Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 1965. Print.
First Sentences:
Description:
It becomes Frodo's task to destroy the ring in the only way possible: tossing it into Mt. Doom, the fiery mountain where it was originally forged. Unfortunately, that location is deep in the heart in the land of Mordor where lies the fortress of the evil wizard Sauron who also seeks the ring.
There is no need for me to say more about the plot to convince any fence-sitters to plunge into these books. Suffice to say LOTR provides danger, temptation, treachery, death, beauty, honesty, friendship, and the struggle of the highest order between Good and Evil on every page.
Think about this as a criteria for reading any book. If your family was away for a long weekend, the temperatures outside dipping into single digits, and all your household and work responsibilities were taken care of, what book would you select to settle in with a blanket and warm drink in front of a fire? My choice is and always will be The Lord of the Rings, where Evil is very, very bad, but Good and Truth and Honor are still the stronger forces.
When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.
Description:
OK, that's probably the worst opening sentence imaginable for any great book, bar none. But my personal rule is that longer, high-quality books do not need to offer a first sentence with the same impact of those in a shorter books. I allow longer books a page or two or even a chapter so I can get a feel for the author's language, characters, and plot before making any judgment. I know, it's my own quirky rationalization, so sue me.
With J.R.R. Tolkien's epic The Lord of the Rings, the language and atmosphere even on those initial pages create a setting. This is a world of simple folk and carefree existence, a world soon to be contrasted with stark forces of evil from the world outside.
In fact, it is not until the end of the initial chapter that the real adventure and action begins. And once the ride begins, the language and plot don't let go for the next 1,100 pages. With the promise of such depth and epic story-telling, I for one am willing to give a very long book a few pages to warm up.
(LOTR actually is one story rather than a triolgy, but was divided and published in three volumes during World War II to save printing and binding costs. LOTR consists of a prologue, six books, and five appendices divided into three separate volumes: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King).
The setting is in ancient times of Middle-earth, a world populated by wizards (good and evil), elves, dwarves, men, orcs (very bad), a Balrog (don't even ask as it is too dark and powerful to even think about!), and hobbits, the small, quiet people minding their own business and living at peace in a secluded corner of this world.
A simple gold ring falls into the hands of one hobbit named Frodo Baggins, a ring with the power to make its wearer invisible. But Frodo soon learns that the ring is actually the most powerful object in the world. It is the ancient ring which can control all other magical rings (and therefore all Middle-earth) created for powerful leaders in ancient times.
With J.R.R. Tolkien's epic The Lord of the Rings, the language and atmosphere even on those initial pages create a setting. This is a world of simple folk and carefree existence, a world soon to be contrasted with stark forces of evil from the world outside.
In fact, it is not until the end of the initial chapter that the real adventure and action begins. And once the ride begins, the language and plot don't let go for the next 1,100 pages. With the promise of such depth and epic story-telling, I for one am willing to give a very long book a few pages to warm up.
(LOTR actually is one story rather than a triolgy, but was divided and published in three volumes during World War II to save printing and binding costs. LOTR consists of a prologue, six books, and five appendices divided into three separate volumes: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King).
The setting is in ancient times of Middle-earth, a world populated by wizards (good and evil), elves, dwarves, men, orcs (very bad), a Balrog (don't even ask as it is too dark and powerful to even think about!), and hobbits, the small, quiet people minding their own business and living at peace in a secluded corner of this world.
A simple gold ring falls into the hands of one hobbit named Frodo Baggins, a ring with the power to make its wearer invisible. But Frodo soon learns that the ring is actually the most powerful object in the world. It is the ancient ring which can control all other magical rings (and therefore all Middle-earth) created for powerful leaders in ancient times.
It becomes Frodo's task to destroy the ring in the only way possible: tossing it into Mt. Doom, the fiery mountain where it was originally forged. Unfortunately, that location is deep in the heart in the land of Mordor where lies the fortress of the evil wizard Sauron who also seeks the ring.
There is no need for me to say more about the plot to convince any fence-sitters to plunge into these books. Suffice to say LOTR provides danger, temptation, treachery, death, beauty, honesty, friendship, and the struggle of the highest order between Good and Evil on every page.
Think about this as a criteria for reading any book. If your family was away for a long weekend, the temperatures outside dipping into single digits, and all your household and work responsibilities were taken care of, what book would you select to settle in with a blanket and warm drink in front of a fire? My choice is and always will be The Lord of the Rings, where Evil is very, very bad, but Good and Truth and Honor are still the stronger forces.
If this book interests you, be sure to check out:
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit; or, There and Back Again
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit; or, There and Back Again
The initial book describing the quest of another Hobbit to recover the treasure of Dwarves which is guarded by a dragon. Along the way the all-controlling ring is accidently found and carried off back to the quiet Shire, leading up to the action described in The Lord of the Rings. A simpler, more childlike book, but a must read before tackling The Lord of the Rings.
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