Readers of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy meet Frodo Baggins, its hero, when he is still in his tweens. This, Tolkien explains, is what hobbits call “the irresponsible twenties between childhood and coming-of-age at 33.” So Frodo’s cousin Bilbo waits until he has reached this ripe age before giving him a ring with the power, it turns out, to conquer the world.
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