The Lord of the Rings is a a. fantasy series b. mystery series c. religious text
The Hobbit is a. the first volume in the series b. a prequel to the series c. a sequel to the series
Tolkien’s writing contains allegories for the principles of a. Catholicism b. Judaism c. Anglicanism
Discussion/essay questions
Do you enjoy fantasy stories? Why or why not? What do you think makes them popular?
Transcript
The Lord of the Rings is a series of fantasy novels by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. Tolkien wrote the series after the success of his original fantasy novel, The Hobbit, which is now described as a prequel. The series has three volumes, which Tolkien began writing in 1937 and published in 1954. The books are known for their extensive worldbuilding. They contain invented languages and centuries of fictional history. For this reason, Tolkien’s stories are some of the most popular and influential works in the fantasy genre. Tolkien was inspired by Germanic folklore, as well as the principles of Catholicism. The stories can be read as religious allegories.
Fantasy elements, like witches, kings, queens, and magical worlds, are very common in children’s novels. Why do you think children enjoy fantasy so much? Why is it less common in books for adults?
Transcript
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy children’s novel written by British author C. S. Lewis. The story is about four young siblings who walk into a wardrobe and accidentally discover a magical world. This world is called Narnia, and it is under the rule of an evil witch. She has taken the throne from the rightful ruler, a lion named Aslan. The children have to help the citizens of Narnia defeat the witch. At the end of the story, Aslan crowns the siblings rulers of Narnia, and they grow up in the magical world. When they travel back home, they find that they are still children, and that no time has passed at all. After publishing The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe in 1950, Lewis published six more books about the land of Narnia. The series still has many fans today.
Many of the imaginary elements that Tolkien used in his books, such as wizards, dwarves, elves, and dragons, are common across the fantasy genre. Some fantasy books with similar elements (like the Harry Potter series) have been just as successful as Tolkien’s stories. Why do you think books with these themes are so popular?
Transcript
The Hobbit is a classic fantasy children’s novel written by English author J.R.R. Tolkien. The novel was published in 1937, and over 100 million copies have been sold since then. The protagonist of the book is named Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo is a hobbit – a small, human-like creature that lives underground. One day, a wizard called Gandalf recruits Bilbo to go on a quest to find some valuable treasure. This treasure once belonged to a group of dwarves, who are determined to get it back. Together, Bilbo and Gandalf set out to help the dwarves find their treasure – but first they have to defeat Smaug, the powerful dragon who guards it. Tolkien originally wrote this story for his own children, but it quickly became a huge success. This inspired Tolkien to write a sequel trilogy: the famous Lord of the Rings series, which takes place 60 years after the events of The Hobbit.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was published over a century ago. Why do you think that the themes and characters of this book are still so widely known today?
Transcript
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is an iconic children’s novel by British author Lewis Carroll. The story follows a young girl named Alice, who dreams about jumping down a rabbit hole and discovering a magical land. In this strange world, there are talking animals, cakes that can make Alice grow or shrink, and an evil queen who wants to behead her. The character of Alice was based on a real girl named Alice Liddell, who Carroll originally told the story to. The book was published in 1865, and while children at the time loved the story, many adults were confused by it. At the time that the novel was published, most children’s books included morals. In contrast to this, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was a fun story that had no clear meaning, and that was why children enjoyed it. Many adaptations of this book have been made, and the story is still loved by both children and adults today.
