story. It is easy to forget that upon every step of Frodo’s epic journey he is strengthened and guided by unseen hands.
Gandalf is there, surely, but Gandalf was sent by someone, wasn’t he? Tom Bombadil arrives just in the nick of time, but what brought him there at that precise moment when he was needed most? “Just chance brought me then, if chance you call it. It was no plan of mine,” he tells the hobbits when he rescues them from Old Man Willow. And what brought the Fellowship to Rivendell in the first place? Elrond, after revealing the need to deal with Sauron’s Ring tells them, “That is the purpose for which you are called hither. Called, I say, though I have not called you to me, strangers from distant lands.”
The very fact that Frodo even has the Ring at all is shown to be part of some larger plan. Gandalf tells him:
Behind that there was something else at work, beyond any design of the Ring-maker. I can put it no plainer than by saying that Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, and not by its maker. In which case you also were meant to have it. And that may be an encouraging thought.
And so we see that, though small hands and mighty swords fight and labor to protect Tolkien’s beloved world, there is a larger purpose at work behind it all. Tolkien’s characters exist in a fundamentally moral world, where good and evil are real things based on divine decree, not cultural conventions or shifting ideas. Sauron, the Ring-maker, is irredeemably evil, and his plans wholly wicked, but he is not the only force at work, and in the end we see that the power which opposes him is greater still.
What Tolkien has given us in the guise of a story, is hope in a fallen world. When the world offers us nothing but sadness and meaninglessness, Tolkien, though The Lord of the Rings, reminds us that, no, this is not the end. Evil and death and suffering do not have the final say. There is One who holds the keys to life and death who is good and right and just and his plans never go astray. In this book we hear echoes of John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” As Aragorn tells Awen on his death bed:
In sorrow we must go, but not in despair. Behold! We are not bound forever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory.
And if it takes a few hobbits, elves, dwarves, and forgotten kings to remind us of such things, well that’s a story worth reading, don’t you think?
Lovely review. My two favorite things about Lord of the Rings are two things you mentioned here. I love that Lord of the Rings feels like history, and I love that Lord of the Rings has a never-ending hope in dark times.
Yes, I could have listed another ten virtues and they all would have been important, but I was pushing it with the word count as it was so I tried to distill it to its essence.
This book that just has so much to give.
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This is a beautiful review of a most excellent work of art. The Lord of the Rings is more than just a story, and you captured the why behind that sentiment so very well.
That poem, though… I never really thought about how Tolkien himself must have had quite a witty and somewhat snarky sense of humor… to be able to write all the parts of the book that always make me laugh.
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THE Review iz just awesome…
This is great! Thanks for the work on this.
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This review was published in the Dec. - Jan., 2002 of The Internet Writing Journal .
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The lord of the rings trilogy review.
My father was the first person who told me of the genius created by J.R.R Tolkien. The Lord the Rings was a part of his childhood and when the popular books were adapted for the screen, he told me to, “see it immediately!” However, when the first film debuted in 2001, it was during my first year at University and somehow, while the hype reached me, the urge to actually watch the film passed. By the time the second film, The Two Towers was released a year later, I still hadn’t seen the first and therefore the urgency to catch up was missing.
In 2003 however, with the near-manic frenzy around the release of the final installment in the trilogy, I realized that I couldn’t be that person any longer. By that person of course I mean, the only person within my immediate and extended sphere who had not seen the first two films.
I rented The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers and I remember quite vividly how I spent an entire Saturday lost in the world of Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, and Men. Blurry eyed and steeped in wonder, I went to watch The Return of the King in the cinema the very next day. The discovery of this trilogy was the beginning of an intense and ongoing love affair with the world, its mythology, language and of course, its characters.
It all began with the forging of the Great Rings. Three were given to the Elves; immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. Seven, to the Dwarf Lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And nine rings were gifted to the race of Men, who above all else desire power. In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged in secret, a master ring, to control all others.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy begins with its first installment laying the foundation for the giant structure that’s to come. The Fellowship of the Ring introduces us to the scale and scope of Middle-Earth, its creatures, heroes, and villains. Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) is a Hobbit, carefree and happy in The Shire. Frodo is asked by the wizard Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellan) to carry a golden ring to Rivendell, where all the creatures of Middle Earth would decide on how best to deal with the reawakened threat of Sauron, the Dark Lord.
For sixty years, the Ring lay quiet in Bilbo’s keeping, prolonging his life, delaying old age. But no longer, Frodo. Evil is stirring in Mordor. The Ring has awoken. It’s heard its Master’s call.
Unaware of just what he has agreed to do, Frodo, his best friend’s Sam (Sean Astin), Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) set out from their home to deliver the ring to Rivendell, the home of the Elves. Unfortunately, Frodo and his companions soon learn that the ring has dark powers and even darker creatures searching for it. With their lives in danger, a mysterious Ranger Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) offers them aid and escorts them to Rivendell.
The Fellowship of the Ring expertly immerses you into the world of Tolkien. While the books are not easy to read, Peter Jackson makes the characters accessible, easy to relate to and identify, especially when the ensemble is quite large. As the party reaches Rivendell, we meet more characters – Elrond (Hugo Weaving), Arwen (Liv Tyler), Boromir (Sean Bean), Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and the Dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies). And yet Jackson spends time with each character, giving us glimpses of their personalities and history.
By the end of The Fellowship of the Ring , the themes of hope, the bonds of fellowship, sacrifice and loss permeate the story. The large story arcs are assembled as the Fellowship journeys towards Mount Doom in order to destroy the One Ring. En-route however, Aragorn must learn to accept his role amongst the nobility of old, Gimli and Legolas must work together and set aside the centuries worth of animosity that exists between the races of Dwarves and Elves and the Hobbits must learn that courage comes in the smallest packages.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy continues with its second installment, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. This film is the glue that binds the trilogy together. While The Fellowship of the Ring elicits excitement about what is to come and The Return of the King is the crowning glory, The Two Towers does what it is supposed to. It furthers the story, deepens the bonds of fellowship and creates an endless amount of anticipation for how it will all end.
How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.
The film picks up pretty much where the previous ends. Our Fellowship now broken, characters are moved onto separate paths, each playing a unique role to aid in the efforts to win the coming war. As Sauron grows stronger, amassing his Orc armies, new characters are introduced to the story. The Shieldmaiden Eowyn (Miranda Otto), the Horselord Eomer (Karl Urban) as well as an array of rebellious, walking, talking trees. Yes. Animated trees who stage a revolt. It’s majestic.
Aragorn, once a wandering Ranger, moves closer to accepting a destiny he tries hard to avoid. Aragorn is the heir to the throne of Gondor, King of Men. He doesn’t want the responsibility, but in order to save and unite all the people of Middle Earth, denying his destiny is futile. Complicating matters, he has fallen in love with Arwen, an Elven Princess. Peter Jackson manages to balance the urgency battle and impending doom with a carefully crafted romance that runs like a delightful tingle down the spine of the trilogy.
The Two Towers has character arcs on all fronts. But this middle chapter brings us closer to Frodo and his struggle to maintain his sanity as the ring tries to cloud his world in darkness. By his side, Sam too battles to keep Frodo tied to his humanity. Truly the relationship between these two hobbits is riveting, heartbreaking and inspiring. “What are you holding onto Sam?” Frodo asks him when their quest becomes overwhelming. “That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo… and it’s worth fighting for.” Pass the Kleenex – but the large rolls. A small tissue just won’t do.
Watch out for the incredible battle set pieces at Helm’s Deep and Isengard. The Two Towers quite possibly also covets the title of being the most humorous film in the trilogy. Despite impending doom, the Hobbits, Legolas, and Gimli in particular, know how to make you laugh. Sometimes just before you cry.
As Gandalf says, “The battle of Helm’s Deep is over; the battle for Middle-Earth is about to begin”. And with these words, we jump into the final film.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy brilliantly culminates with The Return of the King. There are many films that have touched me, stayed with me and demanded a space on my “best of” list. None has been as incessant, or perhaps as well deserving as The Return of the King . It’s hard to describe the weight and the emotion of this film. It’s fantasy, however, and for the most part, one would assume that a tale steeped in a make-believe universe with Elves and Hobbits surely cannot be anything more than base entertainment. Emphatically, that estimation is wrong. The Return of the King is in my estimation, the perfect film, a cinematic masterpiece. It brings together our heroes in emotional, heartbreaking ways. Amidst battles – personal and literal – these characters fight for their fellowmen with such unselfish vigour. It’s quite simply exhilarating and inspirational.
A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!
The Return of the King is three quarter epic battle. The literal kind of course. But also Aragorn’s battle to rally his troops. Sam and Frodo’s interpersonal battle with each other and the creature Gollum. Gandalf and Pippin battling the cruel Steward of Gondor. Eowyn and Merry battling the prejudice that brands them as weak and unworthy of taking up arms. The Return of the King is by definition epic, supported by the fact that in 2004, it won every Academy Award category (11 in total) it was nominated in, tying only with Titanic and Ben Hur for the most Academy Award wins. To date, it’s still the only fantasy film to ever win the Best Picture Oscar.
If The Return of the King is three-quarter battle, the final quarter is where I cry – every time – sometimes uncontrollably and other times with a goofy smile. The Return of the King ends with somewhat of an epilogue. The emotional payoff for all of these characters is simply tremendous. However, what makes the story special is that it’s not all rainbows and celebrations. Yes, evil has been defeated, but the personal cost, emotionally and mentally, particularly to the ring-bearer Frodo, is real.
How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on when in your heart you begin to understand… there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend; some hurts that go too deep, that have taken hold.
Some of my favourite moments in film history are encapsulated in this film. Its score, in particular, is hauntingly beautiful and I get emotional every time I listen to The Return of the King . I dare you to take a listen. It always gives me chills.
It’s hard to fault the casting of this entire trilogy. Stuart Townsend was famously cast as Aragorn before Peter Jackson recast the role with Viggo Mortensen. I’m sure Stuart would have been fine. However, Viggo Mortensen found the soul of Aragorn with a performance that will be the definitive bar for any actor attempting it in future. The film bursts with so much talent. Cate Blanchett, who I don’t believe I’ve mentioned, or even John Noble, Marton Csokas or Bernard Hill. Quality acting talent, all part of a working, cohesive, sprawling team effort. All the awards, however, must be laid at the feet of Elijah Wood and Sean Astin. While The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is an ensemble, it would have fallen apart without the brilliance of these two young actors. Finally, Andy Serkis arguably created and elevated the art of motion capture as Gollum.
Peter Jackson as Director, Screenwriter, and Producer, is perhaps responsible for the resurgence of fantasy as a filmmaking genre, as well as the viability of making 3 films about a single subject people will want to see.
I assume that most who have read this review will most probably have seen The Lord of the Rings . If you haven’t however, you’re lucky. You get to experience The Lord of the Rings Trilogy for the first time. My father was right you see, I should have seen it earlier. And if you haven’t, so should you. If you believe fantasy isn’t your thing, give this one a chance. It’s not about magic, strange languages or even stranger creatures. At its core, The Lord of the Rings is about friendship, courage, and heart. It’s about how the smallest among us are sometimes underestimated and have the ability to change the world. The themes are universal and the packaging is superb.
This trilogy marked many firsts for me. Among them, it marked the first time I went to see a film in the cinema multiple times. It was also the first time I listened to the score of a motion picture soundtrack, a classical work, on an incessant loop.
Where to Watch: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is available for sale or to watch on Amazon. If you don’t already own it on Bluray, I would recommend watching and purchasing the Extended Editions of the Trilogy. It’s a keeper.
Content Note: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy is rated PG-13 for violence and thematic elements like blood and fighting.
Have you watched The Lord of the Rings Trilogy ? What did you think? Comment below and let me know!
Photo Credit: Newline Cinema
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I have loved none but you.”
Naazneen hails from South Africa and has spent most of her life steeped quite happily in fandom. A corporate Human Resource professional by day, she completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology and is currently completing her MPhil at the University of Cape Town. She spends her nights in a parallel universe where her creative pursuits find meaningful outlets. When she is not doing research, writing fanfiction or reading the latest novel for her book club, she is voraciously consuming information on pop culture and global socio-political issues - or quite simply, travelling the world. She loves words, fangirling shamelessly, Mr. Darcy and rugged beards... a lot.
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Oh, I am huge fan of this trilogy. My parents were/are Tolkien fans. The Hobbit was our favourite bedtime story. We used to discuss — back in the day before the trilogy — how a cinematic adaptation should look, who should be cast…Yeah, I remember those discussions with my brothers (-: And then came the cinematic adaptation and I was sold. Loved it. Saw them all in the theatre. Bought the DVDs. And am now introducing my own wee ones to the story. I have a little Gollum lover in my midst (-: And yes, the ending is a blubber fest for me every time, but then it was also like that in the books….”But your part of the story goes on” or something like that…Oh my, time to see them again. We try to do it every Christmas as a family (-:
Excellent review. With such an amazing story strung along three long films, you managed to touch on all the highlights and encapsulate what makes this trilogy so beloved.
My whole family is crazy about this series, but I put off watching it for years, and then when I finally saw it, I watched at least one every Saturday for over two months straight. It’s such an addictive set of films, and so easy to fall in love with; one of my absolute favourite moments is actually the scene between Faramir and Pippin
I became obsessed with this story after I first saw it in 2001. For years I’d heard of it, and had seen the cartoon adaptation of The Hobbit, but hadn’t read it yet. And of course, it was released shortly after 9-11, making it seem far more poignant: We were Frodo with the Ring, fighting the evil Terrorists for control of the world, that sort of thing.
After seeing the movie, I read the books–with the soundtrack playing all the time. And no, I don’t normally get interested in the genre which I think I can best describe as Dungeons and Dragons. 😉 But this, the granddaddy of the genre, is different. 🙂
Reading The Hobbit also convinced me that I’m a hobbit as well, hence my online handle. 😉
I recently watched The Lord of the Rings series. I have highly enjoyed it, and it has reminded me of the representation of Christ. For example, how the ring represents sin, and we as humans love to hold and touch the evil of sin. As well, keeping the sin destroys us, like seeing other characters such as Sméagol change physically and mentally from the power of the ring he desired, his precious. Another representation is the character of Frodo, an ordinary person who has to complete a task that is out of his power. The character is not the look of a typical hero we see. He is not mighty in war and is tall but a hobbit. Frodo, the no ordinary hero, takes the sin of the ring and destroys it for the rest of Middle Earth to live without evil. Jesus is the same, born in a manager, not in a castle. He lived among the poor and talked with them. A difference is Jesus did die for our sins like Frodo destroying the ring. Except Jesus did not remove our sins but gave us a choice to want to live eternally with him away from the evil of this world.
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A chronological guide to tolkien's middle-earth literature..
J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings saga is a seminal work of fantasy that spawned one of the best film trilogies ever created. Tolkien's story of good vs. evil is built around timeless themes of friendship and heroism, and now, with Rings of Power heading into season 2 and new Lord of the Rings movie announced for 2026, there's no better time to explore the rich history of Middle-earth.
For those who’ve yet to read J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth saga (and its companion books), we’ve put together this guide on how to read them in order, chronologically or by release date. So bundle up, turn the lights down and grab a reading lamp for one of the best adventures of all time.
There are four books in Tolkien’s main Middle-earth saga : The Hobbit and the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings (Fellowship of the Ring, Two Towers, Return of the King).
Several other collections and companion books have been published since the author's death in 1973, and we’ve included the seven most relevant on the list below.
Whether you're just diving into the LoTR books for the first time or are looking to add additional books to your collection, there are a few great book sets to add to your shelf. Our favorite option available is the leather-bound version, but there are many different styles available and all of them are eligible for the current book sale happening at Amazon.
The lord of the rings books reading order.
Below we’ve split Tolkien’s Middle-earth works into two sections: The Lord of the Rings saga and additional reading. The Hobbit and LotR books chronicle the stories of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins and are listed by their narrative chronology; the additional reading section contains Middle-earth-related works published after the death of Tolkien and is ordered by publication date.
With potential series newcomers in mind, these brief plot synopses contain only mild spoilers such as broad plot points and character introductions.
The Hobbit is Tolkien’s first Middle-earth book by in-universe chronology and real-world release date. The tale of Bilbo Baggins was first published in 1937, 17 years before the first volume of The Lord of the Rings.
The Hobbit follows Thorin and Company — Bilbo, Gandalf, and 13 dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield — as they set off to reclaim the dwarves’ ancestral home beneath Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug. Along the way, we’re introduced to Gollum and discover how Bilbo came into possession of the One Ring. The adventure culminates in the Battle of Five Armies, which lent its name to the final Hobbit film.
Nearly two decades after The Hobbit, Tolkien published the first volume of The Lord of the Rings. The saga was conceived as a single story and written across 9,250 pages between 1938 and 1955. It was edited down and separated into three volumes for publication, with each volume containing two books.
Fellowship kicks off in earnest during Bilbo’s 111th birthday, when the hobbit bequeaths the One Ring to his cousin Frodo Baggins. Unlike in the movie, there’s a 17-year gap between Bilbo’s birthday and the beginning of Frodo’s adventure when Gandalf urges him to take the ring away from the Shire.
Frodo is joined by various companions along the way, leading to the formation of The Fellowship of the Ring. The members of the Fellowship — Frodo, Samwise Gamgee, Pippin Took, Merry Brandybuck, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Boromir, and Gandalf — are tasked with destroying the One Ring in the same place it was forged: the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor.
By the end of Fellowship, Frodo faces a betrayal and decides to set off toward Mordor on his own, though he’s joined by a stubbornly loyal Samwise.
The Two Towers, the second volume of The Lord of the Rings, continues the journey of the Fellowship, which is now split into two parties: Frodo and Sam in one, the remaining members in the other. Part of the Fellowship fends off orcs and confronts the corrupted wizard Saruman, while Frodo and Sam encounter Gollum and continue their perilous quest toward Mordor.
The final volume of The Lord of the Rings concludes the Fellowship’s journey to Mordor. Our heroes battle with the dark armies of Sauron, while Sam and Frodo see their mission through. Following the climax, the hobbits face one last adversary back at the Shire — a sequence omitted from the film adaptation.
We learn the fates of each character and bid them farewell as Frodo's journey reaches its end.
5. the silmarillion.
The Silmarillion is the first Middle-earth work published after Tolkien’s death in 1973. The five-part collection of stories is described as a legendarium of Arda, the world in which Middle-earth exists. The vast collection of works was edited by Tolkien’s son, Christopher, and published in 1977.
The myths and stories within The Silmarillion cover the history of Arda from its creation through the Third Age (when The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place).
Unfinished Tales is a collection of over a dozen stories and Middle-earth histories edited and published by Christopher Tolkien. The book is separated into four parts and includes stories about the origins of Middle-earth’s five wizards, the alliance between Gondor and Rohan, why Gandalf orchestrated the events of The Hobbit, and Sauron’s search for the One Ring preceding The Lord of the Rings.
The History of Middle-earth is a twelve-volume series published between 1983 and 1996. The 5,400-page collection, again edited by Christopher Tolkien, compiles and analyzes The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and other Middle-earth writings.
The younger Tolkien chose not to include analyses of The Hobbit in The History of Middle-earth; that can be found in The History of The Hobbit, a similar work edited by Tolkien scholar John D. Rateliff and published in 2007.
The Children of Húrin is the complete version of Of Túrin Turambar, one of the stories published in The Silmarillion. Set during The First Age, The Children of Húrin tells the story of Húrin Thalion and his children, Túrin and Nienor. It’s a tragic tale that explores the fallout of Húrin’s defiance of Morgoth, the main villain of Middle-earth before Sauron rose to power.
Beren and Lúthien, which first appeared in a reduced form within The Silmarillion, is a love story set during the First Age. Christopher Tolkien compiled various versions of the story to create a single narrative following the adventures of the mortal man Beren and the immortal Elf Lúthien.
Beren and Lúthien are said to be inspired by Tolkien’s real-life romance with his wife Edith; the characters’ names are etched into the couple’s gravestone beneath their birth names.
The Fall of Gondolin is the complete version of a tale found within both The Silmarillion (Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin) and Unfinished Tales (Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin). It tells the story of Tuor, a man sent to Gondolin on a divine quest. The subsequent series of events, orchestrated by the god Ulmo, would lead to the defeat of Morgoth.
The Fall of Gondolin connects to The Lord of the Rings through Tuor's son Eärendil, who’d go on to father Elrond, the half-elf Lord of Rivendell who selects the nine members of Frodo’s party in Fellowship of the Ring.
The Fall of Gondolin is the last Middle-earth novel edited by Christopher Tolkien.
The Fall of Númenor, published in November 2022, is a collection of Tolkien’s works related to the Second Age of Middle-earth. The stories within have appeared in The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and The History of Middle-earth, though here they are assembled in a single volume by Brian Sibley, co-writer of the 1981 radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings and author of over a dozen Middle-earth-related works. (Christopher Tolkien, long the steward of his father’s work, died in 2020.)
Like other post-Lord of the Rings publications, The Fall of Númenor is a collection of writings rather than a single narrative. The stories cover the rise and fall of Númenor, the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of Sauron, the building of Barad-dûr (Sauron's tower), and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.
*Part of the main four-book Lord of the Rings saga
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was a man of who was the son of , the current . He was the eldest child, having only one brother, , and so would have taken over as Steward after Denethor's death. However, he was slain by during the on the shores of . He fell defending the two and , two members of the . , , and laid him to rest inside one of the boats of , and sent him down the falls of . Boromir was a valiant warrior, having already achieved great merit in Gondor prior to the . He was sent to to decipher a cryptic rhyme that both he and his younger brother heard in their dreams. ...
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