The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings
Score Classic
What it's about
In the quiet Shire, the hobbit Frodo Baggins inherits a plain gold ring from his uncle Bilbo, and learns it's the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron to rule all the others. If Sauron gets it back, Middle-earth falls, and the only way to destroy it is to carry it into his own land and cast it into the fire where it was made. A fellowship of hobbits, men, an elf, a dwarf and the wizard Gandalf sets out with him, into a war that will decide the age.
Why it's worth reading
It's the book that made modern fantasy, and it still has no equal for depth of world, sense of history, and a friendship you'll feel at the end. The scale is epic, but its heart is small, brave people doing the hard thing.
You'll love it if you liked
Dune
The Fifth Season
The Left Hand of DarknessGood to know
The first hundred pages in the Shire are slow, and there are songs and poems throughout, which you can skim. It's usually printed as three volumes. You don't need The Hobbit first, but it's a gentle way in.
By the numbers
- Readers100 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller74 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #6 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #9 of the 762 classics we rank
- #37 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous, Epic, Thought-provoking
More by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Hobbit
The Silmarillion
The Children of HurinIf you like this, read next
Soldier of the Mist
Foundation
Ficciones
Rendezvous with Rama
The Gods Themselves
UbikExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Lord of the Rings worth reading?
Yes. It's the book that made modern fantasy, and it still has no equal for depth of world, sense of history, and a friendship you'll feel at the end. It ranks #37 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 89.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Lord of the Rings about?
In the quiet Shire, the hobbit Frodo Baggins inherits a plain gold ring from his uncle Bilbo, and learns it's the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron to rule all the others. If Sauron gets it back, Middle-earth falls, and the only way to destroy it is to carry it into his own land and cast it into the fire where it was made. A fellowship of hobbits, men, an elf, a dwarf and the wizard Gandalf sets out with him, into a war that will decide the age.
How long does it take to read The Lord of the Rings?
About 29 hours (1178 pages), or about 8 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Lord of the Rings?
If you liked it, try Dune by Frank Herbert, The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin or The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin.