"The Lord of the Rings" (book review)

Do I really need to review this book of books??
I have just spent about 2 to 3 months of my life reading it.
It was worth every moment.
A book that hints at eternity, Good Things, and a complete world in our imaginations.
I first was introduced to this book by my sisters (I think it was Plonie who lent me a copy), back in the early 70s - and I have reread it several times - this is not to boast, but to get across something of how a book can have a very strong relationship with its reader (the Bible and Koran are of course the ultimate examples of this) - reading it for nourishment, comfort, adventure, inspiration...
The thing that struck me this time "through" (apart from the completeness of the vision, which always grabs me) was the language.
Tolkien loved language, and as many of us know it was his love of ancient languages which led to creating a story to explain his own languages (esp. Elvish).
Reading LoTR, one is struck by how real and rooted the names of things and people are - this is in contrast to many other fantasy novels, where the names seem fake or shamelessly borrowed from other religious/mythical sources.
The language does indeed shape the cultures, characters and even the story itself.
The book is a trusted, valued companion, and if you have never read it before in your life (no matter how old you are), at least give it one go, before it's too late (...set aside time though - as I said, it took me about 3 months, but I am asuredly a "slow" reader!).

G.