The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings is an epic fantasy novel by the English author J.R.R. Tolkien, written between 1937 and 1949 and published in 1954 and 1955. Set in the world of Middle-earth during the Third Age, it tells of the great quest to destroy the One Ring, the master ring forged by the Dark Lord Sauron, and thereby to end his power forever. Though conceived as a single continuous novel, it was published in three volumes: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King.

It is among the most influential and best-selling works of fiction ever written, and it largely defined the modern genre of epic fantasy. It is a sequel of sorts to Tolkien's earlier children's book The Hobbit, drawing the magic ring found there into a far darker and grander story.

Overview

The story begins when the hobbit Frodo Baggins inherits a magic ring from his cousin Bilbo Baggins, and the wizard Gandalf reveals it to be the One Ring of Sauron. Because the Ring cannot be safely used or hidden, the Council of Elrond resolves that it must be carried into Mordor and destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom where it was made. The Fellowship of the Ring, a company of nine, is formed to aid the Ring-bearer on this quest.

As the Fellowship is divided by peril and treachery, the narrative follows several threads: the war of the free peoples, Gondor and Rohan chief among them, against the armies of Sauron and the corrupted wizard Saruman; the return of Aragorn to claim the throne; and the secret, desperate journey of Frodo Baggins and Sam into Mordor, guided by the wretched Gollum. The Ring is unmade at the last, Sauron falls, and a new age begins.

Themes and structure

The novel develops Tolkien's central themes of the corrupting nature of power, embodied in the One Ring, the value of mercy and pity, the heroism of the small and humble, and the bittersweet passing of older and more beautiful things from the world. It is supported by an immense invented history, including languages, peoples, and the deep past chronicled in The Silmarillion, and its appendices supply much of this background, spanning the First Age, Second Age, and Third Age.

Publication and legacy

The Lord of the Rings was first published in three volumes in 1954 and 1955. It grew steadily in popularity and became a global phenomenon, selling many millions of copies and inspiring countless later works of fantasy. Its enduring influence has made it one of the foundational texts of the genre.