The Lord of the Rings
by J.R.R. Tolkien
Frodo learns that a magic ring that was left to him by his Uncle Bilbo is incredibly dangerous. The wizard Gandalf warns Frodo that the Dark Lord is searching for the ring, and Frodo must leave his home in the Shire. A few of his loyal friends accompany him through the wilderness, hoping to discover a way to destroy the evil ring.
Every time I reread this trilogy, my heart soars and I get inspired! I just love the deep spiritual themes about friendship, grief, duty, honor, love, and courage. There have been many times in my life when I have faced a difficult circumstance and I found courage and hope in the examples of these characters. There is so much meaning behind every scene. There is always another layer to unpack and explore. I especially find encouragement in the Christian themes and imagery. Tolkien’s writings are saturated with faith.
There are so many wonderful characters in this series that it is impossible to choose a favorite! Each person is incredibly deep and complex. They all have their own histories and philosophies. They speak many different languages (Ooh, those delightful fictional languages of Tolkien!) and they have their own cultural traditions.
The writing style is so beautiful! Every page flows along in a wave of rich language and the reader is swept away into a world of imagination and noble ideas. The genius of the writing style is that it does not TRY to sound fancy. There is a mixture of more formal language and common language that reflects the personality of individual characters or the mood of a scene. The result is a perfect blend that never feels stale.
The writing also brings forward a lot of emotions! Every time I reread it, I laugh and cry and clutch the book in suspense even when I already know what is going to happen. I grieve with the characters and feel their joy. It’s just that powerful!
I love that so many of the settings focus on trees and stars and the ocean. There are many exquisite descriptions of the scenery, but it never feels boring. Whether it’s a beautiful setting or a dark and nasty place, the writing places you right into the middle of the scene.
The plot is so exciting and complex and interesting. Every little detail fascinates me. There is a lot going on in this plot over a long span of time, and yet the pacing is excellent. All the threads of the plot and the different journeys of the characters come together perfectly in the end.
The world building and magic system are phenomenal. No other fictional world ever created has the history and the languages and the traditions that Middle Earth has. Tolkien spent decades building this world and every tiny detail is captivating.
What a complete delight!
Luminous Libro 
FANTASTIC review! 💕 Do you have any plans to read any of Tolkien’s First Age books, by the way? 😉
Yes, I have read the Silmarillion a couple of times as well as the Lost Tales! But not sure when I’ll be doing a reread of those.
Yeah, those are more difficult to read, don’t you think? I still adore them, though. 😅