At the end of the 1920s, a close friendship had begun to develop between two Oxford dons, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, and this small nucleus would soon expand into a group whch became know as The Inklings and has since acquired almost legendary status. As the poet and scholar John Wain observed, ‘In a very dead period of Oxford’s history, Lewis and his friends provided a stir of life.’ The Inklings arguably gave rise to one canonical classic of English literature, Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ as well as other lesser works. Over the length of this class, we will examine Tolkien’s masterpiece as well as works by Lewis and Charles Williams. The books for this semester may be ordered through the registration form: The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis ($9); The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis ($14), All Hallow’s Eve by Charles Williams  ($16), The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien ($15).