/collections/tolkien-birthday-collection
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Graphic Source: [Connor Morley](https://openlibrary.org/people/connor_morley)

*"One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them."*

On January 3rd, 1892, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in the city of Bloemfontein in what is today South Africa. His move to the United Kingdom at age three and his subsequent upbringing there instilled in him a love of Anglo-Saxon myth, literature, and language that would be reflected in his professorship in Anglo-Saxon at the University of Oxford and in his most famous works, 1937’s *The Hobbit*, and, what is widely considered to be his masterpiece, 1954-55’s *The Lord of the Rings*, originally published over the course of a year in three volumes: *The Fellowship of the Ring*, *The Two Towers*, and *The Return of the King*. Although Tolkien died in 1973, his work *The Silmarillion* was published posthumously by his son Christopher in 1977, and details an extended history of the setting in which these two novels take place. Numerous other works of Tolkien’s, set in both the world of these works and otherwise, have been published since his death and are essential to his legacy as a writer, literary critic, linguist, and mythologist.

Taking place primarily in the continent of Middle-earth on the world of Arda, many of these works and their cast of Elves, Men, Dwarves, Orcs, Ents, Wizards, and more fantastical beings have proved incalculable in their influence on subsequent fantasy literature, films, television, and games. In addition, they continue to be beloved by millions of readers around the world; *The Lord of the Rings*, in particular, has been translated into over fifty languages and has given rise to a dedicated fanbase the world over, as evidenced by the vast array of media set in the land of Middle-earth.

To celebrate his 131st birthday, this collection contains many of Tolkien's works set in Middle-earth/Arda, as well as many of his other works and works that both inspired and were inspired by his writings. It is our hope that they can inspire the sense of adventure, imagination, and discovery that has delighted so many of his readers for over eight decades.

Note: You can read or borrow a book if the bar underneath the cover says "Borrow" or "Read." **If a book says it is "not in library" or "checked out," a copy might still be available!** Click on the book's cover to see if you can borrow one of the other editions.

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m: edit
title: Tolkien's Birthday Collection