Books

Oxford: np, 1954. First edition. custom folder. Very Good. A REMARKABLY REVEALING LETTER: TOLKIEN DISCUSSES HIS SPECIFIC FEARS ABOUT THE TWO TOWERS AND DEFINES "THE FOUNDATION" OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS AND CONNECTS IT TO HIS LIFE'S WORK. The Fellowship of the Ring (the first volume of The Lord of the Rings trilogy) was published on July 29, 1954. There were a number of rave reviews (mostly notably from Tolkien's friend C.S. Lewis) but there were also enough harsh or critical assessments (particularly the reviews in the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Times) to concern Tolkien and make him anxious about the reception of the second volume, The Two Towers. Professional reviews were one worry, but Tolkien always seemed even more eager to discover if his works connected with "regular" readers as well. One such reader whose opinion he held in high regards, was one of his early supporters, Miss F.L. Perry, whom he had corresponded with earlier about The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the…

Book One: The Fellowship of the Ring The story begins in the Shire, a peaceful region where Frodo Baggins inherits a mysterious ring from his uncle, Bilbo. Gandalf the wizard discovers the ring is the One Ring, forged by the dark lord Sauron to dominate Middle-earth. Frodo is tasked with taking the ring to Rivendell, where a council forms the Fellowship: Frodo, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Boromir, Sam, Merry, and Pippin. Together, they set out to destroy the ring in Mount Doom, the only place it can be unmade. Their journey is fraught with peril, and the Fellowship eventually splinters when Boromir succumbs to the ring's temptation, and Frodo decides to continue the quest with Sam. Book Two: The Two Towers The narrative follows two main threads. Frodo and Sam traverse the dangerous lands toward Mordor, guided by Gollum, a former ring-bearer corrupted by the ring's power. Meanwhile, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli pursue the orcs who have kidnapped Merry and Pippin. The hobbits escape and find themselves in the ancient forest of Fangorn, where they encounter Treebeard the Ent. Gandalf, reborn as Gandalf the White, reunites with the group. The novel climaxes with battles at Helm's Deep and Isengard, and Frodo's capture by orcs after being betrayed by Gollum. Book Three: The Return of the King Aragorn claims his destiny as the true king of Gondor, leading forces against Sauron's armies. Frodo and Sam, enduring immense hardship, infiltrate Mordor and destroy the ring, aided unwittingly by Gollum. Sauron’s power collapses, peace returns, and Aragorn is crowned. Frodo, burdened by his trauma, sails to the Undying Lands with Bilbo, Gandalf, and the elves, leaving Sam to carry on in the Shire.