Why does this story move so many people so?

[Nufaciel]

I agree. His works are like the Flame Imperishable. Harry Potter is good, but cannot compare.

Why does Lord of the Rings move me so? There are so many reasons, and all of the people above me here touched upon so many of the reasons why.

I've seen the movie 5 times (and cried every time Boromir died), and I've read the LotR at least 25 times, and every single time, I cry at the end of the book. It does not fail. I actually cry at many different times while I'm reading the book.

This book, when you immerse yourself in it, becomes so real, and the world is so real. If you look into the threads anywhere on barrowdowns, you will find that most, including me, speak of these fictional characters as if they were real people, living right now, as we speak. When we read, we believe. That is one of the great gifts of Tolkien's works. There are a lot of good fantasy books, but none of them have ever made me believe, not like Tolkien.

I have a friend who made a LotR slideshow on his website, and of course he put Boromir's death scene at the end, and every single time I watch it, I cry.