J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide (Two Volume Box Set)

Book Description

Designed to be the essential reference works for all readers and students, these volumes present the most thorough analysis possible of Tolkien's work within the important context of his life.
The Reader's Guide includes brief but comprehensive alphabetical entries on a wide range of topics, including a who's who of important persons, a guide to places and institutions, details concerning Tolkien's source material, information about the political and social upheavals through which the author lived, the importance of his social circle, his service as an infantryman in World War I -- even information on the critical reaction to his work and the "Tolkien cult."
The Chronology details the parallel evolutions of Tolkien's works and his academic and personal life in minute detail. Spanning the entirety of his long life including nearly sixty years of active labor on his Middle-earth creations, and drawing on such contemporary sources as school records, war service files, biographies, correspondence, the letters of his close friend C. S. Lewis, and the diaries of W. H. Lewis, this book will be an invaluable resource for those who wish to gain a complete understanding of Tolkien's status as a giant of twentieth-century literature.

Customer Reviews:

Everything you ever wanted to know about Tolkien and then some.......2007-10-14

Like the title of my review says, this set has everything you ever wanted to know about Tolkien and then some. At around 2300 pages, this isn't exactly casual reading, and it isn't for the casual reader either - it is for the devoted Tolkien fan.

Devoted Tolkien fans will be rewarded for their patience as they work their way through these thick volumes. Plenty of rare nuggets and interesting commentary on the life and times of Tolkien.

A Magnificent Work of Scholarship.......2007-03-05

This is an enormous work and a stupendous achievement. Christina Scull and her husband Wayne G. Hammond have created, in two large volumes, an indispensable compendium for students of JRR Tolkien. Although the two volumes can be obtained separately, I recommend that both be purchased, preferably at the same time, so that you can turn from one to the other as your studies lead you down one fascinating avenue to countless others.

The Chronology Volume is an amazing achievement. JRR Tolkien's entire life is chronicled, many times day by day, so that we know what classes he taught, lectures he gave, conferences he attended, and guests he invited for dinner throughout a long, active life. This may seem to be inconsequential minutiae, but all of it is important in revealing the personality and character of the author and the many sources from which his own writings sprang. Historians and sociologists will also find this volume extremely useful since it reveals one man's daily life through three quarters of the twentieth century.

Equally as impressive is Volume 2, the Reader's Guide. Here Scull and Hammond have provided a multiplicity of information on every bit of extant writing by Tolkien, other authors and thinkers with whom he conversed or otherwise communicated, and so much else that it is impossible to enumerate it all. Scholars studying other writers besides Tolkien will do well to consult this volume, since he had contact with so many of them.

As a matter of full disclosure I should reveal that I met Christina Scull some years ago in London, and I have maintained a friendship with her and with Wayne ever since. I am honored that an article I wrote for the Tolkien journal "Beyond Bree" has been referenced in this Reader's Guide. But I hasten to assure you that I would be just as impressed with this work and would recommend itjust as highly even if these connections did not exist.

Incomparable Reference Work on an Incomparable Author.......2007-02-26

Scull and Hammond's "The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide" is an unparalleled reference work about Tolkien as author. The "Chronology" volume examines his life in extraordinary detail, often day-by-day. It draws heavily from Tolkien's letters. The Reader's Guide" volume discusses in equal detail the persons, institutions, and literary works that influenced Tolkien's great cration. Published in a boxed, two-volume set of excellent physical quality, Scull and Hammond's "The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide" would be a handsome addition to any library, and a fountain of sparkling interest to any serious Tolkien student.

Absolutely indispensable - Hammond and Scull have done it again!.......2007-01-12

In the Preface to their long-awaited J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide, Hammond and Scull write that the book "has been designed to serve as a reference of (at least) first resort", but I would daresay that in a great many cases, theirs will be not only the first but the *only* reference work needed. It's *that* exhaustive!

The first volume is mainly a chronology of Tolkien's life, with several satellite chapters detailing his published works, poems, art, a series of Tolkien's family trees, etc. To say that the chronology is detailed would be a considerable understatement. It's really an almost daily accounting of the events of Tolkien's life: essentially an 800-page biography of dates. Staggering!

The second volume, the Reader's Guide, is even larger at well over 1000 pages. This volume, meant to compliment the chronology (and vice versa) provides alphabetized entries for just about every person, place, and literary idea of importance to Tolkien studies. Many of these are in quite astonishing detail, and even the short ones are extremely valuable little gems. For example, in the entry for Jennie Grove, Hammond and Scull provide the basic facts, of course -- but they also point out where to find a photograph of her as well as a portrait of her drawn by Tolkien. These are fantastic kernels of information, and nowhere else are so many collected together in one place. Not only that, but the list of unpublished and archival sources Hammond and Scull consulted is very impressive indeed! Many details represented here have never been brought to light before.

Another excellent feature of the set is the common index; that is, a single index at the back of both volumes covers references *in* both volumes. This makes cross-referencing between the Reader's Guide and Chronology a snap. Both volumes also have extremely thorough bibliographies.

The price tag for the two-volume set is high, yes, but it is well worth it. NB: I'm speaking of the U.S. edition published by Houghton Mifflin *only*; I have not seen the British edition published by HarperCollins (however, I can say that I've been consistently disappointed by the production quality of most British books -- including HarperCollins' otherwise excellent extended edition of "Smith of Wootton Major" (ed. Verlyn Flieger). The books are sturdy and well made, bound in cloth, with sewn binding. The slipcase, also, is attractive, sturdy, and cloth-bound and will help to protect the books over time. The pages are a pleasant cream, with a nicely proportioned and very readable font, and with appropriate margins. The pages had to be a little thin to accommodate so many, but there is only minimal bleed-through.

The two volumes are a little unwieldy to read from -- but given their size, how could they not be? And reading them cover to cover will take a long time (perhaps all the way until John Rateliff's History of the Hobbit is published next November ;), but it's something I've been looking forward to for a long time now.

The most significant addition in Tolkien scholarship.......2007-01-06

The long delay was well worth the wait: the depth and detail of the work are astounding. I daresay the two volume work is exhaustive, but I have been hardpressed to find any topic or date of significance that is not addressed.

The chronology may seem overwhelming for the reader without an agenda. Tolkien's letter collection edited by Humprey Carpenter is a great resource for cross referencing. Even if you aren't interested in what day Tolkien had lunch with a comittee at Leeds, don't ignore the chronology! The bibliography towards the rear is well worth the big bucks--plenty of bread crumbs to helpful sources.
The reader's guide is excellent and ranges from Tolkien's work to his life. Hammond and Skull are very good about pulling information from primary sources. Even more so, they do well at avoiding speculation on more subjective matters, and limit their own interpretation to those primary sources (though I am sure it is valuable).

This is type of book that should occupy the reference area of every college library. The companion is certainly a scholarly work, and is the best reference material on Tolkien to date. It is also, however, valuable to readers who are equally fascinated with Tolkien as they are with his creations.

The Company They Keep: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in Community

Average customer rating:

The literary community as a source of Tolkein's and Lewis's fantasy classics
A book I wish I could write
Warning! Homework distraction!
Keeping Company with The Inklings
A Longer Review & Some Comments from the Real Critics

The Company They Keep: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in Community
Diana Pavlac Glyer
Manufacturer: Kent State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien were members of a writing group known as the Inklings, a group that also included novelist Charles Williams, historian Warren Lewis, and philosopher Owen Barfield. In this groundbreaking book, Diana Glyer invites readers into the heart of their meetings, showing how encouragement, criticism, and collaboration changed The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, and dozens of other important works. While this book is a must for those who read Lewis or Tolkien, it will also appeal to those who are interested in the writing process, small-group interaction, the nature of creativity, and the various ways that artists challenge, correct, and encourage one another as they work together in community.

Customer Reviews:

The literary community as a source of Tolkein's and Lewis's fantasy classics.......2007-09-19

The fantasy literature of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkein is so imaginative and idiosyncratic that one accepts that they wrote such lasting works somewhat obstinately and mainly privately almost as a hobby with little hope they would ever be published, much less popular. The picture of J. R. Rowling writing the beginnings of the first Harry Potter book sitting along at a table in an English shop comes to mind with this image of the earlier authors. Lewis and Tolkein are known to be good friends as well as professional colleagues at Oxford University. But as professor of English at Azusa Pacific U. in California Glyer puts forward, Lewis and Tolkein were part of a circle of academics and writers who had a large, discernible, and often documented influence on their works. From diaries, memoirs, letters, and other sources, Glyer finds that this influence is most evident with Tolkein. This circle which acquired the name "The Inklings," "modeled the behavior of poets and storytellers, provided feedback on his drafts, helped him develop his own critical faculties, recommended reading material that supported and shaped his imagination, and suggested that certain pieces be started, reworked, completed, or submitted for publication." Glyer continues, "It is no small matter that all of this early influence took place within a highly interactive group setting." What the author says with respect to Tolkein applies as well to Lewis, though not quite so overtly recognizably. In their turn, Tolkein and Lewis were active participants in the group offering the same support and suggestions to its other members. Shortly after arriving at Oxford as a student, Tolkein founded the literary society named the "Apolausticks."

In an appendix by a David Bratman, relevant background on 17 members of the Inklings besides Tolkein and Lewis is given. Most became university professors of English or medieval literature or of language studies, with most doing scholarly writings on literary criticism. This work of literary criticism and author biography is obviously timely given the current interest in these authors as evidenced by widely-popular movies made from books of theirs.

A book I wish I could write.......2007-04-27

This book shows scholarly intellect, hard work, dedication, and insightful thought that I have only achieved in lofty dreams. Diana Glyer presents interesting, insiteful, and inspiring information about the Inklings that you will not find anywhere else. I have never read a book that so skillfully puts scholarship in such an accessable read. For anyone who is a fan of the Inklings, Lewis, Tolkien, Williams, or anyone remotely related to these men do yourself a favor and read this book.

Warning! Homework distraction!.......2007-04-24

If you're interested in community, the writing process, or Tolkien and Lewis, this is the best book out this year. I have to be careful not to pick up the book when I'm supposed to be doing homework. It's entertaining reading full of fascinating facts and an inside look at how works like Lord of the Rings got written.

Keeping Company with The Inklings.......2007-04-02

Diana Pavlac Glyer does a great service to both the history and understanding of literature and to budding writers (and friends of writers), who may have been misled by previous theories about the interaction by the Inklings. The former gain a well-documented investigation of who the Inklings were as well as how and when they influenced each other's writers. The latter gain a practical guide of the ways and means by which writers in community. As Glyer approvingly quotes Karen Burke LeFevre, "Certain acts of invention--or certain phases of the inventive acts--are best understood if we think of them as being made possible by other people." Glyer makes a good case that Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" might never have been written, let alone published had it not been for the support of other Inklings.
"The Company They Keep" is a must read for writers as well as enthusiasts of the Inklings.

A Longer Review & Some Comments from the Real Critics.......2007-01-16

"This is an admirably balanced overview of the web of intellectual and literary interactions of the Inklings that is sure to become an invaluable resource for future readers and scholars. I found myself captured by her engaging writing style, the breadth of her research, and the cogency of her argument. Her own work will itself influence the texture of Inklings scholarship for years to come. It's good, very good indeed."
Verlyn Flieger, professor of English, University of Maryland at College Park, Author of _Splintered Light_ and _A Question of Time_

"Not only does _The Company They Keep_ provide a much-needed fresh look at the Inklings, but it also affords rich insights into the creative and collaborative process itself. There is much to learn and much to enjoy in this excellent volume. This engaging study deserves a place in the library of all those who value the works of the Inklings and is also a worthwhile volume for any who are interested in examining the craft of writing and the impact of creating within the community."
Marjorie Lamp Mead, associate director of the Marion E. Wade Center, Wheaton College

"_The Company They Keep_ is an astonishingly thorough work, lucidly and boldly illuminating the collaborative writing process of Lewis, Tolkien, and their colleagues during the most fruitful period of their careers. Diana Glyer's impressive achievement supersedes in scope and authority all previous treatments of the Inklings and will perhaps become the new standard by which rhetoricians and literary critics should judge the cogency of subsequent research into the phenomenon of writing in community."
Bruce L. Edwards, professor of English, Bowling Green State University

In 1978, Humphrey Carpenter published _Inklings: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams and Their Friends_. Although Carpenter's book is perhaps more a biography of C. S. Lewis than anything else, it remains an important and seminal work. However, if Carpenter erred in anything in his book, it was his persistent conviction that the Inklings did not influence one another. For instance, he states matter-of-factly, "It must be remembered that the word `influence', so beloved of literary investigators, makes little sense when talking about their [the Inklings'] association with each other. Tolkien and Williams owed almost nothing to the other Inklings, and would have written everything they wrote had they never heard of the group" (160).

Wholeheartedly disagreeing with Carpenter, Diana Glyer sets out in _The Company They Keep_ to show how and why the Inklings did, in fact, influence one another. Her work is a conglomerate of biography, composition theory, and literary criticism. She not only illuminates your understanding of this remarkable writing group but also expands your concept of the word influence. She persuasively argues that through encouragement, opposition, editing, and collaboration, the Inklings influenced each other's writing in a rich and profound way.

Had this been the book's only strength, I would say that Glyer's book had achieved more than any work written on the Inklings in the last three decades. However, the book's remarkable appeal does not stop there. Another great feat of this book is the amount of time and effort the author poured into her research. To say that the author was exhaustive in her research is perhaps an understatement. There are very few primary and secondary sources she leaves unexplored. In addition, there is a significant amount of previously unpublished material. To put this project in perspective, her Works Cited is 20 pages.

Again, this would be enough to encourage most readers to purchase this book. However, I would add one final note. The beauty of this book lies in the clarity and eloquence of the author's prose. It is one of those extraordinary academic works that is actually easy and enjoyable to read.

Average customer rating:

A Surprisingly Pleasant Read
Very enjoyable book
Spectacular Job
J.R. R.
Well written and informative.

J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography
Humphrey Carpenter
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0618057021

Amazon.com

There may be a corner of the world where the name J.R.R. Tolkien is unknown, but you would be hard-pressed to find it. Since their publication, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings have been published in every major language of the world. And though he single-handedly gave a mythology to the English and was beloved by millions, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien remained refreshingly unchanged by his fame and fortune, living out his days simply and modestly among the familiar surroundings of Oxford College. Humphrey Carpenter, who was given unrestricted access to Tolkien's papers, brilliantly puts meat to the bones of the Tolkien legend in J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography, offering a well-rounded portrayal of this quiet, bookish man who always saw himself first and foremost as a philologist, uncovering rather than creating the peoples, languages, and adventures of Middle-Earth.

Carpenter chronicles Tolkien's early life with a special sensitivity; after losing both parents, Tolkien and his brother Hilary were taken from their idyllic life in the English countryside to a poverty-ridden existence in dark and sooty Birmingham. There were bright points, however. A social and cheerful lad, Tolkien enjoyed rugby and was proud of his gift for languages. It was also at this time that he met Edith Bratt, who would later become his wife. Academic life--both as a student and professor--is where this biography shines. Friendship with other men played a huge part in Tolkien's life, and Carpenter deftly reveals the importance these relationships--his complex friendship with C.S. Lewis, membership in the Inklings and the T.C.B.S.--had on the development of his writing.

The only criticism one can make about this book is that Carpenter tends to gloss over Tolkien's contributions to comparative philology. True, there is a chapter devoted to Tolkien's academic pursuits, but it tends to skim too lightly over the surface for this reviewer's tastes. Philology is a terribly methodical science, and the author clearly did not want to alienate readers who were primarily interested in Tolkien as a storyteller. Still, it would be nice to understand why Tolkien was held in such high esteem by his fellow academics. As it stands, Tolkien comes off as a slightly eccentric etymologist.

Fans who want to delve even deeper into Tolkien's life should pick up a copy of Carpenter's The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. --P.M. Atterberry

Book Description

The authorized biography of the creator of Middle-earth. In the decades since his death in September 1973, millions have read THE HOBBIT, THE LORD OF THE RINGS, and THE SILMARILLION and become fascinated about the very private man behind the books.

Born in South Africa in January 1892, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was orphaned in childhood and brought up in near-poverty. He served in the first World War, surviving the Battle of the Somme, where he lost many of the closest friends he'd ever had. After the war he returned to the academic life, achieving high repute as a scholar and university teacher, eventually becoming Merton Professor of English at Oxford where he was a close friend of C.S. Lewis and the other writers known as The Inklings.

Then suddenly his life changed dramatically. One day while grading essay papers he found himself writing 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit' -- and worldwide renown awaited him.

Humphrey Carpenter was given unrestricted access to all Tolkien's papers, and interviewed his friends and family. From these sources he follows the long and painful process of creation that produced THE LORD OF THE RINGS and THE SILMARILLION and offers a wealth of information about the life and work of the twentieth century's most cherished author.

Customer Reviews:

A Surprisingly Pleasant Read.......2007-06-20

When I set about to read this book, I greatly feared that I'd be bored before I reached chapter two. Biographies have never seemed particularly appealing, especially those of authors. Yet I really wanted to learn a little more about Tolkien and the influences in his life that led to the creation of Middle Earth, so I prepared to suffer through. Carpenter, however, has a very conversational tone which made the read a pleasure. His use of actual letters, pictures and manuscripts, which the Tolkien family kindly gave him access to, was masterful. The text from those papers he chose to include was illuminating, but didn't weigh down the book as frequent quoting tends to do. Carpenter clearly had a sense of who Tolkien was, especially since he had the pleasure of speaking with the man himself.

Carpenter also understands that most people will be reading this book for a glimpse at the creation of Middle Earth, and gives ample focus to that throughout. But he never lets that detract from tackling the man as a whole, giving the reader a well rounded picture of the man behind the legend; from his childhood and relationship with his mother, to his Oxford days and friendship with C.S. Lewis, to his family life with wife and children. A marvelous read for any fan of Tolkien.

Very enjoyable book.......2007-03-29

I enjoyed this book very much. I learned a lot about Tolkien, but it wasn't like reading a text book. The book seemed balanced, not overly critical or sickenly flattering.

Spectacular Job.......2007-01-17

J.R.R. Tolkien is one of the world's most famous and well-known authors. He has and will continue to inspire the written works of others. His famous The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Silmarillion, and his other books about middle-earth have been read by millions everywhere in the world. His books have been translated into over one hundred languages and sold in many countries. Humphrey Carpenter is one of the many people who has always revered and been inspired by Tolkien. He visited Mr. Tolkien and asked him about his life. He wrote this book for others like him who wish to know about Mr. Tolkien's past experiences and what occurred to inspire him to write his fantastic novels.
J.R.R. Tolkien had a normal life. He wasn't rich or poor, and he didn't grow up in a powerful family. He grew up with his brother and his parents in South Africa. After his parents died, Tolkien fought in the First World War. During this time, Tolkien had to support his brother and his family. He had to take courage and stand up for what was right. This is much like the role and attitude of Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird. Afterwards, Tolkien taught at Oxford, where he and other college professors, including C.S. Lewis, formed a group called "The Inklings." Mr. Tolkien started writing The Hobbit, and eventually, the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This book shows how Tolkien had a normal life; having hardships like everyone else does, as well as positive experiences.
Tolkien by Humphrey Carpenter is a great read for anyone who is considering a career in writing, as well as anyone who loves Mr. Tolkien's books. Humphrey Carpenter does a great job of outlining Mr. Tolkien's life and achievements. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I believe that anyone can read this book. Mr. Carpenter used great vocabulary, and he had great development of his writing. I send my compliments to Mr. Carpenter for his spectacular job of writing this book.

J.R. R........2007-01-12

I love biographies. This author was one of the few whom actually was able to meet the man, if you have not read it, please do, you will love it.

Well written and informative........2005-10-26

This biography is well written and very informative. Readers will find important details about JRR Tolkien's life that explains what inspired him to write his books. This is a very realistic and respectful biography of one of the great writers of the 20th century.

Average customer rating:

just like what it sounds like
Letters give great insight
A must read for fans of Tolkien
very good book of letters from the man who must have wrote letters for a living,just wish it had a little more middle-earth init
The genius as a man

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien , and Humphrey Carpenter
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Amazon.com

Scholars and fans of the great mythologist will find a rich vein of information in Humphrey Carpenter's The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien was a prodigious letter writer all his life; the sheer mass of his correspondence would give pause to even the most stalwart archivist (one shudders to think what he would have done with e-mail). But with the able assistance of Tolkien's son Christopher and a healthy dose of determination, Carpenter manages find the cream of the crop--the letters that shed light on Tolkien's thoughts about his academic and literary work, as well as those that show his more private side, revealing a loving husband, a playful friend, and a doting father. The most fascinating letters are, of course, those in which he discusses Middle-Earth, and Carpenter offers plenty of those to choose from. Tolkien discussed the minutia of his legend--sometimes at great length--with friends, publishers, and even fans who wrote to him with questions. These letters offer significant insights into how he went about creating the peoples and languages of Middle-Earth.

I have long ceased to invent (though even patronizing or sneering critics on the side praise my 'inventions'): I wait till I seem to know what really happened. Or till it writes itself. Thus, though I knew for years that Frodo would run into a tree-adventure somewhere far down the Great River, I had no recollection of inventing Ents. I came at last to the point, and wrote the 'Treebeard' chapter without any recollection of any previous thought: just as it is now. And then I saw that, of course, it had not happened to Frodo at all.

This new edition of letters has an extensive index, and Carpenter has included a brief blurb at the beginning of each letter to explain who the correspondent was and what was being discussed. Still, we strongly recommend buying the companion volume, J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography, in order to better understand the place these correspondents had in Tolkien's life and get a better context for the letters. --Perry M. Atterberry

Book Description

'...If you wanted to go on from the end of The Hobbit I think the ring would be your inevitable choice as the link. If then you wanted a large tale, the Ring would at once acquire a capital letter; and the Dark Lord would immediately appear. As he did, unasked, on the hearth at Bag End as soon as I came to that point. So the essential Quest started at once. But I met a lot of things along the way that astonished me. Tom Bombadil I knew already; but I had never been to Bree. Strider sitting in the corner of the inn was a shock, and I had no more idea who he was than Frodo did. The Mines of Moria had been a mere name; and of Lothlorien no word had reached my mortal ears till I came there.' -- J.R.R. Tolkien to W.H. Auden, June 7, 1955

J.R.R. Tolkien, cherished author of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion, was one of the twentieth century's most prolific letter writers. Over the years he wrote a mass of letters -- to his publishers, his family, to friends, and to fans of his books -- which record the history and composition of his works and his reaction to subsequent events.

By turns thoughtful, impish, scholarly, impassioned, playful, vigorous, and gentle, Tolkien poured his heart and mind into a great stream of correspondence to intimate friends and unknown admirers all over the world. From this collection one sees a mind of immense complexity and many layers -- artistic, religious, charmingly eccentric, sentimental, and ultimately brilliant.

Now newly expanded with a detailed index, this collection provides an invaluable record that sheds much light on Tolkien's creative genius, his thoughts and feelings about his own work, and the evolution of his grand design for the creation of a whole new world -- Middle-earth.

Customer Reviews:

just like what it sounds like.......2007-06-14

its a book of random letters that jrr tolkien wrote to people. nuff said

Letters give great insight.......2007-03-17

Tolkien was one of the most prolific letter writers of the 20th century. He passed away before the advent of email, so correspondences back and forth were his way to communicate with his family, friends, publishers, and fans. In Letters we get rare glimpses of Tolkien's direct thoughts and opinions on his works, and another chance to see the evolution of his world and stories as he wrote to others throughout his life. Any fan who boasts having the History of Middle-earth series under their belt should pick this one up... Superb information and descriptions that weren't among the pages of the HoMe are to be found here.

Amongst these gems is a review of the synopsis for the first LotR animated movie ever slated for release. Tolkien enumerates the countless glaring mistakes and shows us why this version never came to be, simultaneously giving both fans and cynics a new and better appreciation of Peter Jackson's film interpretation(s).

Another brilliant aspect of this book is that Tolkien, in his letters, was able to go into in-depth descriptions of objects, and even comparisons between his 'sub-created' cultures and those he had studied or had knowledge of, none of which were or could have been expounded anywhere else. He even gives illustrations for some of these, showing us how he pictured things in Middle-earth. An excellent description of the Númenórean crown of Gondor, along with a comparison to ancient Egypt, stands out in particular.

Simply put, Letters is a must have for the die-hard Tolkien fan and every "Ringer," and will be a most prized addition to their collections.

A must read for fans of Tolkien.......2007-01-06

This is one of the essential sources for those readers who are fans of LOTR and want additional insight into Tolkien's creative process and the meaning of his major work of fiction. Tokien was a fine writer of letters judging by this sampling and wrote in a way that is amusing and interesting.

very good book of letters from the man who must have wrote letters for a living,just wish it had a little more middle-earth init.......2006-03-14

I would suggest that you read this after the lord and silmarillion, but before the whole history set. This will provide you a lot on info of tolien's middle earth, why he was always delayed, some personal problems, his son's going to war, his reflections on the past war, sauron being an allegory to hitler, and many other interesting things.. The letters are written to fans, his son's, other relatives and so on.

Like I said in the title, I wish it would not have gone so much into religion, but it was still interesting, I just wanted to know more about his thoughts on middle earth.

The genius as a man.......2005-11-06

I think this book has something for everybody. You are given personal glimpses into to T's family life, academic environment, meetings with the Inklings, and the dry-heaving struggles with getting LOTR published. He lived quite a life.

As a struggling writer, I felt like was Tolkien. The letters back and forth from the publisher seemed all too familiar. The main thread that interested me was his struggles he had with the mechanics of writing, editing, publishing and marketing LOTR. It was comforting to know that there was a "meat-grinder" even with this literary classic.

I was also impressed and moved by his failure to get the Silmarillion-his heart-song and mainspring for the trilogy-during his life. He stuck too it, and even thought he was "hot property" and obviously marketable, but never succeeded.

There are some oddball surprises. One was a letter from a man named Sam Gamgee, and several letters in elvish and in runes, with the translations in the back. You got to see these letters to believe them.

I also found it fascinating to see his letters that referred to C. L. Lewis. It was interesting to get a second point of view on similar events that you read about in C. L. Lewis's letters. You get a parallax, and therefore better depth perception on the events.

The book has several weaknesses. Many of the letters are really fragments, and therefore incomplete. Furthermore, it is just one volume. A giant such as this deserves more. C. S. Lewis has three volumes of letters, and T deserves the same.

This book allows you to see the genius as a man, and the mind behind the classic.

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Breathtaking insights for word-loving anglophile Tolkien fans
A serious argument that Tolkien WAS the writer of the century
An Exhaustive, Erudite Study of Tolkien
Linguistic in Focus.
The primary criticism of these great works

J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century
Tom Shippey
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0618257594

Book Description

Recent polls have consistently declared that J.R.R. Tolkien is "the most influential author of the century," and The Lord of the Rings is "the book of the century." In support of these claims, the prominent medievalist and scholar of fantasy Professor Tom Shippey now presents us with a fascinating companion to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, focusing in particular on The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. The core of the book examines The Lord of the Rings as a linguistic and cultural map and as a response to the meaning of myth. It presents a unique argument to explain the nature of evil and also gives the reader a compelling insight into the unparalleled level of skill necessary to construct such a rich and complex story. Shippey also examines The Hobbit, explaining the hobbits' anachronistic relationship to the heroic world of Middle-earth, and shows the fundamental importance of The Silmarillion to the canon of Tolkien's work. He offers as well an illuminating look at other, lesser-known works in their connection to Tolkien's life.

Customer Reviews:

Breathtaking insights for word-loving anglophile Tolkien fans.......2007-04-17

Almost immediately after its publication, Tolkien's Lord of the Rings suffered scathing attacks from certain critics in the academic and literary worlds. Half a century later, it remains dubious to admit to well-educated friends that Tolkien is one's favorite author. A typical response is "Oh, I don't read those kind of books," by which we are meant to understand that Tolkien wrote "escapist throwback popular trash."

To make matters worse, these days, one can form an opinion without bothering to even read "those books." A few hours spent watching Peter Jackson's screen adaptation (or even a few minutes watching their trailers) gives anyone the confidence to bespeak Tolkien's doom.

How is it that many highly intelligent and sensitive readers cherish the Lord of the Rings, while many highly intelligent and sensitive critics loathe it? Professor Shippey's work, Author of the Century, unravels this mystery. Moreover, he painstakingly details much of the origin and intricacy of Tolkien's magnum opus.

Although it differs in title, in my opinion this book is essentially a re-write of Professor Shippey's "The Road to Middle Earth". Having read them both in short order, I prefer this one, but that I ventured to read both demonstrates the quality of the author and his material. I cannot comment on the even newer "The Road to Middle Earth:Revised and Expanded Edition".

Its table of contents is somewhat misleading. Most chapters cover far more subject matter than their headings would imply. This reviewer identified several themes to which Professor Shippey consistently returns throughout the book. They are 1) Refuting Tolkien's critics. 2) Tolkien's historical and philological sources. 3) Literary analysis of Tolkien's major works. 4) Tolkien's theodicy - his philosophy of Good and Evil.

I opened this review with a reference to the first theme, refuting Tolkien's critics, because the title of this book implies that such is its primary intent. However, Shippey's earlier work, "The Road to Middle Earth", was actually more aggressive in that regard. Perhaps Tolkien's popularity has outlived enough of his critics to warrant a relent in the counter-offensive. At any rate, there is enough material here to silence all but the most stubborn. Memorize a few paragraphs and you will lose any shame you might have felt in proclaiming the "Lord of the Rings" your favorite book.

However, the most enjoyable bits (to me) are those which shed light on the interplay between Tolkien the author, and Tolkien the Oxford professor of Old-English and philology. If you are an Anglophile and a word-lover, the kind of person who enjoys visiting England and reading the dictionary, you will thrill to all the sudden definitions, connections and insights scattered throughout. Examples... An etymology of "Halifirien" which is Old-English for "holy mountain." Tolkien's 1923 publication of an imagined Old-English reconstruction of the prototypical "egg" nursery rhyme riddle later used in the Hobbit. A beautiful story about Oxford's "Rollright Stones", a Neolithic stone circle, relating Middle-Earth to present day England. Detailed etymologies of "Woses" and "Ent", "Elf", "Emnet", and more. Numerous smatterings of Old-English wisdom, such as Beowulf's, "Æghwæþres sceal scearp scyldwiga gescad witan, worda und worca", describing the manner of a coast guard deciding to allow Beowulf to enter Denmark with his armed company, like Hama allowing Gandalf to carry his staff into Meduseld.

It is this such material that "Author of the Century" provides in greater depth and quantity than the earlier "Road to Middle-Earth". Elaborating it was a wise decision, as doing so deftly applies the deep knowledge of Professor Shippey as a fellow Old-English philologist. In fact, Shippey occupied the very position at Leeds that Tolkien helped to create. Perhaps no one else can give so many insights from this highly specialized field into its essential origins in Tolkien's creation. One envies Professor Shippey's students, as one envied Tolkien's, for surely he gives fascinating lectures.

A serious argument that Tolkien WAS the writer of the century.......2007-04-05

I really liked this book. I found it easy to read, and very interesting. It gave many biographic details on Tolkien. It was particularly good for explaining how Tolkien's academic background in philogophy made him into the writer he was. (Not a conclusion most of us would jump to!)

But I think what really stands out about this book is the dead serious argument it makes that Tolkien was the most important writer of the 20th century. As most of us know, Tolkien is not taken seriously by literary critics. The really IMPORANT writers of the 20th century are Virginia Woolf, James Joyce and the other "great" writers who no one wants to read except when under duress. We KNOW that Tolkien can not be significant in a literary sense, because ordinary people in large numbers actually like reading his stuff. Literature is like cod liver oil; it can not be good for you unless you can't stand it.

But, as the 20th century fades into the past, our perspective changes. WHY was James Joyce important? WHY was D.H. Lawrence important?

We all know the conventional answers. Joyce was important, becaus he broke the mold of the old-fashioned way of writing and showed us a radically new way of writing. Blah, blah, blah. What did Joyce SAY about human affairs that was either intrinscially important or important to the particular events of the 20th century? Same questions about Lawerence, Hemingway, Steinbeck and the rest of the usual subjects.

Again, we know the conventional answers. These writers critiqued the inadequacies of bourgeois society, and pointed the way toward the glories of the new day, whether that of radical free sex, socialism or whatever. The bottom line is that, for most of the 20th century, the intellectual class was sure that they knew the way that the future was going -- toward scientific, secular socialism, with Marx and Freud as the new gods -- and they valued the writers whose work validated this worldview.

But, as it turned out, the intellectual class' crystal ball was broken. The good guys did not win; the Soviet Union did not triumph. None of the dogmas of the century survived the century. Marx became the father of fanatic dicators. Freud became an exposed intellectual fraud.

And the events of the century were utterly different than they were supposed to be. They were supposed to be the inevitable triumph of the glorious certainties of the intellectual left. Instead, they turned out to be a desperate death struggle between the Free Nations, lead by America, and a series of crazed dictators seeking some demented satanic utopia.

Which brings us back to Tolkien. In addition to the sin of writing books which ordinary people actually want to read, he also had this gauche habit of writing about a relatively black and white struggle between good and evil. All very incorrect in a century that knows that the only sin is judging anything.

But, in retrospect, who was writing about the real issues actually presented by the 20th century? Is there anything in James Joyce that is actually engaged with the reality of the 20th century? Same queston for Virginia Woff and the rest of them?

Tolkien, however, wrote about the seductive temptations of power, and the death struggle between the little ordinary people and the overwhelming power of Mordor. He wrote about the long, slow decline of high culture of Gondor, as it fell into degeneracy, fought with itself and failed even to breed. There is nothing that he wrote about that is not taken directly from the central events of the 20th century.

Many think that Tolkien is this weird fantasist who is writing about the Middle Ages. Sorry. As Shipley correctly points out, Tolkien is writing about his own time, with insight that goes way past other writers. When the 25th century wants to understand what all of that craziness was about in the 20th century, they are not going to be reading Virginia Woolf; they are going to be reading the Lord of The Rings.

An Exhaustive, Erudite Study of Tolkien.......2007-01-14

Those of us who are hopeless Tolkienites have an insatiable curiosity about--and appetite for--the inner workings of Middle-earth, along with the man that brought that wonderful world to life. J.R.R. Tolkien was a fascinating man, and Oxford scholar Tom Shippey has forgotten more about this author than most of us will ever learn; to prove it, Shippey presents his analysis of Tolkien's work in his very readable book, J.R.R. TOLKIEN: AUTHOR OF THE CENTURY.

I was astounded to learn, via Shippey's patient presentation, that so many of the names of characters and places that appear in Middle-earth are derived from ancient Norse mythology, poetry, and literature. That Tolkien was hugely inspired by Beowulf is a given; that The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings borrow extensively and richly from this centuries' old tale is not. Shippey also describes how Tolkien, as a devout philologist, was obsessed with words--with their infinite variations, and how the author utilized this knowledge not only to create names and places in his writing, but also create extensive, intricate languages.

Regarding Tolkien's masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, Shippey allows the reader to draw his/her own conclusions as to whether or not the novel is an allegory. Tolkien himself vigorously denied his fantasy tale was allegorical; in light of the fact LOTR is a classic tale of good vs. evil. . .a story that is a ringing indictment of modernization, industrialization, and technological destruction. . .it's almost comical how Tolkien went out of his way to deny the obvious. Shippey compares the novel to other allegories, and readily admits some of Tolkien's later short stories were indeed allegorical; thus the allegory card is played, albeit in a limited, less than satisfying way.

Shippey provides a detailed analysis not only of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings but of Tolkien's other works, including his poems and short stories, his essays, and his voluminous subject matter published posthumously (The Silmarillion and The Lost Tales, etc.). And "detailed" is the right word, as Shippey examines and magnifies information almost to exhaustion. That the scholar sees mountains where other readers see mole hills is readily apparent via the pages of this book.

J.R.R. TOLKIEN: AUTHOR OF THE CENTURY is a compelling, recommended read for those wanting to know more about the man who brought us Middle-earth. One of Shippey's observations is right on the money: The fact that England itself didn't have its own mythology turned out to be most fortunate; Tolkien went about creating one.
--D. Mikels, Author, THE RECKONING

Linguistic in Focus. .......2004-07-26

I have massive respect for Tom Shippey and his obvious knowledge and command of the English language. There are few books that you'll read which will educate the layman as much as this one will. For the Lord of the Rings fanatic, however, much of this book may not be what one expected as it points a laser into the mechanics of Tolkien linguistic universe present in LOTR, the Hobbitt and the Silmarillion. The worm's eye view can't be beat but it is still a very detailed view. The Foreward is an amazing read as it is more whollistic then the rest of the book and gives a thorough and illuminating overview of Tolkien's majestic place in the history of literature.

The primary criticism of these great works.......2004-03-17

This book is quite simply the seminal criticism and analysis of Tolkien's major works. Shippey is Tolkien's successor at Oxford, and in a very real sense "speaks the language" (no pun intended) that Tolkien spoke. He is able to disassemble and analyze Tolkien's writings in a way that is head and shoulders above any other similar works. His linguistic and literary analysis is the best ever made and is absolutely vital to truly understanding Middle Earth and the man that made it. Add to that a brief but very profound analysis of the religious themes, imagery, and inferences that is better than anything else out there (it completely surpasses Joseph Pearce's fine book on Tolkien, all in less than 10 pages.) Plus you'll get the most insightful discussion of the Anglo Saxon and Old Norse literary traditions and characters that would become Gandalf, Frodo, and the rest of the Fellowship.

If you truly love Tolkien's writing, then you simply must read this book. It is the first most important step in a real understanding of what Middle Earth is, where it is, where its characters came from, and what happened to them in ways that will really open your mind to the vastness and incredible beauty of Tolkien's world. After reading it, you'll have even less patience with the lunkheads who think LOTR is just another fantasy story. It's so, so much more than that.

And if that wasn't enough, you'll learn what Beowulf's name would mean in modern English. ("Beowulf" is usually the only word in the poem not translated, in case you haven't noticed.)

Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth
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Tolkien and the Great War

Insights into Tolkien's Creation of the Myths Underlying his Masterworks

Technically interesting, less than engaging writing

The Fellowship of the TCBS

Escape to Middle-earth

Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth
John Garth
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0618574816

Amazon.com

Millions of new captives of the Lord of the Rings saga have been roped into J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy world as the result of Peter Jackson's three-part cinematic interpretation of the great 20th century fantasy. John Garth's Tolkien and the Great War will certainly captivate an elite segment of those recent converts, but it is written more for those who have long been enthralled by Middle-earth and its fantastic denizens. While many early readers found parallels between World War II and the Lord of the Rings fairy-tale, Garth reaches back to World War I to find the deep roots in Middle-earth. Prior to the Great War, Tolkien was a scholar with a deep passion for language and fables. In fact, he formed a literary circle with a few friends dubbed the Tea Club and Barrovian Society. Its members had the misfortune of coming of age just as the war was reaching a fevered pitch; Tolkien, a second lieutenant in the British army, survived the bloody Battle of the Somme, which took the lives of two of his closest friends. Garth adeptly chronicles how the devastation Tolkien witnessed helped shape the mythic tale that was already brewing in his mind. Written with a seriousness one associates with the time it chronicles, Tolkien and the Great War is a erudite but eminently readable exploration of how the harsh reality of the early 20th century colored one of the beloved fantasies of the modern era. --Steven Stolder

Book Description

"Very much the best book about J.R.R. Tolkien that has yet been written." -- A.N. Wilson

"A highly intelligent book ... Garth displays impressive skills both as researcher and writer." -- Max Hastings

"It is a strange story that Garth tells, but he tells it clearly and compellingly." -- Tom Shippey

"Somewhere, I think, Tolkien is nodding in appreciation." -- Charles Matthews, San Jose Mercury News

"Gripping from start to finish and offers important new insights." - Library Journal

"A labor of love in which journalist Garth combines a newsman's nose for a good story with a scholar's scrupulous attention to detail... Brilliantly argued." -- Daily Mail

"Insight into how a writer turned academia into art, how deeply friendship supports and wounds us, and how the death and disillusionment that characterized World War I inspired Tolkien's lush saga." - Detroit Free Press

"To be caught in youth by 1914 was no less hideous an experience than in 1939 . . . by 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead."

So J.R.R. Tolkien responded to critics who saw The Lord of the Rings as a
reaction to the Second World War. Tolkien and the Great War tells for the
first time the full story of how he embarked on the creation of Middle-earth
in his youth as the world around him was plunged into catastrophe. This
biography reveals the horror and heroism that he experienced as a signals
officer in the Battle of the Somme and introduces the circle of friends who
spurred his mythology into life. It shows how, after two of these brilliant
young men were killed, Tolkien pursued the dream they had all shared by
launching his epic of good and evil.
This is the first substantially new biography of Tolkien since 1977,
meticulously researched and distilled from his personal wartime papers and a
multitude of other sources.
John Garth argues that the foundation of tragic experience in the First
World War is the key to Middle-earth's enduring power. Tolkien used his
mythic imagination not to escape from reality but to reflect and transform
the cataclysm of his generation. While his contemporaries surrendered to
disillusionment, he kept enchantment alive, reshaping an entire literary
tradition into a form that resonates to this day.

Customer Reviews:

Tolkien and the Great War.......2007-03-15

There are some gems in the book, but you must wade through most of it being tedious and boring.

Insights into Tolkien's Creation of the Myths Underlying his Masterworks.......2006-04-07

The close-knit intellectual fraternity of Tolkie's dearest friends, formed in prep school endured into college, and, for a select four, beyond the horrific experiences of the First World War's Western Front. Of the four, only Tolkien and Christopher Wiseman would survive the war. Rob Gilson, whose forte was art, and G.B. Smith, the only other of the group with a literary flair, were killed in the trenches.

During their separation and through the trauma of war and personal loss, they kept up a regular correspondence and critiqued each other's worldview of life, art and literature and their self-appointed role as guardians of all that was good and enduring.

But of the two surviving members of the clique, only Tolkien
would go on to fulfill their grandiose visions. The book is a wonderful examination of how the personal losses, as well as the
mind-numbing cacaphony of battle and slow recovery, impacted
the formation of the myths that precede and drive his later
more earthly worlds of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.

At first I was put off by what appeared to me to be the intellectually effete snobbery of the clique, dubbed the Tea Club and Barrovian Society. But as I read on, it became apparent that schooling in England, especially in the late Victorian epoch, was quite different from that in the US. And these fellows were all quite precocious. It was not class
distinctions that drove their sense of mission either. Several, like Tolkien, were from solid middle class backgrounds and hardly well off.

What amazed me is how this vision, born in the cloistered life
of the prep school, survived the horrors of the Somme, Ypres,
Passchendaele and Cambrai.

I had originally thought that this book would be a military critique of Lord of the Rings, showing how the battles in the book related to Tolkien's wartime experience. But it really went deeper than that, demonstrating how his literary world-view was affected, mostly subconsciously, by that trauma.

By "subsconsciously" I mean that the primeval epochs of gods and
demi-gods, faeries, elves and gnomes, reflected the loss of his
two friends in battle and the one other survivor's estrangement
after the war.

Some of the connections between the episodes and characters in
the Book of Lost Tales and the Silmarrion (the incomplete
and unpublished precursor works restored by son Christopher Tokien in the 1970s) may be a bit forced and the influences
are somewhat conjectural at times....though always well argued.

I found the philological parts a bit hard going. I think that a glossary of terms and cast of characters would help or even a chart showing the complicated evolution of the myths and terminology.

All in all, this was an eye-opening book and does enhance my appreciation of Tolkien's art and it's relationship to the real world, in riposte to those critics who find Tolkien's elves, dwarves, gnomes and monsters to be purely escapist fantasy.

Technically interesting, less than engaging writing.......2006-01-10

While Garth's book does a good job of discussing Tolkein's studies in philology (the study of language and its evolution) and his beginning work with Middle-Earth, I found it hard to keep reading despite being interested in the subject matter. Garth wallows in the details of Tolkein's schooling and childhood experiences, with a rather British over-attention to minutae. There are whole chapters at the beginning that lend little to the reader's understanding, although this improves as the book continues into his wartime experiences.

It does a good job covering Tolkein's interest in Nordic and Germanic languages, and how his experiences in WWI influenced his outlook and writing, but it seems like Garth could have spent a little more time working on making the material readable and enjoyable by a wider audience.

Fans of Tolkein and language study will still find a lot to recommend the book, but casual readers and those with only a moderate interest in the subject should look elsewhere.

The Fellowship of the TCBS.......2005-08-11

This book is an account of Tolkien's early years and how his experiences in WWI give shape to his later writings. During his student days at Oxford, Tolkien forms a club called the "Tea Club and Barrovian Society" (TCBS) with three friends. They meet for discussion and fellowship regarding poetry, literature, and other subjects. As WWI casts its shadow across Britain, the members of the TCBS are drawn up into the military: one to the navy, and the other three (including Tolkien) into the army. They attempt to maintain the fellowship of the TCBS through correspondence and meetings, exchanging and critiquing each others' writings and encouraging each other to hold on to their ideals during the trials of war. Then one of the TCBS is killed during battle on the Somme, and the remaining members struggle to define whether the fellowship of the TCBS is irreparably shattered. Then another is killed, leaving only Tolkien in the army and Christopher Wiseman in the navy. Tolkien develops trench fever and spends the rest of the war convalescing back in Britain.

Although the first part of the book moves slowly, the story is engaging and moving. Tolkien's mythology and literary prototypes were clearly taking root during this time, beginning themes that would come to fruition in his later, more famous writings. The author convincingly presents how those themes were influenced and shaped by Tolkien's experience of war and the loss of his close friends, as Tolkien feels compelled to be faithful to the legacy of the TCBS and "carry on" in their memory. One wonders what the lost friends would have gone on to write, had they lived. One wonders whether Tolkien's life and writings would be different, had his friends lived, or had WWI never happened.

Escape to Middle-earth.......2004-11-25

This is a book for Tolkien specialists, combining a partial biography of the writer with highly academic literary criticism. Tolkien experienced combat and suffering directly when serving in World War I, while two of his closest friends and many of his acquaintances died on the Western Front. In this book Garth ties the writer's wartime experiences to his later mythology, with a high degree of believability. Things get off to a rather slow start as Garth describes Tolkien's teen years and the close circle of schoolmates (in a literary fraternity called TCBS) who would encourage his writing. The influence of friends is surely unmistakable, but Garth takes the cheeky intellectual snobbery of the fraternity way too seriously, slowing down the early parts of this book. We then continue into Tolkien's war years, and then the biographical portion of the book ends when he was discharged in 1918 at just the age of 26, at which point he had only published a few poems.

Garth then shifts into a fascinating study of the often surprising and unexpected influence of the war on Tolkien's vast Middle-earth mythology. Note that Garth sticks mostly with Tolkien's earlier works, The Book of Lost Tales and The Silmarillion, while only brushing upon the later but more famous The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The point is that in the earlier works Tolkien was still constructing his literary worlds rather than expanding and perfecting them, and that was when his war experience loomed the largest. Tolkien experts are probably going to disagree with some of the details in Garth's literary analysis. But his larger point can't be denied. Tolkien's universe of mythological creatures and heroic epics was far from mere escapism, which is a frequent inaccurate criticism. Instead, Tolkien was making crucial points about war, friendship, industrialization, and tyranny, in the guise of some of the most epic literary creations the world has ever seen. [~doomsdayer520~]

The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: Reader's Guide: Volume 2: Reader's Guide

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Amazing work

The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: Reader's Guide: Volume 2: Reader's Guide
Christina Scull , and Wayne G. Hammond
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Amazing work.......2007-01-04

The Reader's Guide is one of the most impressive books about Tolkien and Tolkien's creation ever made. Actually, it is a vast encyclopedia, but instead of Frodo, Feanor or the Valar you can find in this book all of Tolkien and more important: Tolkien's sources. in this hefty volume (more than 1100 pages!) you can find extensive entries about interesting people in Tolkien's life like George Mcdonald, C.S Lewis and Barfield and interesting entries about themes and ideas in Tolkien creation like woman, light, time and more. Also you can find entries on the various sources that influenced Tolkien.
The main attraction is that you can find there entry about each chapter from the Silmarillion (the one that was published in 1977) with summary and complete analysis and references to the texts that Christopher used in order to build the chapters.

Scull and Hammond surely invested tremendous work in this volumes, the Bibliographical list is very impressive. Every entry is very detailed and although (As H&S wrote themselves in the foreword) you can't find there the whole information about some subjects, you can find in each entry enough to make you understand the basics. This book will not replace Shippey or even Carpenter, the Reader's Guide is something on a very different level: more like encyclopedia and less interpretation book.

This book is useful to everyone that wants to know more about Tolkien and Tolkien's creation. I think that this is tremendous achievement and great contribution to Tolkien study. If you read part or all of H.O.M.E and If you are making you own research - You should use this book, it will upgrade your research in a ways that you never dream that was possible.

Average customer rating:

Fascinating
Hermoso libro!
Exquisite, Good Content & Editing, Worth Owning
Middle Earth as seen through the eyes of it's creator
A must for fans of Middle-Earth

J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator

Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
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Roverandom

ASIN: 0618083618

Book Description

J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) renowned author of THE HOBBIT, THE LORD OF THE RINGS and THE SILMARILLION, was an artist in pictures as well as in words. Though he often remarked that he had no talent for drawing, his art has charmed his readers and has been exhibited to large and appreciative audiences the world over. In fact, his talent was far more than he admitted, and his sense of design was natural and keen.
J.R.R. TOLKIEN: ARTIST & ILLUSTRATOR explores Tolkien's art at length, from his childhood paintings and drawings to his final sketches. At its heart are his illustrations for his books, especially his tales of Middle-earth. Also examined are the pictures Tolkien made for his children, his expressive calligraphy, his love of decoration, and his contributions to the typography and design of his books.
With 200 reproductions, many in full colour, this lavishly-produced book offers a perfect opportunity for anyone wishing to discover a largely unexplored aspect of J.R.R. Tolkien's character.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating.......2006-12-29

This book is a great way to collect some of Tolkien's best works of art and to get a glimpse behind the scenes of one of the greatest literary figures of the 20th century. Highly recommended.

Hermoso libro!.......2006-07-27

Lleno de ilustraciones color, y algunas en blanco y negro. Me gusta porque es lo que Tolkien imaginó para sus obras... eso es lo que lo hace más hermoso. Además demuestra que Tolkien era un alma muy sensible, amante de la naturaleza, y esto se refleja no solo en sus libros sino también en sus dibujos. Me gustaría que estos dibujos estén incluidos en sus obras, no solo los dibujos de otros artistas. Hermoso, hermoso, para todos los admiradores de Tolkien.

Exquisite, Good Content & Editing, Worth Owning.......2005-06-04

This book features many of Tolkien's ink, watercolor, pencil, and colored pencil works. The detailed descriptions of each drawing include history, explanations, and dates. Quite a few maps are included, as well as illustrations for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It is wonderful to see how Tolkien imagined Middle Earth and its inhabitants. The colors he used are very earthy and lovely.

My favorite drawing in this book is "End of the World" done in pencil and colored pencil on a sheet of notebook paper - you can actually see the lines of the paper. It is so simple; yet, the story it tells includes subtle intricacies and complexities similar to those in his writings. I also love the pencil and colored pencil drawing, "The Tree of Amalion," which obviously blooms with the flowers of Tolkien's imagination since they do not resemble traditional flowers. Finally, the hand drawn Christmas cards are beautiful mini-stories with dancing bears and penguins, and Father Christmas making deliveries.

This book is truly exquisite, full of details and surprises for those of us who didn't know Tolkien was an extremely talented artist. It is a worthwhile purchase in my opinion.

J.H. Sweet, author of The Fairy Chronicles

Middle Earth as seen through the eyes of it's creator.......2005-02-18

Any fan of Tolkien has seen how others imagine Middle earth, from the art of Alan Lee to the films by Peter Jackson there are countless examples. This book is a treasure in that it gives us a look into Tolkien's own view of what Middle Earth looked like. Before buying this book I had no idea that Tolkien was so accomplished an artist. There are more drawings and paintings of "The Hobbit" than "Lord of the Rings," but this is a must own book for any serious reader of Tolkien.

A must for fans of Middle-Earth.......2003-02-27

With the reissue of Tolkien's cover of "The Hobbit" and other original drawings that he did, it seems like an appropriate time to pick up this book. Why? Because for a really complete vision of Tolkien's work (Lord of the Rings, Hobbit, and all the rest) it's probably best to see it as he saw it.

This book contains all the artwork that Tolkien created (NOT all the artwork BASED on his works, just the stuff he did himself!). Some are miscellaneous sketches and doodles, some are watercolors, ink drawings, prints, pencil sketches, and combinations of all of the above. One doodle looks like multicolored snowflakes, some are landscapes or pictures of little houses, teddy bears, owls, and so on. Very cute and cool, especially the illustrations done for "Roverandum."

And many are Middle-Earth related -- different views of the Misty Mountains or the Elvenking's hall, the evolution of what the Shire looked like, different Laketowns, different "Doors of Durin," even drawings of the tattered pages of the Dwarf Book of Moria. Near the end, even Tolkien's design drawings for LOTR book covers are included. And, of course -- MAPS! Maps of Wilderland, as well as the famous map from "Hobbit."

The text accompanying these many pictures carefully dissects all of the drawings and their importance, as well as how they evolved. (It's a bit like looking at concept art) As well as going over only Tolkien's work, Wayne G. Hammond also examines influences on Tolkien's artwork. For example, there is a fairy-tale picture that influenced a "Hobbit" picture, and a scientific drawing of a golden eagle that influenced another "Hobbit" picture with Bilbo.

This is a must-read for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien, a great peek into a great mind. And it emphasizes that Tolkien was not just a brilliant writer, but a brilliant artist as well. Great stuff, definitely a must-see.

Tolkien: A Biography
Average customer rating:

The man behind Middle Earth

Advised against.

A ripoff of other, better biographies

interesting

Michael White's misunderstandings

Tolkien: A Biography
Michael White
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Authors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Understanding The Lord of the Rings: The Best of Tolkien Criticism

The Children of Húrin

ASIN: 0451212428

Book Description

A comprehensive, authoritative, in depth and entertaining biography of one of the greatest and most influential fantasy authors in modern time, J.R.R. Tolkien.

In this informed an entertaining account, renowned biographer Michael White delves into the little-known life of one of the most treasured and enduring authors of our time, J.R.R. Tolkien.

In absorbing and revealing detail, White describes Tolkien's life -- from his childhood years and the tragic early death of his parents; his burgeoning romance with Edith Brett; fighting on the front lines in WWII; his many years as an Oxford academic, where the idea of the Hobbit struck him while marking a term paper; to his friendship with C.S. Lewis and the founding of the group "The Inklings"; and why The Lord of the Rings became the most influential book in the late sixties counter-culture, one of the most respected and most-read trilogies ever written, and the center of a major film phenomenon.

With 16 pages of black and white photos.

Customer Reviews:

The man behind Middle Earth.......2007-02-25

Over 100 million copies of the Lord of the Rings and 60 million copies of the Hobbit have been sold around the world. Each of these books have been translated into 30 languages including Serbo-Croat, Icelandic, Hebrew and Russian.
Tolkien's works were a major component of 1960's hippie culture, and hundreds of Tolkien societies have flourished all over the world. With the release of the smash hit Lord of the Rings movie series, a new wave of Tolkienmania has swept the world, and a welcome development too. With the blurring of moral values we have seen in recent years, we need an influence that makes the distinction between good and evil, that shows that the forces of evil threatening the free world, do not have to win.

In this work, Michael White delves into hte life of the creator of Middle Earth, his birth in Bloemfontein, South Africa, the idyllic childhood in Sarehole, England ,and his mother's conversion to Catholic Church, and the tragic early death of his parents. Tolkien's Catholic faith would be a major part of his entire life.
The book covers the development of Tolkien's thought and literary tastes, his romance with Edith Bratt, who was to be his wife for over 50 years, his action in the British Army during the First World War, and his academic career, his long years as an Oxford Don and Professor of Anglo-Saxon.
It also covers the process behind the creation of Tolkien's most famous works, the Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings and the Silmarillion, and his lifelong creation, the world of Middle Earth and the Undying Lands.
It also tells of his membership of the club the Inklings, which met for many years, in the pub, the Eagle and Child.
The book tells much of Tolkien's character and of the acclaim and criticism of Tolkien's work, including the recent malicious libel against 'Tolkien the racist', 'Tolkien the sexist' and 'Tolkien the fascist' , by narrow minded politically correct bigots.
Ultimately the massive following of Tolkien's works and the spin-offs they have inspired, speak for themselves.
Long live the spirit of JRR Tolkien.

Advised against........2006-02-12

I wouldn't call this book biography. It's more a sort of "imaginative memoir"; where the author `recreates' his subject's life (including being privy to his thoughts and emotional states) as a way of padding out his meagre research. It's also marked by glib generalizations, facile writing, and persistent illiteracy. Save your money.

A ripoff of other, better biographies.......2005-10-20

This biography is a highly commercialized ripoff. Avoid this. Humphrey Carpenter's definitive, authorized biography is vastly superior.

As far as I can tell, this book was written solely to capitalize on Tolkien's popularity. The introductory material makes clear that the author, White, wrote this with no independent knowledge of Tolkien's life. He admits that before starting this, he hadn't even read the Lord of the Rings since being a teenager. This book was written for one reason: to take your $$$$$.

If you're familiar with Carpenter's authorized biography, it quickly becomes apparent that this author has simply rearranged the material from Carpenter's book. The only information not lifted from Carptenter, from what I could discern, is a few bits lifted from another source: Tom Shippley's literary analysis of Tolkien. A wrinkle in the copyright laws (which gives less protection to biographies than to works of fiction) allows this sort of thing to happen. In schools everywhere, there's another name for it, which begins with a "p."

Moreover, Carpenter's biography is far stronger. Carpenter had access to Tolkien's papers, had met Tolkien, and studied at Oxford. He has also penned a biography on C.S. Lewis and the other Inklings. White, on the other hand, apparently had access only to Carpenter's biography; there is no evidence he did any independent research. Further still, Carpenter's authorized biography is charming and a pleasurable read, but this copycat version doesn't even offer that. And Carpenter's biography is only 250 pages, so this turkey isn't even more concise. Don't get suckered by this....

interesting.......2005-01-14

I thought the book, being short, was well done. I'm not a tolkien, the man, fan, myself, I just like the books he wrote. It was short enough to keep me interested and didn't go into tolkien worship. He was a man just like any of us. White didn't go into intense depth like some of the other authors, who border on tolkien worship. This book is for those who want to skim his life, his associations, like C.S. Lewis, his wife, etc., to see who he really is really quickly and go on. The few supposed 'errors' as some other reviewers put it, are completely outweighed by the many facts put forth by the author that paint the picture as it is done in other works, but at 30,000 feet. Like I said before if you want more depth and concise tolkien history go to some other book.

Michael White's misunderstandings.......2004-01-15

White frequently attempts to make vivid and interesting things he knows nothing about. Thus, he describes Tolkien's gruelling introductory training in the British army and the intense preparatory training for trench warfare at Etaples as "idle time." He also writes that at Etaples, soldiers had little to worry about aside from mines and snipers. In fact, Etaples was so far from the front that neither of these endangered the troops there. White, moreover, describes soldiers greasing their bayonets as they moved in trains toward the fighting. In fact, the bayonets were oiled. Some reading of the standard British Great War memoirs by Sassoon and Graves, who served in the trenches, would have kept White from his egregious mistakes.

See the amazon.canada reviews for further exposure of White's many errors.

Average customer rating:

Good, but "Artist" is a good alternative
All the fantastic pictures Tolkien ever made!!!

PICTURES BY TOLKIEN REV CL
J. R. R. Tolkien , and Christopher Tolkien
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Artists, A-Z | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Authors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator
A Question of Time: J.R.R. Tolkien's Road to Faerie
The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide, Volume 1: Chronology
The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: Reader's Guide: Volume 2: Reader's Guide
The Ring of Words: Tolkien and the Oxford English Dictionary

ASIN: 0395606489

Customer Reviews:

Good, but "Artist" is a good alternative.......2006-06-15

This is a great book with many of Tolkien's most wonderful pictures (those used in a series of LOTR calendars featuring his art), but rather than pay the usually very high price for it (it is long out of print), I would recommend "JRR Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator" (also found on amazon.com), which contains nearly all of the paintings, etc. from "Pictures by JRR Tolkien" in addition to a great many of Tolkien's pictures not included in "Pictures" (200 total, as opposed to "Pictures"'s 47). "Artist" is still in print, so is much more affordable. The only advantage of "Pictures is that it has many of the colored versions of Tolkien's pen-and-ink drawings (colored by H. E. Riddet) not included in "Artist". While the most obsessive Tolkien fans will want both "Pictures" and "Artist", most will be content without the far more expensive (and less inclusive) "Pictures."

All the fantastic pictures Tolkien ever made!!!.......1997-06-09

The only book with all the paintings and drawing by J.R.R Tolkien. Discover visually the author's own idea about his world. Moreover, it's a very beautiful book : the cover is nice and the drawings are awesome

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