The Lord of the Rings is a story (or several stories) about elves and dwarves and dragons and quests. And yet, professors sit in their Ivy League towers and dig deep into the story, seeking meaning, analyzing plot and characters, symbolism and analogy.

Grown men and women who read the books 20 or 30 years ago, continue to debate the values and meaning, while counting down the days from one epic movie to another. We reverently pass on the books, DVD’s and walk our children to the movies – a sacred rite of passage.

Here is a documentary that not only analyzes these aspects through a variety of knowledgable men and women with delightful accents, but also the symbiotic relationship between Tolkien with C.S. Lewis. Both men’s motivations and writing, for example, were shaped through their experiences in World War 1. They went on to create two of the greatest epic fantasy series ever. It is thirty minutes that are well worth the time.

So please, grab yourself a mug of ale, light up the Longbottom leaf, and enjoy a revealing explanation of a unique man who blazed a path for so many who came after him.

As one who owes him so much, I am truly humbled.

One last point: if you have the energy,  browse through the comments under the You Tube video. It is amazing how many people had such difficulty reading the LOTR and yet still have a deep appreciation for the work.

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Alon Shalev is the author of the 2013 Eric Hoffer YA Book Award winner, At The Walls of Galbrieth, and five other Wycaan Master books all released by Tourmaline Books. The link above takes you to the Kindle versions. For all other eReaders, please click here.

More at http://www.alonshalev.com and on Twitter (@elfwriter).