The Lord of the Rings - Book review

The Lord of the Rings is undoubtedly one of the most popular trilogies of all time. J.R.R. Tolkien published the book for the first time in 1954 and 55. Today it has been turned into a massive brand, with movies, action figures and trading cards and much more, all taking place in the very setting, with the very characters Tolkien created. A lot of people have read the books, and saw the three movies, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, the interest for this universe, and the fantasy genre in general has not decreased. But what is it that makes this story, these characters, this world so fascinating?

First of all the narration takes place in a time where men wore swords, in a world similar to this one, with the exception of magic, exotic humanoids and monsters. These exceptions are some of the things that make the world in the story seem special and appealing to me at least, and I bet to many others. Tolkien uses a meticulously descriptive language that depicts how the scenery is, and what the roles in the story look like. His language is filled to the brim with a wide array of adjectives, and therefore the books are best read in ones native language. The understanding of how the characters in the story interfere with each other and with the environment is central to the understanding of the tale, and that is the reason for Tolkien's abundant use of adjectives. E.g.:

“The change in the wizard's voice was astounding. Suddenly it became menacing, powerful, harsh as stone. A shadow seemed to pass over the high sun, and the porch for a moment grew dark.”

Tolkien's thoroughness doesn't even e...