Rereading The Lord of the Rings

You know what's really great is when you've said to yourself, over and over, for years, that "one of these days" you're going to do something, and then you finally do it. "One of these days I'm going to Alaska," or "I'm going to learn French," or "I'm going to start a popular website."

The Lord of the Rings is my favorite book ever. By far. No contest. I got a paperback copy for Christmas about twelve years ago and read it three times in fairly quick succession, and I haven't read it since. I even bought an $80 hardbound set with illustrations by Alan Lee (at a fair discount) back in 2002 with the intention of reading that set one time and keeping it on the shelf thereafter to avoid spoiling its pristine condition, but I never did. I've meant to reread it for years now, always reminiscing about my favorite literary world and intending to revisit it. And then I realized that "one of these days" would remain just that until I finally made the decision today.

So a few days ago I decided that, instead of playing more video games or starting another book or whatever else I might do, I was going to reread The Lord of the Rings. You know, I said before that it's a really great feeling when you finally do something you've intended to do for a long time, but another great feeling is when you revisit something that has become a nostalgic topic for you but that you haven't actually experienced in a long time and find it to be every bit as good as you remembered. Such is the case with The Lord of the Rings.

In fact, it may even be better than I'd remembered. Tolkien is long-winded and breaks a few of the cardinal rules of literature, but there's no doubt in my mind that he's a genuinely great author. The Lord of the Rings perhaps lacks the profundity that other great works of literature possess, but its themes are those which are most fundamental: nobility, perseverance in weakness, the lust for power. In addition, Tolkien set his story in what I believe is the most genuine fantasy world to have ever been created.

I've skimmed ahead through the book, and thought with excitement about the parts I haven't yet reached: the trek through Moria, the Battle of Helm's Deep, the sacking of Isengard. I can't wait to relive each one. Here's looking forward to several more days of excellent reading!