Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings and many other affiliate works, is a visionary mastermind. Tolkien exhibits his ingenious literary skills in The Lord of the Rings where he not only plays on his own flights of fancy, but also helps to make his fancies the reader's as well. Throughout the tale the reader is told of a myriad of fantastical creatures and places which simply heighten the thrill of the story. The novel is brought to life due to Tolkien's utilization of certain criteria such as graphic descriptions and character development which causes the plot to unfold into a surprising, unpredictable, and psychological masterpiece. The combination of the aforementioned criteria creates a composition worth reading.
Composing a piece filled with various characters who can easily be imagined in the mind's eye is pure artistry and that is simply what Tolkien does. Seamlessly crafted and utterly believable, Tolkien's characters live through his words. From the very beginning he gives the reader a detailed physical description and a sliver of mental insight of each person. "Gandalf was short in stature, but his long white hair, his sweeping silver beard, and his broad shoulders, made him look like some wise king of ancient legend. In his aged face under great snowy white brows his dark eyes were set like coals that could leap suddenly into a fire," writes Tolkien. Through that depiction one can picture the beings within the story the entire time. .
By picturing these beings the reader not only gets a glimpse at their physique and .
personality, but also at their mentality. Like a good author, Tolkien allows his characters to develop throughout the entire novel. By doing so he gives the reader something to look forward to in the end besides the outcome. Much like in a movie, one is always waiting to see how the characters will grow and Tolkien offers this gradual development to his audience.