3. The Lord of the Rings: Mythic and Modern Masterpiece

Book

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings. Houghton Mifflin (1994), ISBN: 0-618-34399-7

Program Description

Since the appearance of its third and final volume in 1955, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings has steadily increased in popularity and critical acclaim, until a series of polls in the 1990s saw it nominated as “the greatest book of the twentieth century.” During that time and since, Tolkien’s sweeping epic has won over legions of admiring readers, ardent fans who briefly visit, leisurely tour, and even fully immerse themselves in the book’s meticulously-detailed fantasy world of Middle-Earth.

In this seminar, you will spend a week exploring The Lord
of the Rings with a group of fellow readers. Discussion
topics will include such things as the work’s literary style
and structure, its cinematic interpretation, its mythic roots and modern-day significance, the appeal of beloved characters
like Frodo, Aragorn, and Gandalf the Wizard, and the
over-arching symbolism of the ring itself. Whether you
are a lifelong Tolkien devotee, or simply want to know why your children or grandchildren are renting all those DVDs, this seminar promises to deepen your understanding and
appreciation of the extraordinary cultural phenomenon
that is The Lord of the Rings.

Discussion Leader

Glen Robert Gill is assistant professor of English at Troy
University, Troy, Alabama. A scholar and avid fan of mythology and fantasy literature, he has frequently taught and given presentations about The Lord of the Rings in both its literary
and cinematic incarnations.