The Lord of the Rings is the saga of a group of sometimes reluctant heroes who set forth to save their world from consummate evil. Its many worlds and creatures were drawn from Tolkien’s extensive knowledge of philology and folklore.

The ring is the center of the trilogy, and it gains multiple, changeable meanings as Frodo’s journey proceeds. Created by the evil Sauron, it is at first synonymous with its maker’s evil power. Those who encounter the ring are overcome with longing for power over others, and the ring could give more power to Sauron.

Written with friends and relatives in mind, and intended to ‘move’ and ‘delight’ readers of The Hobbit (who had grown up in the meantime), The Lord of the Rings was also a tribute to Tolkien’s companions who were killed during the First World War, especially his two very close friends Robert Gilson and Geoffrey Smith.