dec 9, 1954 - Lord of the Rings

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J.R.R. Tolkien published Lord of the Rings in six separate installments between 1954 and 1955. Originally, it was written as a singular novel, but due to the length, price of publication, and the post-war paper shortage, it was decided to go ahead and publish as three volumes (Fellowship of the Ring books 1 and 2, The Two Towers books 3 and 4, and Return of the King books 5 and 6). Contrary to popular belief, there is no solid evidence that Tolkien’s novels are an allegory for the second world war or the invention of the atomic bomb. They are, however, related to his own relationship with religion, particularly to his Roman Catholic upbringing. In a letter to Robert Murray on December 2, 1953, he says, “The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision” (The Letters of JRR Tolkien, 142). Some of the religious themes seen in these novels are the concept of good versus evil (Frodo vs. Sauron), Resurrection (Gandalf in the mines of Moria), sacrifice, mercy, death, just to name a few. Even in coming to terms with these themes reveals how the novels can be viewed as a postmodern work in addition to the fantasy world that they are set within. Contention still stands on whether they are truly postmodern novels or not though due to the connections to the past.

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