Tolkien's presentation of the concept of evil in The Lord of the Rings is a key to understanding the text and what lies behind it. It is not allegory but it does deal with the struggle between good and evil. This book was written before I had seen any of the films. However the films follow the books sufficiently closely that people who have only seen the films found it useful. The book fascinated me as it has millions of readers. I wanted to get closer to the book. Some of the most powerful images are about the conflict of good and evil so I analysed the concept of evil in it. This is a book for people who want to look more deeply into the significance of the concept of evil in literature by reference to one of the most popular fantasies in the public consciousness. It is also a book for people who enjoyed The Lord of the Rings. Contents 1) Introduction 2) The power of darkness 3) The flame of Anor and the flame of Udun 4) The persuasive voice of evil 5) Oft evil will shall evil mar 6) The role of nature 7) Dark Satanic Mills 8) The Ring of Power 9) Conclusion