J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century

by Tom Shippey

Publisher:

Mariner Books

, 2014

Overview

The definitive Tolkien companion—an indispensable guide to The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and more, from the author of The Road to Middle-earth.
 
This “highly erudite celebration and exploration of Tolkien’s works [is] enormous fun," declared the Houston Chronicle, 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."
 
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 The Lord of the Rings as a linguistic feast for the senses and as a response to the human instinct for myth. Elsewhere, he examines The Hobbit’s counterintuitive relationship to the heroic world of Middle-earth; demonstrates the significance of The Silmarillion 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 Grimms’ Fairy Tales to Beowulf.
 
“Shippey’s commentary is the best so far in elucidating Tolkien’s lovely myth," wrote Harper’s Magazine. J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century is “a triumph" ( Chicago Sun-Times) 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.

Praise for J.R.R. Tolkien

“He is of all writers on Tolkien the one most worth reading.” —David Bratman, Mythprint
 
“Professor Shippey’s commentary is the best so far in elucidating Tolkien’s lovely myth.” —Harper’s Magazine
 
“Authoritative and timely.” —The Boston Globe
 
“Wonderfully readable . . . Shippey makes an impressive case for why the creator of Middle-earth is deserving of acclaim.” —Publishers Weekly
 
“Shippey is a rarity, a scholar well-schooled in critical analysis whose writing is beautifully clear.” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune
 
“Delightful exploration of the relationship between Tolkien’s fiction . . . scholarly work and the mythical, linguistic and philosophical history underlying both.” —Salon.com
 
“[Tolkien] deserves his full due, and Shippey’s appreciative assessment of his unique achievement provides it in full and satisfying measure.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer
 
“Shippey presents a remarkably insightful account of the origins of Tolkien’s use of language and myth.” —Chicago Tribune
 
“Full of things-we-hadn’t-known . . . As scholarship, it’s one of the more enjoyable works I’ve run across.” —The San Diego Union-Tribune [1992–2012]
 
“[Shippey] deepens your understanding of the work without making you forget your initial, purely instinctive response to Middle-earth and hobbits.” —Houston Chronicle
 
“An invaluable study . . . It illuminates the text and enables the reader to better appreciate the works under discussion.” —The Washington Times

Product Details

• Title : J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century
• Author: Shippey, Tom
• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Publication Date: 2014
• ISBN: 9780547524436

About Tom Shippey

Tom Shippey taught at Oxford University at the same time as J. R. R. Tolkien and with the same syllabus, which gives him an intimate familiarity with the works that fueled Tolkien's imagination. He subsequently held the chair of English language and medieval literature at Leeds University that Tolkien had previously held.