You’re sitting there looking at a book that’s thicker than a brick or a film trilogy that takes about twelve hours to watch if you’re doing the extended editions. It’s a massive commitment. Naturally, you’re asking: is the lord of the rings good or is it just something people say they like because it’s "classic"? Honestly, the answer depends entirely on what you want from a story. If you want fast-paced, snappy dialogue and low-stakes action, you might actually hate it. But if you want a world that feels more real than the one outside your window, there’s nothing else like it.
It’s heavy. J.R.R. Tolkien wasn't just writing a book; he was building a mythology for England because he felt the country lacked its own indigenous legends. He was a philologist—a language nerd—who built the languages first and then realized he needed a world for people to speak them in. That’s why the world-building feels so dense. It wasn’t a marketing gimmick. It was an obsession.
The Problem With "Slow" Stories
Most modern movies and books are built on a "hook" every ten minutes. Tolkien doesn't care about your attention span. In the book version of The Fellowship of the Ring, the hobbits spend a massive amount of time just walking through the Shire and the Old Forest before anything "epic" even happens. For some, this is a total dealbreaker. It’s slow. It’s methodical.
But here’s the thing: that slowness is exactly why the payoff works. By the time Frodo and Sam reach the Cracks of Doom, you feel the weight of every mile they’ve walked. You’ve been with them through the dirt and the cold. Most fantasy stories today try to skip the "boring" parts, but Tolkien understood that the "boring" parts are where the character growth happens. You learn who these people are when they’re tired and hungry, not just when they’re swinging swords.
Why the Movies Changed Everything
When Peter Jackson’s film trilogy dropped in the early 2000s, it changed the conversation. Suddenly, the question of is the lord of the rings good wasn't just for bookworms. It was a cultural phenomenon. Jackson did something nearly impossible: he kept the soul of the books while amping up the kinetic energy.
The production design in those films is still the gold standard. They used "big-atures"—massive, highly detailed models—instead of relying purely on CGI. That’s why Minas Tirith looks like a real city you could visit. Compare the 2001 Fellowship of the Ring to a Marvel movie from 2023, and the twenty-year-old movie often looks more "real." The tactile nature of the props, the armor made by Weta Workshop, and the New Zealand landscapes give it a grounded feel that most modern fantasy lacks.
It’s Not Just About Orcs and Elves
People think this is a story about a war. It isn't. Not really.
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At its heart, it’s a story about the loss of the natural world and the trauma of war. Tolkien fought in the trenches of World War I. He saw his friends die. He saw the industrial machines of war tear up the countryside. When you read about Saruman cutting down trees to fuel his pits of industry, that’s Tolkien’s real-life heartbreak bleeding onto the page. He wasn't writing a metaphor for WWII (he famously hated "applicability" or direct allegories), but his lived experience in the Battle of the Somme informs every page.
The "goodness" of the series comes from its morality. It’s not "grimdark" like Game of Thrones. There’s a clear sense of right and wrong, yet the characters are deeply tempted by evil. Boromir isn't a villain; he’s a man who wants to save his people and thinks he can use a bad tool to do a good thing. That’s a very human struggle.
The "Boring" Parts Are Actually the Best Parts
If you ask a hardcore fan why the series is great, they won't just talk about the Battle of Helm's Deep. They'll talk about the friendship between Frodo and Sam.
There is a vulnerability in these characters that you don't see in modern action heroes. They cry. They hold each other. They talk about their feelings and their fears. In a world that often prizes "tough guy" protagonists, the Hobbits are a refreshing change. They aren't warriors. They’re gardeners and quiet folks who are forced into greatness. This makes the stakes feel much higher. When Aragorn—a literal king—fights, you expect him to win. When Samwise Gamgee—a guy who just wants to go home and eat potatoes—stands up to a giant spider, it’s terrifying.
Is It Too Long?
Yes. Probably.
Tolkien was a rambler. He loved descriptions of terrain. He loved poems. He loved songs that don't necessarily move the plot forward. If you’re reading the books, you have to accept that you’re going on a journey, not a sprint. If you’re watching the movies, the "Extended Editions" add a lot of lore that makes the world richer but pushes the runtime of The Return of the King to over four hours.
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Does that make it bad? No. It makes it immersive. You don't "watch" Lord of the Rings; you live in it for a while.
The Complexity of Middle-earth
One of the reasons people keep coming back is the sheer depth of the lore. Tolkien created entire backstories for things that are only mentioned in passing. The Silmarillion, which is basically the Bible of Middle-earth, explains the creation of the universe, the fall of the first Dark Lord (Melkor), and the tragic history of the Elves.
When you see a ruin in the background of a scene in the movies, it’s not just "generic fantasy ruin." It’s a specific place with a name and a history. This creates a "sense of distance" that Tolkien intentionally cultivated. He wanted the reader to feel like they were looking at a small slice of a much larger, older world.
Addressing the Criticisms
It’s not perfect. No book is.
- The Gender Balance: There aren't many women in the main party. Eowyn gets a legendary moment, and Galadriel is incredibly powerful, but the Fellowship itself is an all-male group. This is a reflection of the time it was written and Tolkien's experiences in all-male military and academic circles.
- The Moral Binary: Some people find the "Orcs are always bad" thing a bit simplistic. Modern fantasy likes "shades of grey," and Tolkien's world is very much "Light vs. Dark."
- The Prose: Tolkien’s writing can be dense. He uses archaic words and a formal tone that can feel stiff to a modern reader used to the conversational style of authors like Brandon Sanderson or George R.R. Martin.
The Verdict: Why You Should Care
So, is the lord of the rings good?
If you value depth, emotional resonance, and world-building that has never been matched, then yes. It is the foundation of modern fantasy. Almost everything you see in Dungeons & Dragons, World of Warcraft, or The Witcher owes a debt to Tolkien.
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But it’s more than just an influential "old thing." It’s a story about hope when everything looks dark. It’s a story about how even the smallest person can change the course of the future. In a world that feels increasingly cynical and chaotic, there’s something deeply comforting about a story where friendship and "ordinary hobbit-sense" are the things that save the world.
How to Get Started the Right Way
If you’re new to this, don't just dive into the deepest part of the pool.
- Start with The Hobbit: It’s shorter, funnier, and written for children, but it sets the stage perfectly. It’s a much easier "in" than starting with the Council of Elrond.
- Watch the Theatrical Versions First: Don't start with the Extended Editions of the movies. They’re amazing for fans, but the theatrical cuts are better paced for a first-time viewer.
- Listen to the Audiobooks: If the prose feels too dense to read, try the Andy Serkis (the actor who played Gollum) narrated audiobooks. He brings a level of performance that makes the long descriptions fly by.
- Don’t Skip the Appendices: If you finish the books and want more, the appendices at the end of Return of the King contain the "real" ending for many characters, including the heartbreaking story of Aragorn and Arwen’s later years.
The true test of whether something is "good" is its staying power. People are still arguing about Balrog wings and Tom Bombadil seventy years later. That doesn't happen with mediocre stories. It’s a masterpiece because it dares to be sincere in an age of irony. Give it a chance, but bring a snack. It’s a long road.
Actionable Insight: If you've struggled with the books before, try focusing on the themes of environmentalism and "the machine" vs. nature. Seeing it as a commentary on the Industrial Revolution often makes the long descriptions of forests and mountains feel more intentional and less like filler.
Next Steps for New Readers:
- Pick up the 1937 version of The Hobbit for the purest introduction to Middle-earth.
- Find the 1981 BBC Radio Drama if you want a middle ground between the dense text and the high-octane movies; it’s widely considered one of the best adaptations ever made.
- Visit a local library to check out "The Atlas of Middle-earth" by Karen Wynn Fonstad, which helps visualize the geography and makes the journey much easier to follow.