The Lord of the Rings

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First and best - Rated
When Peter Jackson's epic movies hit the theatres, a new wave of readers began scrambling for "The Fellowship of the Ring." And that is definitely a good thing, because this trilogy not only spurred the fantasy genre into a respectable position, but also provided the template for virtually every elf, dwarf, lost king, and medieval fantasy world since. It's also a glorious read.

The action takes place sixty years after the events of "The Hobbit" -- Bilbo Baggins is older, not much wiser, substantially wealthier, and quite eccentric (a not-so-affectionate nickname is "Mad Baggins"). He has also adopted his bright young cousin Frodo, who was orphaned at a young age and had led a rather fractured life since then. On his 111th birthday, Bilbo suddenly vanishes, leaving behind all his possessions to Frodo -- including the golden ring that allows its wearer to become invisible.

Seventeen years later, Gandalf the wizard shows up again on Frodo's doorstep, and informs the young hobbit that his ring is in fact the One Ring of the Dark Lord Sauron. It inevitably corrupts those who have it, and most of Sauron's power is invested in it. Trying to deflect danger from the Shire, Frodo leaves with his best friend Sam and his loyal cousins Merry and Pippin. But Frodo has only the slightest idea of the hideous and dangerous journey ahead of him, that will take him across Middle-Earth to the evil land of Mordor.

Many fantasy cliches were spawned from this book (although they weren't cliches when Tolkien used them). Orcs, elves, dwarves, halflings, sprawling medieval kingdoms, dethroned kings, gray-bearded wizards and evil Dark Lords. But no one will feel that these are stale; on the contrary, they feel fresh and unused, because that is what they were when the book was first penned.

This book begins on much the same note as "The Hobbit": it's lighter and more cheerful, since it opens in the Shire. But darker undertones begin to crop up in the very first chapter, when Bilbo begins clutching at the Ring and speaking in a Gollum-like manner. It meanders for awhile while the hobbits are travelling, singing and generally wandering around. But when they reach Bree, at which point it becomes darker, faster and more chilling.

One of the things that Tolkien did exceptionally well is atmosphere. With a minimum of words, he conveys the menace of the Black Riders, the beauty of the Elves, the decay of the ancient kingdom of Moria, the exquisite beauty of the Elves. All this is done with a minimum of actual description. And he balances the epic and personal stories, by describing the struggles of the "little guys" who are in the middle of a worldwide struggle.

Frodo himself is the quintessential "little guy" hero, one of the last people whom you'd expect to be on a mission to save the world. He's a little moody, a little immature and bored at the beginning, but incredibly brave and stout-hearted when the pressure is put on him. Self-sacrifice is his middle name. Unlike Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter, Frodo also has no astounding destiny or special powers to help him. He's simply an ordinary person, an everyman... or should I say, "everyhobbit."

Tolkien also brings back the quintessential wizard, Gandalf, whose powers and hidden sides are revealed more fully here. And Frodo is surrounded by a likable (though sometimes not exactly friendly) band of companions, from the noble, secretive king-in-hiding to his loyal pal Sam, as well as his cousins Merry and Pippin. One is wise beyond his years, one is a goodhearted flake.

Tolkien wasn't the first fantasy writer, but he can rightly be described as the first noted fantasy writer, and he remains top of the heap today. A deserved classic, and a beautiful story.