Tolkien - The Father of Fantasy Documentary

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#tolkien #lordoftherings #ringsofpower

[@PeopleProfiles]

To mark the 49th anniversary of the passing of J.R.R. Tolkien and celebrate the new Lord of the Rings series we enlisted the help of an expert, In Deep Geek to produce this video. In Deep Geek provides analysis and breakdowns of The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, The Witcher and much more. Please head over and subscribe. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5vIc2msaJmco8k Lastly please keep a look out for the extra special ending. You won't be disappointed.

[@paulhoffmann3405]

Thank you so much for this wonderful video. The only thing I was missing was the storys I heard about Tolkien briefly supporting the Franco movement in Spain. Do you have any more information on that?

[@nalublackwater9729]

@@paulhoffmann3405 I don't think that a veteran of Somne would support a then would be dictator. And I don't think he suported the following dictatorship afterwards, when all his works were about freedom. It reeks of slander.

[@richq11]

Very well done! Would love to see a video on his friend Lewis

[@emmanuelbright9162]

@@nalublackwater9729 ll

[@NovRen19]

Isn't it ironic that Amazon timed the release of ROP with the deathaversary of Professor Tolkien 🤔. We have the quote of his from.(18:00-18:50) of his Mythology in our EXSURGE TOLKIEN series which takes up a defense of Tolkien against the modernist showrunner of a corporate machine Theyocracy.

[@Athlynne]

Good overview of a great man I've admired since I was a child. When I was a teenager, I wrote to Christopher Tolkien a thank-you for his work on The Silmarillion, and to my astonishment received a short but beautiful handwritten reply, thanking me for my letter. It's one of my most treasured possessions.

[@lulu6618]

Good on you and lucky you!

[@Halfwit_The_Brave]

That is amazing. I am quite jealous.

[@b.m.t.h.3961]

That's lovely!

[@angiewoodward4166]

Is Athlynne your real name ? It’s beautiful

[@hiltrud2001]

I congratulate you on that, and I also find your name quite rare and interesting!

[@MH-sj9bg]

Great video. These books mean so much to me. I am severely dyslexic and couldn't even read The Cat In The Hat at the age of 8. My teachers scolded me for being lazy or stupid. There was talk of me being held back a year - being left behind my friends scared me. I hated books, words, grammar. We hates them! But my dad said if I couldn't read; he'd read for me. So he read me LOTR at bedtime for weeks. It was the most magical, wonderful thing. The words (which up until now were my sworn enemy) conjured living worlds in my minds eye. I wanted this power. I swore then that I would learn to read. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. Damn you Tolkien for Saruman, Sauron, Aragorn, Arathorn, Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur and so on. But I persisted. First a graphic novel of The Hobbit, then The Hobbit unabridged, then LOTR. Tolkien's world kept me going. By the time Frodo got back to Bag End I felt like I'd walked to Mordor & back again myself! Thank you, J.R.R. Tolkien. You gave me the gift of reading. Opened up the world of academia. Gave me a infinitely better life.

[@megasoctopuslegionofcake6248]

That's beautiful mate, Dr Suess hasn't a patch on JRR.

[@geoffburton822]

God Bless your dad. Very beautiful story. :)

[@kathleen7849]

I loved reading that. Maybe you should write yourself.

[@spmoran4703]

@@megasoctopuslegionofcake6248 You are right . And why should we limit Dyslexic people to read such rubbish. There are ways and means of overcoming any disability.

[@spmoran4703]

I am really glad that you had these stories at hand for you. You are worth more that Dr Seuss . Much luck to you.

[@nicolesudjono]

Tolkien and Lewis swore to make cool fantasy stories. And they did. Timeless and classic. Mad respect.

[@ethanramos4441]

“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater” J.R.R. Tolkien

[@nomdeguerre7265]

🎯

[@gib59er56]

Celeborn said that to Merry, right? It sounds like his words in Lothlorien as he is saying farewell to the fellowship and giving them the three boats to pass down the Anduin, while Galadriel is giving each of them a personal gift.

[@causalaetitiae]

@@gib59er56 No, these words are spoken by Haldir during the fellowship's encouter with the Elves of Lórien, when they were guiding the Company to Caras Galadhon. In all lands love is now mingled with grief... One of my favorite thoughts and quotes by the beloved J.R.R. Tolkien.

[@gib59er56]

@@causalaetitiae OK, yes, you got it!! Speaking of Haldir, why the hell did Peter Jackson have Haldir killed? Or why did he add the elves of Lothlorien at Helms Deep in the first place? I am a snobby Tolkien dude, lol!

[@orboakin8074]

The first time I ever learned about J.R.R Tolkien was when I was a kid in Nigeria in 2004. My dad bought a DVD of Lord of the Rings for me and my siblings to watch after he watched it during his trips abroad. We loved it, especially me as a young boy. I even loved the Hobbit movies when they came out decades later. It was only when I emigrated to Canada that I was able to buy the actual LotR books, including the Hobbit, and read them finally. Truly beautiful works of fiction😌 Because of Tolkien, I was able to discover other great fantasy authors and books like Robert E. Howard, Brandon Sanderson etc. Also,I had no idea Tolkien was an African! A son of the soil😯

[@lordomacron3719]

The fact it was never meant to be an allegory contemporary to Tolkien’s time, is precisely why the tales are timeless. They speak to a deeper side of the human psyche that goes beyond current day to day concerns. But a side that craves tales of wonder and adventure, tales that make us laugh and cry. And most importantly (at least to me) are an escape from the world outside into a world created inside your mind by simple words on page. Well that’s my opinion for whatever it’s worth. Great documentary!

[@YanSAA23]

Absolutely agree with you, it’s as if this was how the world should’ve been because there’s an innate knowing and yearning for it in our heart and spirit

[@amandaburnham8626]

I see it as an unintended allegory for the worst part of the early 20th century. It was intended, I think, to focus on taking simple mystical elements of the natural world, giving them identities, and setting them loose in a make-believe world. Tolkien drew from his life experiences, however, and delved into the darkest corners of the human mind to build the plot, challenges, and setbacks for the characters. No two characters faced the same obstacles, making his story so rich. He dealt with racism, betrayal, massacre, unlikely allies, and so much more that I still marvel at his imagination. And it's easy in retrospect to see so much of the LOTR in the world wars because real people experienced similar adversity. He meant his stories to be timeless, but they were still written during a traumatic period of human history.

[@ladyraynainutaisho3.26]

If it wasn’t for J.R.R. Tolkien, then what we know as fantasy fiction, would be nothing more than a collection of myths, legends, and stories from various cultures in the UK. He’s not just one of the greatest fantasy writers whose ever lived, he’s one of the greatest writers who’s ever lived, period. And Yes, he DID deserve that Nobel Prize In Literature.

[@fearthekilt]

I discovered Tolkien in the sixth grade, I'm now 47 and I still enjoy his works today.

[@jsgdk]

Similar story but a few years younger, he laid the foundation of many things I loved alot more than his actual works, he is not my favority author but alot of my favorites stand on his shoulders.

[@DavidHayes-catlover]

my 6th grade teacher read us the Hobbit and it completely mesmerized me! I was hooked....

[@alyssumn3884]

I volunteered at a library when I was 12 and found the Hobbit while putting the books away. I had a habit of reading the summaries of things before I shelved them. What a find!

[@tevvya]

In my high school year book my English teacher wrote beside my photo "Frodo Lives!". I am now in my mid-sixties and that phrase still rings in my ears!

[@yourhandlehere1]

@@DavidHayes-catlover Same, but we read it ourselves.

[@gentleasa5728]

The older and wiser I become, I see Tolkien more as a historian than a spinner of tales.

[@Emmy-hu2zd]

Yes, facts people irritate me when they can't see! Shalom

[@johncollins636]

They are occult stories

[@WhiteWitch971]

LOTR etc is all about the history of the world long past and about Tolkien's experience's in the first world war and what took place in WW2. It's all there in his tales. Such a cleaver man 💜

[@voodoochild1975az]

He blurred, or maybe simply didn't acknowledge, any lines between linguistics, history, myth, fantasy, religion, poetry and literature. I think we can all agree his was not an average intellect?

[@aydenkelly6274]

History minus basically the female half of the human race, so... pretty much history as guys tend to write it.

[@MannyBrum]

Tolkien died in 1973. In reverse that's 3791. 3 Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, 7 for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone, 9 for Mortal Men doomed to die, 1 for the Dark Lord on his dark throne...

[@jasonmckenzie2835]

Crazy how perfectly that worked out

[@joefish6091]

Ever wondered about the missing five rings !?

[@petebennett3733]

​@@joefish6091 rings of powers stole them for that abomination 😁😁😁

[@Gene-XL]

@@petebennett3733 So, ROP is just someone taking license then? That’s what I suspected, but I’m still enjoying it.

[@albertlegace8493]

The hobbits first print was...wait for it 1937...just blew your minds

[@bobschenkel7921]

"The Hobbit" and "The Lord Of The Rings" are two of the most cherished parts of my literary collection, as well as my DVD collection. I often revisit them when there is a need for some calmness and simplicity for a while. I hope future generations will appreciate them as I do. I think they will. And, of course, Professor Tolkien should have been awarded the Nobel Literature Prize, he stands alone in the hearts of may for his creations and his point of view.

[@Halfwit_The_Brave]

I would recommend reading the Silmarillion as well

[@ethancoster1324]

Magnificent in every detail. Tolkien's books are nothing short of monolithic masterpieces. I first read them when I was twenty and they were and still are the best pieces of literature I have ever read.

[@siroswaldfortitude5346]

agreed

[@HeidiSue60]

Honestly there is nothing better in literature

[@tasosalexiadis7748]

@@HeidiSue60 Well there are... Not many though.

[@allanmerovitz871]

Tolkien’s writing of the Hobbit saved my life as a very confused young man in the sixties. Thanks JR

[@iagoporto5522]

Was your confusion sexual in nature, if you don't mind my asking so?

[@karenpearson6991]

How did it save your life?

[@jsgdk]

I read eveything Tolkien as a young man and its not the most amazing things I ever read, but I saw him in the things that were.

[@griffinglover2516]

Plz elaborate it's amazing and I'm curious !

[@narrowistheway77]

Only the Christ found in the Bible can save anyone’s life. The Hobbit is a good way to end up full of demons and the opposite of truly saved. I’ll pray for you! GOD Bless! ❤️

[@catspydell3670]

As an admitted Tolkien geek (who raised two Tolkien geek kids to adulthood; it was my daughter who sent our family the link to this documentary), I am surprised that upon watching this that I learned a few more things I didn't know before about Tolkien. Well done!

[@paarthurnax8519]

You raised your children well.😁❤️

[@dawnbartle123]

This documentary brought tears to my eyes. An absolute genius, yet so humble. The ultimate teller of tales.

[@RaymondNyland-jj9nw]

As a child I read his books and was in awe of his writing...and to this day I still stand in awe as do my children and grandchildren of this great writer...from the bottom of my heart I thank him for all that he has given to my family

[@NikoHL]

In 1976, an Art teacher in secondary school, Adrienne McGovern, put a combined edition of LOTR on my desk when I was 15 and said. " I think you'll like this Nick". She was right of course! I'm 62 this year and LOTR is one of my dearest literary treasures.

[@MsKariSmith]

I came across The Hobbit at the library when I was 16. It was a very low time of my life and I was able to escape some of it in this first story. I was happy to find The Lord of the Rings soon after. Over the years I have gone back to reread all of Tolkien's books. They are truly classics.

[@aarondemiri486]

One of the greatest writers of all time. A master of English prose, poetry and theme who crafted epic tales.

[@johns1625]

I was listening to the Return of the King audiobook for the first time today, and at the end of the chapter "Ride of the Rohirrim" I literally had to pull over I was so moved.

[@captainaryan26]

True as f ! Just read it yesterday for the first time 😢

[@alfredvincent594]

Haven't stopped reading , reviewing and enjoying Tolkien since 1984.

[@carolineparks3494]

There is another documentary where at least 3 of his children are interviewed. From how they talk about him, he was a wonderful Dad as well as an amazing writer ❤❤❤

[@govolsfightvolsfight2908]

I am so glad I ran across this documentary, I am obsessed with all his work, from poems to middle earth and everything in between! He was a literary genius and a master at fiction writing!

[@eliuryes2778]

I've yet to finish the books (so far I've only read The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring) but like many others my introduction to Tolkien's work was the film adaptations and my love for his stories and fictional world has only grown since. Learning about his life has only made me admire him more. Not as a writer and scholar (though that is also exemplary) but as a role model. As a man, he preferred simplicity over decadent lifestyles. And never seeked to use his talents for any ambiguous self-interests or personal gain other than telling a story for his children. To me that is what sets Tolkien apart. A very nunced man with a humble passion for fantasy. His writing reflects his life like all writers. But to me, Tolkien's work is the most transparent of his intentions. He's written these grand epic tales of war and conflict between good and evil but never glorifies the violence and carnage within it. The message isn't what they are fighting against but what they fight for. He also pens little hairy footed people that live in holes to tell that story, instead of the big and strong ones because he knew that compelling stories only requires compelling characters that we can relate and root for.

[@lim6299]

What a beautiful homage to JRR Tolkien.

[@tossabaddle]

This actually brought tears to my eyes. Great job, beautifully told, perfect choice of narrator.

[@miastupid7911]

Totally agree. Was mesmerized by the content, aesthetics but also by the narrator's tone of voice and annunciation. Excellent.

[@andywilliams8540]

@@miastupid7911 that’s the guy from In Deep Geek. He obviously wrote the show. This is typical of his amazing Tolkien content, check him out!

[@PeopleProfiles]

​@@andywilliams8540 We wrote 80 per cent of the script as well as the ending paragraph and filmed Tolkien's grave. In Deep Geek took care of the lore side of things and narrated the script. It's a People Profiles production in short with In Deep Geek as our expert consultant and narrator.

[@andywilliams8540]

@@PeopleProfiles oh, ok. Good to know. Excellent job as usual!

[@MrNigelBriggs]

Never paid it any attention but now you mention it. Yes it was very well narrated. I am hard of hearing, but had no difficulty at all in following the narration.

[@aloneinmylimbo]

Astonishingly wonderful documentary and revealed so much about Tolkien I never knew before.

[@Volkrad]

I was born in a generation dominated by game of thrones, but my family raised me with Tolkien, I wouldn't change a single thing

[@martintinajero9140]

He was a great man who was loved by all his work brought joy to this world.

[@angellauria1909]

I love J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings so much with all of my heart.

[@ElizabethSampson]

My favorite stories of all time! Thank you to this amazing man for his insight and to his son for completing his works and publishing them after his passing. He will always be my favorite author!

[@ronmontgomery5834]

I have enjoyed Tolkien in print and film at 75 I definitely think Tolkien should have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature because he has given comfort, excitement, wishes for a slower better life, and of course a damn good story!

[@TheBizziniss]

Tolkien was a true artist and these stories are his life’s work. It makes me sad to see how the rings of power has taken his art and made a mockery of it.

[@MalAnders94]

RoP was painful wo watch on so many levels.

[@soybasedjeremy3653]

​@@MalAnders94 That's why viewership was low, must be so good nobody watched it.

[@jonshields1315]

How did it make a mockery of it? I’ve been a life long Tolkien reader and loved the series. It made me want to read him more. How do you know it didn’t have a similar effect on others?

[@MalAnders94]

@@jonshields1315 1) there are thousands of reviews online that contain the basic criticisms, either in text or video format. Mostly really bad dialogue, incoherent storytelling - plot convience and plotholes, bad character writing and acting, ideology etc etc. 2) I wish I felt the same way as you 3) The public opinion on Rings of Power seems to be mostly negative, based on the audience score on, for example, rotten tomatoes, but also talking to friends or reading comments/ posts online on youtube, twitter or reddit. Cheers.

[@soybasedjeremy3653]

@@jonshields1315 Considered that you claim that seem likes a mockery in itself. You'd know it bashes the author of said source material, and bashes The Silmarillion and lore.

[@robertjohnson5227]

Born in 68 I was introduced to Tolkien around the time of his death and have been a fan ever since so around half a century now Thank you for such depth in his story and life

[@freddieashmore196]

Narrator sounds like a young Jared Harris! Absolute educational top job and a true pleasure to listen to

[@hazbojangles2681]

This is absolutely amazing! This should be broadcasted on TV!

[@suzannejones5992]

I read the hobbit when I was 9 years old in the early 70s. I can't remember how many times I have read it now but it and the Lord of the rings are my go to books especially at times of great stress. I thank him. I thank the makers of this documentary too it is very well made.

[@user-oq4rm5ci9p]

Agree. Hobbit is a book i can read through many years without any boring

[@c.w.simpsonproductions1230]

One tidbit about Tolkein that's fascinated me is his opinion on the iconic novel Dune by fellow legendary author Frank Herbert. This segment is directly taken from a letter he wrote after he was sent a copy of Dune. _"It is impossible for an author still writing to be fair to another author working along the same lines. At least I find it so. In fact I dislike Dune with some intensity, and in that unfortunate case it is much the best and fairest to another author to keep silent and refuse to comment."_ It seemed odd to me at first read, given how both men had similar approaches when it came to elements such as worldbuilding, which is one of the reasons they both stood out from their contemporaries of the day. At first glance, perhaps Tolkein disliked the similarities between Dune and his work in LOTR. But I don't think it's that straightforward. It also certainly wouldn't have been the common target of the book's criticsL the book's length. Tolkein would never have judged a book on size alone, especially given LOTR was similarly one huge book before it was broken up into the three collections. I think the roots of the issue comes to religion. Herbert's approach to religion and themes of deconstruction. Tolkein was a very devout Catholic, and Dune extensively experiments with and twists Abrahamic religions. It makes perfect sense that a religious man like Tolkein would take issue with Herbert's deconstruction and caution regarding the dangers of myths, heroes, higher power, and religious fanaticism.

[@john.premose]

I've never actually fully read Dune but I'm somewhat familiar with the story. But I would not expect Tolkien to like a book like Dune. Tolkien existed in a world that was half medieval myths, and half upper middle class British academic. Dune doesn't seem like his cup of tea at all, indeed I almost find it hard to imagine him reading a book like that.

[@redwolf6213]

@@balabanasireti I think this is a very normal thing between authors. Not a hostile bitterness or jealously. But more about taste. I mean i find it hilarious that the father of fantasy didn't much like a work from the father of science fiction. Its very poetic given how there is still a diverage of differences in tastes l between those genres to this day.

[@Msmargret1]

Frank Herbert continues to be my fix, in my late 60's. I am still learning from hints that melt into the framework of seriously complex stories. The words for brilliance come up short for writers like Herbert and Tolkien. There is a wickedness to the Dune epic that The Hobbit and Lord of the Ring are more gentle than, being written for a PG rating. But, the beautiful weaving of other worlds with exotic worlds of our own gets each of them a bigger word than brilliant. This documentary is gorgeous, and delicious; do some more!

[@gazlator]

Tolkien's world-building, I think, were only a by-product of his first & main interest (and expertise) - Anglo-Saxon, Old Norse, Celtic & Classical traditions of their sagas and myths. He didn't "invent" the Silmarillion out of just a few rough ideas, like maybe others do. I can easily imagine that any kind of fantasy fiction - particularly sci-fi - that didn't have any kind of "grounding" to it (of the kind he was an expert of) he would find pretty sad & pathetic.

[@Louis-si4ci]

@@gazlator totally agree......I enjoy Robert Jordans The wheel of Time epic in exactly the same way, it's a story built from myths, legends, dreams, and history repeating itself.........👏

[@Anonymous-rn7fp]

I'm playing a game right now that probably wouldn't exist without him, surrounded by items that also wouldn't exist without him. Thank you for the decades of joy, inspiration, wonder and amazement you brought to my life.

[@gymhayes4613]

Yeah there were no magic swords or wizards till Tolkien.....oh wait king arthur had a magic sword and hung out with a wizard who killed a dragon.. whoops.

[@digitalnomad9985]

@@gymhayes4613 And such things would only be known by scholars of archaic literature, instead of having a renewed fan base referred by Tolkien. Tolkien created the popular market for fantasy fiction which underlies D&D Fantasy RPGs, etc.

[@gymhayes4613]

@@digitalnomad9985 no he didn t pulp fiction magazines full of fantasy stories were around for a couple decades before tolkeins stuff even came out. King arthurs stuff has been around for centuries. Again with merlin a wizard and excalibur a magic sword. Tolkein was important but he absolutely did not create the fantasy genre.

[@gymhayes4613]

@@digitalnomad9985 oh also robert e howard. Conan kull the conqeror and his other hero i camt remember. All fantasy with swords and monsters and wizard. He died before tolkein evem released anything.

[@timanctil8225]

As a young teenager I loved Tolkien, Moorecock and Brooks. I used to read them all with Zeppelin playing in the background...

[@oriasol2040]

I love this author. He had a rare talent. I could picture everything written by him so vividly.

[@joeybox0rox649]

Fantastic collaboration! No one tells a story better than Robert. Congratulations on a wonderfully told biography! 👍👍

[@wrenlittle8826]

This was a brilliant pleasant video. Thank You. An avid and devoted reader of Tolkien; I stopped counting after the thirteenth time I read 'The Lord of the Rings, I very much enjoyed this insightful background to, in my opinion, most gifted human being.

[@PeopleProfiles]

Did you see the ending?

[@wrenlittle8826]

@@PeopleProfiles Yes, why? I have covid day one I may have missed something.

[@sage_forensics_2261]

🌹 The moment near the end was such a touching tribute...Beautiful!

[@PeopleProfiles]

Did you see the extra special ending?

[@lindapotter4741]

Thank you so much for your splendid portrayal of Tolkien's life and his contributions to literature. We do think the answers to your three questions are definitely in the affirmative. Thoroughly enjoyed watching your documentary. Well done. Thank you again.

[@triciastrachan6770]

Absolutely fantastic and super talented man. If I could choose only one famous person or historian to meet it would be him. Sadly that isnt possible but he will forever live on. I'm 35 years old and will ensure my future children are introduced to Tokien's work and have them pass it onto their children. Nothing will ever touch this man's work and creation of Middle Earth. I don't think we will ever see anything like it again.

[@shelly2758]

The stories have stood the test of time.

[@gisawslonim9716]

Among the many things I learned from this great writer was that trees can walk, think and react, that they love their children. Somehow, although I knew that this was a fantasy novel, I felt that here was truth until I read, years later, that trees can feel, think and react, some even walk. And with that came the knowledge that all things on earth have that ability although we may not know it yet.

[@ShiroiTengu]

Beautiful video. The placing of the rose on Beren and Luthien's grave brought a tear to my eye

[@ejsmith2246]

Love to see "In Deep Geek" getting some well-deserved attention!!!

[@karenkneisley288]

I picked a book "The Hobbit" in 1971 when I was 13 year. A long-life fan since that! Thank you for the biography of Tolkien.

[@Stevos-oo2vd]

Superb presentation. Well narrated with correct pronunciation of english. Thank you for this. JRR is a hero of british literature and will never be forgotten.

[@casadelosotte]

Amazing documentary. I remember I took an old paperback out of a box full of books from my father. It is was the Hobbit. I did not know about the writer and his fame. I read it and was hooked forever, as so many others before me. For sure he belongs to the greatest ever and deserves the Nobel Price! R.I.P.

[@etienneporras7252]

The Argentinean author, scholar, philosopher, and poet (already quite a successor to Tolkien) Jorge Luis Borges once described Heaven as being "a kind of Library". I myself have always believed that should this be the case, then somewhere in this Library of Libraries must be a massive Tome being the COMPLETED Works of J.R.R Tolkien. His FULL Legendarium as HE viewed it throughout his life, perhaps the very way he would've wished for us to view it. This was marvelous, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. Thank you all for your hard work.

[@DavidFraser007]

Tolkiens books captured my imagination as a teenager, it wasn't just the world he created with extensive forests and mountains, but also the conversations captivated me. The persuasive Saruman was scary to me. The manipulative Grima Wormtounge. I remember being horrified when Gandalf fell into the deep pit with the Balrog. There was no fantasy genre when I read Lord of the Rings, it was described as a fairy tale for adults.

[@Nightguardian]

This was a very comprehensive and insightful documentary. Much as others have said, in many ways Tolkien's work was, if not literally life-saving, was life-transforming to me, allowing me to see this world though a lens of hope. Was his work some of the greatest of the 20th century? Surely it helped to define the 20th century, but I would consider his body of work to be one of the literary monuments of all human history.

[@bonniegill9349]

I was 10 years old when my 5th grade teacher introduced me to The Hobbit. I first read The Lord of the Rings in juniors high school. I loved Tolkien and C S Lewis all my life and found the fantasy worlds they created far more satisfying and meaningful than the reality in which I live. I have enjoyed and reread many writings in fantasy and science fiction, but none more than those of these two men. Perhaps this is because both were true Christian believers with Christian values that transcend differing traditions.

[@michaelhuber6895]

I am now 71 years old. I read The Hobbit and the Lord of the rings when I was a school boy. John Ronald rule Tolkien has it been by North Star. His writing his imagination, his mind. Have influenced my life more than any other writer in the world that I have ever read. I'm so grateful that I have been around in a time when his works were published and I could read them and they would influence my whole life. Thank you, jrr talking

[@elainefarr3155]

I've read the trilogy yearly since I first found it in 1974. His writing is beautiful, profound and truly one of a kind. I bought most of his books with audible, and love to listen to them, they are so calming and a bit meditative.

[@modelnut617]

Absolutely beautiful! Not only interesting and informative. This video is gorgeous. The images and cinematography is so much better than what I have come to expect on KZbin. Thank you very much! If this was out on blu-ray I would snap it up!

[@catholiccrusader5328]

As a Tolkien fan, I think this documentary of this great man was one of the best documentaries I've ever seen.

[@nrwilliams100]

Tolkien and Lewis influenced me greatly and are the reason I'm a fantasy author.

[@OrangeMapleLeaf]

Yes, J.R.R. Tolkien definitely deserved to be awarded the Nobel prize. If the times were not right for this at the beginning of the sixties, the least they could have awarded it to Christopher Tolkien at a later date, for all the extensive work he has done to publish as much as possible for the LOTR craving fans and it could have been shared between him and posthumously his father.

[@NeferLioness]

Tolkein gave me a love for reading and a deep appreciation of complex stories and history. It has helped me appreciate languages and cultures different from my own . I am more curious about people, their beliefs, and lore...never could have gotten that from another source.

[@deborahfedge3823]

You expressed my feelings about the author and LOTRs perfectly!!!

[@jasonleone5480]

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were the books that sparked a lifelong love of reading for me. I discovered The Hobbit at age 9, and read it repeatedly for a full year. Over time, my reading interests have changed, but these works ALWAYS hold a special place for me. I've been fortunate to have passed this passion for reading such wonderful works on to my son. Hopefully, in time, my son will pass it along to his son; especially in this increasingly technonlogical world. There is nothing better than sitting down with a good book and getting lost from the insanity of the world for a time.

[@r.blakehole932]

In the early 1980's I wrote a research paper where I attempted to prove that The Lord of the Rings would be one of the few literary works that would be read and studied centuries into the future. So far, I stand behind my work then. AND, since I'm in the final decades of life I won't be around to face any error in my work then!!!!!!

[@vegassims7]

I love listening to the audio book of Lord of the Rings and the beauty of Tolkien is that his words really paint a clear picture in your head of the scene he is describing. Incredible author.

[@MrBaLard1]

A combo of two of my favourite channels. Funk yeah!!!

[@timkeane3800]

His works helped me overcome some very low periods in my life. I would go as far as to say that they saved my life.

[@beingjohn392]

Tim. Those are very serious words, and I hope, as a fellow person, that your life is going your way. Hang in there my brother. This life is just a game. A test.

[@wadebrowne5961]

The world of Middle Earth, its languages, histories, and peoples, has become to me more real than the Bible I was raised to revere. In fact, it is become my new Bible and my finished truth. Interestingly, the Bible took many people, many centuries to create; and it is fragmented and hard to follow. While Middle Earth was created by one person in just over a half a century; and is complete, cohesive, and easy to grasp. So much so that no other work will ever surpass it. To close, this video was beautifully done, and extremely insightful. Thank you for taking the time and spending the energy to create such a moving tribute to this greatest author of ALL time. I look forward to more--hopefully in the near future.

[@user-uy6pb2ds6b]

Yes!!! Tolkien is one of the greatest writers in the world literature and he should have been awarded with the Nobel prize! I've read his books in Russian and in English. Thank you very much for this video.

[@johnaaron37]

Read The Hobbit the first time when I was eight, fifty now. And still read it about once a year, maybe every other year.

[@TristanTzara100]

Thank you so much. A collaboration of two of my favourite KZbin channels! Wonderful!

[@StephenLuke]

RIP J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973)

[@Tigerbearwolf8600]

I love Tolkien’s work. I’ve read the hobbit and the lord of the rings a fair few times, I’m currently reading the Silmarillion, I can’t wait to get stuck into his other books. His work is far from simple, and in my opinion none can match it, he truly was a master of language and literature.

[@gmansard641]

I read the Silmarillion when I was 16 (40 years ago), and I still adore it. It's a hard read but please stay with it! Then, once you have a firm grasp of the Silmarillion, re-read the Lord of the Rings. You will be amazed at how much you missed the first time. The depth and complexity of Tolkien's universe is amazing.

[@christopherkucia1071]

@@gmansard641 good advice! I’ve only read the trilogy and I’m reading the hobbit. I’ll come back after the Silmarillion on my bookshelf is read…

[@charlessmith2643]

As a seventh-grader on a high value tolkien's books. They have helped me escape the things that were bothering me and they have ever since. They were intelligently written and they put me in a place I needed to be at the time. Yes I do think he should have gotten the prize because his Works changed many things for many people. They helped people dream and dreams are important. There are those who live their lives without reaching out with our imaginations and to them this may not have been appropriate, but anybody with a spark of imagination of bark of interest in things other than cold hard reality cannot but appreciate what token did for

[@caroleannekerr708]

A wonderful video presentation of Tolkien's lifetime work. Cannot thank you enough.

[@BogWraith1]

Outstanding documentary, expertly written and presented. Also, a big thank you to Robert Saunders for his mesmerizing narration that held me spellbound throughout. I just found his channel a few weeks ago and it is a true gem! This program will definitely be one I revisit a number of times in the future.

[@sacul4485]

So good. I'm glad KZbin has given gifted( and hard working) people like you the platform to share! Thank you!

[@josefhaubrich1954]

The fact that his book the Lord of the rings...is the book that has sold more than any other book in the world,besides the two religious books, which should not be counted,....is astonishing.....it tells you all you need to know...an amazing achievement!

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

A wonderful introducing ....How much English Literature Stepped For word in Bright & Brilliant Movements through his working Hard & other Cooperators

[@judithhannigan296]

But for my brother-in-law, a history teacher who had been to Woodstock, I may never have been introduced to Tolkien. C.S.Lewis was my favourite sci-fi writer as a teenager, but it is only lately that I've learned the extent of the literary connection betwween the two authors. Tolkien is so great that one feels a sort of astonishment that the Nobel prize is not yet his.

[@matthewwilson5548]

That was awesome! Learned so many new things about one of my favorite authors. I'll continue to watch this channel since they obviously take care to do a detailed, fascinating analysis of their subjects.

[@latin504]

Bring back In Deep Geek for more productions!

[@peggywarren8112]

I agree absolutely. His command of the English language, his gentle speech pattern, breathing between phrases and pauses make it an amazing pleasure to watch and listen to this video. I’m an avid fan of In Deep Geek. Well done Robert.

[@Munichmarty1]

I read Lord of the Rings when I was about sixteen. I was so sad when I came to the last page because all the characters where like friends. Afterwards I wanted to read something else with the same quality, and I found the best books ever written and read Lord of the Rings again .

[@sarahhearn-vonfoerster7401]

There is no doubt that Tolkien was always Nobel Prize winner. I am not even a great fan of extreme fantasy, normally, but Tolkien and Lewis had such great gifts of clarity and design. When the element of possibility emerges in one's thinking, the writing transports us into this other plane; both exhilarating and frightening! We are all still children on some level, possibly!.

[@logothaironsides2942]

I have the book 'The father Christmas letters' which is a compilation of the letters and drawings he wrote or his children. Its a wonderful collection and really shows how much he loved his children.

[@sunsorr0w]

Great documentary, haven't even felt when whole 1 hour have passed! The books of Tolkien are timeless and all the effort and heart he poured into making this huge fantasy world is something that should live as long as there are humans on this planet! Truly a work of a genius mind! I don't agree with ThePeopleProfiles only with 1 thing - that we should celebrate making of that tv abomination that is Ring of Powers! Its like Morgoth and Sauron themselves rule Amazon and spread evil through the small screen, this "thing" is insult to Tolkien and his legacy and he doesn't deserve such mockery of his work!

[@rlwhite55]

Thank you for your effort that must have been rather extensive to produce such a documentary... I appreciate this film.

[@zoedean1452]

That was absolutely the most excellent biography of a literary figure I have ever seen! This is truly a treasure. thank you for a marvelous program, and very well done! BRAVO!!!

[@renat_404]

And was inspired by Tolkien to learn English. And started riding the books because I wanted to read "The Lord of the Rings"! Thank you for this video!

[@adenkendroemen]

The Lord of the Rings, was the very first novel my young self picked up and read on my own. Having had a rocky start in regards to reading and writing, due to a slight case of dyslexia, combined with schooling more focused on keeping young bodies sitting quietly, rather than inspiring young minds. As luck, or perhaps destiny would have it, my family experienced an increase in income which allowed us to move from the inner city, to the the fields and forests of the countryside. In school the smaller class size allowed for attention to be paid to my academic discrepancies, and the open fields allowed for the exploration of my wandering spirit and fertile imagination. It was no small task to pick up a novel, filled with more pages and lines, than all the books I had read up to that point in my young life, but it made all the difference in helping to create the person I am today. Those forests and fields of my young life ever after were then populated with elves, and trolls, ancient cities, dwarven ruins and epic battles. More importantly, it sparked a passion for reading, and from that point forward, I read everything I could get my hands on. Tolkien's works were the spark that set a blaze of expansion in the way I viewed the world and my place in it. The man I strive to be ( and sometimes am ), is made up of an amalgamation of the characters I have come to love as family. The strength of Aragorn, the wisdom and will to inspire others in Gandalf, and the loyalty, love and deep respect for the simple yet profound pleasures found in good food and fellowship embodied in the race of hobbits. At the end of my life, when the grey curtain rolls back, it is indeed my fondest wish, that I will see a far green country, under a swift sunrise.

[@louisebendall2894]

Thank you for a perfect roll call on a great man’s life. Tolkien’s works will last until the end of time.

[@monkeymox2544]

I used to live in Birmingham, and Sarehole Mill is still there - there's also an area called Moseley Bog right next to it, which looks very nondescript on the OS map, but it's actually a very well-preserved piece of bog and woodland, which gives us some idea of what the landscape was like and how it inspired Tolkien. Apparently, that bog was part of the inspiration behind the Old Forest. Definitely worth a visit if you happen to be in the area.

[@draug7966]

Sounds pretty nice as long as old man willow isn't there........

[@MrTorleon]

An excellent and extremely well researched documentary on this important and universally admired author. As an alumnus of Merton College Oxford, I was well aware of his past associations with the college, and sitting overlooking the Meadows, that I was perhaps looking at a beautiful view that the great man himself would have seen. As a medieval historian, I greatly admired his knowledge, grasp and understanding of past societies, their cultures and language, all of which are well explored and presented in this wonderful production - thank you so very, very much for making it available here on KZbin :)

[@PeopleProfiles]

Thank you. We put a lot of work into this one.

[@MrTorleon]

@@PeopleProfiles Thank you - indeed, your efforts are abundantly clear, and something to be proud of :) A last comment. During the documentary, the many printed editions are mentioned, but one ( at least ) has been overlooked. In 1969, publisher Allen and Unwin produced a wonderful De Luxe Edition, a superbly produced hard back, boxed, and printed to the highest standards on the finest India Paper, so that the complete Lord of the Rings fits into a spine width of about 20cm !!!!!! I believe there were then two additional print runs of this fine book production - it remains, even now, on my bookshelves all these years later :)

[@MrTorleon]

Oh dear - I of course meant to type a width of 20mm - consider me suitably self chastised for a moments inattention :(

[@digitalnomad9985]

@@MrTorleon Personally, I would have liked to see the 20cm version, with the rest of the dimensions suitably scaled up, on parchment and large print like a medieval pulpit Bible or a fairy tale spell book.

[@pamelarosie6689]

Thank you ❤️ Absolutely Wonderful! Such a Joy to listen to and watch. Deep, Heartfelt Gratitude to our Beloved J. R. R. Tolkien ✴️

[@karmaleenash2841]

I taught The Hobbit for years to college students as part of a great books class I developed. I had to fight to include it amongst Chaucer, Shakespeare, and yes, Shelley, Mary, that is. Tolkien belongs in our classic canon. He elevated the fairy tale into great literature. 🤍

[@kelilahsimone8802]

How wonderful! 2 great channels doing a collab on one of my heroes ❤️

[@jamesgranberry8801]

Tolkien’s writings have had an immeasurable impact on my thinking, and my attitudes toward wealth at all costs, and a respect for the natural world. I’m not all that different than the hobbits who travelled in the fellowship and underwent a great awakening of the grandeur of the world they lived in.

[@tridiminished]

What an effort. Well done to all regarding this presentation of such a legend.