When I was 12 years old, the Fellowship of the Ring came out in the cinema. I don't think I'd even heard of the Lord of the Rings (LotR) before but as soon as I became aware that it was a book trilogy, I settled down to read them.
There's something brilliant about LotR which has captured the hearts and minds of audiences for the last century. Sure it doesn't appeal to everyone. The books are long, have lengthy paragraphs devoted to description of scenery and many a time I have heard the question: "Why didn't the eagles just drop the ring in Mount Doom and save us all a lot of time?"
But ultimately, the books translate to our minds something true and wonderful and beautiful. They speak of friendship between enemy races, courage in the face of all evil and love. Love for the beauty of the world, love for our friends, love for good and peace and truth. These are the reasons that from the moment I read Tolkien's books their story has pervaded my life to the extent that I would feel incomplete if the knowledge of LotR was taken from me.
This extends to much of Tolkien's literature. The sad truth is that while his stories may contain everything one wants to read about - adventure, treachery, love - they are written in a way that is inaccessible to those who will not, or cannot, put the time and effort into reading them. The Silmarillion, in particular, is the most illuminating, and difficult, of these books. For this reason, in an effort to introduce these stories to those who are willing to listen, I am going to spend a part of my Christmas holidays discussing them. I hope you all enjoy them as much as I do.
There's something brilliant about LotR which has captured the hearts and minds of audiences for the last century. Sure it doesn't appeal to everyone. The books are long, have lengthy paragraphs devoted to description of scenery and many a time I have heard the question: "Why didn't the eagles just drop the ring in Mount Doom and save us all a lot of time?"
But ultimately, the books translate to our minds something true and wonderful and beautiful. They speak of friendship between enemy races, courage in the face of all evil and love. Love for the beauty of the world, love for our friends, love for good and peace and truth. These are the reasons that from the moment I read Tolkien's books their story has pervaded my life to the extent that I would feel incomplete if the knowledge of LotR was taken from me.
This extends to much of Tolkien's literature. The sad truth is that while his stories may contain everything one wants to read about - adventure, treachery, love - they are written in a way that is inaccessible to those who will not, or cannot, put the time and effort into reading them. The Silmarillion, in particular, is the most illuminating, and difficult, of these books. For this reason, in an effort to introduce these stories to those who are willing to listen, I am going to spend a part of my Christmas holidays discussing them. I hope you all enjoy them as much as I do.
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