JRR Tolkien, creator of Middle-earth, was one of the greatest writers and scholars of the twentieth century. Generations of readers have been enthralled by his most famous creations--The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.

Scholars, meanwhile, have debated the true greatness (or lack) of these popular novels. Many have deemed it “mere escapism” and worse.

Many others (including C.S. Lewis and W.H. Auden) found the books – and in particular The Lord of the Rings - to be masterpieces.

Scholarly stalemates aside, Tolkien’s work remains as popular and vital today as when it first appeared.

A 1997 poll by Waterstone’s (a British bookstore chain) voted Lord of the Rings as the Book of the Century. Several subsequent polls, both abroad and in the states, similarly place LOTR atop the list.

Why?

JRR Tolkien is one of those rare writers that can completely transport you with his pen, a feeling I get every time I wander the Withywindle valley with Frodo and company, or breakfast upon bread and mead in the house of Beorn with Bilbo and the dwarves.

Tolkien creates out of the void a complete and fully-realized world. He weaves his spell around us, suspends all disbelief, and gives us our own modern-day adventure and discovery quest.

In many ways it is escapism, and hallelujah for that! We all need some escape from this often crazy and very mundane world.

However, it is also more than that. The Lord of the Rings is a very vibrant, meaningful, and relevant novel. (As are the tales from The Silmarillion cycle.)

It is, in many ways, an Odyssey for a modern audience.

Though it is set in a distant and mythic past, it portrays the adventures and travails of very modern heroes, with distinctly modern ethics and sensibilities.

In an increasingly secular and realist world, we need our myths, our epics, and above all our heroes more than ever.

The great Irish poet WB Yeats perhaps said it best:

The Realists

Hope that you may understand!
What can books of men that wive
In a dragon-guarded land,
Paintings of the dolphin-drawn
Sea-nymphs in their pearly wagons
Do, but awake a hope to live
That had gone
With the dragons?

(Responsibilies, 1914)

I’ve created this site as a source of information for those who love Middle-earth and Professor Tolkien’s writings, as well as for those who have yet to discover the intricate and wonderful tapestry that is Middle-earth.

Some tips for navigating the site:

• Use the navigation bar along the left-hand side of the page to explore the content that interests you.

• Links to character pages, such as Gandalf or Turin Turambar, are found under the book(s) in which they appear.

• Want to know what to read after Tolkien? Check out the Suggested Reading page for tips, or skip directly to the Fantasy Reading Suggestions.

• You can help support the free information, reviews, and essays on this site by shopping our Tolkien Bookstore.