J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien is one of the most beloved writers in the English tradition, though that popularity is a source of frustration to many supposedly sophisticated critics and scholars. However, his fans and his detractors alike often miss not just how carefully constructed his fiction is but how seriously it explores perennial human concerns: death, change, sacrifice, guilt, creation. Above all, his writing reflects a profound sense that though the world is broken it is beautiful and good and destined for ultimate renewal.

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Theme Music: "Nobility" by Wicked Cinema

Opening Segment Music: "The Birth of a Planet" by Falls

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