The Lord of the Rings is an epic [1] high fantasy novel [a] by the English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book The Hobbit, but eventually developed into a much larger work. Written in stages between 1937 and 1949, The Lord of the Rings is one of the best-selling books ever written, with over 150 million copies sold. [2] Wood, Ralph C. (2003). The Gospel According to Tolkien. Westminster John Knox Press. pp. 2-4. ISBN 978-0-664-23466-9. Because the three-volume binding was so widely distributed, the work is often referred to as the Lord of the Rings " trilogy". In a letter to the poet W. H. Auden, who famously reviewed the final volume in 1956, [57] Tolkien himself made use of the term "trilogy" for the work [T 14] though he did at other times consider this incorrect, as it was written and conceived as a single book. [T 15] It is often called a novel; however, Tolkien objected to this term as he viewed it as a heroic romance. [T 16]

Carmel, Julia (15 February 2020). "Barbara Remington, Illustrator of Tolkien Book Covers, Dies at 90". The New York Times . Retrieved 18 July 2020. Derek Bailey (Director) and Judi Dench (Narrator) (1992). A Film Portrait of J. R. R. Tolkien (Television documentary). Visual Corporation. Shigeru Miyamoto Interview". Super PLAY (in Swedish). Medströms Dataförlag AB (4/03). March 2003. Archived from the original on 7 September 2006 . Retrieved 24 September 2006. All ideas for The legend of Zelda were mine and Takashi Tezukas... ...Books, movies and our own lives. Ripp, Joseph. "Middle America Meets Middle-earth: American Publication and Discussion of J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings" (PDF). p.38. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 November 2015. Perkins, Agnes; Hill, Helen (1975). "The Corruption of Power". In Lobdell, Jared (ed.). A Tolkien Compass. Open Court. pp.57–68. ISBN 978-0-87548-303-0.

Riel Radio Theatre — The Lord of the Rings, Episode 2". Radioriel. 15 January 2009. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020 . Retrieved 18 May 2020. Main article: J. R. R. Tolkien's influences Beowulf 's eotenas [ond] ylfe [ond] orcneas, "ogres [and] elves [and] devil-corpses" helped to inspire Tolkien to create the Orcs and Elves of Middle-earth. [20] a b Reynolds, Pat. "The Lord of the Rings: The Tale of a Text". The Tolkien Society. Archived from the original on 8 September 2006. Further information: J. R. R. Tolkien and Literary devices in The Lord of the Rings Navigable diagram of Tolkien's legendarium. The Lord of the Rings began as a sequel to The Hobbit but gradually took in elements of the legendarium, the mythology summarized in The Silmarillion. Nelson, Dale (2013) [2007]. "Literary Influences, Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries". In Drout, Michael D. C. (ed.). The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia. Routledge. pp.366–377. ISBN 978-0-415-86511-1.

Tolkien, J. R. R. (1997). The Monsters and the Critics, and Other Essays. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-261-10263-7. Tolkien, Christopher (2002) [1988–1992]. The History of the Lord of the Rings: Box Set (The History of Middle-earth). HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-261-10370-2. OCLC 43216229. Hammond, Wayne G.; Scull, Christina (2006). The J. R. R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: II. Reader's Guide. HarperCollins. pp.620–622. ISBN 978-0-00-821453-1.Including all sorts of adventures with Gandalf, Gollum, dragons and monsters, in the quest to destroy the One Ring! The first Middle-earth film by release date (and the fourth chronologically) is 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring. The perspective shifts from Bilbo to his much-younger cousin Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). Following some exposition that sets up the current state of affairs in Middle-earth, we return to Bilbo’s 111th birthday celebration in the Shire.

a b c Doughan, David. "J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biographical Sketch". TolkienSociety.org. Archived from the original on 3 March 2006 . Retrieved 16 June 2006. Bibliography: Cover: Bored of the Rings". The Internet Speculative Fiction Database . Retrieved 10 August 2011. Chance, Jane (1980) [1979]. "The Lord of the Rings: Tolkien's Epic". Tolkien's Art: A Mythology for England. Macmillan. pp.97–127. ISBN 0-333-29034-8. The prologue explains that the work is "largely concerned with hobbits", telling of their origins in a migration from the east, their habits such as smoking " pipe-weed", and how their homeland the Shire is organised. It explains how the narrative follows on from The Hobbit, in which the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins finds the One Ring, which had been in the possession of Gollum. The Life and Works for JRR Tolkien". BBC. 7 February 2002. Archived from the original on 1 November 2010 . Retrieved 4 December 2010.

a b Wagner, Vit (16 April 2007). "Tolkien proves he's still the king". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 9 March 2011 . Retrieved 8 March 2011. Volume I: Prologue, The Ring Sets Out, The Ring Goes South; Volume II: The Treason of Isengard, The Ring Goes East; Volume III: The War of the Ring, The End of the Third Age, Appendices A–F. Pate, Nancy (20 August 2003). "Lord of the Rings Films Work Magic on Tolkien Book Sales". SunSentinel. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018 . Retrieved 20 November 2018. Hooker, Mark T. (2006). "The Feigned-manuscript Topos". A Tolkienian Mathomium: a collection of articles on J. R. R. Tolkien and his legendarium. Llyfrawr. pp.176–177. ISBN 978-1-4382-4631-4.