"Ok, let's all go in the front room, your mother has a book to read to us." It all began with those words coming out of my fathers mouth in the summer of my fourth or fifth year. My mom pulled out The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and started reading to us.

Before more the first few pages had turned, I was totally enthralled. Here was a man who could balance description, dialog and action perfectly. So well, in fact, that a young child who didn't even know what they were knew that he did.

Many years passed. The stories of The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings Trilogy were never forgotten. Over ten years later the entire family upped and moved to Maine. The first year we were there, I reread the stories, again completely enthralled. I read them in 3 nights flat. I had to have my own copies. We went to a used book shop and I bought them for myself (though I believe it was my mother's money).

I believe some of the magic of Middle Earth and of Tolkien is the fact that it is so easy to be any and all characters, not just one each time you read, but all, if you choose. I find myself usually Tree Beard, Gandalf (Mithrandir), Frodo, Elrond and good old Bilbo. It is through their eyes that I live in that wonderful world. It is through their actions that I am a hero. It is with their hearts that I love and explore their world.

J.R.R. Tolkien was a Christian. Like Lewis, it is obvious he is religious man from his books. In fact, in both his and Lewis's writings you can see many parallels with Christianity. This may be a weakness to many in the world today, but to me it is wonderful. I think it also shows their mastery of the literary art form by the fact they can so tightly integrate the two and yet still have them completely separate.

J.R.R. Tolkien belonged to a literary club. My grandma, an English Professor, told me that when one would ask him a question he hadn't yet thought through or written about in his stories his reply would be something akin to: "I don't know. I will have to go research that." It was obvious he could immerse himself in his own worlds. This might be why his worlds are so powerful and believable. She believed C.S. Lewis belonged to the same club and this is where Lewis had the chance of converting Tolkien to Christianity. Of course, I could have remembered wrong, or she explained it incorrectly because it was Tolkien who converted Lewis.

Believe it or not, J.R.R. Tolkien was a professor as well. He loved older languages, their sounds, their constructions and their characters (written). He also loved history. In fact, many of the places he described are based on Norway and its neighbors. An example of the swamps with phantom fire lights and faces of the dead can be found in or around Norway. He also incorporated many myths of many cultures, again many from in and around Norway, into his stories. Many may have called him a pirate or a parasite. I think he did the world a favor by taking stories and using them to make bigger and better stories and world.

In the cartoon The Return of The King based on his books, as well as in some editions of the named book, Gandalf says: "Many years from now, men will wonder if there is hobbit in them." In the cartoon alone, he faces you and asks: "Is there?" In some fashion I am sure there both hobbit and Maia in me! How about in you?

A warning to new wanderers in the world of Middle Earth, Tolkien breaks his books and chapters at VERY annoying times. You will not want to set his books down for a minute. Don't say I didn't warn you! Now, go out and borrow them from your local library. The only regret you may have is the sleep or time for other things you may have had.