What makes a book a classic? What does it take to write a novel that is not only read across generations, but also looks like a great Hollywood movie?
This article examines the most famous fantasy adventure books of all time and what made them classics, with millions of die-hard fans around the world.
The Lord of the rings
Some would say that this book is in the top ten most read books of all time, and it is definitely in the top ten most viewed movies of all time.
Lord Of The Rings fans are sometimes called “doorbells” and there is even a term for JRTolkien fans.
There are “Tolkienists”, “Tolkienites” and “Tolkienology” is a study of the works of this amazing author.
He began writing the trilogy in 1937, and much of it was written during World War II.
It is an epic adventure, the fight between good and evil, that takes you to a world that contains demons, elves, dwarves, magic and wonders.
The movie took a long time to make, because CGI technology wasn’t available until the 21st century that could do the story justice.
For starters, the main character is a halfling, a hobbit that is literally half the size of men and wizards.
Tolkien said the story was inspired by his faith, he was a devout Roman Catholic.
Evil characters are very similar to demons, be they orcs, goblins or the leader of all of them, Sauron, who represents the devil.
What makes these stories so great is that they take you to another world that doesn’t exist, where an epic battle between good and evil takes place.
Harry Potter
The Harry Potter books are also a good example of this topic. They take you to a world where magic is an everyday occurrence and where the evil Voldemort constantly seeks to destroy the hero.
Harry Potter is treated as the messiah, a very special boy who grows up knowing that one day he must save the world from destruction.
Both stories focus on a little boy, who starts out as a complete nobody, but is called upon to save the entire world from unimaginable magical terror.
Harry Potter fans are called “Potterheads” or “Pottermaniacs” and they are literally crazy about books and movies.
Writing a classic fantasy adventure novel
If you are a writer, all you need to do is study these two trilogies and you will find the necessary patterns in them to write your own classic.
- A small child or a poor nobody, who happens to be very important.
- A battle between good and evil with a lot of action and violence.
- Good friends, who stick together despite everything.
- A love story or two, to make it interesting.
If you follow that basic theme, let good triumph over powerful evil, you can succeed in writing a classic fantasy novel that will be read and perhaps seen for generations as well.