It's no secret that J.R.R. Tolkien's " The Lord of the Rings" trilogy is one of the most celebrated fantasy works in the world, and after giving it a read through, it is easy to see why it has been celebrated for so long. The world is rich and rewarding, the language inspired, and the storyline is interesting enough to keep the reader plugged in through three full-length novels. However, reading "The Lord of the Rings" in your 20's seems to make these novels all the more special.
1. The base storyline is a quest, and what is more like being a 20-something than going on endless quests?
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2. Even the littlest of things can change the world, whether it is a hobbit carrying a ring or someone carrying out their dreams.
3. Even though "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy was written more than 60 years ago, its social commentary still rings true today.
4. Every single character has something that makes them relatable. I don't know about you, but I've met a few Aragorns and Galadriels in my time.
5. The amount of women power is astounding. Tolkien throws in a character that "no man can kill" and has the person who kills him is a woman -- one who had already fought her way through orc legions and through the patriarchy to be on that battlefield.
6. Tolkien provides that escape to fantasy that is often times needed without seeming too childish or too much like a college textbook.
7. The world is incredibly rich, which helps to make the story that much more immersive. The more immersed you are, the more of an escape the book becomes.
8. Secretly all 20-somethings are hobbits. If I could, I would eat six times a day, too.
9. One of the greatest lines in the whole series reminds us that "not all who wander are lost." It is okay to take your time with wherever you are going in life.
10. Tolkien reminds us to take a break from our often over-industrialized world and simply go outside for a change.
11. It shows that even when things appear hopeless, there is still hope to be found.
12. The trilogy is not just packed full of action and adventure, but romance as well, and everyone needs a little romance in their lives.
13. Gandalf fighting off the Balrog is how the end of the semester feels.
14. Even when the going gets tough, you must still push on. Frodo was able to make it through Mordor with the ring literally cutting into his neck, and whatever struggles you are going through, you must push through as well.
15. Tolkien shows time and time again the importance of friendship. Without Sam, Frodo would have never made it to Mount Doom, and without close friends, there are many hurdles in life that cannot be overcome.
16. Every single one of us fights battles every day, ones that we, too, live to tell the tale of later.
17. Each time you read through the trilogy, new things will pop out at you, which just goes to show how much time and effort Tolkien put into the writing -- and just how intricate he was.
18. There is enough comedy to break up the horrors of war, and everyone needs a little humor in their lives.
19. Tolkien gives amazing life advice through quotes embedded in the novels, like, “The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot forever fence it out.”
