“One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.” Why has Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings remained a classic, a seminal work from which most fantasy writers derive inspiration? Why does it resonate? This course examines Tolkien’s world, his characters, mysteries, humor and more as we vanish into Middle Earth and chase the Fellowship as they strive to return the One Ring to Mount Doom. Readings will include creation myths from The Silmarillion as well as Professor Tolkien’s views “On Fairy Stories.”
Read: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien
This course is offered with the generous support of the Association for Continuing Education.