Lord of The Rings takes First Place in BBC's Big Read

J.R.R. Tolkien's already vastly popular series, "The Lord of the Rings," has gained a huge push in popularity with Peter Jackson's renditions of the books as blockbuster films, the third of which, "The Return of the King," opened in theatres across the U.S. today. In Britain, however, the literary trio took a first place title in the BBC's Big Read contest, in which more than half a million people voted for their favorite books.

Following "The Lord of the Rings" was Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trailed in third place. In fourth and fifth places were Douglas Adams' "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and J K Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire."

More from the BBC.