J.R.R. Tolkien‘s The Lord of the Rings is the most significant work of fantasy literature in the 20th century, and possibly all time. The archetypal hero’s journey, the book follows the quest of a young hobbit to destroy the powerful One Ring, revisiting Middle-earth, the setting from Tolkien’s previous work, The Hobbit. Although originally intended as one book, it has since been commonly split into three distinct chapters: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King.
Today, the books remain widely beloved, studied, discussed, and appreciated by critics and fans. In fact, each book has an impressive score on Goodreads, the world’s largest cataloguing and community website for readers. But which of them has the highest rating? The answer to that question may or may not surprise you, but it’sa great way to understand what audiences love about this particular saga and why it has remained so popular over 70 years later.
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‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ – 4.41 Rating
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Image via HarperCollins</figure>
The first entry in the trilogy is The Fellowship of the Ring. It follows young hobbit Frodo Baggins, who receives from his uncle, Bilbo, a mysterious ring capable of making the one who wears it invisible. Soon, Frodo learns it is actually the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron and meant to dominate the free people of Middle-earth. Joined by a group calling themselves The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo embarks on a dangerous journey to destroy the ring in the fires of Mount Doom in the land of Mordor. Meanwhile, Sauron’s power grows.
As an introductory chapter to this larger-than-life story, The Fellowship of the Ring thrives. Tolkien fills his narrative with adventure, lyrical poetry, and a sense of mysticism that makes the journey feel entirely mythical in nature. The characters feel alive and strangely familiar, as if you knew them from years past. Meanwhile, the One Ring is suitably elusive and surrounded by mystery, making it all the more threatening. The book also has two of the most celebrated and beloved chapters in literary history, “The Shadow of the Past” and “The Council of Elrond,” which have been widely analyzed for their narrative quality and overall significance to fantasy.
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‘The Two Towers’ – 4.51 Rating
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The Two Towers picks up where its predecessor left off. Frodo has chosen to continue to Mordor alone after Boromir tries to steal the ring, with only Sam accompanying him. Along the way, they are joined by the creature Gollum, who longs to recover the One Ring. After a group of orcs kill Boromir and capture Merry and Pippin, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli choose to rescue the hobbits while trusting Sam and Frodo to continue alone. However, the trio instead goes to Rohan, accompanied by the newly resurrected Gandalf, to rescue King Théoden from a dark influence, while Merry and Pippin escape and make their way to the ancient tree-like Ents.
This second book is where the narrative becomes grander and larger in scale. Tolkien deals with more of Middle-earth’s ever-changing politics, allowing us to see the bigger picture in the upcoming war against Sauron. Where there was a mythical sense in Fellowship, The Two Towers feels more urgent and exciting, but above all, it feels truly epic. Particularly impressive is the now-legendary Battle of Helm’s Deep, a masterclass in action writing that switches between character POVs to increase the tension while maintaining momentum. Tolkien’s mythology grows, and his greatest trick is pairing worldbuilding with significant character development. This second volume also introduces one of the saga’s most compelling and complex characters, Gollum, a tragic figure who runs away with many of the book’s most memorable passages.
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‘The Return of the King’ – 4.59 Rating
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Image via HarperCollins</figure>
Finally, we have the epic conclusion of the trilogy. The Return of the King is the culmination of everything Tolkien set up in the previous two books. As Sauron’s forces prepare to launch their attack on Gondor, Gandalf attempts to warn Denethor, Steward of Gondor, while Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli take the Paths of the Dead to recruit the Dead Men of Dunharrow. In Mordor, Sam rescues Frodo from the tower of Cirith Ungol, and the two prepare for the final stretch of their journey, with a vengeful Gollum hot on their trail.
The Return of the King is one of the most exciting conclusions in literary history. Once again, Tolkien’s writing is vivid and atmospheric, depicting the devastation of Middle-earth with such command of the prose that it’s outright impossible to put the book down. Here, we have all-out war, and the author injects everything with a heightened sense of drama that makes every action feel urgent and crucial. Just as important is the story’s emotional impact, best represented in the fierce loyalty and unbreakable bond between Sam and Frodo. Perhaps the best part of the book, however, is the one that didn’t make it to the movie: The Scouring of the Shire, where the four hobbits rescue their home from the forces of Saruman. It’s a curious addition that might feel like an afterthought, but Tolkien makes it a key part of the story by showing the larger consequences of war, especially in communities that avoided the main conflict.
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