The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel written by philologist J.R.R Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit (1937), but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in stages between 1937 and 1949, much of it during World War II. Although generally known to readers as a trilogy, Tolkien initially intended it as one volume of a two volume set, with the other volume to be The Silmarillion; however, the publisher was not interested in the second volume and in 1954-5 printed The Lord of the Rings as three books rather than one, for economic reasons. It has since been reprinted countless times and translated into many different languages, becoming one of the most popular and influential works in 20th-century literature.
The title of the book refers to the story's main antagonist, the Dark Lord Sauron, who had in an earlier age created the One Ring that rules the other Rings of Power, as the ultimate weapon in his campaign to conquer and rule all of Middle-earth. From quiet beginnings in the Shire, a hobbit land not unlike the English countryside, the story ranges across Middle-earth following the course of the War of the Ring through the eyes of its characters, most notably the hobbits, Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee (Sam), Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry) and Peregrin Took (Pippin). The lands of Middle-earth are populated by Men (humans) and other humanoid races (Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, and Orcs), as well as many other creatures, both real and fantastic (Ents, Wargs, Balrogs, Trolls, etc.).
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, that he described as a 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, theatre, and film.
The Dark Lord Sauron forges the Ruling Ring of Power in Mordor binding much of his power into it. In battle it is cut off by Isildur, who claims it, but he is later killed by Orcs, and the Ring falls into the Great River Anduin. Gollum murderously obtains the Ring while fishing and keeps it for nearly five hundred years before losing it, at which point it is found by Bilbo Baggins. Gollum, while meandering to look for the Ring, is captured and interrogated by Sauron's minions. Eventually, Gollum is set loose but is caught by Aragon and imprisoned by the elves in Mirkwood and Sauron sends his fearsome servants, the Ringwraiths, to find the Ring.
The story begins in the Shire, as Frodo Baggins inherits the ring from Bilbo; both are unaware of its origins. Gandalf learns some of the Ring's history and advises Frodo to take the Ring away from the Shire. Frodo leaves with his loyal gardener, Samwise "Sam" Gamgee, and two cousins, Merry and Pippin, to help him. On their dangerous journey, they run into many difficulties and are pursued by the Ringwraiths. Various characters give aid along the way, including Tom Bombadil and a disguised Aragorn, Isildur's heir and rightful king of Gondor. At Weathertop, Frodo is wounded by the Ringwraiths, but eventually the company defeat them at the Ford of Bruinen, aided 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 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 rulers 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.
Boromir is killed and Merry and Pippin are kidnapped by Saruman's Orcs. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas pursue the Orcs and meet 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 the Rohirrim to take a stand against Saruman's armies at Helm's Deep. At the subsequent Battle of Hornburg, Saruman's armies are defeated.
Merry and Pippin motivate the Ents to 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. Pippin looks into a seeing-stone Sauron used to communicate with Saruman — alerting him to the presence of the hobbit. Gandalf takes Pippin to Gondor.
Frodo and Sam capture Gollum and convince 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 caves above Minas Morgul. Frodo is left unconscious by Shelob's bite, but Sam fights her off using Sting and the vial of Ëarendil's star — one of Galadriel's gifts. Sam, believing Frodo to be dead, takes the Ring and Frodo is carried to Cirith Ungol by Orcs.
Sauron begins his military assault upon Gondor, with the Witch-king of Angmar, greatest of the Ringwraiths, leading a huge army into battle against Gondor.
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 the Rohirrim. Aragorn takes Gimli and Legolas through the Paths of the Dead and raises an undead army; he uses these in turn to secure normal troops from Gondor's provinces. Gandalf assists in the battles against the armies of Sauron, including 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.
Sauron retains innumerable forces in Mordor, and the main characters head to a climactic battle at the Black Gate, where the alliance of Gondor and Rohan fight desperately against Sauron's armies hoping to gain time for Frodo to destroy the Ring.
Sam rescues Frodo from captivity. They make their way through Mordor and reach Mount Doom. At the edge of the Cracks of Doom, the Ring proves too great for Frodo; and he claims it for himself. Gollum struggles with Frodo for the Ring, biting off Frodo's finger and falls into the fire. The Ring is destroyed. Sauron is banished 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 beautify the land, using his gifts from Galadriel and gets married. 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. The three other Hobbits return home where Sam eventually becomes Mayor and is bestowed the role of Counsellor of the North-kingdom by Aragorn.
The title of the book refers to the story's main antagonist, the Dark Lord Sauron, who had in an earlier age created the One Ring that rules the other Rings of Power, as the ultimate weapon in his campaign to conquer and rule all of Middle-earth. From quiet beginnings in the Shire, a hobbit land not unlike the English countryside, the story ranges across Middle-earth following the course of the War of the Ring through the eyes of its characters, most notably the hobbits, Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee (Sam), Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry) and Peregrin Took (Pippin). The lands of Middle-earth are populated by Men (humans) and other humanoid races (Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, and Orcs), as well as many other creatures, both real and fantastic (Ents, Wargs, Balrogs, Trolls, etc.).
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, that he described as a 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, theatre, and film.
The Dark Lord Sauron forges the Ruling Ring of Power in Mordor binding much of his power into it. In battle it is cut off by Isildur, who claims it, but he is later killed by Orcs, and the Ring falls into the Great River Anduin. Gollum murderously obtains the Ring while fishing and keeps it for nearly five hundred years before losing it, at which point it is found by Bilbo Baggins. Gollum, while meandering to look for the Ring, is captured and interrogated by Sauron's minions. Eventually, Gollum is set loose but is caught by Aragon and imprisoned by the elves in Mirkwood and Sauron sends his fearsome servants, the Ringwraiths, to find the Ring.
The story begins in the Shire, as Frodo Baggins inherits the ring from Bilbo; both are unaware of its origins. Gandalf learns some of the Ring's history and advises Frodo to take the Ring away from the Shire. Frodo leaves with his loyal gardener, Samwise "Sam" Gamgee, and two cousins, Merry and Pippin, to help him. On their dangerous journey, they run into many difficulties and are pursued by the Ringwraiths. Various characters give aid along the way, including Tom Bombadil and a disguised Aragorn, Isildur's heir and rightful king of Gondor. At Weathertop, Frodo is wounded by the Ringwraiths, but eventually the company defeat them at the Ford of Bruinen, aided 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 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 rulers 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.
Boromir is killed and Merry and Pippin are kidnapped by Saruman's Orcs. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas pursue the Orcs and meet 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 the Rohirrim to take a stand against Saruman's armies at Helm's Deep. At the subsequent Battle of Hornburg, Saruman's armies are defeated.
Merry and Pippin motivate the Ents to 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. Pippin looks into a seeing-stone Sauron used to communicate with Saruman — alerting him to the presence of the hobbit. Gandalf takes Pippin to Gondor.
Frodo and Sam capture Gollum and convince 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 caves above Minas Morgul. Frodo is left unconscious by Shelob's bite, but Sam fights her off using Sting and the vial of Ëarendil's star — one of Galadriel's gifts. Sam, believing Frodo to be dead, takes the Ring and Frodo is carried to Cirith Ungol by Orcs.
Sauron begins his military assault upon Gondor, with the Witch-king of Angmar, greatest of the Ringwraiths, leading a huge army into battle against Gondor.
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 the Rohirrim. Aragorn takes Gimli and Legolas through the Paths of the Dead and raises an undead army; he uses these in turn to secure normal troops from Gondor's provinces. Gandalf assists in the battles against the armies of Sauron, including 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.
Sauron retains innumerable forces in Mordor, and the main characters head to a climactic battle at the Black Gate, where the alliance of Gondor and Rohan fight desperately against Sauron's armies hoping to gain time for Frodo to destroy the Ring.
Sam rescues Frodo from captivity. They make their way through Mordor and reach Mount Doom. At the edge of the Cracks of Doom, the Ring proves too great for Frodo; and he claims it for himself. Gollum struggles with Frodo for the Ring, biting off Frodo's finger and falls into the fire. The Ring is destroyed. Sauron is banished 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 beautify the land, using his gifts from Galadriel and gets married. 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. The three other Hobbits return home where Sam eventually becomes Mayor and is bestowed the role of Counsellor of the North-kingdom by Aragorn.
