About The Lord of the Rings
The Fellowship of the Ring
Frodo Baggins, a young hobbit in the care of his elderly uncle Bilbo, is given a magic ring by the wizard Gandalf. He soon learns that the Ring is the property of the Dark Lord Sauron and has the power to corrupt and turn to evil all those that possess it. It can only be destroyed by being cast into the fires of Mount Doom in the land of Mordor. On Gandalf's advice, Frodo embarks on a quest to destroy the Ring--a dangerous journey that will take him into grave peril.
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Script for The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
The remaining members of the Fellowship band together after a brief time apart and journey to the kingdoms of Gondor and Rohan, where they muster a great army to battle Sauron's growing forces. Meanwhile, Frodo and Sam continue their journey into Mordor, where they meet an unexpected visitor--and an even more unexpected ally--as they struggle to reach Mount Doom. Betrayed by their friend, Frodo is badly wounded and captured by Orcs; Sam is left behind to guard the Ring and follow his master to Mount Doom.
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The Return of the King
Victory is won at long last: Frodo achieves his quest and destroys the Ring in the fires of Mount Doom, and the armies of Gondor and Rohan defeat the forces of evil on the Pelennor Fields. But the triumph comes at great cost, and Frodo's life will never be the same again after his long journey. He and his fellow hobbits must work hard to restore the Shire before settling back into their normal lives. Yet Frodo cannot find rest, and travels with Bilbo over the Sea to dwell in Valinor with the Elves of the Undying Lands.
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Other Works
The Hobbit is the story of Bilbo Baggins, a humble hobbit from the Shire who gets an unexpected visit from an old friend--Gandalf the Gray--and thirteen dwarves, only to be swept up in a fantastic adventure filled with goblins, trolls, giants, eagles, Elves, Men, and even dragons. The prequel to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit also stands on its own as a wonderful story full of magic, humour, and exciting exploits.
The Silmarillion, prequel to both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, describes the creation of Middle-Earth, introduces its major gods and heroes, and outlines its mythology. Here is found the stories of Beren and Lúthien, of Túrin Turambar, of the ruin of Doriath and the fall of Gondolin, and the voyage of Eärendil; most importantly, the history of the War of the Rings, including the events of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, is detailed here. The Silmarillion also provides information on Sindarin and Quenya names, and the background of several important families in Middle-Earth folklore.
Tolkien wrote numerous other books, some on the people and places of Middle-Earth, such as The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. His son and heir, Christopher Tolkien, authored a series of books called The History of Middle-Earth and helped to edit and publish much of his father's work.
About the author
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892, in Bloemfontein, South Africa, to Arthur Reuel Tolkien, a bank clerk, and Mabel Suffield. He and his family, including his younger brother Hilary, moved to England soon after their father's death in 1896, and lived there for most of their lives. Tolkien spent much of his childhood in poverty, orphaned at the age of twelve in 1904 by his mother's death; it was during this time that he developed his love of languages and fantasy, blessed with a naturally vivid imagination and a remarkable gift for writing.
Still working on his writings and developing new languages of his own, Tolkien enlisted in the army during World War I after marrying his teenage sweetheart, Edith Bratt. A service of four years followed, in which he was promoted to a lieutenant's position and lost several of his close friends. After the war, he obtained employment as a professor of English literature at Oxford, where he influenced several great authors such as C.S. Lewis.
His first book, The Hobbit, was published in 1937 and became an instant success, but the appearance of the Lord of the Rings trilogy in 1954-1955 raised Tolkien to cult status as an author. Somewhat overwhelmed by all the attention he was receiving, he went into retirement in 1969 with his wife and moved to Bournemouth, a small, remote town in England. In 1971 Edith died, and on September 2, 1973, at the age of 81, so did J.R.R. Tolkien. They were buried together in a single grave in the Wolvercote cemetery in Oxford, England; the headstone reads:
Edith Mary Tolkien, Lúthien, 1889-1971
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, Beren, 1892-1973
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