In addition to the trilogy of books (The Two Towers, Return of the King (1954) and The Hobbit (1937), I also have a leather bound edition of “Tolkien A Dictionary” by David Day.
In my view, LoR is an allegory of evil vs light that exists and is being exposed in our time.
The following essay, written by another, gives us a perfect description of one of the famous book of our time. Ironically, it takes place in another time. If you haven’t read the trilogy, you’re missing out on a masterpiece.
By Paul Fleuret, Absolute 1776 on Telegram
Why is Lord Of The Rings the most brilliant fantasy series ever written?
It isn’t just that it is (IMO) the most accurate fantastical depiction of the spiritual war between light and dark, or good vs evil.
It is the ridiculous amount of creativity, drive, ambition, and sheer willpower of which J.R.R Tolkien put into the series.
You think it is just a few books and 6 exceptionally long movies?
Think again.
How expansive was the creative process for Lord Of The Rings?
It took Tolkien 12 years to write The Lord Of The Rings.
But writing it? That was only a small portion of creating it.
In order to build Middle Earth, he didn’t just invent a story – he created an entire world.
By the time he began writing Lord Of The Rings in 1937, he had already spent 30 YEARS constructing Middle Earth and its’ mythology.
He built genealogies, invented creation myths and created timelines which spanned thousands of years. He did this so every reference made in his books would remain consistent.
Being a philologist at Oxford, Tolkien was positively obsessed with language evolution.
He didn’t just create a few words of Elvish. He didn’t just create a few lines for the Dwarves. Tolkien created over a dozen invented languages – Two of them being fully functional with their own grammar, syntax, poetry and etymology.
He is quoted as having said “The invention of language is the foundation. The stories came later”.
He designed the maps before he even thought about the narrative.
Every river, every forest, and mountain range had a history, a name rooted in an invented language, and a purpose deeply rooted in Middle Earth’s mythology.
This means the character’s journeys weren’t just plotted – they were geographically inevitable.
But here’s the catch: The Lord Of The Rings is but a thread within a nearly infinite interconnected tapestry.
To explain the world’s origins, he wrote The Silmarillion: A creation myth, a pantheon of gods, and the history of three entire ages. (This is something a fair number of readers/viewers of Lord Of The Rings are completely unfamiliar with).
Tolkien also rewrote EVERYTHING. Every chapter was drafted dozens of times. He cross referenced events across thousands of handwritten notes detailing languages, lineages and histories.
What we read today is merely the tip of the iceberg.
He began writing the Lord Of The Rings in 1937. He finished in 1949.
In his personal letters and journals, he described his “despair” at ever finishing it. The very scale of his vision nearly broke him.
The Lord Of The Rings contains entire invented languages, fully mapped continents, thousands of years of history, creation myths, prophecies, lineages and wars.
Every page you read sits atop a foundation no author had ever created before, and has never created since.
JRR Tolkien did not just change the fantasy landscape – he CREATED it.
He was chasing his inner vision, a dream. It was his life’s work.
And here is what most people don’t realize: The Lord Of The Rings is not just a masterpiece. It is, without a doubt, one of the most ambitious creative projects in human history.
63 years of obsession packed into one perfect world.
63 years. Think about that. 6+ decades to create not just The Lord Of The Rings – but the entire Universe it resides in down to every last detail.
Tolkien was also a Christian. He said on many occasions that the story of Lord Of The Rings is the metaphorical story of the spiritual war in The Bible.
Creativity is one of the greatest gifts God gave us.
CS Lewis also credited Tolkien with saving him from Atheism and helping him find Christ.
The next time you think LOTR is just a “nerdy book” – I’d definitely think again.
“All we have to do is decide what to do with the time we are given” – Gandalf
Without a doubt, as much as I adore Gone With the Wind, LOTR is simply a Biblical masterpiece. In high school, I could not stop reading everything I could about Tolkien. My mother and I read the books, and had the neighbors over for discussions. I love lots of books and authors, but Tolkien sits next to Jesus in my humble opinion.
I agree! In addition to the trilogy of books (The Two Towers, Return of the King (1954) and The Hobbit (1937), I also have a leather bound edition of “Tolkien A Dictionary” by David Day.
In my view, LoR is an allegory of evil vs light that exists and is being exposed in our time.