The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (5/5)

The novel, The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien is the first book of one of the most famous trilogies of all time, The Lord of The Rings. Some themes apparent in the novel are good versus evil, and power and greed. In a previous work created by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, a hobbit named Bilbo embarks on a journey with a party of dwarves where he acquires a ring that at first seems like an innocent magical item, turning the wearer of the ring invisible while it remains on their finger. However it is later discovered that in the wrong hands, the ring could lead to chaos and mass destruction. In the beginning of The Fellowship of The Ring, Bilbo’s nephew, Frodo, acquires the ring and is told by the wizard Gandalf to destroy the ring in the fires of Mount Doom. Throughout the novel, a party accompanies Frodo on a quest to destroy the ring across the fictional world known as middle earth. The party consists of four hobbits (Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin), a wizard (Gandalf), a dwarf (Gimli), two men (Aragorn and Boromir), and one elf Legolas). The party encounters many obstacles they must overcome to continue on their quest. They also encounter many other characters, both friend and foe.

One of the most famous parts about J.R.R. Tolkien’s works is the descriptive imagery of the characters' surroundings. Throughout reading the book one feels very immersed in the surroundings depicted by the author. A major conflict apparent in the novel is the greed surrounding the ring. The ring has a magical driving force where everyone is attracted to its power. This creates an element of inner conflict within the group where the characters depart from their regular traits and make attempts to acquire the ring. The conflict of greed and power seen multiple times in the novel greatly relates to modern day issues such as want for power in government and other positions of leadership. Overall the book was an immersive, adventurous, and fantastical read. I recommend this book to future readers because of its enchanting aura.