Return of the King
First edition
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| Author | J. R. R. Tolkien |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | George Allen & Unwin |
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Publication date
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20 October 1955 |
| Preceded by | The Two Towers |
The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. The story begins in the kingdom of Gondor, which is soon to be attacked by the Dark Lord Sauron.
Tolkien conceived of The Lord of the Rings as a single volume comprising six "books" plus extensive appendices. The original publisher split the work into three volumes, publishing the fifth and sixth books with the appendices into the final volume with the title The Return of the King. Tolkien felt the chosen title revealed too much of the story, and indicated he preferred The War of the Ring as a title.
The proposed title for Book V was The War of the Ring. Book VI was to be The End of the Third Age. These titles were used in the Millennium edition.
The Return of the King was in the end published as the third and final volume of The Lord of the Rings, on 20 October 1955 in the UK.
Gandalf and Pippin arrive at Minas Tirith in the kingdom of Gondor, and there Pippin gets to view for the first time the mighty city built on seven levels and with the Tower of Ecthelion high above the Pelennor Fields. They meet Denethor, the Lord and Steward of Gondor, and deliver the news to him of Boromir's death; but Denethor already knows of his son's death because he holds Boromir's cloven horn in his lap, as well as the fact that a devastating attack on his city by Sauron, the Dark Lord of Mordor is imminent. Stung by the scorn of Denethor, Pippin enters the service of the Steward as repayment of a debt he owes to Boromir, Denethor's dead son and preferred heir. Pippin then meets Beregond a guard of the Citadel, who tutors him in his duties, and his young son Bergil, who guides him around Minas Tirith. In the middle of night, Gandalf returns to their room, frustrated that Faramir has not yet returned.
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