The Lord of the Rings (50th Anniversary Edition)
by J.R.R. Tolkien
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Book Summary Information
Author: J.R.R. TolkienEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-10-21
ISBN: 0618517650
Number of pages: 1184
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co
Book Reviews of The Lord of the Rings (50th Anniversary Edition)
Book Review: Although a major work in itself, the story was only the last movement of a larger work Tolkien had worked on since 1917, in a pr
Summary: 5 Stars
The Dark Lord Sauron forges the Ruling Ring of Power in Mordor, leading to an epic battle for the domination of Middle-Earth. In the aftermath of the battle, Isildur cuts off the finger on which Sauron wore the ring, and claims the ring for himself. Isildur is later killed by Orcs, and the Ring is lost in the river Anduin. Hundreds of years later, Gollum murderously obtains the Ring while fishing in the river and keeps it for nearly five hundred years before losing it, and Bilbo Baggins finds it. Gollum sets out in search of the Ring, but is captured near Mordor and interrogated by Sauron, who learns of Bilbo. Gollum is set loose but is caught by Aragorn, Isildur's heir, and imprisoned by the elves in Mirkwood. Sauron sends his fearsome servants, the Ringwraiths, to find the Ring.
The novel begins in the Shire, as Frodo Baggins inherits the ring from Bilbo; both are unaware of its origins. Gandalf the Grey, a Wizard, learns of the Ring's history and advises Frodo to take the Ring away from the Shire. Frodo leaves with his gardener and friend, Samwise "Sam" Gamgee, and two cousins, Merry and Pippin, to help him. On the journey, they run into many difficulties and are pursued by the Ringwraiths. Various characters give aid along the way, including Tom Bombadil and Aragorn. At Weathertop, Frodo is wounded by the Ringwraiths, but eventually they are defeated by the flood waters at the Ford of Bruinen, controlled by Elrond, master of Rivendell.
Frodo recovers under the care of Elrond. The Council of Elrond reveals much significant history and current news about Sauron and the Ring, including the escape of Gollum from Mirkwood and the corruption of the wizard Saruman. The council decides that the threat of Sauron is too great and the only course of action is to destroy the Ring in Mordor. Frodo volunteers to take the Ring, and a "Fellowship of the Ring" is chosen to accompany him.
The company is forced to travel through the Mines of Moria, where they are attacked by Orcs. Gandalf fights a Balrog and falls into a deep chasm. The others escape and take refuge in the Elven forest of Lothlórien. With boats and gifts from the Lady Galadriel, the company then travel down the great River Anduin to the Amon Hen. There, Boromir, heir to the current Steward of Gondor, attempts to take the ring from Frodo, who then breaks from the Fellowship and continues the trek to Mordor accompanied only by Sam.
Saruman's Orcs attack, killing Boromir and kidnapping Merry and Pippin. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas pursue the Orcs and encounter Gandalf, who is now "Gandalf the White". Merry and Pippin escape when the Orcs are slain by the Rohirrim and find themselves in Fangorn where they befriend the tree-like Ents. Gandalf travels with the others to rouse Théoden King of Rohan and the Rohirrim to take a stand against Saruman's armies. Théoden initially decides to fight Saruman's forces at the fords of Isen, but upon hearing that those who defended that area have retreated to the fortress of Helm's Deep, he decides to make his stand there. Gandalf rides to Isengard while Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn travel with Théoden and Éowyn, niece of the king. After much fighting at Helm's Deep, the Rohirrim mount a final charge and drive the Orcs into a forest of Huorns, where they disappear, just as Gandalf arrives.
The Ents destroy Saruman's remaining forces at Isengard. Gandalf, Théoden and the others head to Isengard. Saruman refuses to see his error, and Gandalf strips Saruman of his rank and most of his power and the Ents imprison him. Pippin looks into a seeing-stone Sauron had used to communicate with Saruman, causing Sauron to think that Saruman has captured Pippin. Gandalf takes Pippin to Gondor to remove him from the temptation of the palantír.
Frodo and Sam capture Gollum and force him to guide them to Mordor. They travel a long and hard road, briefly aided by Boromir's brother Faramir. Gollum betrays Frodo by leading him to the great spider Shelob in the tunnels of Cirith Ungol. Frodo is left unconscious by Shelob's bite, but Sam fights her off using Sting and the vial of light from Ëarendil's star -- one of Galadriel's gifts. Sam, believing Frodo dead, takes the Ring, and Frodo is carried to the tower of Cirith Ungol by Orcs.
Sauron begins his military assault upon Gondor, with the Witch-king of Angmar, greatest of the Ringwraiths, leading Sauron's huge army in the battle.
Gandalf arrives at Minas Tirith in Gondor with Pippin to alert the city of the impending attack. Pippin becomes one of the Guards of the Citadel of Minas Tirith, while Merry becomes esquire to the King of Rohan. Aragorn takes Gimli and Legolas through the Paths of the Dead and raises an undead army of oath breakers. These in turn help him to defeat the armies of the Corsairs of Umbar in southern Gondor, enabling the region's forces to sail to the aid of Minas Tirith at the Siege of Minas Tirith. Denethor, Ruling Steward of Gondor, believing both his sons are dead loses hope and commits suicide. With the timely aid of Rohan's cavalry and Aragorn's reinforcements a significant portion of Sauron's army is defeated. Théoden is slain, and the Witch-king of Angmar is slain by Théoden's niece Éowyn and Merry.
Sam rescues Frodo from captivity. They make their way through Mordor and reach Mount Doom.
In the climactic battle at the Black Gate of Mordor, the alliance of Gondor and Rohan fight desperately against Sauron's armies, with the goal of diverting Sauron's attention away from Mount Doom, which Frodo must reach in order to destroy the Ring.
At the edge of the Cracks of Doom Frodo claims the Ring for himself and puts it on his finger. Gollum struggles with Frodo for the Ring, bites off Frodo's finger and then falls into the fire, taking the Ring with him. The Ring is destroyed the only way it can be, in the same fire where it was forged. Sauron leaves his body, and his spirit withdraws from the world, his armies lose all morale, the Ringwraiths disintegrate, and the war ends.
Aragorn is crowned king of Gondor and marries Arwen, the daughter of Elrond. Saruman escapes his captivity in Orthanc and enslaves the Shire. The returning Hobbits overthrow him in The Battle of Bywater. Sam helps to restore order, and using his gifts from Galadriel he beautifies the land. Sam marries Rosie Cotton. Frodo remains wounded in body and spirit and, accompanied by Bilbo and Gandalf, sails west over the Sea to the Undying Lands, where he can find peace. Sam, Merry, and Pippin return home. Sam eventually becomes Mayor and is made a Counsellor of the North-kingdom by Aragorn. After Rosie's death Sam himself leaves behind the Red Book of Westmarch with his daughter and crosses over the Sea, the last of the Ring bearers.
Along with Tolkien's other works, The Lord of the Rings has been subjected to extensive analysis of its themes and origins. Although a major work in itself, the story was only the last movement of a larger work Tolkien had worked on since 1917, in a process he described as mythopoeia. Influences on this earlier work, and on the story of The Lord of the Rings, include philology, mythology, religion and the author's distaste for the effects of industrialization, as well as earlier fantasy works and Tolkien's experiences in World War I. The Lord of the Rings in its turn is considered to have had a great effect on modern fantasy; the impact of Tolkien's works is such that the use of the words "Tolkienian" and "Tolkienesque" has been recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary.
The enduring popularity of The Lord of the Rings has led to numerous references in popular culture, the founding of many societies by fans of Tolkien's works, and the publication of many books about Tolkien and his works. The Lord of the Rings has inspired, and continues to inspire, artwork, music, films and television, video games, and subsequent literature.
Adaptations of The Lord of the Rings have been made for radio, theater, and film.
Summary of The Lord of the Rings (50th Anniversary Edition)
The Fellowship of the Ring, part one of J.R.R. TolkienÂ?s epic masterpiece, fist reached these shores on October 21, 1954, arriving, as C. S. Lewis proclaimed, "like lightning from a clear sky." Fifty years and nearly one hundred million American readers later comes a beautiful new one-volume collectorÂ?s edition befitting the stature of this crown jewel of our list. With a text fully corrected under the supervision of Christopher Tolkien to meet the authorÂ?s exacting wishes, two large-format fold-out maps, a ribbon placemarker, gilded page edges, a color insert depicting Tolkien's own paintings of the Book of Mazarbul and exceptionally elegant and sturdy overall packaging housed within an attractive slipcase, this edition is the finest weÂ?ve ever produced.A Christian can almost be forgiven for not reading the Bible, but there's no salvation for a fantasy fan who hasn't read the gospel of the genre, J.R.R. Tolkien's definitive three-book epic, the Lord of the Rings (encompassing The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King), and its charming precursor, The Hobbit. That many (if not most) fantasy works are in some way derivative of Tolkien is understood, but the influence of the Lord of the Rings is so universal that everybody from George Lucas to Led Zeppelin has appropriated it for one purpose or another.
Not just revolutionary because it was groundbreaking, the Lord of the Rings is timeless because it's the product of a truly top-shelf mind. Tolkien was a distinguished linguist and Oxford scholar of dead languages, with strong ideas about the importance of myth and story and a deep appreciation of nature. His epic, 10 years in the making, recounts the Great War of the Ring and the closing of Middle-Earth's Third Age, a time when magic begins to fade from the world and men rise to dominance. Tolkien carefully details this transition with tremendous skill and love, creating in the Lord of the Rings a universal and all-embracing tale, a justly celebrated classic. --Paul Hughes
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