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Title: 65 years on, still the ultimate epic
Review: What can I say? After over 65 years, the Lord of the Rings trilogy is still the ultimate fantasy epic. I won't go on and on gushing in praise. I will just note one of the brilliant literary devices that Tolkien uses that sets this book apart from so much other fantasy work. Tolkien weaves a complex narrative with many characters and plot twists, but also manages to set up brilliant parallels between them. For example we see two leaders (Theoden and Denethor) who face strikingly similar challenges, but Tolkien shows them responding differently. The former leads his men against evil, while the latter is cold and despairs. This use of paralleling gives the book so many layers and adds lasting value. Indeed, it's no wonder people can read this book many times over and not get bored. While the Peter Jackson movies are great, it doesn't - and can't - capture all of the nuance in the book. If you haven't read it yet, you're in for a treat.
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