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Tolkien devoted his life to the creation of the vast, imaginary world of Middle-Earth, and books such as The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings series have been popular since they were first published. However, notes Groom, a professor of English literature, the story did not end there. Tolkien’s novels have become the source code for films, music, games, spinoffs, and any number of imitators. In the first half of the book, Groom deals with how Tolkien created the books, drawing on a wide range of literary influences and personal experiences. He did not have a detailed plan for the Lord of the Rings but largely allowed the characters and the narrative to evolve within the Middle-Earth framework he had developed in earlier works. The combination of sweeping scope and personal journeys gives the books their resonance, but it also makes them challenging to understand. LOTR is much more than a story of good versus evil, and the author peels back the layers to prove his point. The second half of the book examines the numerous attempts of filmmakers to come to terms with the sprawling text; for most, it was simply too difficult. Groom applauds Peter Jackson’s films, accepting that parts of Tolkien’s stories had to be cut or amended to suit the screen. He ponders the reasons for the films’ huge success, arguing that many of the crises of our times are reflected in Tolkien’s books. He is on less firm ground here, and sometimes he struggles to make connections. But his point that Tolkien’s work will continue to have an enduring appeal is valid, and this book offers a thought-provoking examination as to why.

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