I love fantasy books, and have for a long time. I’ve only read “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy once, when I was a teenager, so it is my goal to revisit all three this year. With all the hype and praise given to these books, and a trilogy of extremely successful movies imbedded into the “greatest hits” of pop culture, do these books still hold up? Does a hobbit have hairy feet? (answer: YES)
Tolkien created a richly crafted world like no other. Things that get a passing mention in The Fellowship of the Ring have entire histories behind them (found elsewhere in Tolkien’s writings) that rival the classic Greek myths in their epicness. While C.S. Lewis loved to throw every kind of fantastical creature imaginable into his Narnia books, each of the many characters in Tolkien’s work seems to have an important reason for being there. From elves to trolls to dwarfs to hobbits to whatever Tom Bombadil is, Middle Earth is a richly imaginative world brought about by the care and attention of a nerd to rival all other nerds.
It’s impossible not to see the influence this work has had on other notable fantasy series, and books like The Eye of the World (first in wildly successful “The Wheel of Time” series) borrow from it almost beat-for-beat. It is at once a classic road trip story, coming of age tale, clash of civilizations war epic, Greek heroic tragedy, and many other things all at once (not to mention a collection of original songs and poetry that are better than 99.99999999% of modern pop music). For me, it’s also a great example of the famous “Hero’s Journey” by Joseph Campbell of a “nobody” who is called out of the comfort of their familiar home into the dangerous unknown for an adventure, facing trials alongside mentors and allies, that will forever change them for their journey home (and that’s just Bill the Pony!).
The writing style is older, and you can see where (and why) certain changes were made for the movie adaptation. However, it’s incredibly refreshing to have these characters speak with a sense of gravitas. I can’t express how much I hate the trend of adding “modern” (read: sarcastic, MCU-style, cynical, etc.) language into high fantasy stories to try and draw in a wider audience. It’s a fundamental misunderstanding of the “it” factor that makes these stories “timeless” in the first place. No amount of petty high-school banter is going to add to what an imaginatively rich story brings (Willow tv series, I will never forgive you).
In a modern age that feels as though everything has to be “gritty” and “grounded in realism” and “speak to modern issues,” it’s nice to know that the greatest fantasy series of all time transcends all that. Was Tolkien influenced by issues in his own day? Well, World Wars are no joke, and certainly lodged into his brain and life, so it’s inevitable that parallels come out, however subconsciously the author weaved them into his story. However, the heart of the book speaks to human issues that all can relate to, no matter what moment in history we’re living in. How do I “live well” within the time allotted me? What will I sacrifice of myself so that others (friends and strangers alike) may be saved? Is it “fair” that grave responsibilities be entrusted to me and not others? What is the value of true friendship and how do I recognize it (and its opposite)? When and how do we discover our courage? What inner strength drives us forward for good when all other senses tell us to turn back?
One could critique how many details are alluded to in passing that may add richness to the story for the fantasy nerd, but could be confusing for the casual reader. One could desire to have more female characters in what is predominantly a story populated by men. There are other criticisms that can (and have) been made. Luckily for all those people, there are million lesser works they can go read to get their fill of whatever it is they’re looking for. If you want to read the GOAT of high fantasy, give this one a read (and a watch) and see what you think.
I, for one, can’t wait to revisit the The Two Towers next.
Rating: 5/5
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