Distant reading of The Lord of the Rings: visualization and statistical analyses of its character network
N.-S. Huang, R. Chen, C.-M. Chen · Complex & Intelligent Systems · 2026
Distant reading is a computational framework in literary studies that employs algorithms to automatically extract and analyze complex information from literary works. This research introduces a novel method for mapping inter-character relationships by utilizing an integrated distant reading approach to capture and visualize textual structures, narrative development, and character dynamics in novels. To demonstrate the efficacy of this approach, we applied it to the character networks within The Lord of the Rings . Our methodology involves constructing and visualizing the community structure of characters using MSClustering and Gephi, identifying personality traits through linguistic and word count analysis via LIWC, and exploring the socio-structural significance of characters through network centrality measures. To assess the dynamic evolution of the narrative, we applied our analytical framework to each book of the trilogy, tracing the progression of emotional trajectories alongside the storyline. The findings from our distant reading approach are benchmarked against those derived from a traditional close reading of the narrative.