‘All that had happened after he was stunned, Bilbo learned later; but it gave him more sorrow than joy, and he was now weary of his adventure. He was aching in his bones for the homeward journey.’ Tolkien wraps up his tale with more poetry and pathos than one would expect in a children’s tale. [More]

Whose life would you most want to live in Tolkien’s Middle Earth? Now, we don’t mean who is your favorite character, but whose life, both the good and bad, do you long to experience for yourself? [More]

“So began a battle that none had expected; and it was called the Battle of Five Armies, and it was very terrible.” Tolkien builds his simple adventure tale to its final climax, and it proves to be a startling one. [More]

Nine he gave to Mortal Men, proud and great, and so ensnared them. Long ago they fell under the dominion of the One, and they became Ringwraiths, shadows under his great Shadow, his most terrible servants. Middle Earth abounds in character both quaint and creepy; Gollum, Shelob, trolls and orcs, but perhaps none inspire quite the same shivers and chills as the Nazgul. [More]

“The rule of no realm is mine, neither of Gondor nor any other, great or small.” Gandalf refused to use his power to control the free peoples of Middle Earth, but no race or collection of people can long survive without some means of government or authority, to maintain order, uphold justice and protect the weakest and most helpless members of the society. [More]

“The treasure is likely to be your death, though the dragon is no more!” With these words Roäc, the old raven, predicts grim times for Thorin and Company. Although Dain and the dwarves of the Iron Hills will soon arrive to aid their kin, they can hardly outnumber the host of men and elves now besieging the Lonely Mountain. With winter is coming on all begins to seem hopeless. [More]