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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Written by J.R.R. Tolkien Genre: Fantasy //"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them"// (Tolkien 55). media type="youtube" key="sZLMoMe3PjU" height="385" width="480" ** Fun Fact! ** Led Zeppelin's song "The Battle of Evermore" is one of many songs that the band wrote about the Lord of the Rings series!!


 * Synopsis**: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings is the first of three books in the Lord of the Rings series. It starts in the Shire, a small[[image:http://26.media.tumblr.com/Q1oAKj0m5pvky4lbv2aABC6Qo1_400.jpg width="217" height="328" align="right"]] town that is home to an ancient people called Hobbits. These little people live quite isolated lives. They do not enjoy interacting with the "Big Folk," and do not like when others pry into their business. But there is a Hobbit by the name of Bilbo Baggins that disrupted life for all of the Shire. In his younger days, he embarked on an epic journey with a hoard of dwarves. But when this book starts, it's the year of his [[image:http://www.theargonath.cc/characters/frodo/pictures/frodo166.jpg width="178" height="214" align="left" caption="Frodo Baggins"]] 111th birthday, and he is much quieter and settled down with his cousin Frodo Baggins. The town throws Bilbo a huge party; so huge in fact, that his old friend (and wizard) Gandalf the Grey show​s up to attend. But when Bilbo pulls out an old ring from his days of adventure, the town is tricked and Gandalf becomes suspicous as he vanishes when the ring is put on his finger. Upon disappearing, Bilbo runs home to collect his things. When Gandalf follows him to investigate, Bilbo reveals that he is leaving the Shire, and leaving Bag End (Bilbo's home, including many of his possesions), to Frodo, including the mysterious ring. Gandalf leaves to do r esearch on this ring that has been troubling his mind, and finds that it is the Ring of Power that once belonged to the evil ruler Sauron. He hurries to tell Frodo of the ring's history, and that the ring must be destroyed. It seems that with the ring, Bilbo passed on his nack for adventure to Frodo, who, though terrified at the idea of such a journey, packs up his things and leaves the Shire. His friends Sam, Merry, and Pippin tag along with him on this great embarkment, leaving the fate of Middle Earth in the hands of four small hobbits. Later on, a fellowship is formed, consisting of men, dwarves, elves, and, of course, hobbits, who work t ogether agains the power of the ring, battling Sauron's supporters along the way.

John Ronald Reul Tolkien was born to Arthur and Mabel Tolkien in South Africa on January 3, 1892. He and his family moved back to England after the death of his father.He was an orphan by the age of 12, when his mother died of diabetes in 1904. All through his childhood, John had taken a keen interest in languages. When he attended Oxford, he majored in philology, which is the study of language. He also became fascinated with different types of mythology, such as Icelandic mythology, which inspired settings and characters in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Another experience that influenced Tolkein's writing was his involvement in World War I as an officer. Through all of these experiences and all of his knowledge, he created this elaborate world can be seen in The Lord of the Rings. For more information on J.R.R. Tolkien, click here.
 * Meet The Author: J.R.R. Tolkien (1893-1973) **

**Criticism** This book is one that is constantly intriguing, and is hard to put down once one starts reading it! The Prologue, which explains the nature of hobbits and gives the reader backround information about the Shire, Bilbo's life, and Middle Earth in general. It is an instant hooker, because the knowledge of these strange creatures that seem so foreign makes one want to know more about how they live and interact with one another. The mythical air about the book is exciting because it is new and unknown. Once the story starts rolling, and the reader becomes familiar with the characters, there's even more of an appeal, because as the characters start to build relationships with each other, they also form relationships with the reader. It becomes concerning and it's easy to even start becoming emotionally involved with the story, because the course of events puts one on the edge of their seats in anticipation of what the outcome may be. It is also nice that even though this book has many themes and there is a lot to follow, the book doesn't get monotonous because it is broken up with intense action sequences that are quite thrilling. Overall, this book has nail-biter potential, and leaves readers dying to sweep up the next volume of the Lord of the Rings.

I think the biggest reason this is such an outstanding book, and really an outstanding series, is because the thoroughness in which it is conveyed. J.R.R. Tolkien devoted so much of his life into his work. He created a whole world, languages, characters, plots, themes, and symbols that tie together in a fascinating way. His passion alone and his care for details makes these books so much more valuable and great. The next thing would have to be the characters. The list of characters in this book is so much more than a list of names, and it is so unique. There are not only different people, but different species! Humans, elves, orcs, dwarves, hobbits... The nature of these creatures contributes to how the characters act as individuals. Cranky dwarves such as Gimli in contrast with an elegant elf like Legolas is great to observe as they journey together. There are also great themes and symbols that are incorporated into the story. One of the themes that stood out most for me is how power affects people. The One Ring, which symbolizes immense and unlimited power, is desired among almost everyone in Middle Earth. Though it seems such a great thing, the power has the ability to corrupt anyone who uses it. This corruption can be seen in the Ring Wraiths, who were once men, and now are cloaked, faceless servants of the great Sauron. Or, another great example of how corrupt power can be is seen in Gollum, a crazed creature that was once a joyous boy. There really are endless reasons this book is so outstanding, but these few are, in my opinion, the greatest and most observable.
 * Why is this book outstanding?[[image:http://martianchronicles.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/the-eye-of-sauron.jpg width="336" height="252" align="right" caption="The Eye of Sauron"]]**

Absolutely! I definitely would recommend this book to anyone and everyone! Those who love fantasy, mythical worlds, and especially adventure would love this book. There are twists and turns that are so unexpected while you read that keep interest levels high. The knowledge of this new world is so breathtaking and almost magnetic; it completely draws you to the story as you read. It is also really fun to compare the book to the movie, and observe the differences and portrayal of the book, and compare things on screen to how you pictured them while reading. Basically, this book is exciting and action-packed and emotional, and it will leave you wanting more.
 * Recommendation?**

Works Cited David, Doughan. "J.R.R. Tolkein: A Biographical Sketch". The Tolkein Society. 9 Jun 2010 <[]>.

J.R.R., Tolkien. //The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.// New York: Ballantine Books, 1965.

"Led Zeppelin- The Battle of Evermore (STUDIO VERSION)." YouTube.com. 9 Jun 2010. <[]>.

Rayment, W.J.. "The World of J.R.R. Tolkein". InDepthInfo. 9 Jun 2010 <[]>.