[Wisdom of Wizardry]

Without question much of our reading is done for the simple pleasure it affords, and for the escape from the humdrum of everyday life. I have read the Ring Trilogy straight through eleven times, twice of those aloud to members of my family; and virtually every time I was enchanted by the story itself. The story was enough.

Then there is the additional pleasure of the masterfully crafted words themselves. JRRT is positively Shakespearian at times in his use of the English language. Take, for example, the first meeting of Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli with Eomer on the plains of Rohan; or Gandalf's encounter with Wormtongue. The examples are legion, and just to enjoy them alone is reason enough to read the books again.

But I have long believed that, to qualify as great literature, a book must give us something of value to apply to our own lives; something we can use every day, or something to call upon in times of great stress. Something like the vial of Galadriel, that can be pulled from our pocket to provide light and hope when all seems lost.

Tolkein's masterpiece provides these gifts to me in great abundance. In it I find courage, loyalty, honor, perseverance, steadfastness, beauty, love, and a divine knack for enjoying the simple pleasures of life, like giftgiving and second breakfasts.

A recurring theme in the books, and one that I have often found to be true in life (most often to my great relief and benefit), is the idea that whenever things are going badly for us, whenever we seem to be sliding deeper and deeper into despair and ruination, a force is already working somewhere else in the world that will rescue us from our dilemma.

We don't know that it is out there, percolating and gaining momentum; but all the time, while we struggle and try to cope, this other, 'unlooked-for' event is building to a climax, and it breaks upon us just in time to save us from utter ruin.

This happens again and again in LOTR, and it is something 'of value', something we can learn about life and hope, and apply to our own lives over and over through the years.

I would be interested to hear from those of you more facile with this board, those quicker with a quoted passage, about some examples you have seen of this theme in LOTR, or in other themes that you have noticed, and applied to your own lives.

I am of the opinion that The Lord of the Rings is Great Literature. I have often said that it is the single most important piece of imaginative fiction written in the last hundred years. I have little doubt that there are many here who agree with me.

Would you care to tell me why you think so?