The Lord of the Rings

This is a book that you take your time, read it slow; perhaps slower than the time it took J.R.R. Tolkien to write it.

The Lord of the Rings is a three-volume book — The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. The Lord in the book title is Sauron, the Dark Lord who in an earlier age created the One Ring to rule the other Rings of Power.

The book created an entire mythology, complete with languages, history, and cultures. The story follows the quest to destroy the One Ring, an object of immense power that threatens the very existence of the free peoples of Middle-earth¹. The movie adaptations are also equally appealing and have a massive fan following.

“Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.”

The Lord of the Rings begins in the Shire, home to the hobbits. Frodo Baggins, inherits a seemingly simple gold ring from his uncle, Bilbo Baggins. However, Gandalf the Grey, a wise and powerful wizard, soon reveals that this is the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron to rule all other Rings of Power. The Ring holds immense power and has a corrupting influence on its bearer, making them obsessed and turning them evil over time. Sauron, who was defeated millennia ago and lost the Ring, now seeks to reclaim it to conquer Middle-earth.

Realizing the danger, Gandalf advises Frodo to leave the Shire. Frodo is joined by his loyal friend, Samwise Gamgee, and two other hobbits, Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took. They embark on a journey to Rivendell, the realm of the Elves, to seek counsel. Along the way, they encounter various dangers, including the terrifying Ringwraiths, Sauron’s spectral servants who are hunting for the Ring. The hobbits are saved by a mysterious ranger named Strider, later revealed to be Aragorn, the heir to the throne of Gondor, the greatest kingdom of men.

“One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. The great eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire, ash, and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly.” — Boromir

In Rivendell, a council is held, attended by representatives of the free peoples of Middle-earth — Elves, Dwarves, Men, and Hobbits. It is decided that the only way to destroy the Ring and end Sauron’s threat is to cast it into the fires of Mount Doom, where it was originally forged. Frodo volunteers to take the Ring to Mordor, and a fellowship is formed to help him — Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Boromir, and the hobbits Sam, Merry, and Pippin.

The Fellowship faces numerous trials, including a perilous journey through the Mines of Moria, where they are attacked by orcs and a Balrog, a powerful demon of shadow and flame. Gandalf confronts the Balrog on a narrow bridge and sacrifices himself so the others can escape, falling into the abyss with the creature. Grief-stricken but resolute, the remaining members of the Fellowship travel to the Elven realm of Lothlórien, where they are aided by the wise and powerful Lady Galadriel. Galadriel gives each member of the Fellowship gifts that will aid them in their quest.

After leaving Lothlórien, the Fellowship travels down the Great River Anduin. Here, Boromir succumbs to the Ring’s influence, trying to take it from Frodo to use its power to save his homeland, Gondor. Terrified, Frodo decides that he must continue the journey alone to avoid endangering his friends. However, Sam insists on accompanying him, and together they set off for Mordor. Meanwhile, the remaining members of the Fellowship are attacked by Saruman’s Uruk-hai, leading to Merry and Pippin being captured, Boromir being mortally wounded, and Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli deciding to pursue the Uruk-hai to rescue the captured hobbits.

Merry and Pippin manage to escape into the forest of Fangorn, where they encounter Treebeard, an ancient Ent. Treebeard and the other Ents, learning of Saruman’s betrayal and his devastation of the forest, march on Isengard, Saruman’s stronghold, to overthrow him. Meanwhile, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli meet Gandalf, who has been resurrected as Gandalf the White after his battle with the Balrog. Gandalf leads them to the kingdom of Rohan, where they help free King Théoden from Saruman’s influence.

“So, it begins.” — Théoden

Rohan is soon attacked by Saruman’s forces, leading to the Battle of Helm’s Deep, where humans, Elves, and Dwarves unite to defend the fortress. With Gandalf’s timely arrival with reinforcements, Saruman’s army is defeated. The victory, along with the Ents’ assault on Isengard, effectively neutralizes Saruman’s threat. Gandalf confronts Saruman at Orthanc, the tower in Isengard, stripping him of his power.

Back in Frodo and Sam’s journey, they capture Gollum, a creature who once owned the Ring and was deeply corrupted by it. Gollum becomes their guide, leading them through the treacherous paths to Mordor. Despite Sam’s mistrust, Frodo pities Gollum and hopes to redeem him. However, Gollum secretly plots to betray them by leading them to Shelob, a giant spider-like creature. Shelob attacks Frodo, but Sam fights her off. Believing Frodo to be dead, Sam takes the Ring to continue the quest. However, when orcs take Frodo’s body, Sam learns Frodo is alive but captured. Sam rescues Frodo from the orcs, and the two continue their journey to Mount Doom.

As Frodo and Sam near the end of their quest, the armies of Gondor and Rohan prepare to face Sauron’s forces. Aragorn, having claimed his birthright, uses a palantír to challenge Sauron, distracting him from Frodo’s approach. He leads the combined armies to the Black Gate of Mordor, hoping to draw out Sauron’s troops and give Frodo a chance to destroy the Ring.

Frodo and Sam, exhausted and barely able to continue, reach Mount Doom. However, at the last moment, the Ring’s power overwhelms Frodo, and he decides to keep it for himself. Gollum, who has been following them, attacks Frodo and bites off his finger, taking the Ring. In his joy, Gollum slips and falls into the fiery chasm, destroying the Ring and himself. With the destruction of the Ring, Sauron’s power is broken. His spirit is forever diminished, and his armies are scattered, signaling the end of his reign of terror.

Rescued by Gandalf and the Eagles, Frodo and Sam are reunited with the rest of the Fellowship. They return to Minas Tirith, where Aragorn is crowned King of Gondor, taking his place as King Elessar. He marries Arwen, Elrond’s daughter, fulfilling his destiny. The hobbits return to the Shire, only to find it has been ravaged by Saruman, who survived the fall of Isengard. With their newfound courage and experience, the hobbits lead a rebellion to free the Shire and restore it to its former peace.

Though peace is restored, Frodo remains deeply affected by his journey and the wounds he sustained. He finds he can no longer live in the Shire as he once did. At last, Frodo departs Middle-earth with Gandalf, Bilbo, and the Elves to sail to the Undying Lands, a place of peace and healing. Sam returns to the Shire, where he marries Rosie Cotton, starts a family, and eventually becomes Mayor. In the end, the quest brought peace to Middle-earth.