I do not know all that many people who have not been influenced by the beautiful stories of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, especially in these last five or six years. The first time I read the Lord of the Rings I was a little boy, and this story was perfect, absolutely perfect. The kings, the wizards, the dark lord and orcs are the lifeblood of a young boy. It was as though Tolkien knew exactly what to write in order to stir the imagination of a boy to its very depths. I've read these books, and his others, several times since that first wonderful experience (I won't tell you how many time, I don't want you thinking less of me!), and in re-reading I have noted the breadth of Tolkien's vision. A little boy can read of warriors, wizards and magic rings, but he might skip over the pages of poetry, beautiful descriptions of magical lands, and the powerful stories of some of the great characters. However, as I age I love to read more of those types of things, and Tolkien was as masterful in one as he was in the other.


Now, I could ramble on about Tolkien for hours and I'm sure that I could write for pages on what I think about his stories. But don't worry, I won't. That's not the reason I wrote this post. I wrote this one to draw your attention to something that adds again (if that is even possible) to the wonderful world of Middle Earth, the author reading his own work! So if you don't know, Tolkien read much of his writing and recorded it. The quality is not great, but to hear the man himself read his work is incredibly enjoyable. And I guarantee you that Tolkien's children must have loved it when he told them bedtime stories.

So without further ado and rambling, go and listen to the master himself here.

And if you don't own the books, buy them here. It will be the best purchase you make this year, I promise!

And if you want to know a little more about J.R.R. Tolkien, enjoy this.