A Glimpse Into Tolkien’s World
While researching J.R.R. Tolkien for the class, I’ve discovered that the Lord of the Rings trilogy is just the tip of the iceberg. The thousands of pages, nine hours of footage, and even Lord of the Rings Online only showcase a small part of the immense world and intricate history that Tolkien has created. He has created a world complete with maps, songs, poems, races of creatures, and seemingly endless interesting characters with stories behind each one. Few books are so fantastic that they inspire such widespread and deep reverence. Those that are are usually all inclusive, that is, the story begins and ends on the first and last pages of the book. J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye or F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby are both generally accepted as great literature, however they do not inspire readers, as Lord of the Rings does, to become obsessed with the history of the world and characters in the novel. What Tolkien has done is provide readers with a glimpse of another world, like a quick peek in a room filled with treasure through a door slightly ajar. Tolkien’s story doesn’t end on the last page; it continues as far as the reader is willing to investigate.
Tolkien’s work has cultivated whole societies around it. Similar to Star Trek “Trekkies”, the popularity that few stories achieve has inspired books, movies, board games, and video games. Lord of the Rings is said to have inspired many popular bands, like Led Zeppelin. He has inspired online galleries, societies, fan clubs, and forums with topics such as, “Who’s the most evil: Morgoth of Sauron?” Many decades after its publication, Lord of the Rings is still popular enough among every new generation to exist in even the most innovative mediums, such as video games and online forums.
When I searched for societies centered around Tolkien’s work on Google, I found “Tolkien societies” everywhere from Staten Island to the Phillipines. These societies go so far as to describe themselves as fellowships of people who have made Middle Earth their second home. They hold annual conferences, events, and gatherings to unite fans from across the nation. What Tolkien has created is much more than a book, for some, it is actually a way of life.
-Toopac
Good observations about the basis for greatness. I always wonder … is there a truly great work sitting on some obscure author’s computer that will never see the light of day? I wonder how Tolkien received the privelege of bringing his working into the printing and distribution machinery of our society.