Michael, Product Development



The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings opened my eyes to the possibilities of storytelling. Here was an immersive world with no discernible end; you could keep exploring as long as you wanted and still not reach its limits. Reading it the first time, you couldn’t get all of it at once and you weren’t meant to. Its power lay in the fact that beyond the narrative you were reading lay a universe populated by creatures from separate races with their own languages and cultures and thousands of years of history. The stories of Bilbo and Frodo were richer than anything else I had ever read because they were situated within this world seemingly as deep and real as the world around me.



Tanya, Copy Editor



When I was in fourth grade, I was obsessed with The Hobbit. I think I read it four or five times and reveled in the lush, verdant world of the Shire. One day, we were given a writing assignment, and not considering that my teacher would've ever read this book, especially not as many times as I did, I coyly copped a riddle from one of my favorite scenes: Bilbo in the caves with Gollum. I proudly stood in front of the class, and started with "Alive without breath, as cold as death. . . .” My teacher shook her head sadly and said, "Tanya, did you copy this from somewhere?" J'Accuse! I caved quickly. Thank you, Mr. Tolkien, for teaching me the pitfalls of plagiarism early on!



Oleksandra, Software Development Engineer



Tolkien's stories are so beautiful and amazing because they take you to boundless worlds. The book is not only about stunningly exciting adventures, flavored here and there with a good humor. It's about love and friendship, losing and gaining, creation and destruction. It's about honesty and courage, greed and madness, generosity and wisdom, meanness and cruelty. It's about fighting with a fate and also resignation to destiny. Reading Lord of the Rings I laughed, I cried, I was touched by kindness of hobbits and wisdom of elves, by courage of dwarfs, by strength of people. And (of course) I admired Gandalf, for being not only the most wise and brave, but also an outstanding politician. Great book that leaves great memories.



Mary, Business Insights



Not only is The Lord of the Rings a great adventure story with tenuous alliances, perseverance, self-discovery, and a clear and evil enemy but the world in which it’s set provides a rich backdrop for the action to take place. Tolkien’s Middle-earth is so full of history, every detail carefully crafted and written with such command of language that it feels like a real place. Tolkien gave me an appreciation for world-building in stories that I carry with me. Because of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, and The Book of Lost Tales I read fantasy and science fiction more critically, yearning for the deep history and backstory, the lore and legend like that created in Tolkien’s Middle-earth.



Frank, Finance



Tolkien’s Middle-earth is a forerunner of all modern fictional universes. His expansive work brought literature out of the confines of fiction, spilling into other mediums and exemplifying the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk: Total Artwork—an effort exploring not just storytelling but map-making, lore, poetry, music, and the drama of environment—writing “trees as trees”, not merely functions of plot or of character. For a creator absorbed in world-building, Tolkien offers an abundance of inspiration; for a reader absorbed in a story, Tolkien offers a lifetime of adventure.



Barbara, Global Brand Marketing



My love affair with J.R.R. Tolkien and the LOTR series started when I was a sophomore in high-school. My older sister was dating a guy who was cooler-than-cool, and a generous soul. He lent us his copy of The Hobbit. At the time, our reading material was limited to horribly outdated copies of Nancy Drew mysteries, tattered Archie comics, and stolen copies of my mother’s Jacqueline Susann novels. Getting to travel (at least in our heads) to Middle-earth was mind-blowing. Before long, we’d renamed our family hamster Bilbo, started calling each other “my precioussssss,” and were racing each other through the trilogy. The experience prompted a life-long passion for the fantasy genre, and exposed me to a world of literature I had, up until that point, been missing. My favorite quote is from Eowyn. As a girl growing up in the mid '70s, who often felt denied many of the freedoms and activities my male peers enjoyed, Eowyn’s challenge of the Nazgul, while disguised as the male Dernhelm, was thrilling to the core.



David, Business Affairs



I’m a big Tolkien nerd. I’m fascinated by the worlds he created, complete with rich and detailed history, hidden places, and interesting characters. The themes he wrote about still inspire me—how seemingly small things can have great importance; how it feels to have loyal friends at your back; how you do the right thing, regardless of personal risk; and that you should never give up, even in the face of overwhelming odds (or orcs). I love his writing style, mixing epic, sweeping storylines with tiny, personal ones. What’s more, Tolkien’s work is especially good in audio—his brilliant phrasing demands to be not just read, but performed. Listen for yourself and see if you can resist a fist-pump when those horns of Rohan blow!



Justin, Audible Studios



My favorite book genre is by far fantasy and it would not exist the way it does today if not for Tolkien. Not only was he a gifted author, poet and conlanger, but he was also great at sprinkling messages throughout his works that are still relevant, such as this quote, which happens to be one of my favorites. I feel that in today’s world, with social media being so prevalent, that when someone does a good deed they need to let everyone know to receive praise for it. But if that’s your goal then you are not doing that deed for the right reason. In my opinion, the truest deeds are done when only the people that have to know know, even if no one thanks you for it.



Andrew, Software Development Engineer



Tolkien paints more than just a picture with his words; he creates an immersive world the sucks you in and makes you hungry for more. The action can progress slowly at times, but I relish the opportunity to feel a deeper connection to the characters, the events, and Middle-earth.



Jason, Software Development Engineer



When I was in 3rd grade I read The Hobbit. I must have come across as a major nerd because nobody else seemed to read fantasy books in my class. The second I read about Bilbo walking through the circular door to his home I was hooked. Though I had some time explaining to my teacher what biter and beater were. Tolkien’s books really made me want to read more and showed me that reading can be more than just homework.