The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings - The Lord of the Rings is a book written by J.R.R. Tolkien and originally published as a three-volume work in 1954 and 1955 by George Allen & Unwin (now part of HarperCollins). Set in Middle-earth, which is presumed to be our world about 6,000 years ago in an imaginary past, the story follows the struggle of a Hobbit, Frodo Baggins, and his companions in a great war against Sauron, the last Dark Lord to dwell in the world.

The Hobbits are a race of small men, ranging in size from about 3 feet to 4 feet, who live in The Shire, a land in northwestern Middle-earth near the Sea -- approximately equivalent to modern day England. The Shire's society is in fact closely modelled on Victorian Era rural England, and the nomenclature of the Shire is lifted directly from English nomenclature. The Shire is a relatively isolated land, although Dwarves and tall Elves pass through the region on occasion.

Frodo Baggins is raised by his cousin, Bilbo Baggins (who was the hero of a previous book, The Hobbit). Bilbo lives an unusually long and active life for a Hobbit, but he eventually becomes weary of the Shire and arranges to leave it secretly. Before going, Bilbo throws a farewell party at which he names Frodo his heir and successor as the Master of Bag End, a family estate. The wizard Gandalf persuades Bilbo to leave behind for Frodo a magical ring Bilbo had found on his own adventure.

As the years pass, Gandalf becomes concerned at Frodo's inexplicable continued health and youth, which is very much like Bilbo's own remarkable agelessness. Gandalf at last discovers that the magic ring Bilbo left behind is the One Ring, created by the Dark Lord Sauron many thousands of years previously to help him rule over all Middle-earth.

Gandalf persuades Frodo to leave the Shire in search of help. Despite a delay, Frodo leaves the Shire just as dark horsemen arrive, asking for "Baggins". The dark horsemen follow Frodo eastward as he travels to Rivendell, an Elven refuge where Frodo hopes to be reunited with Gandalf. Along the way, Frodo is joined by his servant Sam and his cousins Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry) and Peregrin Took (Pippin). In a town called Bree they meet a strange man who is called Strider. Strider is one of the mysterious Rangers, wanderers who travel across Eriador without fear of its many perils.

With Strider's help, Frodo reaches Rivendell, but not before two near-deadly encounters with the dark riders, who are called the Nazgul, chief of Sauron's servants. Frodo is wounded in combat with the Nazgul and only the great healing skill of the Half-elven lord Elrond, Master of Rivendell, saves Frodo from a fate worse than death. In Rivendell, Elrond convenes a council of his own household advisors and several travelers who have arrived at about the same time, seeking counsel. The council members discover that Sauron is seeking the One Ring and will stop at nothing in his quest to rule Middle-earth. The council members resolve to destroy the Ring.

Gandalf, Strider, Frodo, and the other three Hobbits are reunited with Bilbo and they meet one of Bilbo's old friends, the Dwarf Gloin. Gloin's son Gimli and an Elven prince named Legolas join the six travelers. And a man from the distant south, Boromir, also joins them. The nine become the Fellowship of the Ring, charged by Elrond to take the Ring as far south as they can, in the vague hope of finding a way into Mordor, Sauron's realm, so that the Ring can be destroyed in the fires of Sammath Naur on Mount Doom.

The Fellowship sets out from Rivendell and encounters many adventures. Gandalf is lost along the way and Strider assumes leadership of the company, but soon afterward the company is dispersed during a battle with Orcs, evil creatures who serve Sauron and Saruman, another wizard who has become evil. Frodo and Sam slip away and resume the journey toward Mordor, Boromir is slain, and Merry and Pippin are captured. Strider resolves to save Merry and Pippin at all costs, and Legolas and Gimli accompany him.

Strider, Legolas, and Gimli are reunited with Gandalf, who reveals that he was slain and restored to life. They turn aside from their pursuit of the Orcs and Hobbits to help the people of Rohan, who are threatened by the armies of Saruman. With Gandalf's help, the Rohirrim rise up and defeat Saruman's army. In the aftermath, Gandalf, Strider, Legolas, and Gimli are reunited with Merry and Pippin, who have befriended the Ents, Shepherds of the Trees, who ultimately were responsible for destroying Saruman's fortress, Isengard.

Frodo and Sam are joined by Gollum, who had possessed the One Ring before Bilbo found it on his adventure. Desperate to recover the Ring and to keep it from Sauron, Gollum swears to serve Frodo and lead him to Mordor. But Gollum struggles to control his urge to take the Ring and flee. Sam increasingly distrusts Gollum as Frodo begins to slip under the Ring's influence. After a brief sojourn in Gondor, Boromir's land, where they meet Boromir's brother Faramir, Frodo, Sam, and Gollum proceed to the borderlands where they begin the arduous journey into Sauron's realm. But here Gollum at last betrays Frodo to a giant spider, and though Sam wounds the spider and drives Gollum away, Frodo is seemingly slain.

Gandalf sets out from Rohan with Pippin, leaving Strider, Legolas, Ginli, and Merry behind. Soon after, Strider leaves Merry with King Theoden and takes the dangerous Paths of the Dead to reach Gondor. Theoden, thinking to spare Merry the grievous suffering of the oncoming war with Sauron, attempts to leave Merry behind as the army of Rohan sets out for Gondor. But Merry joins forces with a mysterious rider who offers to take him to Gondor.

Gandalf and Pippin arrive at Minas Tirith, chief city of Gondor, where Denethor II, father of Boromir and Faramir, is Ruling Steward. Gandalf strives to prepare the city for the coming onslought while Pippin befriends both Denethor and one of Denethor's soldiers. Pippin nonetheless watches in growing alarm as an army from Mordor attacks and lays siege to the city. Hope becomes dim when Faramir returns, reveals that he has allowed Frodo to proceed to Mordor, and then is mortally wounded by the Nazgul.

In Mordor, Sam learns that Frodo is not dead, but only paralyzed by the spider's venom. Taking advantage of a mutiny among the Orc who captured Frodo, Sam rescues Frodo and they resume their journey toward Mount Doom. But they are followed all the way by Gollum, who eventually overtakes them. Meanwhile, the army of Mordor assails Minas Tirith, but just as the gates of the city are broken Theoden arrives with his army and attacks Sauron's forces from the rear. The Lord of the Nazgul slays Theoden but Theoden's neice Eowyn, who had been the mysterious rider helping Merry, in turn defeats the Lord of the Nazgul.

Despite the loss of the Lord of the Nazgul, Mordor's forces still threaten to destroy the Rohirrim and the forces of Minas Tirith. But about mid-day a small fleet of ships sails up the river Anduin and Strider leads a relief force in attacking the enemy on a third side. The enemy is defeated and Strider is greeted as the rightful King of Gondor by many people. But only after Denethor slays himself in a fit of madness induced by Sauron does Strider accept the responsibility of the kingship. His first task is to heal Faramir and many other people.

When sufficient reinforcements have arrived at Minas Tirith, Strider, Gandalf, and Eomer (Theoden's nephew and successor) agree to lead a small army against Mordor, not for the purpose of defeating Sauron in battle, but rather to distract him while Frodo moves closer to Mount Doom. The ploy succeeds and Sauron sends all of his remaining forces against Strider's little army. And yet Sauron moves too late, for by this time Frodo has reached Mount Doom. Deep inside the mountain the Ring itself almost saves Sauron, for it finally wins a months-long contest of wills and crushes Frodo's last resistance. He claims the Ring for himself, and Sauron is immediately aware of his peril.

Even while the remaining Nazgul race to capture the Ring for their master, Gollum attacks Frodo and seizes the Ring from him. But in his celebration, Gollum tumbles into the fire and is destroyed with the Ring. Stripped of his power, Sauron is defeated once and for all and all the great fortifications he had built with the former power of his Ring are destroyed. Sauron's followers, left empty of his evil will, either flee or slay themselves, except for a few small groups who fight on until the bitter end.

Strider is crowned King of Gondor and he welcomes Elrond, many Elves, and Elrond's daughter Arwen, who has waited many years to marry Strider. She bids farewell to her father, who as a keeper of one of the Elven Rings of Power is now so weighed down by world-weariness must sail over Sea to seek healing. Arwen, in marrying Strider, becomes mortal and can never join the Elves in their paradise across the Sea.

Frodo and his companions return home to the Shire, where to their horror they learn that Saruman -- though stripped of most of his power -- has wrought havoc and destruction, causing great suffering. Frodo's companions lead a rebellion among the Hobbits and Saruman is overthrown. As he leaves the Shire unwillingly, Saruman is slain by his last servant, Wormtongue, one of the Rohirrim who had long been corrupted into Saruman's servants. The Hobbits kill Wormtongue and restore their land to its former beauty, as much as they can.

But for Frodo there is neither peace nor healing even in the Shire. After two years he sets out from Bag End with Sam and meets Bilbo, Elrond, and many Elves in the woods of the Shire. They turn west toward the havens of the Elves, and arriving at the seaside find Gandalf waiting to take ship with Elrond's company. Gandalf, Bilbo, and Frodo leave Middle-earth forever, but Sam does not ride back alone. Gandalf had summoned Merry and Pippin to see Frodo and Bilbo leave, and they return to the Shire with Sam. Sam inherits Bag End and lives there with his new wife, Rosie, and they raise a large family.

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