Difference between revisions of "The Lord of the Rings"
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3. ''The Return of the King''<br> | 3. ''The Return of the King''<br> | ||
| − | ''The Lord of the Rings'' is set in the same fictional world as [[The Hobbit]], | + | ''The Lord of the Rings'' is set in the same fictional world as [[The Hobbit]], [[Middle Earth]]. It continues the story that ''The Hobbit'' began, but while ''The Hobbit'' was intended for children, ''The Lord of the Rings'' was written for all ages. |
| − | The story begins at dark times in the fictitious lands of Middle earth. The time of the elves who | + | The story begins at dark times in the fictitious lands of Middle earth. The time of the elves who immortal, good, and fairest of all beings in the world, is ending, and they are leaving the war-weary world by to sail to the blessed realm of Valinor. |
| − | With the leaving of the elves the | + | With the leaving of the elves the time of men has come, but they are opposed by The Dark Lord, Sauron, Lord of the Rings. Although Sauron is a formidable foe, most of his evil powers are bound to a magic ring which was cut from his finger in a battle hundreds of year ago. This ring fell by chance into the hands of a hobbit, Bilbo Baggins who in turn left it to his heir, Frodo Baggins. If this ring is destroyed, it will strip Sauron of his power and free Middle Earth from his threat. The only way the ring can be destroyed, however is by casting it into the fires of Mount Doom, a volcano in the heart of Sauron's realm. The Lord of the Rings follows Frodo's adventures as he journeys to destroy Sauron's ring. |
''The Lord of the Rings'' was published in hardbound in 1954 and 1955, but was known only a small audience of aficionados until 1961. J. R. R. Tolkien himself was known primarily to scholars for his work on [[Beowulf]]. This changed when an American paperback publisher released a "pirated" paperback edition, paying Tolkien nothing, in the belief that Tolkien's copyright in the U. S. was defective because of a technicality. Tolkien reached a legal settlement with this publisher, and another publisher released an authorized edition for which Tolkien was paid royalties. The book was an instant success particularly among college students. | ''The Lord of the Rings'' was published in hardbound in 1954 and 1955, but was known only a small audience of aficionados until 1961. J. R. R. Tolkien himself was known primarily to scholars for his work on [[Beowulf]]. This changed when an American paperback publisher released a "pirated" paperback edition, paying Tolkien nothing, in the belief that Tolkien's copyright in the U. S. was defective because of a technicality. Tolkien reached a legal settlement with this publisher, and another publisher released an authorized edition for which Tolkien was paid royalties. The book was an instant success particularly among college students. | ||
J. R. R. Tolkien was a Roman Catholic, and many readers see Christian undertones in ''The Lord of the Rings.'' The subtext is subtle; it is much more evident in the fictional work of [[C. S. Lewis]], a personal friend of Tolkien's and a writer with which Tolkien is often compared. | J. R. R. Tolkien was a Roman Catholic, and many readers see Christian undertones in ''The Lord of the Rings.'' The subtext is subtle; it is much more evident in the fictional work of [[C. S. Lewis]], a personal friend of Tolkien's and a writer with which Tolkien is often compared. | ||
Revision as of 21:15, February 10, 2007
The Lord of the Rings is a famous work of fantasy fiction by J. R. R. Tolkien. It is a single, unified work, although for commercial reasons the publisher presented it as a trilogy consisting of:
I. The Fellowship of the Ring
2. The Two Towers
3. The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings is set in the same fictional world as The Hobbit, Middle Earth. It continues the story that The Hobbit began, but while The Hobbit was intended for children, The Lord of the Rings was written for all ages.
The story begins at dark times in the fictitious lands of Middle earth. The time of the elves who immortal, good, and fairest of all beings in the world, is ending, and they are leaving the war-weary world by to sail to the blessed realm of Valinor. With the leaving of the elves the time of men has come, but they are opposed by The Dark Lord, Sauron, Lord of the Rings. Although Sauron is a formidable foe, most of his evil powers are bound to a magic ring which was cut from his finger in a battle hundreds of year ago. This ring fell by chance into the hands of a hobbit, Bilbo Baggins who in turn left it to his heir, Frodo Baggins. If this ring is destroyed, it will strip Sauron of his power and free Middle Earth from his threat. The only way the ring can be destroyed, however is by casting it into the fires of Mount Doom, a volcano in the heart of Sauron's realm. The Lord of the Rings follows Frodo's adventures as he journeys to destroy Sauron's ring.
The Lord of the Rings was published in hardbound in 1954 and 1955, but was known only a small audience of aficionados until 1961. J. R. R. Tolkien himself was known primarily to scholars for his work on Beowulf. This changed when an American paperback publisher released a "pirated" paperback edition, paying Tolkien nothing, in the belief that Tolkien's copyright in the U. S. was defective because of a technicality. Tolkien reached a legal settlement with this publisher, and another publisher released an authorized edition for which Tolkien was paid royalties. The book was an instant success particularly among college students.
J. R. R. Tolkien was a Roman Catholic, and many readers see Christian undertones in The Lord of the Rings. The subtext is subtle; it is much more evident in the fictional work of C. S. Lewis, a personal friend of Tolkien's and a writer with which Tolkien is often compared.