Introduction

Lord of the Rings (LOTR) is a magic fantasy series written by J. R. R. Tolkien. There are four books in this series, The Hobbit, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King.

The Dark Lord Sauron wanted to reclaim his lost power through the ring that he lost before. Frodo Baggins, a hobbit living in the Shire, started on his quest to destroy the ring of Sauron.

Published time

Compared with other famous magic fantasies, LOTR was written very early and was enjoyed by readers for many decades. It was published in the 1950s. The Chronicles of Narnia was written about the same time. Most popular fantasy or science fiction series, such as Harry Potter or Twilight, were written in the past 30 years. This made Tolkien's fantasy a classic. The book is also better constructed and detailed.

Where the story happens

LOTR is set in middle-earth and concerns no modern world of man. Books that were written later concerned more of the modern world. Harry Potter and Twilight series are set in Britain and America. This means they include the present human beings along with their magical world. Narnia series include a parallel world that has many entrances (like a wardrobe).

Different kinds of people (or creatures)

There are five kinds of people in LOTR that play an important role. Those people are symbolized by the members in the fellowship: wizard, hobbit, elf, dwarf man. The villains are orcs, trolls, or hidden creatures. The book gives readers a clear and deep description of the five armies. Their minds and spirits are shown throughout the book. Harry Potter is mainly about wizards and muggles, and though they are magical creatures, little is known about each of them and how they live. Twilight is about humans and vampires.

The five kinds of creatures in LOTR all have characteristics of their own.

The dwarves are stout, united, but arrogant. The song "I see fire" (in the movie) is all about them. One line goes "If this is to end in fore, then we should all burn together." They call themselves Durin's sons. They are very proud of their ancestors and the gold that they once possessed.

Men are the strongest of all. Sauron was defeated by Isildur and armies of men. In the fellowship, Aragorn (king and heir of Isildur) and Boromir are the toughest. But men constantly desire power and can not control themselves in many situations.

Elves are wise, quick, and fair. They are described as casting a white light as they go. Their places are beautiful, often making others forget the time and sorrows of the outer world as they dwell there. Their people are wise and always thought about what is needed for the fellowship.

Hobbits are probably the weakest of all, they like to live a merry life in their comfortable house, and most had not heard about the outer world in the Shire. Their lives are but little difference over the years. Yet Gandalf the wizard said "Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay." Hobbits prove to have the strongest wills. Aragorn described them as made of sterner stuff. Bilbo Baggins gave out the ring he possessed for many years. Frodo wasn't dead when he was injured in a fight with the black riders. Evil things can't live among the hobbits.

Wizards are the most powerful, but they have their own problems. Gandalf the grey knows many languages and histories of middle earth. Saruman the white surrendered to Sauron without fighting. They are wise but are always seeking profits.

The Ring of Sauron

LOTR is about power and its disastrous effect. The ring of Sauron symbolizes this power. Power made Sauron a dark lord, and power drove Boromir out of his mind when he longed for the ring. Seeking power, Isildur came to his death. Sauron wasn't so evil without the ring. Power is described as dangerous in the book. Gandalf insisted on Frodo taking the ring to Mordor, for it is with Frodo that the ring can't work out its evil effects. Galadriel, the elven queen, resisted the ring in Lothlorien for she feared to be evil just like Sauron.

Why must the ring be destroyed? The book says that even if one can use the ring to defeat the dark lord, he would become a new dark lord, only worse. Boromir wanted to use the ring in his own will when he returns to Minas Tirith, but he couldn't even control his own mind. The ring bearer must have a strong will and be really powerful to use the ring, but those with strong will and power prove to be even more dangerous with the ring.

Yet with power, one can live long without showing signs of age, and rule the world. But the ring is also a thing of deception, as Bilbo claimed it was a present from Gollum and instead of his stealing it. Almost all that was seeking power failed and got destroyed in the end. Note that the book is published shortly after World War II. When the book talks about men leading themselves to destruction, it is an indication of what was happening.

Use of Magic

There isn't much use of magic in LOTR. In Harry Potter, every fight is about wands and spells. In LOTR fighting still involves much use of weapons and strength. Wizards and elves use magic but they use it few times. The book is more concerned with power.

Changes in the Movie

The movie by Peter Jackson is really magnificent. It is carefully, made and every scene just attracts you. But the movie is not consistent with the book in many parts.

The movie left out Tom Bombadil, an important character in the book. Tom and Goldberry live in their own lands. Tom sings songs to bar out the evil and his land is free from dark forces. The ring has no power over him. Tom provided shelter for Frodo and the hobbits on their way to Bree when they were pursued by the black riders.

There are also many other minor changes in the movie. It is not Arwen that saved Frodo when he was injured from the black riders' attack. The elf who came for them was a man called Glorfindel. Frodo rode on the horse alone and escaped himself. The flood on the river to Rivendell was summoned by Elrond, the elven king, and Mithrandir (Gandalf). Gimli didn't strike the ring with his ax during the council of Elrond, and the council is long and many other things are talked about rather than who should go to Mordor with the ring. The fellowship was later selected instead of volunteered during the council. Gandalf and Saruman didn't duel when Saruman was found to have betrayed.

These changes made the movie more dramatic and appealing but make it confusing to read the book.

What I dislike about LOTR

LOTR is a masterpiece, speaking of magic fantasy. But there are a few things I don't like about it. Everyone who reads the book or watches the movie knows Frodo and Sam will defeat Sauron eventually before book 1 ends. The ending is so easily revealed. There are many adventures on the way but the villains are always defeated, making them repetitive. The important characters never die. The book is too long. It contains 560 thousand words and nearly 2000 pages. But that is a big problem for other fantasy series. Harry Potter contains over a million words and A Game of Thrones is almost twice that number.