Why is Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien so popular even among people who do not read Fantasy? This is a hard question to answer. When the new century rolled around Tolkien was named the author of the Twentieth century by many groups. Two movies based on the first two parts of the book have been huge box office successes. Tolkien’s books have been responsible for exploding Fantasy into a huge genre, bringing it into great demand. Numerous books try to emulate the book but few succeed. Lord of the Rings is popular because of its characters, story, setting and themes.
Characters must be memorable, likable and sympathetic for readers to identify with to follow them through a book. Tolkien’s characters are a powerful draw to readers. The characters have many admirable traits that make them realistic. Frodo is an innocent thrust out into a dangerous world beyond the Shire. He becomes a noble, self-sacrificing person to save his world. Sam Gamgee is the loyal friend any person would want, sticking ;with you through all problems. Aragorn is a reluctant warrior who believes he will never rule. He grows throughout the story into a wise leader of his people. Faramir is a young warrior that must take on a great responsibility. Women characters were not completely absent from the book. Eowyn proves her worth as a warrior and interesting love interest for one of the characters. Members of the elves and dwarves play important roles. Legolas and Gimli discover friendship where distrust once ruled. Galadriel and Elrond of the elves play vital roles of wisdom. The wizard Gandalf provides a fatherly figure of great virtue and courage. Gollum is a complex character wavering between two extremes of personality, but obsessed with possession of the ring. A reader can find many characters to love or identify within the book.
Another element of the book that appeals to readers is the setting. Middle Earth is a vividly realized world with a vast history and many cultures. Tolkien spent hours in researching mythology and creating languages for his book. The setting has a large array of landscapes from tall mountains, deep forests and underground living places of the dwarves. A strong presence of nature is depicted throughout the book with the different creatures. Ancient ruins from previous cultures permeate the land giving it a sense of history along with different races and strange creatures like the Ents. Tolkien describes Middle Earth in great detail bringing the world to life. This provides readers with the illusion that Middle Earth could have been real somewhere, which helps keep the reader’s sense of wonder alive.
In addition to characters and setting, Lord of the Rings is popular because of the plot. Tolkien fashioned a plot on a grand scale. He drew from the area of the ancient epics like “Beowulf.” The story revolved around a magic ring that corrupted anyone it touched. This set off events in the quest to destroy the ring. Armies clashed to defeat the growing evil in the land while two innocent hobbits underwent a grueling journey into the heart of evil. Readers find such epic stories of great interest, perhaps touching something deep inside their psyches. Tolkien was a master of appealing to this interest.
Finally, the last element that makes this book popular are the themes. The many different themes provide readers with timeless ideals that people hope exist in the real world. One of the main themes is the quest to destroy the ring, symbol of evil in Middle Earth. It is a dangerous, but noble endeavor. This leads to the themes of friendship and loyalty demonstrated by characters like Frodo, Sam, Legolas and Gimli. Honor is a theme shown by Aragon’s growth into leadership and being an accomplished warrior that inspires people. The themes of Lord of the Rings are universal, appealing to the higher nature of people.
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien is popular because it speaks to everyone through its characters, setting, plot and themes. Tolkien created a book that resonates with people from all walks of life. When I read the book for the first time, I kept reading it until the end without stopping. The book impressed me and embarked me on a lifelong love of Fantasy. People cannot be wrong when various groups name Lord the of Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien the greatest book of the last century.
Showing posts with label Tolkien. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tolkien. Show all posts
Friday, November 25, 2011
Friday, September 03, 2010
Meditations on Middle-Earth
J.R.R. Tolkien influenced many fantasy authors with his works. One book that explores this influence among writers is Meditations on Middle-Earth edited by Karen Haber. It contains essays written by various Fantasy authors about how Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings affected and inspired them. The book is interesting not so much because it is about Tolkien, but that it provides insights on the various Fantasy authors and how their careers were shaped by Tolkien. Readers will discover several interesting essays in this book.
Fantasy author Raymond Feist would like to consider Tolkien the grandfather of the Fantasy genre. He feels that Tolkien helped create the publishing of Fantasy books with Lord of the Rings. The book influenced Feist as a reader and a writer. As a reader, he felt Tolkien appealed to him with its sense of adventure and a complex world. As a writer, Tolkien gave Mr. Feist a start with idea s that led to the creation of his Fantasy world of Midkemia. He feels Fantasy authors owe a debt of thanks to Tolkien for his grand creation.
Another author inspired by Middle-Earth is Charles de Lint. This author feels that Tolkien woke up his sense of wonder. What impressed him was the Story, with fleshed out characters and good themes. He believes few Fantasy books do that today. There needs to be a balance between imagination and reason as Tolkien believed. A Fantasy book needs a strong story and interesting characters to touch the hearts of readers. Mr. de Lint practices this in his writing.
Tolkien’s influence stretches to women authors too. Robin Hobb’s essay talks about growing up in Alaska and Lord of the Rings making a strong impression on her. As a writer, he raised the bar for her to make writing Fantasy a challenge for her. She learned that a Fantasy story can have depth. Ms. Hobb’s essay is interesting and thoughtful. It has wonderful insights on how Tolkien’s work sent a generation of writers on a quest.
One of the most interesting essays is by Orson Scott Card. In “How Tolkien Means,” he talks about how literary critics and scholars miss what most readers understand in Tolkien’s books. Tolkien felt that stories need to be experienced, not decoded. He wants readers to enjoy the story and not worry about symbols. Mr. Card goes on to elaborate on this point for the rest of the essay. This is a very interesting, thoughtful essay that Fantasy readers will enjoy.
In “The Myth-Maker,” Fantasy author Lisa Goldstein discusses why Lord of the Ringsis so powerful a work. She thinks it is because people have a need for myth. Tolkien fed that need with his poetic language and mythic rhythms. He provided an epic experience for readers at a time it was needed. Ms. Goldstein gives a clear, concise viewpoint on Tolkien’s works.
Meditations on Middle-Earth edited by Karen Haber is an interesting book of essays. Various Fantasy authors write about how Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings changed their lives and influenced their writing. Fantasy grew as a genre thanks to Tolkien’s book. He speaks to something in every reader through story, language and mythic patterns. This is an informative companion piece that will enhance a reader’s understanding and enjoyment of Tolkien. Try it out.
Fantasy author Raymond Feist would like to consider Tolkien the grandfather of the Fantasy genre. He feels that Tolkien helped create the publishing of Fantasy books with Lord of the Rings. The book influenced Feist as a reader and a writer. As a reader, he felt Tolkien appealed to him with its sense of adventure and a complex world. As a writer, Tolkien gave Mr. Feist a start with idea s that led to the creation of his Fantasy world of Midkemia. He feels Fantasy authors owe a debt of thanks to Tolkien for his grand creation.
Another author inspired by Middle-Earth is Charles de Lint. This author feels that Tolkien woke up his sense of wonder. What impressed him was the Story, with fleshed out characters and good themes. He believes few Fantasy books do that today. There needs to be a balance between imagination and reason as Tolkien believed. A Fantasy book needs a strong story and interesting characters to touch the hearts of readers. Mr. de Lint practices this in his writing.
Tolkien’s influence stretches to women authors too. Robin Hobb’s essay talks about growing up in Alaska and Lord of the Rings making a strong impression on her. As a writer, he raised the bar for her to make writing Fantasy a challenge for her. She learned that a Fantasy story can have depth. Ms. Hobb’s essay is interesting and thoughtful. It has wonderful insights on how Tolkien’s work sent a generation of writers on a quest.
One of the most interesting essays is by Orson Scott Card. In “How Tolkien Means,” he talks about how literary critics and scholars miss what most readers understand in Tolkien’s books. Tolkien felt that stories need to be experienced, not decoded. He wants readers to enjoy the story and not worry about symbols. Mr. Card goes on to elaborate on this point for the rest of the essay. This is a very interesting, thoughtful essay that Fantasy readers will enjoy.
In “The Myth-Maker,” Fantasy author Lisa Goldstein discusses why Lord of the Ringsis so powerful a work. She thinks it is because people have a need for myth. Tolkien fed that need with his poetic language and mythic rhythms. He provided an epic experience for readers at a time it was needed. Ms. Goldstein gives a clear, concise viewpoint on Tolkien’s works.
Meditations on Middle-Earth edited by Karen Haber is an interesting book of essays. Various Fantasy authors write about how Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings changed their lives and influenced their writing. Fantasy grew as a genre thanks to Tolkien’s book. He speaks to something in every reader through story, language and mythic patterns. This is an informative companion piece that will enhance a reader’s understanding and enjoyment of Tolkien. Try it out.
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