Folks, I'm not typically a genre fan--be it Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, etc. I'm more interested in literary fiction, and since most of the stuff written in the above genres is simply laughable (Robert Jordan, that Lord Foul Bane junk (horrible), Terry Brooks, etc.) I often do not delve into the world of pop fantasy fiction. But Tolkien is a rare find, kids. He's written a fantasy series that holds up as literarue. Tolkien, an Anglo-Saxon specialist, has given us a modern-day Beowulf, Sir Gawain, and Fairy Queen all rolled up in one. Before Professor Tolkien, one had to go back to those old texts to read fantasy. Thank God, Tolkien decided to give a try at writing one himself.