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If the old adage is true, and imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery, then it is quite possible that The Lord of the Rings was the greatest work written in the twentieth century. J.R.R. Tolkien's epic tale has been the inspiration for countless books, not to mention board games, computer games, web sites, art, comic books, and quite a few really bad sword-and-sorcerer movies in the 1980s. And while I would never dream of mentioning it in front of one of Tolkien's fanatical followers, the truth is that some of these Tolkien-inspired works actually surpass The Lord of the Rings. The first four or five books in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time Series, for example, beat Tolkien hands down in terms of character development, writing style, and entertainment value.

Nevertheless, Tolkien remains the master. In order to truly appreciate his greatness, one needs to remember the time in which he wrote. Before Tolkien, the fantasy genre consisted primarily of children's stories, tacky pulp fiction, and dusty classics like Le Morte D'Arthur and Beowulf. Tolkien single-handedly reinvented the genre, and in the process created an unprecedented level of interest. He breathed life into elves and dwarfs and dragons, and created a world of such detail and scale that it seemed almost real. This world in turn served as a launching pad for Jordan, George R.R. Martin, and everything else that has followed.

Of course, that is not to say that the trilogy does not have value in and of itself. While I have always felt that Tolkien's writing style can be a bit dry, his characters a little one-dimensional, and his novels a little too detailed, this does not get in the way of a wonderful tale of good and evil. In both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, peaceful characters from a sleepy little village are plunged into an adventure filled with magic and mayhem with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. The reader can identify with the naive, little hobbits, and we can share in their sense of wonder, awe, and horror at what they see on their journeys. We can also sympathize with their fear and fatigue, as they are asked to risk all and perform the impossible for the good of the cause.

For me, Tolkien is always at his best during the climactic battle scenes. When the heroes dish out ultimate justice to fire-breathing dragons, treacherous wizards, and terrifying wraiths, the reader cannot help but get caught up in the excitement. One almost feels as if they are atop the battlements, fighting alongside the ranger Aragorn, Gimli the dwarf, and the elf Legalos. As a child, I remember that these chapters made trudging through passages of singing elves and descriptions of hobbit agriculture worthwhile.

I look forward to seeing these battles in the live-action film version of the trilogy. With a cast of thousands and a budget rivaled only by that of Titanic, the movies will undoubtedly create an incredible amount of hype. Why not use this excuse to pick up the books - whether for the first time or the fiftieth - and visit the magical world of Middle-Earth?

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(Submitted 5/22/01 by Cleveland lawyer Julio.)