ISBN: 0547524439 9780547524436

Category: Biography & Autobiography / Literary Figures

Page count: 384

<b>The definitive Tolkien companion—an indispensable guide to <i>The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, </i>and more, from the author of <i>The Road to Middle-earth</i>.</b> <br> <br> This "highly erudite celebration and exploration of Tolkien's works [is] enormous fun," declared the <i>Houston Chronicle,</i> and Tom Shippey, a prominent medievalist and scholar of fantasy, "deepens your understanding" without "making you forget your initial, purely instinctive response to Middle-earth and hobbits." <br> <br> In a clear and accessible style, Shippey offers a new approach to Tolkien, to fantasy, and to the importance of language in literature. He breaks down <i>The Lord of the Rings </i>as a linguistic feast for the senses and as a response to the human instinct for myth. Elsewhere, he examines <i>The Hobbit</i>'s counterintuitive relationship to the heroic world of Middle-earth; demonstrates the significance of <i>The Silmarillion </i>to Tolkien's canon; and takes an illuminating look at lesser-known works in connection with Tolkien's life. Furthermore, he ties all these strands together in a continuing tradition that traces its roots back through <i>Grimms' Fairy Tales </i>to <i>Beowulf</i>. <br> <br> "Shippey's commentary is the best so far in elucidating Tolkien's lovely myth," wrote <i>Harper's Magazine</i>. <i>J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century </i>is "a triumph" ( <i>Chicago Sun-Times</i>) that not only gives readers a deeper understanding of Tolkien and his work, but also serves as an entertaining introduction to some of the most influential novels ever written.