Changes

[[Image:Mhjfjfr7.jpg|thumb|350px|The covers for the three volumes of ''The Lord of the Rings'', designed by Tolkien.]]

[[Image:Mhjfjfr7.jpg|thumb|350px|The covers for the three volumes of ''The Lord of the Rings'', designed by Tolkien.]]

'''''The Lord of the Rings''''' is a lengthy fantasy novel written by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]. The Lord of the Rings was published in three parts in the years 1954 and 1955, and was preceded by the prologue, ''[[The Hobbit]]''. ''The Lord of the Rings'' is considered one of the most influential works of the [[fantasy]] genre in modern times.  

'''''The Lord of the Rings''''' is a lengthy fantasy novel written by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]. ''The Lord of the Rings'' is considered one of the most influential works of the [[fantasy]] genre in modern times.  

The story of ''The Lord of the Rings'' is about the war of the peoples of Middle-Earth against a Dark Lord named Sauron, the eponymous "Lord of the Rings". The most powerful ring falls into the hands of a hobbit named Frodo Baggins, who is sent on a quest to destroy the One Ring deep within the enemy territory of Mordor.

The story of ''The Lord of the Rings'' is about the war of the peoples of Middle-Earth against a Dark Lord named Sauron, the eponymous "Lord of the Rings". The most powerful ring falls into the hands of a hobbit named Frodo Baggins, who is sent on a quest to destroy the One Ring deep within the enemy territory of Mordor.

== Creation ==

== Creation ==

=== Writing ===

=== Writing ===

After the success of his earlier book ''[[The Hobbit]]'', Tolkien's publishers persuaded him to write a sequel. He began writing in December of 1937, but the first drafts were still far away from the finished version. After writing and re-writing the beginning several times, Tolkien realized the role of the [[One Ring (Middle-earth)|One Ring]] and the quest it entailed in the spring of 1938, while writing the discussion between Gildor Inglorion and the later [[Frodo Baggins]]. This was the point upon which the back story and central quest that would be ''The Lord of the Rings'' came together in his mind. It was also the point that he firmly set the book's plot into his already existing [[Middle-earth]] legendarium. Whereas the ''The Hobbit'' had before been separate from his Middle-earth mythology, while still borrowing ideas, names, and persons from it, Tolkien now consciously moved it and its sequel into the Middle-earth setting. This resulted in the changes in tone, and in the meaning of formerly unimportant things as the 'magic ring' and the Necromancer, who both literally gained importance in the sequel. While the ''The Hobbit'' was written as a story intended for his children, ''The Lord of the Rings'' due to the realization of the later plot, soon became an epic tale of much greater proportions, both in plot and in length.  

After the success of his earlier book ''[[The Hobbit]]'', Tolkien's publishers persuaded him to write a sequel. He began writing in December of 1937, but the first drafts were still far away from the finished version. After writing and re-writing the beginning several times, Tolkien realized the role of the [[One Ring (Middle-earth)|One Ring]] and the quest it entailed in the spring of 1938, while writing the discussion between Gildor Inglorion and the later [[Frodo Baggins]]. This was the point upon which the back story and central quest that would be ''The Lord of the Rings'' came together in his mind. It was also the point that he firmly set the book's plot into his already existing [[Middle-earth]] legendarium. Whereas the ''The Hobbit'' had before been separate from his Middle-earth mythology, while still borrowing ideas, names, and persons from it, Tolkien now consciously moved it and its sequel into the Middle-earth setting. This resulted in the changes in tone, and in the meaning of formerly unimportant things as the 'magic ring' and the Necromancer, who both literally gained importance in the sequel. While the ''The Hobbit'' was written as a story intended for his children, ''The Lord of the Rings'' due to the realization of the later plot, soon became an epic tale of much greater proportions, both in plot and in length.