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The Lord of the Rings - Wikipedia

The Lord of the Rings

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The Lord of the Rings is an epic1 high fantasy novel2 written by the English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien’s 1937 children’s book The Hobbit but eventually developed into a much larger work. Written in stages between 1937 and 1949, The Lord of the Rings is one of the best-selling books ever written, with over 150 million copies sold.3

The title refers to the story’s main antagonist,4 the Dark Lord Sauron, who in an earlier age created the One Ring, allowing him to rule the other Rings of Power given to men, dwarves, and elves, in his campaign to conquer all of Middle-earth. From homely beginnings in the Shire, a hobbit land reminiscent of the English countryside, the story ranges across Middle-earth, following the quest to destroy the One Ring, seen mainly through the eyes of the hobbits Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin. Aiding the hobbits are the wizard Gandalf, the men Aragorn and Boromir, the elf Legolas, and the dwarf Gimli, who unite as the Company of the Ring to rally the Free Peoples of Middle-earth against Sauron’s armies and give Frodo a chance to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom.

Tolkien drew inspiration from various influences for the story, including philology, mythology, Christianity, earlier fantasy works, and his own experiences in the First World War. Although the work is often called a trilogy, Tolkien intended it to be a single volume in a two-volume set, along with The Silmarillion.56 For economic reasons, it was first published over the course of a year, from 29 July 1954 to 20 October 1955, in three volumes rather than one,57 under the titles The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King; The Silmarillion appeared only after Tolkien’s death. The work is divided internally into six books, two per volume, with several appendices of chronologies, genealogies, and linguistic information.8 These three volumes were later published as a boxed set in 1957, and finally as a single volume in 1968, following Tolkien’s original intent.

After an initial mixed reception by the literary establishment, The Lord of the Rings has been the subject of extensive analysis of its themes, literary devices, and origins. It is considered one of the most influential fantasy books ever written, and has helped to create and shape the modern fantasy genre. Since release, it has been reprinted many times and translated into at least 38 languages.9 Its enduring popularity has led to numerous references in popular culture, the founding of many societies by fans of Tolkien’s works,10 and the publication of many books about Tolkien and his works. It has inspired many derivative works, including paintings, music, films, television, video games, and board games. Award-winning adaptations of The Lord of the Rings have been made for radio, theatre, and film. It was named Britain’s best-loved novel of all time in a 2003 poll by the BBC called The Big Read.

Printed 2026-06-28.

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Footnotes

  1. Chance, Jane (1980) [1979]. “The Lord of the Rings: Tolkien’s Epic”. Tolkien’s Art: A Mythology for England. Macmillan. pp. 97–127. ISBN 0-333-29034-8. ↩

  2. J. R. R. Tolkien disliked having the word “novel” applied to his works, preferring the phrase “heroic romance”, but “novel” is commonly applied. ↩

  3. Wagner, Vit (16 April 2007). “Tolkien proves he’s still the king”. Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 9 March 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2011. ↩

  4. Tolkien has the wizard Gandalf say to the hobbit Frodo “the Black Riders are the Ringwraiths, the Nine Servants of the Lord of the Rings.” ↩

  5. Reynolds, Pat. “The Lord of the Rings: The Tale of a Text” (PDF). The Tolkien Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2015. ↩ ↩2

  6. Carpenter 2023, letter #126 to Milton Waldman (draft), 10 March 1950 ↩

  7. “The Life and Works for JRR Tolkien”. BBC. 7 February 2002. Archived from the original on 1 November 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2010. ↩

  8. Volume I: Prologue, The Ring Sets Out, The Ring Goes South; Volume II: The Treason of Isengard, The Ring Goes East; Volume III: The War of the Ring, The End of the Third Age, Appendices A–F. ↩

  9. At least 38 languages are listed at the FAQ. This number is a very conservative estimate; some 56 translations are listed at translations of The Lord of the Rings, and 57 languages are listed at Elrond’s Library. ↩

  10. Gilsdorf, Ethan (23 March 2007). “Elvish Impersonators”. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 5 December 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2007. ↩

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