On Re-Reading The Lord of the Rings

To call Tolkien the father of fantasy as we know it is to echo what thousands upon thousands of readers and authors already know. He is the originator of a genre that is now one of modern literature's most prolific and profitable. And yet though many fans and haters have opinions about the influence of The Lord of the Rings, fewer and fewer of those opinions seem based on the book itself. The slew of adaptions and inspirations preys on our fear of missing out, to the point where deciding to re-read a text over half a century old feels like a waste of time. Don't we want to enjoy what is popular now? Don't we all know the story of Frodo and the Ring by heart? Why rehash it? If you need a refresher just watch the films. Isn't the book now worthwhile as a piece of literary history or as nostalgia for older readers trying to recapture their childhood sense of wonder, but now made obsolete by authors coming of age in a mature era in which the art form of the fantasy novel has now been iterated and perfected? In short, is The Lord of the Rings really worth reading, and even re-reading, in 2025?

Readers of this blog can guess my answer to these questions, but I'd like to make this essay as complete and unbiased as I can in order to better understand Tolkien's influence on my imagination and the imaginations of millions more readers and potential authors. But first, a disclaimer from the Storyteller himself:

“The Lord of the Rings has been read by many people since it finally appeared in print; and I should like to say something here with reference to the many opinions or guesses that I have received or have read concerning the motives and meaning of the tale. The prime motive was the desire of a tale-teller to try his hand at a really long story that would hold the attention of readers, amuse them, delight them, and at times maybe excite them or deeply move them. As a guide I had only my feelings for what is appealing or moving, and for many the guide was inevitably often at fault. Some who have read the book, or at any rate have reviewed it, have found it boring, absurd, or contemptible; and I have no cause to complain, since I have similar opinions of their works, or of the kinds of writing that they evidently prefer. But even from the points of view of many who have enjoyed my story, there is much that fails to please. It is perhaps not possible in a long tale to please everybody at all points, nor to displease everybody at the same points; for I find from the letters that I have received that the passages or chapters that are to some a blemish are by all others specially approved. The most critical reader of all, myself, now finds many defects, minor and major, but being fortunately under no obligation either to review the book or to write it again, he will pass over these in silence, except one that has been noted by others: the book is too short.” (Forward to the Second Edition, xxiii)