Yeoman's in the Fork Blog

J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy certainly ranks with the greatest examples of literature ever written. The prelude to the trilogy, The Hobbit, is also just as beloved by Tolkien fans. Without a doubt, the trilogy is one of the most discussed works in literary history. The connection to Christianity, Paganism, Irish folklore and even the collective mythology given to us by all civilizations of man is obvious. It also contains Jungian archetypes throughout and speaks to anyone who will ever read it on a basic primitive level, while also reaching beyond basic psychology into the realm of the philosophical and spiritual. The classic "good vs. evil" theme is interwoven into a tale of mythological beings who live in a world that is different than our own, but eerily similar in many ways.

I first read Tolkien's masterpiece as a teenager. I was immediately drawn into the beautiful story and the seemingly primordial idea of the quest which Tolkien takes and elevates to a standard that will remain as the example by which all should be measured. I have read it numerous times since and it is the one piece of literature that I will continue to re-read until my death. As I got older and began to learn more about Tolkien, I was even more impressed when I learned that he created new languages and entire histories of the people and creatures that inhabited the world he created.

The brilliance and genius of Tolkien in writing this epic story has been written about and analyzed numerous times over. Many volumes have been written, and will continue to be written, validating it as a masterpiece of literature. It is beyond the scope of this entry to delve into the numerous amount of material that has been written. I will allow others to celebrate the genius of Tolkien in greater detail with much more detailed and documented reasons. My simple purpose is to give my declaration to its greatness and reveal that it is this set of books, above all other works of fiction that is my most beloved and most influential. I leave with just one thought or example of why Tolkien is brilliant...when Frodo, Sam and Sméagol are dangling ever so close to the fire that will forever destroy the evil of the human soul; we find that even in the most pure that is not an easy decision to make.

Categoried under:  Classic Literature