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J.R.R. Tolkien

1892-1973

Reviewed by Kat,
Bill, Rob R., Rebecca, Angus

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The Lord of the Rings
— (1954-1955)

One Ring to rule them all,
One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all
and in the darkness bind them.

Tolkien Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King

Available for download at Audible.com

Publisher: In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell by chance into the hands of the hobbit Bilbo Baggins. From Sauron's fastness in the Dark Tower of Mordor, his power spread far and wide. Sauron gathered all the Great Rings to him, but always he searched for the One Ring that would complete his dominion. When Bilbo reached his eleventy-first birthday he disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom. The Lord of the Rings tells of the great quest undertaken by Frodo and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf the Wizard; the hobbits Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli the Dwarf; Legolas the Elf; Boromir of Gondor; and a tall, mysterious stranger called Strider.

The Lord of the Rings: Bow to the Master

J.R.R. Tolkien was the master of fantasy, and that’s not just because he was the first to write a very popular epic. What makes Tolkien superior was how he used his extensive knowledge of mythology and linguistics to create his own complex world. He was a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford, a fellow of Pembroke College, and a fellow of Merton College where he studied and taught the linguistics of early English. Over many years he created his own elvish language with a complex syntax and grammar, and a complete history and mythology of Middle Earth (see the twelve volumes of The Histories of Middle-Earth below.) This gives his works so much complexity and texture that when you read them, you feel like you’ve dropped into the middle of a real civilization.

Besides the amazing world-building, Tolkien builds excellent characters and uses them to explore such heavy human themes as friendship, love, greed, power, redemption, gender-roles, self-sacrifice, and death. This is not a light epic for a Sunday afternoon. This is intense, bone-chilling, goose-bump raising stuff. You can feel the weight of the world on the shoulders of Frodo and his companions. And, though there's a happy ending, it comes with much suffering and loss.

And all the while, Tolkien's writing is beautiful and poignant. In my opinion, the only writers I've read who even begin to compare are Ursula LeGuin, Susanna Clarke, and perhaps Lois McMaster Bujold. —Kat Comments

The Fellowship of the Ring: "Drums, Drums in the Deep...They are Coming..."

Even today, almost six decades since its first publication, J.R R. Tolkien's magnificent work of fantasy is still attracting readers and scholars — more so now due to the publicity surrounding Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Perhaps for the first time ever, the movie release of a book adaptation has actually boosted sales of the book involved. And this can only be considered a good thing, as one cannot claim to be a literary reader without exploring Tolkien's Middle-Earth at least once in their lives.

To outline the story seems almost redundant, but here goes: in the idyllic pastoral land of the Shire lives the hobbit Frodo Baggins, who is entrusted with an immense task. The magical Ring that his uncle brought back from his adventuring is revealed by the wizard Gandalf to be none other than the ruling Ring of the Dark Lord Sauron, who is now mustering his forces to find his possession and overthrow the world once more.

And so Frodo sets off, with his cousins Merry Brandybuck and Pippen Took, and his loyal gardener Samwise Gamgee in order to conceal the Ring from the enemy and seek out a way in which to destroy it. His journey throws him into the path of the mysterious Ranger Strider, and the terrible Ringwraiths sent out to fetch Sauron's prize. Finally reaching the elven sanctuary of Rivendell, Frodo becomes a part of a larger Fellowship of men, hobbits, elves and dwarves, in order to make the perilous journey across land to the volcanic Mount Doom in the land of Mordor: the only place where the Ring could be destroyed.

On the way of course are dangers galore — the betrayal of the white wizard Saruman, the legions of orcs plaguing the land, the pattering footsteps of an unknown stalker, and of course the lure of the One Ring itself, whose corruptible nature endangers Frodo from within the Fellowship as well as without...

The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of the three books in the trilogy, which in turn are divided into six books (two books for each volume). This new edition of the text involves several new additions; a note explaining Tolkien's terminology and linguistic decisions (such as writing "elven" instead of "elfin" and "dwarves" instead of "dwarfs"), a foreword by Tolkien himself explaining how the story came about, and the famous prologue "Concerning Hobbits" which introduces the reader to the culture of these small creatures and the history of the Ring that took place in The Hobbit. Then of course there are the meticulous maps of Middle-earth, and the wonderful story itself.

In creating his work, Tolkien had done something that no author had done before, or since (despite the dismal attempts at copying by the likes of...well, I'll let you fill in the blanks) — the creation of an entire world, complete with history, flora, fauna, landmarks, star plotting, folk songs and a thousand other details that make Middle-Earth the most vivid and three-dimensional sub-creation that the literary world has ever seen. In many ways the land itself is the protagonist of the story — it is what the characters are fighting for, and at times the land itself helps or hinders the Fellowship's progress.

You can read this story from a thousand different viewpoints, whether it's the irrevocable fading of the magic in the world, the battle between good and evil (both internal and external), a beautiful love story between a mortal man and an elven maiden, the impossible journey of the ordinary-man to change to course of the world...the list goes on. Most touching for me however was the gentle touches of Christian ideology imbued and combined with the realms of Faery, creating a harmonious and magical whole, not as heavy handed as C.S. Lewis's Narnia allegories, but meaningful, deep and beautiful.

In reading Fellowship for the first time, one may be put off by the rather slow pace of the first book, in which Tolkien takes his time to set the scene, establish what's at stake, gather together his information and then throw in a singing Tom Bombadil. Trust me, if you hang in there to book two (when Frodo reaches Rivendell) then the pace will pick up.

Tolkien has a beautiful poetic prose used throughout the story, sometimes soft and gentle, sometimes grand and epic. There has never been a better time to get involved with The Lord of the Rings than with the release of Jackson's movie trilogy on DVD — read the book, and then watch the world unfold on the television screen. —Rebecca Comments

The Two Towers: "This is the Hour where we Draw Swords Together!"

The Two Towers is the second half of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic Lord of the Rings trilogy, and begins right where the previous book left off: the Fellowship has been sundered, with the death of Boromir, the escape of Frodo and Sam, the capture of Merry and Pippen, and the chase that ensues on the part of Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. Like the other two installments in the series, The Two Towers is split into two books, in this case it is Book Three and Book Four.

Book Three alternates between the journey of Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli in their cross country race across forest and plain in order to rescue Merry and Pippen. Their pursuit takes them into Rohan, the province of King Theoden and his people, known as the Horse-Lords due to their skill and affinity with horses.

Meanwhile Merry and Pippen are held captive by the terrible orcs as they race their way back to their master, the White Wizard Saruman, who has betrayed his calling and given in to his desire for the Ring. Now he wages war on Rohan, filling the court with his spies, and sends his orcs out on a mission to find the Ring before the Dark Lord himself does.

The two stories conjoin when Merry and Pippen are able to escape into Fangorn Forest, where they fall into the company of Treebeard — a mighty Ent, a tree-like guardian of the forestlands who is not happy with Saruman's treatment of his land. Likewise, the three hunters also find their way into the forest, only to meet someone that they thought was lost to them...

In Book Four we join up again with Frodo and Sam, who are making their lonely way toward the land of Mordor and the volcanic Mount Doom in order to destroy the Ruling One Ring. There the secretive figure that has been trailing them since Moria finally shows itself: it is the twisted creature Gollum, once a hobbit, who fell to the power of the Ring and nursed it for many years. Now Frodo employs him as their guide — despite the mistrust of Sam — to take them into the dangerous lands ahead.

But they too have their fair share of danger: as always the agents of the Dark Lord are abroad, and even the "good guys" can pose a threat, considering the constant lure of the Ring — enter Faramir, Boromir's own brother, who takes the hobbits into his custody.

The Two Towers suffers like many 'middle' books do — it inevitably does not start anything, and it does not finish anything. But one must keep in mind that Tolkien hated the idea of his work being separated into three separate volumes; he intended them to be published in a single book. The publishers however had other plans, and since then we have been subject to authors who think their books are not proper books unless they are split into multiple volumes.

But The Two Towers continues to expand and enlarge Tolkien's most wonderful creation — Middle-Earth itself. We are introduced to the dank and mysterious depths of Fangorn Forest and the plainlands of Rohan, based on the Nordic and Scandinavian culture that Tolkien was fascinated with. Just exploring these beautiful places is reason enough to read The Two Towers.

With the release of Peter Jackson's adaptation of the three books, it is always interesting to compare and contrast the two. Often the movies fall short in certain ways — often by reducing the nobility and goodness of several supporting characters, such as Faramir, Theoden and Treebeard, who need more pushing from the likes of Aragorn, Frodo and Gandalf to do the right thing rather than reach their own decisions. However, other times Jackson takes the opportunity to divulge further into little subplots and details that Tolkien only briefly touches on — the prime example being the relationship between Eowyn and Wormtongue. In Tolkien's words Wormtongue's lust is only briefly mentioned; but Jackson devotes a fascinating little sequence to it, with Wormtongue attempting to weaken Eowyn to his will.

Either way, the movie is as must-see as the book is must-read, though if you have only seen the movie and decide that it's not worth reading the book, I strongly suggest otherwise. Although Jackson creates a near-perfect visual duplicate of Middle-Earth, the book contains details and information that the movie must skim over, or neglect completely. If you want to know where Shadowfax came from, or where Gandalf went after defeating the Balrog, or Shelob's origins, then you'll have to consult the book. —Rebecca Comments

The Return of the King: "His Will was Set, and Only Death would Break It..."

There are many opinions and discussions that one could have on Tolkien's great epic, but one thing is for certain: he saved the best for last. Even Peter Jackson, the director of the film trilogy was heard to say: "I made the first two movies so that I could make the third." Everything that has been building in the first two installments now explodes across the pages: battles, intrigues, madness, escapes, disguises, rescues, chases — it's all here as the allied forces of Middle-Earth (Hobbits, Men, Elves, Dwarves and Ents) make their last desperate stand against the converging forces of evil.

Like the previous volumes, The Return of the King is divided into two books: Book Five and Book Six. Book Five concerns the reunion of most of the Fellowship and the lengths they take in order to draw the Dark Lord Sauron's eye away from Frodo and Sam. But this togetherness is not to last — soon Gandalf whisks Pippin away to the white city of Gondor in order to stir the city up for battle, whilst Merry swears fealty to King Theoden of Rohan and attempts to find a way to follow him into battle. In even more peril is Aragorn, who decides to take the dread Paths of Dead in order to muster the ghoulish allies that may be found there — with Legolas and Gimli at his side.

They will all converge once more in Gondor, (along with Faramir, Eomer, Eowyn and Denethor, the grim Stewart of the King) where the battle of their time will take place outside the walls...

In Book Six, Sam finds himself alone in the terrible realm of Mordor after realising that Frodo is not dead, but now captured by the Enemy. After Gollum's betrayal, Sam has nothing left to do but sneak his way into the very fortress of the Dark Lord in the attempt to find Frodo and continue their journey to Mount Doom. But with the Ring now in his keeping, he becomes aware for the first time of its terrible lure...

Everything that Tolkien has set up in the previous books come to fruition and is dealt with in its proper time and place — not always to happy endings, but to satisfactory and bittersweet ones: the fading of the elves, the cost of battle, the return of the king, and even Tolkien's subtle but vitally important Christian resonances in the course of the story. To point them out directly would be to take away your opportunity to discover them yourself, but keep in mind the triad role of Frodo, Gollum and the Ring: Frodo's continual mercy toward him, Gandalf's past words that "he has yet a part to play, for good or for evil," and the divine grace that seems to intercede at a crucial moment, where the fate of the entire world seems to hang in the balance.

At the end of the day, credit must be given where credit is due, and in many ways the hero of the piece is Samwise Gamgee. By the time we reach Book Six most of the journey is seen through Sam's point of view in order to better witness Frodo's decline and the intense devotion that Sam bestows on him. Perhaps my favourite part of the book is Sam's epiphany, when he gazes up at a lonely star in the sky — but again, I'll let you discover that for yourself.

Reading The Lord of the Rings is an amazing experience. By this stage, you'll probably be intensely invested in these characters and their situations, as well as enveloped in the detailed and three dimensional realm of Middle-Earth, the most vivid and realistic sub-creation that the literary world has ever seen, bar none. From the movement of armies to the pitiful sight of two tiny hobbits crawling up the side of a mountain; Tolkien can effortlessly describe both epic and intimate moments. In fact, in this contrast lies one of his most tear-stirring ideas — the careful and deliberate decision on the part of Aragorn, Gandalf and their allies use themselves as bait in the hope of the barest possible chance that Frodo will be able to complete his mission. The display of such enormous self-sacrifice is just...well, I'm lost for words to describe it.

Just as Peter Jackson made the first two movies in order to make the last one, reading the first two books definitely has its payoff in this magnificent conclusion. —Rebecca Comments

The Histories of Middle-Earth, Volumes 1-12 — (1983-1996) Publisher: Christopher Tolkien, who formerly taught at Oxford University, is J.R.R. Tolkien's son and literary executor. Contain Tolkien’s ideas, notes, poems, drawings, etc which he began in 1916 and which explain the entire conception of Middle-earth and Valinor. Die-hard Tolkien fans love these — they show how much thought and time when into the creation of Middle-Earth. Here is a synopsis of each book:

Volume 1 — THE BOOK OF LOST TALES, I, stands at the beginning of the entire conception of Middle-earth and Valinor. Here is the whole, glorious history of Middle-earth that J.R.R. Tolkien brought to mythic and dramatic life with his classic fantasy novels of the Ring Cycle.

Volume 2 — This second part of THE BOOK OF LOST TALES includes the tale of Beneren and Luthien, Turin and the Dragon, Necklace of the Dwarves, and the Fall of Gondolin. Each tale is followed by a commentary in the form of a short essay, together with the texts of associated poems, as well as information on names and vocabulary in the earliest Elvish languages.

Volume 3 — Comprises unpublished manuscripts that were written over a period of many years before Tolkien's Silmarillion was published. "I write alliterative verse with pleasure," wrote J.R.R. Tolkien in 1955, "though I have published little beyond the fragments in The Lord of the Rings, except The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth." The first of the poems in The Lays of Beleriand is the previously unpublished Lay of the Children of Hurin, his early but most sustained work in the ancient English meter, intended to narrate on a grand scale the tragedy of Turin Turambar. It was account of the killing by Turin of his friend Beleg, as well as a unique description of the great redoubt of Nargothrond. The Lay of the Children of Hurin was supplanted by the Lay of Leithian, "Release from Bondage", in which another major legend of the Elder Days received poetic form, in this case in rhyme. The chief source of the short prose tale of Beren and Luthien is The Silmarillion. This, too, was not completed, but the whole Quest of the Silmaril is told, and the poem breaks off only after the encounter with Morgoth in his subterranean fortress. Many years later, when The Lord of the rings was finished, J.R.R. Tolkien returned to the Lay of Leithian and started on a new version, which is also given in this book. Accompanying the poems are commentaries on the evolution of the history of the Elder Days, which was much developed during the years of the composition of the two Lays. Also included is the notable criticism in detail of the Lay of Lethian by C.S. Lewis, Tolkien's friend and colleague, who read the poem in 1929. By assuming that this poem is actually a fragment from a past lost in history, Lewis underlined the remarkable power of its author's imaginative talents and academic competence.

Volume 4 — Includes writings which display a great advance in the chronological and geographical structure of the legends of Middle-earth and Valinor. The hitherto wholly unknown "Ambarkanta," or Shape of the World, is the only account ever given of the nature of the imagined Universe, and it is accompanied by diagrams and maps of the world before and after the cataclysms of the War of the Gods and the Downfall of Numenor. The first map of Beleriand, in the North-west of Middle-earth, is also reproduced and discussed. In the "Annals of Valinor" and the "Annals of Beleriand" the chronology of the First Age is given shape; and with these are given the fragments of the translations into Anglo-Saxon made by Aelfwine, the Englishman who voyaged into the True West and came to Tol Eressea, the Lonely Isle, where he learned the ancient history of Elves and Men. Also included are the original "Silmarillion," written in 1926, from which all the later development proceeded, and the "Quenta Noldorinwa" of 1930, the only version of the myths and legends of the First Age that J.R.R. Tolkien completed to their end. As Christopher Tolkien continues editing the unpublished papers that form the bedrock from which The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion were quarried, the vastness of his father's accomplishment becomes even more extraordinary.

Volume 5 — At the end of the 1937 J.R.R. Tolkien reluctantly set aside his now greatly elaborated work on the myths and heroic legends of Valinor and Middle-earth and began The Lord of the Rings. This fifth volume completes the presentation of the whole compass of his writing on those themes up to that time. Later forms of the Annuals of Valinor and the Annals of Berleriand had been composed, The Silmarillion was nearing completion in a greatly amplified version, and a new map had been made; the myth of the Music of the Ainur had become a separate work; and the legend of the Downfall of Numenor had already entered in a primitive form, introducing the cardinal ideas of the World Made Round and the Straight Path into the vanished West. Closely associated with this was the abandoned time-travel story, The Lost Road, which was to link the world of Numenor and Middle-earth with the legends of many other times and peoples. A long essay, The Lhammas, had been written on the ever more complex relations of the languages and dialects of Middle-earth; and an etymological dictionary had been undertaken, in which a great number of words and names in the Elvish languages were registered and their formation explained - thus providing by far the most extensive account of their vocabularies that has appeared.

Volume 6 — In this volume 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.

Volume 7 — 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.

Volume 8 — 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.

Volume 9 — 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.

Volume 10 — Recounts from the original texts the evolution of The Silmarillion, the legendary history of the Elder Days or First Age, from the completion of the Lord of the Rings in 1949 until J.R.R. Tolkien's death. In volume ten, the narrative was taken only as far as the natural dividing point in the work, when Morgoth destroyed the Trees of Light and fled from Valinor bearing the stolen Silmarils.

Volume 11 — The story returns to Middle-earth and the ruinous conflict of the High Elves and the Men who were their allies with the power of the Dark Lord. With the publication in this book of allof J.R.R. Tolkien's later narrative writing concerned with the last centuries of the First Age, the long history of The Silmarillion is completed; the enigmatic state of the work at his death can now be understood. A chief element in The War of the Jewels is a major story of Middle-earth, now published for the first time - a continuation of the great "saga" of Turin Turambar and his sister Nienor, the children of Hurin the Steadfast. This is the tale of the disaster that overtook the forest people of Brethil when Hurin came among them after his release from long years of captivity in Angband, the fortress of Morgoth. The uncompleted text of the Grey Annals, the primary record of the War of the Jewels, is given in full; the geography of Beleriand is studied in detail, with redrawings of the final state of the map; and a long essay on the names and relations of all the peoples of Middle-earth shows more clearly than any writing yet published the close connection between the language and history in Tolkien's world. The text also provides new information, including some knowledge of the divine powers, the Valar.

Volume 12 — Throughout this vast and intricate mythology, says Publishers Weekly, "one marvels anew at the depth, breadth, and persistence of J.R.R. Tolkien's labor. No one sympathetic to his aims, the invention of a secondary universe, will want to miss this chance to be present at the creation." In this capstone to that creation, we find the chronology of Middle-earth's later Ages, the Hobbit genealogies, and the Western language or Common Speech. These early essays show that Tolkien's fertile imagination was at work on Middle-earth's Second and Third Ages long before he explored them in the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings . Here too are valuable writings from Tolkien's last years: " The New Shadow," in Gondor of the Fourth Age, and" Tal-elmar," the tale of the coming of the Nœmen-rean ships.

Stand-Alone Novels — some of these are related to the mythology, history, peoples, geography, and language of The Lord of the Rings and Middle Earth. Most are Available for download at Audible.com.

The Hobbit — (1937) Available for download at Audible.com. Publisher: Written for J.R.R. Tolkien's own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when first published more than sixty years ago. Now recognized as a timeless classic with sales of more than 40 million copies worldwide, this introduction to Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the Wizard, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth tells of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who wanted to be left alone in quiet comfort. But the wizard Gandalf came along with a band of homeless dwarves. Soon Bilbo was drawn into their quest, facing evil orcs, savage wolves, giant spiders, and worse unknown dangers. Finally, it was Bilbo —alone and unaided— who had to confront the great dragon Smaug, the terror of an entire countryside . . .

The Hobbit — FUN!

The Hobbit is just good clean fun, delightful for children and adults. If you've read LOTR and wondered how Bilbo got the ring, here's the story. I enjoyed Tolkien's omniscient narrator style in this book —somewhat like Thackeray's Vanity Fair, and more recently Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell— which I suppose he adopted because he was writing for children. I think it's charming.

I highly recommend the audiobook, read by Rob Inglis. He's a Royal Shakespeare company actor and the best audiobook reader I've ever heard (and I've heard a lot of them). He has a different voice for each dwarf, and he does a great Gollum, too. He actually sings the songs (nice voice!) and he even belches up ponies. The scene with the trolls is especially well-done. Mr. Ingliss could probably make one of Terry Goodkind's later books sound exciting, but The Hobbit actually is exciting and I highly recommend it for adults and kids. —Kat Comments

The Silmarillion — (1937) Available for download at Audible.com. Publisher: Tolkien's tragic, operatic history of the First Age of Middle-Earth, essential background material for serious readers of the classic Lord of the Rings saga. This is the "Bible of Middle-Earth” which tells a tale of the Elder Days, when Elves and Men became estranged by the Dark Lord Morgoth's lust for the Silmarils, pure and powerful magic jewels. Even the love between a human warrior and the daughter of the Elven king cannot defeat Morgoth, but the War of Wrath finally brings down the Dark Lord. Peace reigns until the evil Sauron recovers the Rings of Power and sets the stage for the events told in the Lord of the Rings.

The Silmarillion: "Fate Was Heavy That Night..."

I'm going to come right out and say what will make most people think I'm slightly crazy: I enjoyed reading The Silmarillion more than I enjoyed reading The Lord of the Rings. Why? I haven't the faintest idea. Maybe I was too young to properly appreciate The Lord of the Rings. Maybe my love of mythology made The Silmarillion a shoe-in. Maybe the lack of three-dimensional characters was more understandable in a book this vast. Maybe I'm just weird.

In any case, The Silmarillion is challenging, beautiful, epic reading and well worth the time and effort it'll take to fully appreciate the work Tolkien has put into his secondary world. Published after Tolkien's death and edited by his son Christopher Tolkien (who had the unenviable task of wading through his father's mountain of notes), The Silmarillion provides the historical background for what follows in The Lord of the Rings. Yes, as mind-boggling as it may be to conceive, The Lord of the Rings is only the tail-end of a massive history, as The Silmarillion is far more than a mere 'prequel' to Tolkien's famous trilogy; in fact anyone who does describe it as a mere prequel is doing it a grave disservice.

For The Silmarillion is a history; albeit a totally invented one. The inspiration for Middle-Earth came through two major facets; Tolkien's desire to provide a mythology for England (believing quite correctly that the Arthurian legends were strongly influenced by the French) and his own passion for created languages. After designing two invented languages (Quenta and Sindar), Tolkien needed a context in which they were used - what followed was The Silmarillion. It's impossible not to feel a sense of awe at the completeness of Tolkien's visions, for found here is his life's work set out into several books and chapters:

`The Ainulindale' is the rich and poetic account of the coming of consciousness to the world as Iluvatar, (Middle-Earth's God), makes a contingent of Valar (reminiscent of angels) and teaches them a harmonious song that shapes a vision of the world that is to come. Yet even now there is strife, due to the presence of Melkor, the mightiest of the Valar who sings his own melody against the tune of the other. The parallels to the Biblical account of God and Lucifer is very clear, and the similarities continue into...

`The Valaquenta', which is a detailed account of the fourteen central Valar; seven male, seven female. The Valar are best described as gods, each with separate attributes assigned to them. Though this segment is devoted mainly to describing each one and their positions within the world, it is written with extraordinary imagination and poetry as Tolkien describes the hierarchy of the Valar, the secondary spirits called the Maia, and the enemies that emerge at the dawning of the world.

This is followed by `Quenta Silmarillion', which makes up the bulk of the book and contains the namesake of the book. The silmarils are three beautiful jewels formed by the elf-craftsman Feanor that contain the light of two miraculous trees. But when Melkor (soon to be called Morgoth, the first Dark Lord), hears of their existence, he forms a plan that allows him to successfully capture the jewels and escape. Furious at the theft, the hot-headed Feanor swears a binding oath to retrieve them, setting into motion a tragic chain of events as his people set sail from the Western Isles back into Middle Earth to wage war upon Morgoth.

What follows is a massive chronicle, highlighting events and individuals within this great war, with a scope too large to even begin to summarise. Needless to say, it's nearly impossible to keep track of all the characters (especially when they have similar sounding names) and one story blends into another continuously so that it feels like one massive volume rather than a range of smaller stories. The story is marked by the founding of great cities, the forging of dynasties, the division of peoples and waging of battles. There is tragedy, beauty, torture, escapes, murders, betrayals, hubris and even incest, all of which is too vast and detailed to go into any further detail on.

However, one story does deserve special mention, that of Beren and Luthien, a mortal man and an elf maiden who fall in love (and are the precursors to Aragorn and Arwen). After Luthien's father tells Beren he can only win his daughter's hand by fetching one of the silmarils that rest inside Morgoth's iron crown, the couple take it upon themselves to steal the gem from within the Dark Lord's own fortress. A major theme prevalent in The Lord of the Rings is also present here, that of simple folk (in this case an outcast and a maid) doing what the great and mighty find impossible. Tolkien himself drew a comparison between the hobbits and this tragic couple, but the tale of Beren and Luthien held an even deeper meaning for him. He affiliated his beloved wife Ethel with Luthien, and when she died he had the name "Luthien" inscribed beneath her name on her gravestone. When Tolkien passed away several years later, the name "Beren" was added to his name.

Finally, "The Akallabeth" moves away from the Elves to explore Mankind, their island home of Numenor and its destruction (much like our legend of Atlantis) and "The Rings of Power" which puts the events of The Lord of the Rings in a nutshell, ending on the most poignant note imaginable.

When coupled with The Silmarillion, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings suddenly take on an even greater depth and beauty than when read singularly. My appreciation for both volumes went up tenfold after experiencing the massive history and scope of their history that Tolkien meticulously mapped out for them. The Lord of the Rings may be Tolkien's most famous work, but The Silmarillion is his masterpiece. —Rebecca Comments

The Children of Hurin — (2007) Publisher: Tolkien fans are sure to treasure this tale of Middle-earth's First Age, which appeared in incomplete forms in the posthumously published The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales. Those earlier books, also edited by Tolkien's son, Christopher, only hinted at the depth and power of the tragic story of Túrin and Niënor, the children of Húrin, the lord of Dor-lómin, who achieved renown for having confronted Morgoth, who was the master of Sauron, the manifestation of evil in the Lord of the Rings. The lengthy and fatiguing battle against Morgoth forms the backdrop for the moving account of the life of Húrin's eldest son, Túrin, a valiant but proud warrior whose all too human frailties augur an unhappy end. Perhaps Tolkien's most three-dimensional figure, Túrin flees from the elven kingdom where he has grown into manhood, sheltered from the forces of evil, after he's unjustly judged responsible for another's death. He hides his true identity as he begins a new life as leader of a band of outlaws, a choice that has dire consequences when he crosses paths with a family member after many years of separation. Deftly balancing thrilling battles with moments of introspection, Tolkien's vivid and gripping narrative reaffirms his primacy in fantasy literature.

The Children of Hurin

Tragic literature can be so beautiful that it deserves to be set to music. In this, the most poignant of Tolkien’s tales about the fragility of human existence, Tolkien shows how those who would be princes of men can so easily be ensnared by their pride. The Children of Húrin is at once a moral tale, but also one of oppression, as the reign of Morgoth, the first Dark Lord in Tolkien’s Middle Earth, is reaching the pinnacle of its power. This is one of the three great tales of the Elder days that Tolkien originally wished to publish together as The Book of Lost Tales, but the project was long abandoned in favour of other things. The other tales were The Tale of Tinúviel (the story of Beren and Luthien) and The Fall of Gondolin. I would not be surprised if JRRT’s estate also published versions of these.

As a long-time Tolkien fan, I knew what was going to happen in this book. It is an expansion of Chapter 9 of The Silmarillion, and it is not the plot that drew me to it. I have always loved every bit of Tolkien’s prose and verse, as his writing sweeps me away to places that have never existed, in ancient times that have never come to pass. The writing is archaic, and I, for one, like it that way, because it is precisely this archaic prose that sweeps me away. This tale just oozes with atmosphere, which, as Rob pointed out in his review below, is complimented by Alan Lee’s beautiful yet somber illustrations, and the story and descriptions therein just drip with ancientness. The brave despair of Túrin and his family is apparent very early on in the book, even before the fateful battle that takes Húrin from his family to be imprisoned and cursed by Morgoth.

The Children of Húrin reminds me both of a Shakespearean tragedy, such as Hamlet, because the hero, Túrin, is so fatally flawed, but also of a Wagnerian opera, such as The Ring Cycle, because of its grandeur and impact. It is Túrin’s flaws that force his doom upon him. However, it is not that simple. The evil will of Morgoth, and his servant the dragon Glaurung, exploit his virtues, namely his bravery and prowess in battle, to help him rush headlong into his doom. However, but for Túrin’s pride, and the pride of his mother Morwen and his sister Niënor, the story would have been a happier one. I think this is Tolkien’s point, as pride seems to be humanity’s greatest sin because it tends to precede all the others.

Readers who are disappointed in The Children of Húrin because it is not happy have completely missed the point and should go back to reading cleansed fairy tales. Tragedy is central to human existence, and Tolkien explores it incredibly well, and with aching beauty. It has been pointed out elsewhere that Tolkien’s weakness is characterization, though I believe that reviewers who hold that opinion are guilty of historicism. Tolkien overcomes that criticism in this book, as I had such a clear idea of Túrin’s character. This is a beautiful, haunting, introspective look at human failing. I would love to see this story made into an opera. It simply deserves music. —Angus Comments

The Children of Hurin: A beautiful, somber book

Long before Bilbo Baggins left his hobbit hole, the Men and Elves of Middle Earth struggled valiantly against the Great Enemy, Morgoth (the fallen Valar and master of Sauron, the eventual "Lord of the Rings"). One man in particular, Húrin, brazenly defied Morgoth, who imprisoned him and laid a dire curse upon his children. First told — in a lesser form — in The Silmarillion, this tale chronicles their efforts, especially those of Húrin's son, Túrin, to defy the curse — driven largely by the malicious dragon Glaurung — and, perhaps, to escape it.

In this instance, it is worth reviewing both the story and the form in which it is published. With regard to the former, the tragedy of Túrin is a beautiful and powerful tale, told as by a master-bard in a classical, omniscient voice well-suited to descriptions of nature and events that span decades. Although the language is often archaic, and the myriad names of characters and places almost overwhelming, the tale steadily moves forward and is relatively short. (Túrin's many aliases are also fine artistic touches.) Ultimately, it earns its shadowed place on the vast, rich, and poignant tapestry that is the history of Middle Earth.

And, as a rare achievement, the physical presentation — the book itself — is equal to the story. Beginning with a gorgeous cover painting of Túrin, standing alone beneath a leaden sky and armed with his black sword and dragon-helm, that captures the grandeur and solemnity of the tale, illustrations — both color and black-and-white — abound. A particularly useful feature is a map that can be unfolded from within the back cover so as to be visible during reading. Finally, introductions and appendices provide information which should satisfy all but Middle Earth's most ravenous fans. (In short, this is a book one should not buy as a mass market paperback, if ever released as such.)

Together, the tale and book constitute a beautiful work that should be a fine gift to fans of epic, medieval fantasy. Recommended for all fantasy readers (of sixth grade age or older), except those frustrated by archaic language or numerous, fictitious names. Four stars, ancient but bright.
—Rob R. Comments

Tales from the Perilous Realm — (2008) Publisher: The definitive collection of Tolkien's classic "fairie" tales, in the vein of The Hobbit, illustrated by Oscar winner Alan Lee. Never before published in a single volume, Tolkien's four novellas (Farmer Giles of Ham, Leaf by Niggle, Smith of Wootton Major, and Roverandom) and one book of poems (The Adventures of Tom Bombadil) are gathered together for the first time, in a fully illustrated volume. This new, definitive collection of works — which had appeared separately, in various formats, between 1949 and 1998 — comes with a brand-new foreword and endmatter, and with a series of detailed pencil illustrations by Alan Lee, in the style of his other award-winning Tolkien work, most recently in The Children of Húrin. The book is the perfect opportunity for fans of Middle-earth to enjoy some of Tolkien's often overlooked yet most creative storytelling. With dragons and sand sorcerers, sea monsters and hobbits, knights and dwarves, this collection contains all the classic elements for Tolkien buffs of all ages.

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun — (2009) Available for download at Audible.com Publisher: The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún is a previously unpublished work by J.R.R. Tolkien, written while Tolkien was Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford during the 1920s and ‘30s, before he wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It makes available for the first time Tolkien’s extensive retelling in English narrative verse of the epic Norse tales of Sigurd the Völsung and The Fall of the Niflungs. It includes an introduction by J.R.R. Tolkien, drawn from one of his own lectures on Norse literature, with commentary and notes on the poems by Christopher Tolkien.

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun: 4 stars for big Tolkien fans and 3 1/2 for just fans

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun, the "new" book by J.R.R. Tolkien put together by his son Christopher, is a translation-slash-"unifying" of the great Norse story of Sigurd the dragon-slayer and what happens to his wife and his murderers after his death. The story is told in verse form, two "lays" surrounded by commentary that Christopher Tolkien has taken from his father's notes and lectures dealing with the Norse legend. Christopher also adds some of his own commentary, placing the translations into some context with regard to his father's writing as well as adding some historical and literary/critical context, often dealing with the source material Tolkien used.

The fact that the story is in verse will, I'm sure, be off-putting to many fantasy readers. Even more of an obstacle, though, is that the form isn't simply verse but an attempt to be faithful to Norse epic verse, complete with its (to English ears and eyes) strange half-lines, heavy alliteration and stress pattern, and extreme concision. The faith to form makes it difficult reading at times. For instance, the need for alliteration and the requirement of meter means Tolkien sticks to a lot of archaic "ithms" and the like, and also means there is a lot of word/syntax inversion which can require some hard thinking at times to figure out just what is being said (and by whom and/or to whom). Meanwhile, the focus on the Norse love of concision (what J.R. R. Tolkien refers to as a desire to "strike a blow" like a "flash of lightning") leads to some sudden leaps of "plot" or dialogue/monologue or some just plain confusing "now why did she do that" sort of narrative. The interspersed scholarly commentary can also be tough sledding, with its sometimes arcane references to variant names, for instance.

But The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun is surprisingly rewarding. One could summarize the "plot" in a few sentences (or in several long nights of opera per Wagner) and many elements will be familiar to fans of fantasy and mythology—though lost manuscripts, variant versions, idiosyncratic retellings (Wagner again) all mean that chances are good one doesn't know all the details as presented by Tolkien in his own personal version. But one doesn't read poetry for "plot" and the same holds true here. What Tolkien aimed at here (and one should note he never saw these as published works) was to capture the force, the energy, of the Norse epic form and the tale itself and he mostly succeeds. Despite the obscure moments of narrative (what just happened in that stanza?) or character (who is talking here? Why is she so upset?) the poems do tend to drive the reader forward and many a scene, such as the battle between Gudrun's brothers and Attila the Hun, are quite exciting, something that may surprise people who view poetry as only the stuff of drawing rooms and small moments of nature. There's blood and dragons and drum beating and swords, gods and demons and giants, betrayal and incest and if it isn't all crystal clear, it's all still self-evidently there. And while the commentary can at times be a bit dense or far-flung, it's mostly a welcome addition, adding much appreciated clarity and context.

Beyond the enjoyment of pace, rhythm, energy and story, Tolkien fans will revel in those moments of recognition, flashes of linkage to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, or his other Middle-Earth works, such as when we encounter Mirkwood the first time. More than just linguistics, though, it will be clear that Tolkien was working in just this sort of mythic vein when he devised his themes, characters, and basic narratives (the hanging of the sun and moon, for instance, can't help but recall images of the young world of the Silmarillion).

I picked up The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun as a Tolkien fan wanting to see just those links. And also as a fan of myth (I've read prose versions of this story several times). But I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed the poems themselves in their own right. I can't say I'm going to stock my library with Norse Eddic poetry, but I found myself several times utterly captivated and catapulted by some of Tolkien's stanzas. As for recommendation, I'm more willing than I would have predicted to tell folks to give it a shot even if they aren't diehard Tolkien fans — you may be equally surprised. —Bill Comments

Books about Tolkien

The Battle for Middle Earth: Tolkien's Divine Design in The Lord of the Rings — (2004) by Fleming Rutledge. Publisher: J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings has long been acknowledged as the gold standard for fantasy fiction, and the recent Oscar-winning movie trilogy has brought forth a whole new generation of fans. Many Tolkien enthusiasts, however, are not aware of the profoundly religious dimension of the great Ring saga. In The Battle for Middle-earth Fleming Rutledge employs a distinctive technique to uncover the theological currents that lie just under the surface of Tolkien’s epic tale. Rutledge believes that the best way to understand this powerful "deep narrative" is to examine the story as it unfolds, preserving some of its original dramatic tension. This deep narrative has not previously been sufficiently analyzed or celebrated. Writing as an enthusiastic but careful reader, Rutledge draws on Tolkien’s extensive correspondence to show how biblical and liturgical motifs shape the action. At the heart of the plot lies a rare glimpse of what human freedom really means within the Divine Plan of God. The Battle for Middle-earth surely will, as Rutledge hopes, "give pleasure to those who may already have detected the presence of the sub-narrative, and insight to those who may have missed it on first reading."

book review The Battle for Middle Earth by Fleming Rutledge The Battle for Middle Earth: Tolkien's Divine Design in The Lord of the Rings

Fleming Rutledge is arguably the ideal critic of The Lord of the Rings. An ardent student of English literature, an orthodox (Episcopal/Anglican) priest, and a gifted writer, she brings to bear impressive resources in analyzing an often- or over-analyzed work. In doing so, she builds an impressive case in support of a seldom-heard conclusion: Tolkien's masterpiece is a masterpiece not only of storytelling, but also of theology and, perhaps, evangelism.

In making this case, Rutledge relies not only on her careful reading of the text (including its prequel, The Hobbit), but also on Tolkien's letters (as indicated by extensive and informative footnoting). In particular, she challenges commonly held ideas about the epic, including but not limited to the following: (1) it is a tale of pure good versus absolute evil; (2) it occurs in another world; and (3) it lacks a divine presence. Other repeated topics include rational inferences as to how Tolkien would feel about modern cultures and wars and Rutledge's juxtaposition of the text and Peter Jackson's film trilogy.

Rutledge's writing is clear and often striking. That said, the book is slightly more repetitive (and thus longer) than it needs to be, and on occasion, it feels like Rutledge is reaching for an appropriate Biblical verse or analogy. Nevertheless, this is a serious, thorough, and important study of the epic — structured not thematically, but parallel, to the narrative — that future students and critics cannot afford to ignore. And as for Christians who enjoy fantasy literature, this is essentially a collection of essays and sermons focusing on one of fantasy's great works. (For this latter group, this would be an ideal birthday or Christmas gift.) Highly recommended for either group. 4-1/2 gleaming elven jewels. —Rob R. Comments

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Jannel – Canyon Country CA June 23, 2009 - 17:35 Subject: The Lord of the Rings Great review Katherine! B.R. Ridley May 19, 2009 - 13:58 Subject: The Silmarillion I had the impression that The Silmarillion would be boring, so I'm glad to see your review! I will give it a try! arrisje – in my kitchen :) December 05, 2008 - 07:33 Subject: layout Love this layout of your webpage Kat December 05, 2008 - 13:03 Subject: Re: layout Thanks for the feedback!!

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