Instead of getting all annoyed when people - predictably - suggested you just read it. :-)

The Lord Of The Rings originated out of Tolkien's desire to write a story of the kind he liked reading. Tolkien was an English professor with an interest in European mythology and languages. Over time the idea of creating a world wholly separate from our own, and giving it thousands of years of coherent history and metaphysics became irresistable.

As he built Middle Earth, he gave various races differing roles. Many years after it was published, Tolkien is known to have said it was a mistake to call one race "elf" and another race "dwarf". Much of modern fantasy owes a huge debt to Tolkien with regard to characterisations of elves and dwarves. OTOH, Hobbits (aka halflings) are his own creation and reflect his ideals about English life.

One of the core ideas about the LotR is about the seduction of power.

The Ring of the title is a small magical artifact created by one of the most powerful beings to ever have lived on Middle Earth many centuries before. Unfortunately, this powerful being, one Sauron by name, was absolutely obsessed with the idea of subjugating all living things. (He and his master had been kicked out of Middle Earth's version of Heaven eons before.) Sauron had also created other rings and given them to men and dwarves - the elves had created their own, but they were still part of the set. And Sauron's ring was designed to be the One, Ruling Ring.

"Magic" in Middle Earth is properly defined as something that some races "have" or "are", even though it can be borrowed or stolen and wielded by others. Men are not magical. Hobbits are not magical. Elves are, though, and cannot understand mankind's fascination for it. Sauron's power is largely stolen, too. And the Ring he created is so magically powerful that the attraction to have it and wield it is very strong. The main problem with that is the nature of the Ring itself: it was forged for Sauron and Sauron alone. The power in the Ring actually is Sauron's power.

The actual story chronicles one small Hobbit who inherits the One Ring at a time when Sauron begins to make trouble in the world. As it happens, though, the two are thousands of miles apart and Frodo Baggins, our hobbit, is as about as unmagical a creature as you could imagine. All he knows is that it makes the wearer invisible. But he has a non-hobbit friend who visits from time to time called Gandalf. Tolkien was coy about just what Gandalf is; whilst a man in size and shape, he is also a wizard which Tolkien often referred to as though this was yet another race, not a profession.

Under Gandalf's counsel, Frodo learns what the Ring is and to not use it. He then begins the long journey to dispose of it, ironically in the same place Sauron currently resides. This is because that's where it was forged and therefore the only place it can be destroyed. Along the journey we meet men of several stripes, dwarves and elves, and explore the effects of friendship and loyalty, prophecy and love. And of selfishness - the seduction of the power of the ring and what it represents is so magically strong that it has the power to corrupt. Several people who know themselves better than most refuse to take the Ring when offered; a few others who do not attempt to acquire the Ring by force from Frodo, with consequences ranging from sad to tragic.

It is not hard to surmise that one of Tolkien's messages is that there are things man is not meant to know or have. The magic of the Ring is deadly to all who would have it - especially to those for whom magic is not intended.

Wade.

My memory of The Silmarillion is clearly faulty. :-)

I did not recall correctly on the creation of the 9, 7 and 3, although I thought the elves said that Sauron had never touched the 3. Fortunately my point remains about magic being innate to elves and not to man or dwarves.

The LotR does not go into detail about the Wizards, true. My comments were limited to the LotR and not The Silmarillion, though I did not make that clear, sorry.

I did know Sauron was one of the Maia. I thought he had co-opted a lot of magical knowledge from the elves - particularly regarding the rings. Obviously I overstated this against his own powers.

Wade.