Magill Book Review: In THE  LORD OF THE  RINGS, the  world that Tolkien has created is rich and real, complete with civilizations of men, orcs, trolls, dwarfs, elves, and hobbits, all fully imagined, with customs, traditions, and languages of their own. Full of quiet humor  and high moral seriousness, the  trilogy appeals equally to young and old, to aficionados of fantasy and serious students of literature. In Part 1 , THE  FELLOWSHIP OF THE  RING, the  hobbit Frodo, his servant Sam, and his companions Merry and Pippin set out on the  first stage of the  quest to destroy the  ring. They are joined by the  wizard Gandalf and a mysterious man called Strider, later revealed as Aragorn, King of Gondor; these two  are the  most formidable of the  heroes leagued against Sauron. Along the way  they are hounded by the  Black Riders, Sauron's agents, and the  party splits up. Part 2 , THE TWO TOWERS , tells of the  opening of the  War of the  Rings, in which the  forces of Gondor defeat Saruman, the  traitor wizard and minion of Sauron. It goes on to recount the  journey of Frodo and Sam into Mordor, Sauron's black and blighted kingdom. Part 3, THE  RETURN OF THE  KING, recounts the  defeat of Sauron and the  triumph of Aragorn, made possible by the  fulfillment of Frodo's quest.THE  LORD OF THE  RINGS, which can be enjoyed both as an adventure story and as a profound exploration of the  nature of good and evil, is a deeply rewarding work that invites rereading.