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A brief summary of J.R.R.Tolkien's
"THE LORD OF THE RINGS"
for the fantasy-impaired

Contents

A note about book names: The Lord of the Rings is often mistakenly called a trilogy because it is published in three volumes. In fact, it is one long novel, divided into six books (plus appendices), two of which appear in each volume. For the sake of navigation, I've divided my summary by the six-book breaks rather than the three-volume titles: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. The book titles I've used are taken from material found in Christopher Tolkien's excellent series, The History of Middle-Earth.

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The Poem

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

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Background

The Lord of the Rings and its precursor, The Hobbit, take place during the Third Age of Middle-Earth. Middle-Earth is a continent on a perpetually medieval fantasy world called Arda, which is filled with magical places, people, and events, and where the forces of Good and Evil vie for dominion. It has always been vague whether Arda is meant to be our "real" world in its prehistory, but I for one prefer to think of it in wholly imaginary terms. The confusion probably stems from the amount of detail and realism that Tolkien puts into the story, in terms of things like weather, climate, geography, and even phases of the moon. The history of Middle-Earth is broken up into four eras, aptly called the Four Ages.

During the First Age, the immortal Elves, the first Children of Ilúvatar (aka. Eru, "the One"... God, basically), awoke by the shores of Cuiviénen in Middle-Earth. Shortly thereafter, they were summoned to Valinor, the Blessed Realm, by the Valar. The Valar are akin to gods in the mythological sense, although they are rarely explicitly called such. In fact, in the creation story of Arda, their role is closer to archangels—witnesses and participants in creation rather than originators. In any case, the Valar pretty much run the show on Arda for old Ilúvatar. Those Elves who made the journey to Valinor (which is located across the western sea from Middle-Earth) became known as the Eldar, or High Elves, while those who remained in Middle-Earth became known as the Sindar, or Elves of the Twilight.

In Valinor, the Eldar learned many arts and crafts from the Valar (but don't think they became a bunch of known as the Silmarils. However, the Silmarils were stolen by an evil Vala called Morgoth, the Dark Enemy of the World, who fled with them to Middle-Earth. Fëanor and a great number of his kinsmen vowed to pursue Morgoth and recover the Silmarils. Upon returning to Middle-Earth, the Eldar discovered that Mortal Men (aka. "Men"), the Second Children of Ilúvatar, had come into the world. Over the following centuries, the Elves and Men battled the forces of Morgoth (consisting of such vile creatures as orcs, trolls, and dragons), but failed to recover the Silmarils. Finally, Beren (a Man) and Lúthien Tinúviel (an Elf maiden) ventured into Morgoth's stronghold of Angband and stole one of the Silmarils from the evil Lord's crown. The great-grandson of Beren and Lúthien was Eärendil the Mariner, who sailed to Valinor to beg the Valar to take up arms against Morgoth. The First Age of Middle-Earth came to an end when Angband was cast down, much of the continent was submerged, and Morgoth himself was bound by the Valar for all eternity. All of this and more is related in detail in The Silmarillion, another fine book.

The Second Age was the time of Númenor, a great island kingdom of Men that lay within sight of Valinor itself. Eärendil had two sons, Elrond and Elros, the Peredhil (Half-Elven). Elrond chose to follow the path of immortal Elvenkind, while Elros chose to live out his life as a Mortal Man (albeit a long-lived one). Elros became the first king of Númenor. Back in Middle-Earth, in the land of Eregion, Elven smiths (led by Celebrimbor, grandson of Fëanor) began forging the Rings of Power, talismans that gave their wearers great supernatural abilities (not the least of which was invisibility). The Elves were unwittingly assisted in their efforts by Sauron, formerly the chief lieutenant of Morgoth. When the Elves had finished their labors, Sauron forged the Ruling Ring in the fires of Mt. Doom. The One Ring gave Sauron dominion over the others, causing them to be corrupted to his service. Only the Three Rings of the Elves remained free, having been forged by Celebrimbor alone, but even they could not be used without Sauron knowing about it. So for a time, the Elf lords set aside their Rings. The forging of the One Ring revealed Sauron's true nature to the Elves, who declared war upon him. The Dark Lord took the fortified land of Mordor to be his stronghold.

Meanwhile, the descendents of Elros, the Edain, became mighty kings among Mankind. The Númenóreans were powerful and just, but eventually came to envy the immortality of the Elves. This left them vulnerable to the lies and deceptions of Sauron. Through Sauron's treachery, Númenor was destroyed and sank beneath the sea. Only a handful of the Edain, led by the noble Elendil and his sons, Isuldur and Anárion, survived the destruction by sailing to Middle-Earth. There, Elendil established a kingdom in the North called Arnor, while Isuldur and Anárion established the kingdom of Gondor in the south. Sauron was believed to have been destroyed in the downfall of Númenor, but in fact, his spirit had survived and returned to Mordor. While the One Ring existed, he could not be utterly destroyed. However, he was no longer able to take on a benevolent appearance.

To combat Sauron's evil, Elendil joined forces with Gil-galad, last of the kings of the Eldar. Together, the forces of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men were able to storm Mordor, driving Sauron's forces before them. Elendil and Gil-galad were slain, but Isuldur cut the Ring from Sauron's hand, breaking his father's sword in the process. Sauron was not killed, however, because Isuldur kept the Ring for himself, rather than destroying it. The first defeat of Sauron signaled the end of the Second Age of Middle-Earth.

While on his way home from the war, Isuldur was ambushed by a company of orcs. He attempted to use the Ring's power of invisibility to escape, but it slipped from his finger while he was swimming across the Anduin river. Now visible, he was slain by an orc's arrow. The Ring lay at the bottom of the river for centuries, until it was accidentally found by two friends, Déagol and Sméagol. Sméagol promptly murdered Déagol and took the Ring for himself. He used his newfound invisibility for thieving and learning secrets. He was reviled by his people, who called him "Gollum," due to his peculiar habit of making gurgling noises in his throat. Eventually getting fed up with this abuse, Sméagol decided to leave home and made his way into the caverns beneath the Misty Mountains, where he thought he could learn the secrets of the world's making. This was in the year 2470 of the Third Age of Middle-Earth.

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Characters

(roughly in order of appearance)

Bilbo Baggins A hobbit of the Shire. He is recruited by Gandalf the Grey to participate in an adventure.
Gandalf the Grey

Gandalf the Grey

 One of the Istari, or wizards. Aka. Mithrandir, the Grey Pilgrim, Olórin, Tharkún, Stormcrow. Originally one of the Maiar (roughly the equivalent of a demigod or angel), Gandalf was sent to Middle-Earth in mortal guise by the Valar to oppose Sauron. When he arrived in Middle-Earth, Círdan the Shipwright gave him Narya the Great, one of the three Elf Rings. Gandalf is the chief strategist and counselor to the forces of good.
Thorin Oakenshield A Dwarf, son of Thráin, son of Thrór, and rightful king of Erebor, the Lonely Mountain.
The Dwarves The kinsmen and companions of Thorin, who share his quest to destroy the dragon Smaug and restore Thorin's kingdom (and treasure!). In no particular order, they are: Dori, Ori, Nori, Balin, Dwalin, Fili, Kili, Óin, Glóin, Bifor, Bofur, and Bombur. After the events of The Hobbit, only Balin and Glóin really have any part in the story, and they're both pretty small.
Tom, Bert & Bill Three trolls, who attempt to make a meal out of Bilbo and the Dwarves. Gandalf tricks them into being caught in the sunlight, which turns them to stone. Bilbo finds an Elvish short sword among their booty, which he later names Sting.
Elrond Halfelven Lord of Rivendell, aka. Imladris, a hidden refuge of the Elves. Chief of the Eldar and bearer of Vilya, mightiest of the Three Rings.
Goblins/Orcs Hideous creatures made in mockery of the Elves by Morgoth. Nasty enough on their own, their evil natures make them perfect fodder for Sauron's armies. Called "goblins" in The Hobbit, and "orcs" in The Lord of the Rings. It's a linguistic thing.
The Great Goblin King of the goblins of the Misty Mountains. He gets killed.
Gollum/Sméagol A wretched creature roughly the size of a hobbit, with webbed hands and feet, and enlarged eyes that shine with a green glow when he becomes agitated. He loses the Ring to Bilbo, and later emerges from beneath the Misty Mountains to search for his "Precious."
Wargs Big, nasty, black, cunning wolves. The goblins sometimes ride them like horses.
Gwaihir the Windlord Lord of the Eagles, and a friend of Gandalf's.
Beorn A powerful Man with the ability to transform into a bear.
Thranduil The Elvenking, ruler of Mirkwood Forest, and father of Legolas Greenleaf. He and his people are of the Sindar, Elves who did not journey to Valinor.
Bard A descendent of the King of Dale, a kingdom of Men that was destroyed by the dragon, Smaug.
Smaug A dragon with a bad attitude, and the object of Bilbo's long journey.
Dáin Thorin's cousin, ruler of the Dwarves of the Iron Hills. He comes to the Dwarves' assistance when they are besieged. He becomes King Under The Mountain after Thorin is killed in battle.
The Sackville-Bagginses Bilbo's cousins from the wrong side of the Shire. The youngest of these, Lotho, later declares himself the "Chief" of the Shire, but is really just a toady for Saruman, who orders Wormtongue to kill him.
Frodo Baggins

Frodo Baggins

 

 Bilbo's nephew and heir. After throwing himself an 111th birthday party, Bilbo gives Frodo the Ring. At the Council of Elrond, Frodo volunteers to be the Ring-Bearer and convey the Ring to its destruction in Mt. Doom.
Samwise Gamgee Frodo's gardener, trusted servant, and inseparable heterosexual companion. He accompanies Frodo on his quest, and for my money, is the real hero of the book.
Peregrin Took One of Frodo's cousins, and more commonly called Pippin. He joins Frodo in his flight from the Shire, and later becomes involved in the War of the Ring. After looking into the Palantír, a crystal ball of immense power, he is taken to Minas Tirith by Gandalf.
Meriadoc Brandybuck Another of Frodo's cousins, who goes by the nickname Merry. He also goes along when Frodo flees the Shire, and later becomes Swordthain to King Théoden of Rohan. Merry assists Éowyn in slaying the Lord of the Nazgûl.
Sauron The Dark Lord of Mordor, former servant of Morgoth, forger of the One Ring, and all-around embodiment of evil. Sauron wants to retrieve the Ring in order to gain complete domination over Middle-Earth. He never actually appears "in person" during the course of the book.
The Nazgûls Also called the Black Riders or the Ringwraiths, the Nazgûls are the bearer of the Nine Rings of Mortal Men, and therefore, are Sauron's most powerful and terrifying servants. In the early part of the story, they pursue the hobbits from the Shire. Later, they lead Sauron's armies in the assault upon the forces of Gondor. The chieftain of the Nazgûls bears a prophecy that no Mortal Man may harm him.
Old Man Willow An ill-tempered tree that traps the hobbits in the Old Forest. Yes, I said a tree.
Tom Bombadil A jolly figure with amazing powers who rescues the hobbits from disaster in the Old Forest, and later saves them from the Barrow-Wights. Exactly who Tom is, where he comes from, and how he fits in to the pantheon of Arda, are never explained.
Goldberry Tom Bombadil's live-in girlfriend, the "daughter of the River" (whatever the heck that means).
Barrow-Wights Evil spirits who dwell in tombs upon the Barrow-Downs.
Barliman Butterbur Owner and proprietor of The Prancing Pony, an inn located in the town of Bree.
Bob and Nob Butterbur's flunkies.
Aragorn Known in Bree as Strider, Aragorn is chieftain of the Dúnedain (aka. the Rangers of the North), and heir to the ancient thrones of Arnor and Gondor. He bears as his token the Sword That Was Broken, which his ancestor Isuldur used to cut the Ring from Sauron's hand. A Man of Destiny, with even more names than Gandalf. He leads the Fellowship after Gandalf's fall.
Bill Ferny A rather nasty resident of Bree, who sells out the hobbits to the Nazgûls.
Bill the Pony A skinny, half-starved old pony sold to the hobbits by Bill Ferny. He proves to be rather steadfast and loyal, to Sam in particular.
Glorfindel An Elf of Elrond's household, sent to search for the hobbits when they don't arrive in Rivendell on time.
Legolas Greenleaf Son of Thranduil, the Elvenking of Mirkwood Forest. He joins the Fellowship of the Ring as the representative of Elvenkind.
Gimli A Dwarf, the son of Glóin (one of Bilbo's old pals). He joins the Fellowship as the representative of the Dwarves.
Boromir A Man, the son of Denethor, the Steward of Gondor. He joins the Fellowship, but succumbs to his desire for the Ring. He later redeems himself by falling in battle defending the hobbits.
Saruman A wizard, formerly the Chief of the White Council, and wise in ring-lore. Gandalf discovers that Saruman has betrayed the Council and seeks to claim the Ring for himself. Saruman's stronghold is Isengard, an ancient tower built by the Númenóreans. His symbol is the White Hand.
Arwen Evenstar The daughter of Elrond, and Aragorn's one true love.
Caradhras A mountain with a bad attitude. Hey, these things happen in epic fantasy novels. See Old Man Willow, above.
The Balrog A demon of fire and darkness from the First Age. In the Mines of Moria, Gandalf falls into an abyss while battling it. Inside joke: in the original edition of AD&D, the Balrog would be classified as a "Type V Demon."
Galadriel The lady of Lothlórien, the Golden Wood. She is one of the Eldar who returned from Valinor with Fëanor to seek the Silmarils. The bearer of Vilya, one of the Three Rings.
Celeborn The lord of Lothlórien. Galadriel's consort.
The Uruk-hai A type of orc bred by Saruman, believed to be at least partially human. They are generally bigger, stronger, smarter, and more ill-tempered than normal orcs.
Éomer Éadig The nephew of King Théoden of Rohan, and a Marshall of the Riders of Rohan. He and Aragorn become great friends and allies. He succeeds Théoden as king.
Riders of Rohan Aka. the Rohirrim, skilled horsemen native to the land of Rohan. Staunch allies of Gondor.
Treebeard Leader of the Ents, immensely strong tree-like creatures who tend Middle-Earth's ancient forests. He finds Merry and Pippin, who convince him to act against Saruman.
Théoden Ednew King of the Mark, lord of Rohan. He is old, and believes himself feeble due to the lies of his counselor, Gríma Wormtongue. Gandalf breaks Wormtongue's hold over Théoden, and the king rides to glory in battle.
Gríma Wormtongue King Théoden's most intimate counselor, until Gandalf exposes him as a toadie for Saruman. He comes to a particularly nasty end.
Éowyn Éomer's sister. She longs to ride into battle, especially after she gets the hots for Aragorn. Éowyn disguises herself as a man and travels with the Riders of Rohan to Gondor, where she kills the Lord of the Nazgûl. She later gets over her thing for Aragorn when she meets Faramir.
Faramir Boromir's brother. He finds Frodo, Sam, and Gollum in Ithilien, a land on the outskirts of Mordor. Faramir does not succumb to the Ring's lure, and helps Frodo on his way. He later returns to Gondor and is wounded by a Nazgûl. He has some "issues" with his father.
Shelob A great monstrous spider that lives in the mountain passes of Mordor. Gollum betrays Frodo and Sam to her, but Sam manages to drive her away.
Denethor The Steward of Gondor, and father of Boromir and Faramir. He takes the death of Boromir (his favorite of the two), pretty hard. When Faramir is wounded by the Nazgû, Denethor tries to immolate both himself and his ailing son, but Faramir is rescued thanks to the timely intervention of Gandalf and Pippin.
Beregond A Citadel Guard who befriends Pippin. He deserts his post to help save Faramir from Denethor's madness.
Bergil Beregond's son, who shows Pippin around the city of Minas Tirith.
Prince Imrahil A Prince of Gondor who leads his people in the Battle of the Pellennor Fields.
Elladan & Elrohir The sons of Elrond. They ride with the Dúnedain to Aragorn's aid.
Corsairs of Umbar Race of evil mariners who are hereditary enemies of Gondor.
Ghan-buri-Ghan One of the Wild Men of the Hills (don't ask), who shows the Rohirrim a shortcut to Minas Tirith.
The Mouth of Sauron A twisted being sent to parley with Gandalf when the armies of Gondor and Rohan march upon the Gates of Mordor.

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