“One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.” – J.R.R. Tolkien

Widely celebrated as the artist to bring a revival in the fantasy genre of literature, Tolkien has indeed inked his name in the memoirs of magnificent writers of all time with his legendary masterpiece: Lord of the Rings. As a person who has never probed deep into the genre of fantasy, my expectations from this trilogy, irrespective of its tremendous popularity, was not much. However to my own surprise, published in the late twentieth century (1954), Lord of The Rings, amusingly follows up with its relevance over generations and has continued to be under popular belief: extraordinary.

In view of this, I present my unbiased observations and critical understanding of the very first book of the trilogy: Fellowship of The Ring.

With so many threads to pull about the first volume, starting from the setting of the story to the writing style of Tolkien, I will restrict myself to the main aspects of the book and leave the rest for you to find out (so grab the book and get on reading, you won’t be let down, I assure you).

The plot unfolds in stages, beginning of which is set in The Hobbit (which is a precursor to The Lord of The Rings). Bilbo Baggins has kept secure his hoarded treasure, the One Ring that has now moved onto the possession of his heir Frodo, who seeks to keep it secure and away from the Dark Lord Sauron and thus, begins his journey along with his Company of eight to Mount Doom, the one place to destroy The Ring.

The setting of the story is in “Middle-Earth” where dwell distinctive human-like and somewhat ancient creatures like dwarves, elves, hobbits that have learned to ward off evil and settled into a merry and cheerful existence. They live, laugh, love and tend to keep away from nasty creatures as orcs and goblins (you know, the ones who create havoc). This fictional world of the Middle Earth has been successfully infused with a rich history of time, distinctive cultures and languages by Tolkien so as to create as much of a realistic image as possible in the mind of the readers. This is an artistic genius on part of Tolkien which we cannot help but admire. Every aspect has been detailed and measured. Isn’t that amazing?

What drives us more into the story is the appeal of the characters: you cannot help but laugh at Pippin’s jokes, admire Aragorn’s personality and maybe simply fall in love with Legolas (as I did). The Dark Lord comes out as a scary brooding figure throughout the story; hovering over Frodo and Company as they move closer to the gates of doom (he literally keeps an Eye on them!). Beware readers, he might intimidate you more than Voldemort ever did.

Tolkien’s impeccable genius in language, assisted by detailed folklores, rhymed narratives and elaborate imageries took me to the lands of the unknown, travelling and exploring through the lands across Middle Earth as if I am a part of the narrative itself. One can immerse himself in the story so much so that they’re convinced to be a part of the journey itself.

I CANNOT proceed any further in this review without giving you spoilers, which I’m sure you won’t like. Thus, in my last attempt to persuade you, fellow reader, to read through the Fellowship of the Ring, I recommend you to give this book a try. May you have a blissful experience!