Average customer rating:
- Great Look behind the scenes. Far better than earlier volumes
- I hate to give this only 4 stars, but too much repitition.
- For Hard Core Tolkien Fans Only!!!
- Vital exploration of Tolkien's work, but for fans only
- Warning-not a novel....but a great resource
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The Return of the Shadow: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part One (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 6)
J.R.R. Tolkien
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 20th Century | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Epic | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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History & Criticism | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Tolkien, J.R.R. | ( T ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
Hardcover | Tolkien, J.R.R. | ( T ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0395498635 |
Book Description
In this sixth volume of The History of Middle-earth the story reaches The Lord of the Rings. In The Return of the Shadow (an abandoned title for the first volume) Christopher Tolkien describes, with full citation of the earliest notes, outline plans, and narrative drafts, the intricate evolution of The Fellowship of the Ring and the gradual emergence of the conceptions that transformed what J.R.R. Tolkien for long believed would be a far shorter book, 'a sequel to The Hobbit'. The enlargement of Bilbo's 'magic ring' into the supremely potent and dangerous Ruling Ring of the Dark Lord is traced and the precise moment is seen when, in an astonishing and unforeseen leap in the earliest narrative, a Black Rider first rode into the Shire, his significance still unknown. The character of the hobbit called Trotter (afterwards Strider or Aragorn) is developed while his indentity remains an absolute puzzle, and the suspicion only very slowly becomes certainty that he must after all be a Man. The hobbits, Frodo's companions, undergo intricate permutations of name and personality, and other major figures appear in strange modes: a sinister Treebeard, in league with the Enemy, a ferocious and malevolent Farmer Maggot.
The story in this book ends at the point where J.R.R. Tolkien halted in the story for a long time, as the Company of the Ring, still lacking Legolas and Gimli, stood before the tomb of Balin in the Mines of Moria. The Return of the Shadow is illustrated with reproductions of the first maps and notable pages from the earliest manuscripts.
Customer Reviews:
Great Look behind the scenes. Far better than earlier volumes.......2007-02-20
`The Return of the Shadow' is the first of a four volume series (`The History of the Lord of the Rings') within a series, (volume VI of `The History of Middle Earth') edited by Christopher Tolkien, from the unpublished writings of his father, J. R. R. Tolkien, most famous as the author of `The Hobbit' and `The Lord of the Rings'.
For those who have been slogging through the previous three volumes dealing with fragments from the composition of `The Silmarillion', this volume is a great pleasure, as it deals entirely with early drafts of what becomes the first two-thirds of `The Fellowship of the Ring' (FR), the first volume of the great `The Lord of the Rings' (LotR). It begins at the beginning of FR and ends as the fellowship stand in the mines of Moria over the grave marked `Balin Son of Burin, Lord of Moria' (The dramatic encounter between Gandalf and the Balrog will have to wait until the next volume).
For those of you who may have read `The Lord of the Rings' only once or twice, this and the next three volumes in this series are an enormous treat, as reading this is far more rewarding than a second or third reading of LotR, and will make that second or third reading even more interesting. For those of us who have read LotR for ten or twelve times, and have seen Peter Jackson's films of same more times than I care to count, the interest tends to wane just a bit, as the percentage of entirely new material is small compared to early versions of text which appeared in the final volumes.
What I really looked forward to in these volumes was some insight into my second most favorite character, after Gandalf, and this would be the perpetual Middle Earth hippie, Tom Bombadil and his consort, Goldberry. Unfortunately, this book does not through a lot of light on Bombadil's origins. Thankfully, it also does not violate any of my lengthily speculations on where Bombadil fits into the history of Middle Earth and the cosmology of the world in which Middle Earth is set. The heart of the matter is that Bombadil is one of the very few true natives of Middle Earth. The elves are clearly immigrants from the Far West. Dwarves and men seem to be creations of the Valar, and orcs and trolls are perversions of elves, men, and dwarves made by Melkor or Sauron. He is certainly not one of the Valar, as nothing said about his lack of interest in The Ring would be true of a Valar. Similarly, he is certainly not a wizard, one of Gandalf's clan, the Istari. The fact is, Tolkien senior simply added him in as a `deux ex machina', pinch hitting for Gandalf in a way, to get the wandering hobbits out of two jams with powers far greater than their own, so that they can safely reach Bree and the assistance of Strider. And, it turns out Tolkien simply wanted to include Bombadil and Goldberry since he had written of them in earlier publications!
One thing that does come out is the fact that the minor character, Farmer Maggot is potentially a far more interesting character than may appear on the surface. For example, Tom Bombadil seems to get most of his information about the outside world from Farmer Maggot and there is a suspicion in this narrative that Maggot is not entirely `hobbit' bred. This is not too unusual, as there has always been a suspicion that the three strains of hobbits are a result of a bit on interbreeding with elves and dwarves (but you didn't hear that from me!). One thing about Maggot which tickles my fancy is that his physical description here is a strong image of the Pennsylvania Amish and Mennonite farmers, which fits perfectly into the land around the Brandywine and the cultivation of mushrooms, both features of southeastern Pennsylvania, the home of the very same Pennsylvania Dutch. And yet, editor Christopher seems to make no mention of this obvious connection.
Being a true fanatic, even little things about these books will please me to no end. One thing, among others, which makes me think that Peter Jackson used these books in his writing the screenplay for the movies is the similarity between the picture of Bag End and the surrounding Shire and Bag End as it appeared in FR. I'm also thrilled by the additional original Tolkien maps, as well as the usually excellent index to the volume. I look forward to a composite index covering the whole four volumes of the `History of the Lord of the Rings' series.
The greatest impact of this volume comes from the smallest note in the beginning. After all the preparation done on the history of Middle Earth, Tolkien senior still had no notion of what he will find in Bree, who or what was Strider, or any notion of the design of Moria until he actually reached these characters and events in his writing.
I hate to give this only 4 stars, but too much repitition........2006-03-14
I was hoping that this would give like amny differnent versions of these books, but it tends just to show you the evolution and showing you the rewritings of early chapters of the lord and some of them like the council of elrond show you like 6 different versions. Every version a new character will show up, somebody will turn from good to evil, or maybe their words will be given to some one else.
I guess I was just hoping that this would be more like the previous 5 books and give us new stuff like they did of the silmarillion. But it did provide me with enough new info and some pretty exciting evolutions in this.
For Hard Core Tolkien Fans Only!!!.......2005-07-13
I got the book thinking it was part of Tolkien's unfinished sequel to the LOTR "The Return of the Shadow", but the shadow here is Sauron's return to middle earth after the end of the second age.
This is a volume in the previously unpublished letters and papers of J.R.R. Tolkien. In this volume we follow the evolution of the different parts of the LOTR the Fellowship of the Ring over time. From its beginning as a sequel to the Hobbit to the final epic product of mythic proportions.
Its interesting to see all the various drafts of the original chapters and the progression of Bingo Baggins into Frodo and the Hobbit Trotter into the Human King Strider/Aragorn. But this is the main drawback also, how many variations of "A Long Expected Party" can one read without being bored?
For Tolkien enthusiatists and English Majors only.
Vital exploration of Tolkien's work, but for fans only.......2004-05-09
If you're not a Tolkien fan, you need not apply to the sprawling History of Middle Earth series. But if you're interested in seeing how the Professor developed the rich creation of Middle Earth, warts and all, this is a treasure trove of material.
The 12 volumes of the History of Middle Earth take a close look at the creation of Tolkien's greatest achievement - Middle Earth itself - through early drafts, unpublished texts, and dead end writings. For ardent Tolkien readers it is a fascinating look at one of the great literary creations of the 20th Century. For more casual fans, it's text better left unread.
"The Return of the Shadow" marks the first in the four volumes dealing with the history of the writing of "The Lord of the Rings." Like the other volumes in the series, it features unpublished writings by Tolkien, supplemented, explained, footnoted, annotated and expounded upon by his son, Christopher Tolkien.
Here we have the earliest versions of what would later become the most beloved fantasy epic in the world, detailing the extraordinary and convoluted history of the earliest chapters of "The Lord of the Rings." Some readers might be surprised to know just how different a book this was in its earliest stages, and just how much Tolkien was making it up as he went along in those early days.
The wealth of information is fantastic, and Christopher Tolkien goes to great lengths to examine each text, putting them in the context of the larger puzzle of his father's writings. The exploration of how "The Lord of the Rings" came about is fantastic - for those interested. Otherwise, it will bore. This is, after all, a series of unfinished draft chapters and essays on the text. I enjoyed it, but many won't.
Anybody wishing to do a study of Tolkien's craft, into "behind the scenes" writings, or just interested in finding a few snatches of new Middle Earth material (even if in unfinished form, there are some scattered throughout the series) will certainly find what they are looking for here. Christopher Tolkien's work here is appreciated by scores of ardent Tolkien fans.
Those looking for fresh new tales about hobbits and heroes, however, will be disappointed. This isn't new fiction, nor does it even feature finished works. Seek elsewhere if you are looking for more tales in the way of "The Lord of the Rings."
Warning-not a novel....but a great resource.......2003-01-10
Of the thrilling and informative History of Middle-Earth series, this is perhaps the most interesting part. Normal Tolkien fans will get the rare chance to see how the germ of an idea can explode into the most complex cosmology ever created. Although it may seem boring, as it is not a novel per se, it is an insightful analysis of a very beloved book. The Lord of the Rings was initially conceived as a sequel to the Hobbit, growing into something incomparably more vast. We see Bingo in the character of Frodo, the name Frodo applied to another character. Aragorn is named Trotter and the idea emerges that he might be a long lost Hobbit who has had many experiences on the road. Somehow, with many footnotes and comments in the margin, we see the evolution of these ideas into what we know today as LOTR. Fascinating and useful for the Tolkien scholar, the devoted Tolkien reader, or even an aspiring writer.
Book Description
While nothing can equal or replace the adventure in reading Tolkien's masterwork, The Lord of the Rings, Peter Kreeft says that the journey into its underlying philosophy can be another exhilarating adventure. Thus, Kreeft takes the reader on a voyage of discovery into the philosophical bones of Middle earth. He organizes the philosophical themes in The Lord of the Rings into 50 categories, accompanied by over 1,000 references to the text of Lord. Since many of the great questions of philosophy are included in the 50-theme outline, this book can also be read as an engaging introduction to philosophy. For each of the philosophical topics in Lord, Kreeft presents tools by which they can be understood. Illustrated.
Customer Reviews:
Surprisingly easy enlightenment.......2007-05-29
The book is blessedly light, genuine and remarkably connected to the worlds of Tolkien's Catholic philosophy and the beloved Lord of the Rings. For those who were captivated and enthralled by the world into which we once stepped via LOTR, this text provides an insightful path as to why such a deep and spiritual connection was possible to a world beyond our own. Tolkien's LOTR was THE book of the 20th century, critics be damned, and Kreeft's book gives us an even deeper understanding of the themes in it and in our own lives.
Religion in Tolkien's Tale.......2007-02-23
Peter Kreeft is a philosophy professor at Boston College, a Catholic college, and Tolkien was a devout Catholic, so naturally in examining the "philosophy of Tolkien," this book also looks at the specifically Catholic and more generally Christian aspects of Tolkien's world view. That's hardly surprising. Christianity was born at the Greek end of the Roman Empire and the Greeks were as philosophical as the Romans were practical. In that sort of world, the early Christians quickly learned to be philosophical themselves.
Some question Kreeft's approach. For many good reasons, they see little or no religion in The Lord of the Rings. In one sense, they are right. The hobbits may have lives modeled on pre-industrial English village life, but English villages had a parish church. There are no churches in hobbit villages or, for that matter, in the cities of Rohan or Gondor. Even the most spiritual people in Middle-earth, the Wizards, aren't anything like a modern day pastor, priest or rabbi. So, at least judged by externals, Middle-earth wasn't religious.
But Tolkien did believe his tale was religious. In a December 1953 letter to Robert Murray (grandson of the founder of the Oxford English Dictionary), he wrote:
"The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision. That is why I have not put in, or have cut out, practically all references to anything like 'religion,' to cults and practices, in the imaginary world. For the religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism." (The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, p. 172.)
That's why this book is so helpful. It gets us beneath the surface and into the tale's deeper meaning.
--Michael W. Perry, author of Untangling Tolkien (a book-length LOTR chronology)
Best for Christians and C.S. Lewis Fans.......2007-01-30
This book, while interesting, may be frustrating for non-Christians. As is previously mentioned in another review, the book leans heavily upon C.S. Lewis, a devout Christian, to delve into Tolkien, a devout Catholic. Kreeft continually injects his Christian beliefs as if they were fact, which is fine for the believers of the same but frustrating for those of us who enjoy Tolkien without the preaching. I think Tolkien didn't include an overtly Catholic message in his writing because there was no need to -- the religious undertones are clear enough and inclusive for all readers. If you don't want to read about what Tolkien purposely left out, skip this book and read "Perilous Realms: Celtic And Norse in Tolkien's Middle-Earth" by Marjorie Burns.
A Worthy Read.......2007-01-09
Kreeft has written an engaging, highly readable book. On the one hand, it serves as a philosophy primer: it's organized according to the 50 questions asked most frequently by philosophers. Don't let that scare you off, however, because Kreeft uses his extensive knowledge of both JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis to answer those questions. The book is suitable for those who wish to delve beneath the surface of LOTR and Lewis' canon, but it would also work as a textbook for an introductory philosophy class or a major author class for either Tolkien or Lewis.
Forget "Lord of the Rings and Philosophy"; THIS is your book!.......2007-01-08
I recommend this books hand and fist above "Lord of the Rings and Philosophy." It has the blessing of being both narrowly focused while surveying a broad filed. Kreeft manages to cover 50 philosophical touch-points, and show what Tolkien has to say on each of them.
This is important. Esthetics is a branch of philosophy--a neglected branch of philosophy since one wag said "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and everyone believed him--and therefore all art is a form of philosophic engagement. The astound thing this is that Tolkien never set out to be a philosopher--" It is neither allegorical nor topical . . . I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations."
On page 11, Kreeft suggests that this book can be used as a grid for comparing and contrasting books such as "Nausea," "The Stranger," or "The Sound and the Fury." He is way too modest: you can use this book as a key for unlocking every book you read. I am going to follow a similar formant for the next time I read "War and Peace." Both Tolkien and Tolstoy have written long books, and both are each other's equals.
This book's biggest boon is its concordance. Most of the 1,000 references in the text are actually contained in this nexus. The Lord of the Rings becomes a new book, allowing you to isolate key passages from the "background noise" of the prose. There is one warning: the concordance refers to specific editions of LOTR and Silmarillion, etc, so you need to get this book first and then buy the appropriate editions as found on page 229 and page 12. Hopefully when the estate of JRR finally produces a standard text, an expanded concordance can be made. Until then, use this one in conjunction with "The Complete Guide To Middle-Earth."
Although the back implies that he quotes a chilion references in the prose of the book, he doesn't. Don't blame Kreeft for this--a copy editor wrote the blurb on the back. I have had the same problem with my book "Consider My Servant Job."
This book has two drawbacks. First, Kreeft does not fully incorporate "The Hobbit" into his study and the concordance. True, "The Hobbit" is not part of the main storyline of the War of the Jewels and the Ring, and it is written as a children's book, but the charters and events are an important prequels to the LOTR. Much like Lewis's "The Horse and His Boy," Doc Smith's "Vortex Blaster," or Adam's "Young Zaphod Plays it Safe," they are bona fide parts of their respective cannons. We need to treat them as such.
The second drawback is the reliance upon C. S. Lewis. This is actually more of a philosophical since we are not sure how exactly C. S. Lewis's ideas meshed with Tolkien's. There are some oblivious differences, such their denominations (Anglican versus Catholic), or their use of allegory in their writing. However, recognizing the terse argument on page 12 , and from what we can infer, there does seem to be a lot of overlap. They both represent a classical pre-modern and pre-post-modern (an ugly word!) worldview.
The real weakness is that Tolkien did not do much formal philosophizing as Lewis. Aside from "On Fairy-Stories" and his "Letters," Tolkien did not write much on his personal intellectual beliefs. He has no equivalent of "Abolition of Man," Mere Christianity," "God in the Dock," or "Weight of Glory." All we have is the LOTR, the Hobbit, and reams of posthumously published material that is mostly draft revisions of the LOTR, and "The Silmarillion."
Furthermore, if you compare Tolkien's letters to C. S. Lewis's, you see that Lewis was the sharper thinker, and the better writer and persuader. Tolkien's letters are formal and paternalistic, with chatty parenthetical asides, and abstruse references to Old English root-words. Formal philosophizing and theologizing was not his cup of tea, so Kreeft uses Lewis to fill in the gaps.
This book is for a thoughtful reader of Tolkien, or s student of Christian philosophy and Christian art.
Book Description
In The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion internationally acclaimed scholars Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull examine Tolkien's masterpiece chapter by chapter, offering expert insights into its evolution, structure, and meaning. They discuss in close detail important literary and historical influences on the development of The Lord of the Rings, connections between that work and other writings by Tolkien, errors and inconsistencies, significant changes to the text during its fifty years of publication, archaic and unusual words used by Tolkien, and words and passages in his invented languages of Middle-earth. Thousands of notes, keyed to standard editions of The Lord of the Rings but universally accessible, reveal the richness and complexity of one of the most popular works of fiction in our time. In addition to their own expertise and that of other scholars and critics, Hammond and Scull frequently draw upon comments by Tolkien himself, made in letters to family, friends, and enthusiasts, in draft texts of The Lord of the Rings, and in works written in later years which amplify or illuminate characters and events in the story. Extensive reference is made also to writings by Tolkien not previously or widely published, including elaborate time-schemes, an unfinished manuscript index to The Lord of the Rings, and most notably, the important Nomenclature or guide to names in The Lord of the Rings prepared for the use of translators, long out of print and now newly transcribed and printed in its entirety. With these resources at hand, even the most seasoned reader of The Lord of the Rings will come to a greater enjoyment and appreciation of Tolkien's magnificent achievement.
Customer Reviews:
Wow! This is FANTASTIC!.......2007-08-24
I read the Lord of the Rings about once a year, and have for a while. Even so, there is much that I don't know and a lot of background that I wish I knew.
I just bought this book, and am reading it while I re-read the LOTR. I'm reading a chapter of LOTR and then read the chapter's notes in this book. THe world of Lord of the Rings is expanding hugely for me because of the vast amounts of background information this book provides.
Highly recommended!!
Wow, amazing wealth of info for LOTR readers!.......2007-06-18
This extensively researched and painstakingly organized reader's companion to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is itself a masterpiece, as time will show. In over 400 pages, it contains a wealth of information for both new and seasoned readers, going far beyond just the characters, plot, and language used by the author (reflecting not only the English at the time but also the language as imagined by the author befitting of the book's characters).
Reading this companion, I realized just how much thought Tolkien put into his work, writing, rewriting, and editing parts over years of dedication. When reading a work of fiction, it's easy to be taken hostage by the plot and rush through the story just to see what happens next. Little things, like words that may not make sense, or titles whose significance is not entirely understood, may not get a second thought. And names, of which Tolkien's story contains so many, from characters to places, may appear as names only, but this book reveals the meanings and reasons behind chosen names. Not to mention all the folklores and other literature that Tolkien referenced in his story and expected his readers to know. Which is why I find this book so helpful -- it deliberately slows me down, making me understand the meaning and symbolism contained in the chapter's title and a place's name as much as it helps me fully appreciate the culture of the book's characters. The Shire and elvish country, for example, just come to life with the researchers' analysis.
It's no summer beach reading, but if you're fascinated by the world of Lord of the Rings, you know it's not enough just to know the plot or Heaven forbid, only watch the movies. This will help you get to a new level with Tolkien's masterpiece. Go chapter by chapter and page by page with this companion, and there's also a convenient index to help you with names you may have forgotten. Do you remember Belfalas, Dwarrowdelf, or Caradock of Llancarfan? Want to know more about Celeborn the Elf, Boromir, or the effects of elvish song on humans? Did you spot the proverbs that Tolkiens quoted in his work? Read this companion to the Lord of the Rings and find out.
Essential Guide to Tolkien's masterpiece, remarkable scholarship.......2007-04-22
Two of the foremost Tolkien scholars, Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull have managed to produce in this volume one of the most essential books in any Tolkien library. A READER'S COMPANION carefully annotates, line by line, chapter by chapter, Tolkien's great masterpiece.
When the revised version of THE ANNOTATED HOBBIT came out in 2002 with Douglas A. Anderson's annotations, I was thrilled, as the original from 1988 was out of print. The way they handled THE HOBBIT was a large, oversized hardback, with the main text printed on wide sheets but only taking up the half closet to the binding, with the annotations on the outer edges of the sheets. The book is beautiful to hold, and it was very enlightening during rereadings of THE HOBBIT. It also noted all revisions, and gave original readings, including the original version of "Riddles in the Dark" chapter, which has been out of print for over fifty years. The natural question, of course, was when would LOTR get similar treatment? After all, LOTR had been in print for over fifty years, and such a publication has been long overdue.
Although the method described above worked well with THE HOBBIT, it proved unfeasible for LOTR. For one, LOTR is a much, much longer book than its prequel. So Hammond and his wife opted for a separate volume, and what a volume it is.
Due to the size of LOTR, the way READER'S COMPANION is broken up to cover each chapter in the book. Each annotation is proceeded by the first few words of whatever paragraph the two scholars are analysing at that point. This makes A READER'S COMPANION very easy to use, and to locate in your copy of LOTR the passage in which they are discussing.
As with THE ANNOTATED HOBBIT, there have been a very concentrated effort on the part of the Tolkien Estate to publish the more accurate version of LOTR as possible. Scull and Hammond, along with Christopher Tolkien, spearheaded this enterprise. READER'S COMPANION gives extensive details on how Hammond and Scull, with cooperation from C. Tolkien, set about making the definitive text on LOTR in 2004 and 2005 for the fifthieth anniversary edition. All future subsequent editions will be based on this edition, and is considered the most accurate text now available of Tolkien's work LOTR.
The book annotates all major changes made to LOTR's text in its fifty years of publication. It gives extensive details on how Hammond and Scull, with cooperation with Christopher Tolkien, set about making the definitive text on LOTR in 2004 and 2005 for the fifthieth anniversary edition. All future subsequent editions will be based on this edition, and is considered the most accurate text now available of Tolkien's work LOTR. It examines rare and archaic words and gives information on Elvish linguistics. Hammond and Scull deftly analyse different plot elements, elaborate and clarify obscure points in the text, and bring to light both real inconsistencies within LOTR and perceived contradictions. Tolkien very carefully organized and created precise chronologies and time tables, including the cycles of the moon, and every time the text mentions a new day had arrived, or said something of the moon, the book tells you the precise day this event is occurring.
The companion gives extensive information on time frames and maps. It covers and annotates the forward to the second edition as well as the prologue. There is information about the original 1955 dust jacks, how the title pages were handled, and a number of other publishing matters.
As far as rare and otherwise unpublished original material by Tolkien, A READER'S COMPANION is notable for its inclusion of three pieces.
1. It contains the original forward to LOTR, which was published in the first edition in 1955 and was deleted in 1965 by Tolkien himself, who replaced it with a much longer forward. Tolkien said of the original forward that it confused "personal matters with the machinery of the Tale" and was a "serious mistake". Tolkien was only too happy to delete it. Still, it makes for interesting reading.
2. The second highlight is the previously unpublished summary of LOTR that Tolkien wrote in his letter to Milton Waldman in 1951. This letter was first published in LETTERS OF TOLKIEN, and likewise appears in new editions of THE SILMARILLION. However, the LOTR summary was omitted from these publications, and is published here for the first time.
3. Thankfully, A READER'S COMPANION includes Tolkien's essential, and rarely published before now, "Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings." Previously published n 1975 in Jared Lobell's A TOLKIEN COMPASS, Tolkien prepared this document for his publishers, Allen & Unwin, to send to any translators who were translating LOTR into another language. As LOTR is largely a linguistic work in both foundation and inspiration, this gives a lot of insight into Tolkien and how he felt his work should (as well as emphatically should not) be translated, and what Tolkien considers fair treatment of the material. Essential stuff.
Ultimately, A READER'S COMPANION succeeds in being one of the essential reference works for Tolkien studies and fans. The dust jacket is beautiful, the binding (sewn!) is top notch, and, as any reference work must, you can easily locate any passage or annotation you are looking for. All the annotations are pertinent and enlightening, all textual changes and revisions to the text are accounted for, and with the previously unpublished or rare Tolkien material included, Hammond and Scull have produced the single best resource now available to us on Tolkien's masterpiece. They have proven themselves as two of the foremost Tolkien scholars in the world.
For those looking for additional resources to Tolkien's hobbit cycle, the best way to study them is to have THE ANNOTATED HOBBIT revised and republished in 2002 (the definitive version of that work), buy the fully corrected 50th anniversary text of LOTR, which is the most accurate typographical version ever published, and buy this volume.
Bottom line: If you are a casual fan or very much into Tolkien, buy this book. You will not be disappointed.
A Superb Reference for the Dedicated Tolkien Student.......2007-02-26
This is not a book for the casual reader, or even for those enthusiastic readers of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" who are not interested in that work as a literary creation or in its sources. I suspect that most readers of this volume are persons who have Christopher Tolkien's "The Making of Middle Earth" series of books. In the present volume, Hammond and Scull discuss and correct hundreds of errors that have crept into "The Lord of the Rings" as printed over the decades; most of these errors are minor (one word inadvertently substituted for another or perhaps capitalization changed), occasionally a sentence was omitted from the manuscript. In addition, obscure word origins are examined for their roots in Middle Earth languages. This is an excellent, even necessary, reference book for the student of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" who wishes to delve deep into its development.
A true Readers Companion.......2006-03-09
For the LoTR afficiando, this book is a must read. It goes through the books chapter by chapter, paragraph by paragraph, explaining many things that to the first time reader can be a bit perplexing. Archaic words are defined. Construction of some of the Elvish languages seen in the books is discussed in easy to understand language. Insights into Tolkien's thinking are explored through letters written by him. It is just rich, rich, rich with information that any Tolkien student would like to know.
Book Description
Tolkien's Lord of the Rings epic tale has long captivated readers with its parallels to biblical truth. And now, a new addition to the thirsty(?) line, Walking with Frodo looks at the biblical themes found in the classic Lord of the Rings trilogy. The 18 devotions pair vices and virtues (deception vs. honesty, light vs. darkness, good vs. evil) displayed by characters in The Lord of the Rings and bring to light what the Bible has to say. A must-have for longtime and new series fans.
Customer Reviews:
Thank You Sarah.......2006-07-30
Sarah Arthur has become one of my favorite authors with her two devotionals based on the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit. Walking with Frodo, was a tremendous help to me, when I read it I was very angry with a lot of people for a lot of reasons, but as I read it I began to lose my anger, and feel free from that burden. This book helped change my life, and it can do the same for you. The two best ones from my point of view were the devotions writen about Sam and Aragorn. It's a must for any Tolkien fan.
Doesn't always hold up..........2005-08-25
This is a very enjoyable devotional book, or just a book to sit down with on a rainy day. I didn't really get much out of it, though, either about Lord of the Rings or Christianity. Some of the "parallels" the author draws between characters in LotR and real life are flimsy and don't make much sense--she compares Faramir, for example, to someone you see at a party one night, having a great old time, and leading a Bible study the next. Huh? It maybe could have benefited from some more in-depth looks at certain things.
But it's good, especially for Lord of the Rings-obsessed Christians.
Walking With Frodo- a teenager's review.......2004-11-10
I got this book just because I like Lord of the Rings and I thought it sounded cool. I never knew how good it would really be! The author does a really good job of getting into the character's minds and motives and applying their situations and choices to real-life situations. This book was written for high school and college students, but I would reccomend it to adults too. How much spiritual truth can you learn from a pop culture phenomenon? You will be very surprised!
Excellent and make a place on your keeper shelf!.......2004-08-26
You don't have to be a LOTR fan to enjoy this book. This book can appeal and speak to teenagers and adults alike. In fact, I recommend it for everyone! Sarah Arthur does of marvelous job of using the lush backdrop of Tolkien's fairy tale to speak truth of character from a Christ-like perspective with scriptures as support. It's an easy read, yet deep - leading to thought provoking questions for discussions at the end of each chapter. I love the chapter on Integrity! Hats off and well done Sarah Arthur - truth in character without ever sounding trite!
Terrific novel..........2004-08-06
**** For decades, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and all things Middle Earth have captured the hearts and imaginations of young and old alike. Despite J.R.R. Tolkien's insistance that it was not an allegory, millions of Christians see the greatest story ever told just beneath the surface, as if runic words inscribed its pages. Whether or not you read that into this modern mythos, it can not be denied that Aragorn, Gandalf, and the rest of the Fellowship captured the meaning of virtue in their lives. From wisdom to loyalty to graciousness, they were examples of what we should be. Likewise, in Denethor, Grima, Sauron, etc, we see what we should strive not to be. In this book, the author takes these traits two by two, the good and the evil, and shows us how it played out in Middle Earth, in the Bible, and how to carry it into life. Given the popularity of this saga, it works with great efficiency. It would be a wonderful cross generational Bible study, especially since she takes the time to clue readers in on the teen jargon's meaning. For that alone, parents should invest in this book. It's a book designed to be read over several weeks, but you will have to exercise restraint not to sail through it in one sitting, so readable is it. ****
Reviewed by Amanda Killgore for Huntress Reviews.
Average customer rating:
- Notes from Isengard to Mordor's Gates. Fabulous
- I almost feel like giving this a 3, but it's tolkien for god's sake
- Not for the faint of heart...
- Another study in Rings' creation
- Another masterful contribution to an excellent series
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The War of the Ring: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Three (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 8)
J.R.R. Tolkien
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0618083596 |
Book Description
In The War of the Ring Christopher Tolkien takes up the story of the writing of The Lord of the Rings with the Battle of Helm's Deep and the drowning of Isengard by the Ents. This is followed by an account of how Frodo, Sam and Gollum were finally brought to the Pass of Kirith Ungol, at which point J.R.R. Tolkien wrote at the time: 'I have got the hero into such a fix that not even an author will be able to extricate him without labour and difficulty'. Then comes the war in Gondor, and the book ends with the parley between Gandalf and the ambassador of the Dark Lord before the Black Gate of Mordor.
In describing his intentions for The Return of the King J.R.R. Tolkien said that 'It will probably work out very differently from this plan when it really gets written, as the thing seems to write itself once it gets going'; and in The War of the Ring totally unforeseen developmenst that would become central to the narrative are seen at the moment of their emergence: the palantir bursting into fragments on the stairs of Orthanc, its nature as unknown to the author as to those who saw it fall, or the entry of Faramir into the story ('I am sure I did not invent him, though I like him, but there he came walking into the woods of Ithilien').
The book is illustrated with plans and drawings of the changing conceptions of Orthanc, Dunharrow, Minas Tirith and the tunnels of Shelob's Lair.
Customer Reviews:
Notes from Isengard to Mordor's Gates. Fabulous.......2007-02-25
`The War of the Ring' is the third of a four volume series (`The History of the Lord of the Rings') within a series, (volume VIII of `The History of Middle Earth') edited by Christopher Tolkien, from the unpublished writings of his father, J. R. R. Tolkien, most famous as the author of `The Hobbit' and `The Lord of the Rings' (LotR).
This thick volume, larger than `The Return of the King' begins with the destruction of Isengard by the Ents and Saruman's downfall (sort of) at the hands of Gandalf. The editor brings us at the end of this volume to the climax of the conflict between the forces of the West and Sauron, over the fate of the `One Ring'. Thus, it spans the last third of `The Two Towers and the first three-fourths of `The Return of the King'.
Being an inveterate lover of maps, this volume is especially interesting, as it has lots of original maps penned by J.R.R. Tolkien himself, plus line drawings of important locations in the story, primarily Minas Tirith and Cirith Ungol. The largest map is of Mordor and Gondor, with a very nice `legend' explaining all the major features of the lands, especially those south of the White mountains which get very little mention in the LotR itself.
One sidelight of this review of the drafts is to see how the names and characteristics of minor characters changed from Tolkien's original conception to their appearance in the final work. The Huorns, the semi-senescent trees `herded' by the ents appear under the name of `Galbedirs'.
If you have found your way through the first two volumes of this `The History of the Lord of the Rings', you can't stop now. This volume contains notes on what certainly the most important part of the narrative.
I almost feel like giving this a 3, but it's tolkien for god's sake.......2006-03-14
I knew what to expect after reading the first 2, but this one I though picked it up a little bit and wa more informative. This book differs a little bit from part 1, it doesn't just givre you like all 10 versions of a certain chapter, maybe it is judt that tolkien quit writing so many drafts when he was getting close, or maybe christopher realized he was trying to put all this info into 3 books. So this one REALLY progresses unlike the last two.
If you made it through the first 2, you will be pleasantly surprised.
One thing that I though was very interesting is that peter jackson went the same way in making these movies as tolkien did with his books. Of course jackson had all the info already in front of him, but just like tolkien does in the lord's evolution, jackson will take lines spoken by say aragorn and give them to gandalf or faramir.
Another thing I found interesting is that I had a problem with the way jackson had denethor just show up at the end with the palantir in hands with no explanation, well THIS IS THE WAY TOLKIEN ACTUALLY FIRST WROTE IT. Obviously setting it up a little bit, and letting us know that he uses it sometimes in the book is a much better way of writing this part of the book. But it still shows you that even if peter didn't read all the history books, and say him and jrr directed the movie together, I think that tolkien would have found it very acceptable, and I guarantee it would exceed his expectations.
So a must have if you read the previous 2 parts in this series, but maybe only for tolkien die hards.
Not for the faint of heart..........2005-10-08
This is a great book for the hard core Tolkien fan, but I would only recommend it to those who want to find out more about the development and genesis of LOTR.
Another study in Rings' creation.......2004-05-09
"The War of the Ring" - Tolkien's preferred title for "The Return of the King" - is the third of four volumes dealing with the history of the writing of "The Lord of the Rings." Like the other volumes in the series, it features unpublished writings by Tolkien, supplemented, explained, footnoted, annotated and expounded upon by his son, Christopher Tolkien.
If you're not a Tolkien fan, you need not apply. These incomplete and unfinished texts will only bore you. But if you're interested in seeing how the Professor developed the rich creation of Middle Earth, warts and all, this is a treasure trove of material.
This book is part of the larger, 12-part History of Middle Earth series, which takes a close look at the creation of Tolkien's greatest achievement - Middle Earth itself - through early drafts, unpublished texts, and dead end writings.
For ardent Tolkien readers, the series is a fascinating look at one of the great literary creations of the 20th Century, full of rich detail, writings never before seen, and stories only now being told. For more casual fans, it's text better left unread.
Like the volumes that came before ("The Return of the Shadow" and "The Treason of Isengard"), we have the earliest versions of what would later become "The Lord of the Rings." Tolkien's troubles in bringing the story to a close, abandoned storylines, and alternate endings are all presented in incomplete prose. (Take a peak at the original end of Eowyn's character arc).
The wealth of information is fantastic, and Christopher Tolkien goes to great lengths to examine each text, putting them in the context of the larger puzzle of his father's writings. The exploration of how "The Lord of the Rings" came about is fantastic - for those interested. Otherwise, it will bore. This is, after all, a series of unfinished draft chapters and essays on the text. I enjoyed it, but many won't.
Anybody wishing to do a study of Tolkien's craft, into "behind the scenes" writings, or just interested in finding a few snatches of new Middle Earth material (even if in unfinished form, there are some scattered throughout the series) will certainly find what they are looking for here. Christopher Tolkien's work here is appreciated by scores of ardent Tolkien fans. Those looking for fresh new tales about hobbits and heroes, however, will be disappointed. This isn't new fiction, nor does it even feature finished works. Seek elsewhere if you are looking for more tales in the way of "The Lord of the Rings."
Another masterful contribution to an excellent series.......2004-04-19
I've already written more detailed reviews of "The Return of the Shadow" and "The Treason of Isengard" so I won't rehash what I wrote earlier. All I will say is that if you are as much interested in J. R. R. Tolkien's creation of Middle Earth as in "The Lord of the Rings" as finished product you must read the works in Christopher Tolkien's "History of the Lord of the Rings" series. Kudos to Mr. Tolkien for taking the time and effort to help us understand the magnitude of his father's creative effort.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent Examination of early drafts for Lord of the Rings.
- I'm gonna be honest here, this book is not for EVERY fan of lord of the rings.
- Essential reading for the Tolkien scholar
- Great continuation of a great series
- Important for Tolkien Scholars, not for movie fans
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Treason of Isengard: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Two (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 7)
J.R.R. Tolkien
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0618083588 |
Book Description
The Treason of Isengard is the seventh volume in Christopher Tolkien's History of Middle-earth and the second in his account of the evolution of The Lord of the Rings. In this book, following the long halt in the darkness of the Mines of Moria with which The Return of the Shadow ended, is traced the great expansion of the tale into new lands and new peoples south and east of the Misty Mountains; the emergence of Lothlorien, of Ents, of the Riders of Rohan, and of Saruman the White in the fortress of Isengard.
In brief outlines and pencilled drafts dashed down on scraps of paper are seen the first entry of Galadriel, the earliest ideas of the history of Gondor, the original meeting of Aragorn and Eowyn, its significance destined to be wholly transformed. Conceptions of what lay ahead are seen dissolving as the story took its own paths, as in the account of the capture of Frodo and his rescue by Sam Gmgee from Minas Morgul, written long before J.R.R. Tolkien actually came to that point in the writing of The Lord of the Rings. A chief feature of the book is a full account of the original Map, with re-drawings of successive phases, which was long the basis and accompaniment of the emerging geography of Middle-earth. An appendix to the book describes the Runic alphabets as they were at that time, with illustrations of the forms and an analysis of the Runes used in the Book of Mazarbul found beside Balin's Tomb in Moria.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Examination of early drafts for Lord of the Rings........2007-02-24
`The Treason of Isengard' is the second of a four volume series (`The History of the Lord of the Rings') within a series, (volume VII of `The History of Middle Earth') edited by Christopher Tolkien, from the unpublished writings of his father, J. R. R. Tolkien, most famous as the author of `The Hobbit' and `The Lord of the Rings' (LotR).
While the first of this series within a series ended with the Fellowship standing over the tomb of Balin in Moria, this volume returns to drafts which go all the way back to the conversation between Gandalf and Bilbo in Bag End, following the great birthday party and Bilbo's disappearance following his final speech to his gathered celebrants. As such, for the part of the story between Bag End and Moria, the book contains a more tabular and `analytical' information on the various threads of the story, spending much time on the events which delayed Gandalf from returning to the Shire, explaining the title of the volume, since this circumstance was caused by Gandalf's imprisonment by Saruman. There is correspondingly less information on the events surrounding the encounter with Tom Bombadil, and, it seems, no new information on this very mysterious character.
Next to Bombadil, the most mysterious and ill-explained character in LotR, I think, is the Balrog, a massively evil being in Moria who seems to be controlled by neither Saruman nor Sauron, an evil spirit, probably older than either Shelob or Smaug, probably some evil creation of Melkor going back at least to the first or second age. And yet, there is little back-story on the Balrog. The only thing we can infer from the text is that it's power is just barely exceeded by a wizard (power augmented as it is by one of the elven rings). Even Peter Jackson's excellent depiction of the Fellowship's encounter with the Balrog contributes nothing to our insights on this spirit (except to provide the clear high point of the film, `The Fellowship of the Ring'.
This volume ends with the arrival of Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli at the halls of Edoras, the capitol of the Riders of Rohan. Therefore, it includes the escape from Moria, the encounter with Galadrial in Lorien, and the trip down the Great River, the Uruk-hai, the encounter with Treebeard, and the reuniting of Gandalf and `the three walkers'.
The second volume is every bit as good as the first of this series of early drafts, with its many chronological tables and early maps.
While this does overlap the first volume, I find nothing lost in reading `The Return of the Shadow' from front to back before starting `The Treason of Isengard'.
Note that the lag between this series and the final LotR text is resolved by the early drafts occupying four rather than three volumes.
I'm gonna be honest here, this book is not for EVERY fan of lord of the rings. .......2006-03-14
If you like the movie, the books, even if you like the first 5 books in the history of mi series, you still may not enjoy this. This I believe is only for the die hard tolkien fans. those of us trying to figure out exactly what he was thinking of each page he wrote, we won't get all his thoughts, but will be able to rea da lot of them.
I would suggest that you go to like barnes and noble and read the first 20 pages or so to see if it interests you. If it doesn't th is ok, you will still need to buy book 9, which you will be overpaying for becuase it's about 40 % the lord and only 60 % numenor and other stuff.
Though still essential for tolkien fans, this book is mainly for die hards.
Essential reading for the Tolkien scholar.......2004-05-09
"The Treason of Isengard" marks the second of four volumes dealing with the history of the writing of "The Lord of the Rings." Like the other volumes in the series, it features unpublished writings by Tolkien, supplemented, explained, footnoted, annotated and expounded upon by his son, Christopher Tolkien.
This book is also part of the larger, 12-part History of Middle Earth series, which takes a close look at the creation of Tolkien's greatest achievement - Middle Earth itself - through early drafts, unpublished texts, and dead end writings. For ardent Tolkien readers it is a fascinating look at one of the great literary creations of the 20th Century. For more casual fans, it's text better left unread.
If you're not a Tolkien fan, you need not apply to this sprawling series. But if you're interested in seeing how the Professor developed the rich creation of Middle Earth, warts and all, this is a treasure trove of material.
Here, like the first volume, we have the earliest versions of what would later become the most beloved fantasy epic in the world, detailing the extraordinary and convoluted history of the middle chapters of "The Lord of the Rings." The early versions of Treebeard, some fascinating ideas Tolkien abandoned regarding Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, and other dead end plot threads will fascinate readers interesting in knowing about the epic's creation.
The wealth of information is fantastic, and Christopher Tolkien goes to great lengths to examine each text, putting them in the context of the larger puzzle of his father's writings. The exploration of how "The Lord of the Rings" came about is fantastic - for those interested. Otherwise, it will bore. This is, after all, a series of unfinished draft chapters and essays on the text. I enjoyed it, but many won't.
Anybody wishing to do a study of Tolkien's craft, into "behind the scenes" writings, or just interested in finding a few snatches of new Middle Earth material (even if in unfinished form, there are some scattered throughout the series) will certainly find what they are looking for here. Christopher Tolkien's work here is appreciated by scores of ardent Tolkien fans. Those looking for fresh new tales about hobbits and heroes, however, will be disappointed. This isn't new fiction, nor does it even feature finished works. Seek elsewhere if you are looking for more tales in the way of "The Lord of the Rings."
Great continuation of a great series.......2004-04-19
I never realized how interesting it would be to read a detailed, almost blow-by-blow, account of the creation of a masterpiece. Christopher Tolkien has done all Tolkien scholars, both professional and amateur, a great service by detailing his father's often tortuous development of Middle Earth especially Rohan, Saruman and Isengard, and the creation of Treebeard and the wonderful Ents. Also versions of Frodo and Sam's further journey that are very different from what makes it into "The Two Towers" are fascinating. Those who think that Mr. Tolkien has only done this for the money should look again at these works (if indeed they even looked at them at all). No person in his or her right mind would go through this amount of detailed work just for money. No amount of money would be enough to pay for work of this magnitude.
Important for Tolkien Scholars, not for movie fans.......2003-11-18
The History series are mostly about the evolution of the people, places, and history of the world of Arda. A lot of the stories are "rabbit trails;" stories that changed or conflict with other information. It has helped Tolkien Scholars (and can help amatuer Tolkien Scholars) to form more complete understandings of the world. The appendix on runes is a good example.
Average customer rating:
- From the slopes of Orodruin to the Gray Havens, plus more.
- For the Scholarly Tolkien fan
- Good Reference Material
- the past 3 books I had to give a 4 and I felt absolutely horrible doing that, but I am back on the 5 train for the rest of these
- Not for the faint of heart ...
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Sauron Defeated: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Four (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 9)
J.R.R. Tolkien
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0395606497 |
Book Description
In the first part of Sauron Defeated, Christopher Tolkien completes his account of the writing of The Lord of the Rings, beginning with Sam's rescue of Frodo from the Tower of Kirith Ungol, and giving a very different account of the Scouring of the Shire. This part ends with versions of the previously unpublished Epilogue, an alternate ending to the masterpiece in which Sam attempts to answer his children's questions years after the departure of Bilbo and Frodo from the Grey Havens. The second part introduces The Notion Club Papers, now published for the first time. Written by J.R.R. Tolkien in the interval between The Two Towers and The Return of the King (1945-1946), these mysterious Papers, discovered in the early years of the twenty-first century, report the discussions of a literary club in Oxford in the years 1986-1987. Those familiar with the Inklings will see a parallel with the group whose members included J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. After a discussion of the possiblities of travel through space and time through the medium of 'true dream," the story turns to the legend of Atlantis, the strange communications received by members of the club out of remote past, and the violent irruption of the legend into northwestern Europe. Closely associated with the Papers is a new version of the Numenorean legend, The Drowning of Anadune, which constitutes the third part of the book. At this time the language of the Men of the West, Adunaic, was first devised - Tolkien's fifteenth invented language. The book concludes with an elaborate account of the structure of this language by Arundel Lowdham, a member of the Notion Club, who learned it in his dreams. Sauron Defeated is illustrated with the changing conceptions of the fortress of Kirith Ungol and Mount Doom, previously unpublished drawings of Orthanc and Dunharrow, and fragments of manuscript written in Numenorean script.
Customer Reviews:
From the slopes of Orodruin to the Gray Havens, plus more........2007-02-25
`Sauron Defeated' is the last of a four volume series (`The History of the Lord of the Rings') within a series, (volume IX of `The History of Middle Earth') edited by Christopher Tolkien, from the unpublished writings of his father, J. R. R. Tolkien, most famous as the author of `The Hobbit' and `The Lord of the Rings' (LotR).
The most important thing to realize about this book is that only about a third of its pages deal with `The History of The Lord of the Rings'. The remaining two-thirds deals with a subject which harks back to `The Lost Road' and the wager taken up between the two `Inklings' (an Oxford literary and social society), Tolkien and C. S. Lewis.
The LotR story in this book covers the last few days of Sam and Frodo in Mordor, as they painfully make their way to the Cracks of Doom on Orodruin in order to finally destroy the `One Ring'. This takes a very few pages, after which we are left with the notes on the long and slow road home, to one of to me the most interesting episodes in the whole LotR, `The Scouring of the Shire'. I can easily understand why Peter Jackson left this episode and the events involving Tom Bombadil from his films (ten hours is surely long enough for even a cinematic event of these proportions), but they still remain my favorite events.
The middle third of the book is taken up with `The Notion Club Papers', which appears to be a fictional account of the goings-on at the real live `Inkling' meetings at Oxford. There is a lot of playful parodying here, especially on some of C. S. Lewis' works. These drafts also use a conceit most famously used by Robert Graves in his `I, Claudius' and `Claudius The God' novels, where it is made out that these papers were discovered among discarded papers in the year 2012 (about 60 years after they were actually written.) The final third of this volume is filled with additional versions of Tolkien's Atlantis myth, entitled `The Drowning of Anadune', the events which lead the Numenorean ancestors to flee to Middle Earth and become the Dunedain.
The primary relevance of these materials to LotR lie in the fact that Tolkien seems to have put aside work on LotR to do these things, until his erstwhile publisher, Stanley Unwin gently prodded him into returning to completing LotR.
The LotR fanatic, these `The Notion Club Papers' have much less interest than LotR notes or even the Numenor myths, but there they are, certainly useful for any study of the times and doings of Oxford during the real war raging just on the other side of the channel.
Pending my review of the last three books of `The History of Middle Earth', I suspect these four are easily the most interesting to fans of Tolkien's published works.
For the Scholarly Tolkien fan.......2007-01-10
I have been reading this book as part of a research project. The essence of the book is a play by play of the development of the LOTR through multiple drafts. If someone is looking for a continuation of the entertaining series, I would suggest first The Silmarillion, then Lost Tales, Lays of Beleriand, or Unfinished Tales. For the serious Tolkien fan who wants to understand the origins, the book does a good job of organizing the multiple drafts and highlighting significant shifts in Tolkien's thought.
Good Reference Material.......2006-03-20
For those of us who enjoy taking Tolkien's vision and expanding upon it, this book and the "History of Middle Earth" series is a must as a reference source.
This book and the whole series expounds on Tolkien's vision and desire for his characters. Often nuggets of data not found in the primary books (LotR, The Hobbitt, etc.) can be uncovered within the HoME.
the past 3 books I had to give a 4 and I felt absolutely horrible doing that, but I am back on the 5 train for the rest of these.......2006-03-14
So maybe you didn't fly through the last 3 books like the first five, but get ready to put your seatbelt on for this ride. The start of this book finished off the evolution of the lord, and also gives a pretty cool story where sam is answering his kids questions of what happened in the war of the ring.
The second part is back to the stuff that I love. I have reread the wierd inklings fictiot piece a number odf times, and it gets more interesting every time. My first time reading it, it was very hard for me to understand.
The third part of the book is certainly one of the coolest things that I have ever read. It is a totally superior version to the silmarillion of the fall of numenor. Anybody looking to go into the mind of sauron a little deeper, this is a MUST BUY for you!!!!!!!!!!
The last part of this book will go over most peoples heads(at least I hope so, cause it went way over mine.), it is a GREAT writing about the language of Adunic? I don't really speak any of tolkien's languages, but still like to read his essay-type papers on his languages. Though not as interesting as the lost tales and stuff like that, I still found all of them fun to read, and this one on the Adunic language I thought was the best out of them all.
OVERALL ONE HELL OF AN ADDITION TO THE HISTORY OF MIDDLE EARTH SERIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not for the faint of heart ..........2005-10-08
I would only recommend this book to a hard core Tolkien fan. A great source of information on the development of LOTR, but can be a bit tedious to get through.
Book Description
This collection of essays addresses various aspects of Peter Jackson's film adaptations of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings including scriptwriting and the creative process, the place of the films in cinematic history, gender roles in the films and the books, wisdom and councils, hobbits and heroism, fan culture and fanfic, the use of Tolkien's languages in the films, and other issues.
Customer Reviews:
The best book on the book/film contrasts.......2007-08-06
I found this book enormously helpful in figuring out what I had seen and how the material had been adapted for the screen. The authors of this book have a deep knowledge of the Tolkien texts and they have also viewed the films and DVDs very carefully. The assessments are balanced, well informed, and not likely to be surpassed as a commentary on the transformation.
Brilliant and balanced.......2006-08-16
This highly recommended title explores Tolkien's Lord of the Rings vs. Peter Jackson's film adaptation of it. The several essays chosen by the editors are all very convincing and well-researched. They're also immensely enjoyable to read for those who've read Tolkien and seen the film (or vice versa) and love to compare the two. The editors were also careful in presenting a balanced view, for both pros and cons are represented (sometimes even within the same essay.) And there are even some essays on Tolkienian fan-fiction (and slash) that's proliferated on the net. Truly an engrossing study of Tolkien's work and Jackson's successes and failures in adapting it! I hope a second volume is being considered...
very useful.......2005-10-26
Very interesting read, well written and witty. Recommend especially for people studying Lord of the Rings.
Book Description
Can power be wielded for good, or must it always corrupt? Does technology destroy the truly human? Is beer essential to the good life? The Lord of the Rings raises many such searching questions, and this book attempts some answers. Divided into five sections concerned with power and the Ring, the quest for happiness, good and evil in Middle-earth, time and mortality, and the relevance of fairy tales, The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy mines Tolkien’s fantasy worlds for wisdom in areas including the menace of technology, addiction and fetishism, the vitality of tradition, the environmental implications of Tolkien's thought, Middle-earth's relationship to Buddhism and Taoism, and more.
Customer Reviews:
Make room for that lembas, you don't need this.......2007-10-06
"The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy" hoists itself upon two basic foundations in the form of numerous essays by prominent 'philosophers': one foundation rests upon things readers already know since leaving Middle-earth, the other upon things that just don't make a lot of sense, and in some cases, are devoid of any useful Tolkien parallels (essay about nanotechnology essay, for instance). To all students of "Lord of the Rings," there is no exceptional insight in the entirety of this book, and even if you did learn something new about Tolkien's epic, then you didn't pay enough attention to the story. That's the problem with this book, in that delving into 'LOTR' and discovering these themes for your own self is what is so magical and fun about them in the first place, in addition to all the adventure. This collection doesn't serve as a useful alternative or beneficiary to the Tolkien legacy, so there's no need to pack this one along for the journey. You'd be better off trekking through Middle-earth with Gandalf and Frodo alone anyway.
Quality varies, as with any multi-authored work........2006-06-27
Some of the essays offer real insight into LOTR; others seem to be using LOTR as a convenient peg on which to hang the authors' special interest. However, all show that LOTR is a work of more substance than many would give it credit for.
Its about Philosophy........2005-07-22
If you buy this book looking for what philosophical ideals Tolkien imbued his literature with, you may be disappointed with this book. While there are some essays I think Tolkien would certainly agree with, there are also many he wouldn't. This book is first and foremost about philosophy. What this book does is illustrate different philosophical ideas by using characters and situations from the Lord of the Rings as examples to help you understand. With this in mind, I think a lot of people can certainly enjoy this book.
For Philosophers Only --well mainly.......2004-11-11
If you don't have any interest in higher thinking, and just want to read something else that deals with the Lord of the Rings or thought that the picture on the cover looked cool. I suggest going over to the Fiction section in Amazon, this book is not for you.
For intellecutally minded people. This book will help getting you to see many different levels in what you read. The first essay takes Nietzsche and introduces UberHobbits...I really appricated seeing more serious types of philosophy being interegrated into the thought provoking literature that has come about in this day and age.
I also suggest the other Popular Culture and Philosophy series, for serious minded people. Having a basic understanding of Philosophy is helpful before picking these up. They do not spell out what the philosophical theories they are applying they are expecting you to know it already.
Superb.......2004-08-16
This was an absolutly wonderful book. As a fan of Tolkien and his universe, I was joyfully bemused to find that there was a "Lord of the Rings for smart people", and this book has lived up to its montif.
Book Description
: In this accessible and engaging book, Ralph Wood shows us that J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece is a deeply Christian work because it does not blink back the horrors of our terrible times but confronts them with startling honesty. Readers keep turning to this work because here they are immersed in significance and meaning - perceiving the Hope than can be found amidst despair; the Charity that overcomes vengeance; and the Faith that springs from the strange power of weakness. The Gospel According to Tolkien will be loved by both longtime Tolkien fans and those recently drawn to his books through the popular feature films.
Customer Reviews:
All it lives up to be.......2007-05-22
I judge this book based upon what it says it will do, and whether, after reading it, I deem the book actually did what it said it would do, or if it flopped. But, though some may disagree with its purpose, the book does not contradict itself and presents a very lucid and enjoyable argument.
The author argues that Tolkien is not explicitly allegorical in The Lord of the Rings. Being a Tolkein fan, this comes as a great relief, because I knew that Tolkien particularly disliked allegory (claiming in what I deem a word of humor) 'whenever he could smell it'. But the author does argue that within TLoTR there exists an implicit theme or 'feel' of Christianity, and thus he goes about collecting convincingy evidence (in large volume) to support his thesis.
If one is interested in looking into and finding potential connections between LOTR and Christianity, this will be a very rewarding book to read. Just remember, Tolkien wrote Rings chiefly as fantasy, and, while there indeed may be residual evidences of Christianity within the book (because Tolkien was a Christian and thus it is impossible for there not to be), it is not the book's intentional purpose to flaunt any type of religion.
A FIRST-RATE LOOK AT TOLKIEN'S IDEAS AND INSPIRATION!.......2006-03-01
I enjoyed this book as a huge fan of Tolkien's works. What a neat human being he was, and his imagination was exhaustive! Wow! This book was extremely readable and very insightful.
"A fundamentally religious and Catholic work.".......2006-01-20
There are many books out there that are trying to Christianize works of literature and popular media these days. I am sure you have seen them. Books that claim you can find Christ in Harry Potter, The Matrix, and Star Wars. I think we can agree that in most cases these books are really IMPOSING Christianity on these works. But J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" is different. In "Letters", page 243, Tolkien himself states that the "Lord of the Rings" is a "fundamentally religious and Catholic work." These are Tolkien's very own words. He confirms the Christianity of his epic yet again on page 172 of "Letters" when he states that "The religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism." So, right of the bat "The Gospel according to Tolkien" is set apart from other books of the genre. Ralph Wood is not imposing Christianity on "The Lord of the Rings", he is exploring the Christianity that Tolkien himself integrated into his great work of literature.
Ralph Wood's book is a very good introduction to the Christianity of the "Lord of the Rings." He makes it clear that reading the "Lord of the Rings" with the eyes of faith will greatly enhance ones understanding of what Tolkien was doing in writing his great epic. The only problem for me is that Ralph Wood decided to write his book from an ecumenical perspective. The themes he explores in his book are those that are shared by all Christians. Now I realize that one can view this as a very good thing. But Tolkien was a Catholic, and the "Lord of the Rings" was deeply affected by his Catholic faith. So if one explores the Christianity of the "Lord of the Rings" without exploring the Catholicism of it, I feel we are left with a somewhat incomplete study. Ralph Woods touches on the Catholic aspect only briefly now and then. He does state that the Elven "Lembas" bread is highly reminiscent of the Eucharist. Ralph Wood also mentions that the Vala Elbereth parallels the Catholic view of the Virgin Mary. But, to my recollection that is the limit of Wood's exploration of the specifically Catholic elements of the "Lord of the Rings." This is why I stated that Ralph Wood's book is a good INTRODUCTION to the Christianity of Tolkien's books. There are many books out there that explore the full religiosity of the "Lord of the Rings" in a complete manner. Still, I would recommend you read "The Gospel According to Tolkien" first before going deeper into the Theology of Middle-Earth.
A good companion. .......2005-03-25
The plethora of books with a variant of the title "The Gospel According To ..." continues to fill bookshelves and entice the unwary buyer into reading some attempt to shoehorn popular culture into the biblical message. The earliest of this genre that I can recall was The Gospel According to Peanuts (still in print since 1965), after the popular cartoon strip by the late Charles Schultz. Being a confessing Christian, Mr. Schultz did on occasion openly present a Christian message through his syndicated strip-the most famous and endearing being the rendition by the blanket-hugging Linus of Luke's birth narrative in Schultz' animated Christmas television feature. Today we have our choice of The Gospel According to Dr. Seuz, The Gospel According to The Simpsons, The Gospel According to Harry Potter, The Gospel According to Disney, and The Gospel According to The Sopranos (I'm not making that last one up, really).
Ralph C. Wood, professor of theology and literature at Baylor University, has now added to that collection The Gospel According to Tolkien. It is arguably the only volume that can legitimately make a claim to that title, for as Wood ably demonstrates, Tolkien's corpus is implicitly, but authentically, Chri
