Score
1250
Genre
Fiction, Poetry
Place of first edition
United Kingdom
Time of first edition
1954-1955 (in three volumes)
Original language
English
The Top Book for the Community since November 2021.
"If, as I believe, Mr. Tolkien has succeeded more completely than any previous writer in this genre in using the traditional properties of the Quest, the heroic journey, the Numinous Object, the conflict between Good and Evil while at the same time satisfying our sense of historical and social reality, it should be possible to show how he has succeeded. To begin with, no previous writer has, to my knowledge, created an imaginary world and a feigned history in such detail. By the time the reader has finished the trilogy, including the appendices to this last volume, he knows as much about Tolkien’s Middle Earth, its landscape, its fauna and flora, its peoples, their languages, their history, their cultural habits, as, outside his special field, he knows about the actual world.
Mr. Tolkien’s world may not be the same as our own: it includes, for example, elves, beings who know good and evil but have not fallen, and, though not physically indestructible, do not suffer natural death. It is afflicted by Sauron, an incarnate of absolute evil, and creatures like Shelob, the monster spider, or the orcs who are corrupt past hope of redemption. But it is a world of intelligible law, not mere wish; the reader’s sense of the credible is never violated.
[...]
The demands made on the writer’s powers in an epic as long as The Lord of the Rings are enormous and increase as the tale proceeds-the battles have to get more spectacular, the situations more critical, the adventures more thrilling-but I can only say that Mr. Tolkien has proved equal to them."
W. H. Auden, The New York Times, January 22, 1956
THE FIRST FOR ME READER CONSENSUS ON "THE LORD OF THE RINGS"
• A cornerstone of modern fantasy literature, widely regarded as an essential read for enthusiasts of the genre and a cultural icon in Western literary tradition.
• Emotionally powerful and enduring, often described as eternal and tear-inducing, leaving a lasting impression on readers across generations.
• Profoundly rooted in ancient mythologies, especially Norse and Germanic traditions, with scholarly depth and historical resonance that elevate the work beyond mere fiction.
• Richly layered narrative that operates on multiple levels: from fairy tale to philosophical treatise, epic battle chronicle to lyrical folklore, offering a deeply immersive experience.
• Stylistically distinctive, with a language that evokes the cadence of epic poetry and oral storytelling, contributing to its timeless and elevated tone.
• Not universally accessible, due to its complexity and density, but for those attuned to its rhythm and depth, it stands as a literary masterpiece of the 20th century.
"If, as I believe, Mr. Tolkien has succeeded more completely than any previous writer in this genre in using the traditional properties of the Quest, the heroic journey, the Numinous Object, the conflict between Good and Evil while at the same time satisfying our sense of historical and social reality, it should be possible to show how he has succeeded. To begin with, no previous writer has, to my knowledge, created an imaginary world and a feigned history in such detail. By the time the reader has finished the trilogy, including the appendices to this last volume, he knows as much about Tolkien’s Middle Earth, its landscape, its fauna and flora, its peoples, their languages, their history, their cultural habits, as, outside his special field, he knows about the actual world.
Mr. Tolkien’s world may not be the same as our own: it includes, for example, elves, beings who know good and evil but have not fallen, and, though not physically indestructible, do not suffer natural death. It is afflicted by Sauron, an incarnate of absolute evil, and creatures like Shelob, the monster spider, or the orcs who are corrupt past hope of redemption. But it is a world of intelligible law, not mere wish; the reader’s sense of the credible is never violated.
[...]
The demands made on the writer’s powers in an epic as long as The Lord of the Rings are enormous and increase as the tale proceeds-the battles have to get more spectacular, the situations more critical, the adventures more thrilling-but I can only say that Mr. Tolkien has proved equal to them."
W. H. Auden, The New York Times, January 22, 1956
THE FIRST FOR ME READER CONSENSUS ON "THE LORD OF THE RINGS"
• A cornerstone of modern fantasy literature, widely regarded as an essential read for enthusiasts of the genre and a cultural icon in Western literary tradition.
• Emotionally powerful and enduring, often described as eternal and tear-inducing, leaving a lasting impression on readers across generations.
• Profoundly rooted in ancient mythologies, especially Norse and Germanic traditions, with scholarly depth and historical resonance that elevate the work beyond mere fiction.
• Richly layered narrative that operates on multiple levels: from fairy tale to philosophical treatise, epic battle chronicle to lyrical folklore, offering a deeply immersive experience.
• Stylistically distinctive, with a language that evokes the cadence of epic poetry and oral storytelling, contributing to its timeless and elevated tone.
• Not universally accessible, due to its complexity and density, but for those attuned to its rhythm and depth, it stands as a literary masterpiece of the 20th century.
