Test your knowledge of 'Rings'

By Jack Garner
Gannett News Service

Viggo Mortensen is Aragorn, who is sworn to protect Frodo (Elijah Wood) on his journey. New Line Cinema

What is "Lord of the Rings"?

It is a giant-sized, three-part, doorstop of a book, published in the mid-'50s. The trilogy of complex tales details the efforts of a small, good-hearted hobbit named Frodo Baggins and his friends (the "fellowship") to save Middle-earth from the evil of Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor.

To do this, they must destroy the One Ring of Power.

Who is J.R.R. Tolkien?

He was an eminent Oxford University professor (from 1925 to 1959) who created the "Lord of the Rings" out of his horrific experiences in World War I, his fears of technology and industry and their encroachment on the lush green England of old, the morality of his Roman Catholic upbringing, and his passion for languages and philology.

He spoke a dozen languages, and much of the complexity of "The Lord of the Rings" comes from his imaginative creation of words. Philology is the related study of languages and history, especially of ancient or disappearing cultures.

How popular is "Lord of the Rings"?

Very popular, perhaps one of the strongest and most persistent cults in literary history. Several polls over the years have placed "Lord of the Rings" at or near the top of lists of the greatest books of the 20th century, and a 1999 poll of amazon.com users listed it as the greatest book of the millennium.

A decade after its publication in England, "Lord of the Rings" arrived in the United States, where it was embraced by the counterculture of the 1960s.

However, affection for "Lord of the Rings" is far from universal. A giant tome that some have read over and over and others can't abide, it's the classic example of a love-it-or-hate-it cultural phenomenon.

"A children's book which has somehow got out of hand ... a poverty of invention which is almost pathetic," wrote Edmund Wilson in 1956."

A few things to keep in mind:

• Hobbits are gentle, sweet-natured creatures, about three-and-a-half feet tall and close to nature. Also called Halflings, they are furry-footed creatures who live in homes burrowed in the sides of hills and embankments. They love the simple things, like pipe-smoking, eating and storytelling.
• Elves are more elegant and noble, and somehow possess a sense that their time is running out. They project the melancholy of creatures about to pass into myth.
• Dwarves are short, rough and tough creatures who live an average of 250 years and love things beautiful.
• Wizards are all-powerful, tall and austere figures who can use their power for good or ill, depending on their natures.
• Humans are fledgling creatures in Middle-earth, but with strong will and ability as courageous warriors.
• The bad guys of Middle-earth include the misshapen Orcs, and the frightening, black-cloaked Ringwraiths (with qualities more modern observers might relate to zombies).