is the appeal of the lord of the rings not romance or a fantasy, but its bedrock of moral integrity?

Answer 1

Good call, Catweazle - LOTR has all 3 elements in spades. I am going to have to go against the flow here and say that although all 3 aspects are appealing, Moral integrity in LOTR is what lifts it so far above the level of all the other fantasies and romances out there. Tolkein created Frodo from himself, I believe, having survived the trenches of World War 1 but with lifelong ill-health. Sam is the men under his command that he believed saved him when he might have broken. I know he referred to himself and his wife as Beren and Luthien (it is on their gravestone) but that doesn't stop him being the source for Frodo (I could go on for hours, sorry). Essentially, every character we care about is PERSONALLY put to the test in the book and the moral integrity of Frodo, Sam, Aragorn and faramir in particular is what decides the fate of the world at each turning point. Even those who have failed their test, we are allowed to understand and feel some sympathy toward - Wormtongue, Denethor, Saruman, even Gollum, any of them could have been saved up to the last minute. Other fantasy/romance novels just cannot make you feel this way about so many characters and it is the testing of their moral courage that defines each. The only comparable novels I know of are the first and second chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever by Stephen Donaldson.
Cheers, Steve.

Answer 2

I think its appeal is from its use of archetypal mythological figures that are based on anglo-saxon and norse sagas. These myths have influenced the whole of fantasy writing with the moral code that they encapsulate i.e good against evil, friendship and loyalty triumphing over adversity and evil being the cause of its own downfall. LOTR's was the first and the best of these stories and a god deal of its success can be attributed to this moral justice.

Although Tolkien srongly denied it the book must also be seen as a parable of the second world war, with Sauron being analogous with Hitler and the shire being Tolkiens view of England, not forgetting the whole east v west side of it. With the result of it being very recognisable to most of its western readers.

Answer 3

To Bruce, may I just say that stories of good vs evil are not just retelling the story of Christ, as human culture- Christian, pre-Christian and non-Christian - is littered with these stories.
It is certainly true that Tolkien was a religious type but also a linguistic scholar, with an interest in Norse sagas (pre-Christian).
The Lord of the Rings might be seen as a cross between Beowulf and the new testament, while his Silmarillion is his old testament.

Answer 4

I would say its more about over coming and accepting moral flaws than it is innate integrity. the way the ring is destoryed is not through some valourous action but rather by the petty nature of the fight atop a cliff. other lies to save others reputations and heros are condemned for the lands of other men.
Narnia on theohter hand was built around morality more stringently.

Answer 5

I wouldn't say that the appeal of the book was the morality of it, but it certainly is a by-product of the book. The appeal of the book for many is the multi-layered fantasy story that it intricately weaves. I don't personally like the book, but I can see why for many it is addictive, thanks to the level of attention to detail paid by the author, Tolkein. Morality is an inescapable by-product of literature of this era, when pure frivolity in fiction was shunned.

Answer 6

It certainly isn't a romance - or at least the original story, as written wasn't. It is a fantasy which is appealing and the fact that good overcomes evil is almost a prerequisite for that type of tale

Answer 7

If Tolkien was trying to write a moral tale, he did a much, much better job than his buddy C S Lewis, whose paper-thin Christian allegories are really cringe-worthy! But he did not claim to do so, he included elements of what he called 'Eucatastrophy', happy endings to you and me, but felt that there had to be seen to be a price, a sacrifice. But I think this was for aesthetic reasons rather than moralistic.
For me, the appeal is his detailed sub-creation and the way he evokes Anglo-Saxon culture.

Answer 8

the appeal is the same as the matrix, superman, indiana jones etc etc - good vs evil - recreating the story of christ in a different guise.

Every baddy is the split side of the goodys personality - jekyl and hyde, and therefore connects with people on an individual basis

Answer 9

I think it varies from person to person; but overall, I think it is the third thing you typed that is the most important to fans.

Answer 10

There's no appeal, it's just a long winding moralistic story.
But that is my opinion.