This is the 1981 2nd edition of Richard West's excellent descriptive bibliography of Tolkien criticism. While it's not as comprehensive as Judith Johnson's 1986 bibliography of the same, and while it lacks the useful year-by-year organization of the same, it is much more descriptive. The major works of criticized are summaried in substantial detail and the cross-references are particularly good. I'd consider both this and the Johnson bibliography to be essential for any Tolkien scholar-- it's only a shame that neither's been updated for over 15 years!

Randel Helms looks at Tolkien's major works, "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings", both separately and in relation to each other, and traces the development of Tolkien's world through early essays and lectures, to "The Hobbit", to its culmination in "Lord of the Rings". The theme of power, the origins of orcs, the meaning of being a 'hero', as viewed and developed by Tolkien through these works, are all discussed. Helms also makes a (largely mocking) psycho-analytic analysis of "The Hobbit" as a child's tale of growing up, and, more importantly, compares the structures of "The Hobbit" to the structure of "Lord of the Rings" to show how the later work was influenced by the earlier, yet was also a maturation of Tolkien's vision. Finally, Helms looks at some of Tolkien's later short works as allegories about his own relation to his art. An entertaining and recommended critical study of Tolkien, which is always insightful and never heavy-handed.

This very well written account of Tolkiens life as a boy, a husband, writer and professor takes you away from where you are into the heart of Tolkien's being. It covers his writtings in depth, the making of languages, of peoples, of maps. But also his academic life, Beowulf, the Islandic Saga, the inklings, his relationship with C.S. Lewis, his day-to-day habits, his children, his religion. It breathes a wonderful inspiring atmosphere. I've read is several times now, and it still moves me.

This biography is a gem in its own right. You won't regret buying it.

Brian Rosebury's Tolkien: A Critical Assessment is quite simply the finest extended critical work dealing with J. R. R. Tolkien. Rosebury sidesteps the twin hazards of Tolkien reviewing: cultish adulation and dismissive belittling. Instead he examines where Tolkien suceeds and where he fails. He pays attention to specific language and descriptive strategies that Tolkien employs while also addressing questions of theme and meaning. He concludes by placing Tolkien in relation to other authors of fiction and not separating him from critical dialogue.

Rosebury writes with a clear yet scholarly style. The book is relatively brief (150 some pages) but is quite comprehensive. It focuses mainly on The Lord of the Rings.

I found it both extremely helpful and enjoyable.

This is a beautiful book. Reading through it, the intentions of Tolkien are revealed. It makes all of the stories of middle earth more real, tangable, comforting. It can be read and reread; each time more layers, more connections are made. Tolkien confronts reality of fantasy in this essay and poem. He justifies our human need for subcreation, and comfort in art.

These books captured my imagination like no other books ever have. Tolkien's vision is astounding. His ability to use words to paint such an enormous and vivid picture is without equal. I cannot get enough of Middle Earth. Although these are fantasy novels, everything is so real. There is no way I can do justice to Tolkien's masterpeice with these few words. Middle Earth is a place where childhood dreams, nightmares, and fantasies all come true in bright, vivid colors.

I've just finished reading the Lord Of The Rings for the second time. My first reading of it was about three years ago. Amazingly, (and I think this says something of the quality of the story itself) I would say I enjoyed it even more this second time around. It is so sweeping and wide that it still thrills, never losing any of its unpredictablity even if one is already familiar with the ending. Tolkien's Middle Earth is so immense, such an entire "sub-creation" (as the author himself referred to it)... complete with its own creatures, history, languages, and breathtaking landscapes... I believe it is without parallel in fantasy literature of any era. This book is myth, rather than allegory. By that I mean that there is not really meant to be any strict one-to-one correspondence to specifically theological, political, or psychological aspects of our own "real" world. No-one in Middle-Earth is named Mr. Worldly-Wiseman or Mr. Evangelist or Mr. Charity. No, here we meet people and things like Tom Bombadil, Gollum or Treebeard... hobbits, elves, dwarves, ents, orcs and yes, even Men. And yet, as with great allegorical works all of these characters gravitate to one of two poles or extremes that can be seen as "good" or "evil". The Lord of The Rings is truly about a grandiose struggle between the FORCES of good and evil. In Chapter 2 of Book 2 we read that "Good and ill have not changed... nor are they one thing among Elves and Dwarves and another among Men." An interesting thing about the book is how Tolkien's brand of "dualism" very subtly points to the reality that ultimate Good or Evil is something yet greater (or beyond) any of the characters that try to perpetrate either of them. This is most clear in a statement by Gandalf in Book 3 during "The Last Debate" where he says "Other evils there are that may come; for Sauron is himself but a servant or emissary. Yet it is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule." If Sauron (who throughout the book appears as the evil to be reckoned with) is "but a servant or emissary"... then we must consider the question... an emissary of what? Or whom? And similarly, if all of the "good" that the Fellowship of The Ring strives to achieve will yet not "master all of the tides of the world"... then where is this locus of ULTIMATE good? Gandalf makes it clear that their own "goodness" is limited to the years wherein they are set. At the end of The Lord of The Rings, the future yet belongs to the good AND the evil that lie beyond the powers of any of the characters that have played a part in the present conflict. Maybe we are supposed to wonder... who IS the Lord of the rings? Almost 50 years ago C.S. Lewis, a friend of Tolkien's, said of The Lord of The Rings: "Such a book has of course its predestined readers, even now more numerous and more critical than is always realised. To them a reviewer need say little, except that here are beauties which pierce like swords or burn like cold iron; here is a book that will break your heart." And I too, could go on forever about it, but my best suggestion is for you to quit reading this, and just read the book. Or re-read it! The best review would be terribly inadequate. Tolkien's Middle-Earth is as impossible to imagine before you go there as it is to forget about once you've been.

It is impossible to adequately describe this epic without simply repeating the words of the book! This classic tale has great depth and is interesting from many perspectives. First and foremost, it is a ripping good yarn, plain and simple. It is the king of adventures, and puts all the classic fairy tales to shame. If you like fantasy, this is the father of all fantasy- Tolkien was THE master of the genre. It is a moral tale, detailing the universal struggle between good and evil, right and wrong, and the prices and rewards we all face, whatever we may choose. It is a fantastic demonstration of true honor, integrity and friendship, and of how the temptation of evil can destroy us completely. The language is beautiful and poetic, like music for the imagination. Tolkien develops entire languages, and the poetry he writes within these books ranges from clever to moving to beautiful. If I had to be trapped on a desert island, and could only pick one book, it would be Lord of the Rings. I received this set as a gift as a child, and was immediately mesmerized. I read the tale at least once a year growing up, and , yes, I did have a life and other things to read! This is actually just that good! I still find it therapeutic to immerse myself in the tale again... If you are reading this for the first time, I envy you...enjoy!

Tolkien's Hobbit takes the imagination on a wonderful flight of fantasy. I read this book on a yearly basis and each year I am delighted and captivated by the world of Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo is a reluctant member of an adventure that will forever change his life and the lives of those around him. He accompanies 13 dwarves on a mission to reclaim the gold and mountain kingdom of their ancestors from the dragon, Smaug. They have many adventures and mishaps on their journey to the lonely mountain including the climactic battle of five armies. Bilbo finds a magic ring along the way which leads, not only to a rise in his stature, but also to a new adventure for his friends in "The Lord of the Rings." Tolkien is a master storyteller and the depth of his skill is best seen in this tale. In the following trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings" the story is continued, but the sheer delight of "The Hobbit" is never fully recaptured. This collector's edition is beautifully bound. Even more enjoyable are the illustrations and paintings by the author himself.

With 667 reviews and pending ~~ I better keep mine short and sweet so the reader won't get overwhelmed!

I tried reading J.R.R. Tolkien back in high school but just couldn't get into his writing style then. I was awfully immature then ~~ because when I picked up the Hobbit on my honeymoon ~~ I couldn't believe how wonderfully written and how rich the descriptions of Tolkien's Hobbit world. It's a fanastic read ~~ one that I would highly recommend to everyone!

And how can anyone not fall in love with Bilbo Baggins, the Hobbit that left the Shire to answer the call that Gandalf put out? The adventures he set upon ~~ both externally and internally ~~ made a real Hobbit out of Baggins.

If you're going to read the Lord of the Rings trilogy ~~ I highly recommend people to start with the Hobbit first ~~ it is a lighter read and wonderfully written as well ~~ and so entertaining! Mere words can't describe its wonder well enough! Just pick this book up and get lost in Tolkien's magical world!

1-17-02

Because of Tolkien's reputation as a master story-teller, I began reading this book with absurdly high expectations. The slow beginning confirmed my suspicions that such high expectations could not possibly be realistic, and I prepared myself to be gloriously disappointed. Quite honestly, by the end of the first chapter I shared the opinion of the protagonist, the hobbit: I was rather unenthusiastic, and doubtful that the "adventure" which lay ahead could truly be as exciting as it promised to be.

But Tolkien rarely disappoints. Within pages, along with our hobbit hero, Bilbo Baggins, I found myself launched into the famous fantasy world that is the product of Tolkien's imagination, a world of never-ending adventure, mystery and magic. As I joined the hobbit on his remarkable quest to defeat the dragon Smaug and reconquer the dwarves long-lost treasure, I met a wonderful array of friends and foes - wizards, dwarves, elves, trolls, goblins, and a myriad of other fantastic creatures - and my imagination and interest never waned.

By the end of the hobbit's adventure, like Bilbo, I was thoroughly satisfied. At the conclusion, the wizard Gandalf remarks to the hobbit: "My dear Bilbo! Something is the matter with you! You are not the hobbit that you were." Yet it was not only the hobbit that had changed as a result of this adventure. As a reader, I had to confess that I too had changed. My initial lack of enthusiasm had entirely vanished. I had participated in the hobbit's adventures, and like him, returned the better for it. Tolkien's imaginative world is a world so vivid, that you cannot fail to return to the real world a changed person. His descriptive abilities cannot fail to imprint his imaginary world in your memory. This story is not deep, but it is delightful and unforgettable. And like the hobbit, you will return to life the better having read it.

What's more, you can go "there and back again" again, and again, because the joy of this fantastic adventure won't quickly wear off. For all ages, this book is eminently readable and re-readable, and belongs on every bookshelf. Don't miss it, because you will miss one of the most enchanting escapes that literature has to offer.

What can be better than reading the three greatest books--"The Fellowship of the Ring," "The Two Towers," and "The Return of the King"--ever written? Having a leather-bound volume with all three together is better. If you are a fan of the books or you have a loved one that is, this is the best edition to own. It has a big fold-out map in the back for reference, all the references you can think of, and a really neat red leather cover. I have had this edition for 20 years and it's still in excellent condition. Well worth the cost.

Outside of The Bible, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien is simply the best book written in all of time. On a scale of 1 - 10 it is a 100. Nothing in any genre has ever been written better. Originally designed as a six-book, three-volume work, the wonderful people at Houghton Mifflin Company have published the books in an awesome one-volume, leather-bound collector's edition for easy reading (and many re-readings). I am only sixteen, but I am constantly reading, and let me tell you now that nobody beats Tolkien; and nothing beats The Lord of the Rings! Read this book and join the largest group of fans to ever walk the earth.

The story is just as beautiful as it was years ago when I read it for the first time. It needs no further review.

For those who are looking for an attractive, permanent edition, this is it. The fifty Alan Lee paintings are gorgeous, and the more you look at them the more you realize how carefully Lee put them together to remain faithful to the vision and the detail of the text. It's obvious he loved the books as much as the rest of us do. A keeper.

I am not one who usually buys books-on-tape (or CD as in this case) but I have long wanted to obtain the Lord of the Rings so as to hear this incredible story over and over. After having read it several times, my book is in tatters and so I searched for an unabridged audio recording. Many of those that I have seen claim to be "unabridged" but the fact is that they are not complete! They give parts of the books in full but leave out many sections or chapters. This set by Rob Inglis is COMPLETE!!! It is very well read with no drastic voicing of characters. Characters are easily distinguished and thoroughly enjoyable. This set is not full of sound effects and music, so if you are looking for that this is not for you. However, I personally prefer the fact that this is not an over-production and is rather quite focussed on what I wanted in the first place, the characters and the story. Inglis does a marvelous job and I am very happy with this set. Again, not to harp on it but, this is a "complete" package well worth the money!!!

I was just checking this site out for the first time, and I have to leave this comment, those who said this novel is boring should learn the virtue of patience and understanding. The first portion of the book many claim to be boring, in fact it is just slow and is imperative to developing the deep rich story to unfold, much like Stephen King does in his novels(whadda you know he's the most reknowned author of Horror in the world!)so they are quite obviously a key component to the story, while in many novels I read I was left to guess about a character or there were just flat characters. This book will go down in history along with it's other companions. The number of publications Tolkien's many works have recieved is proof of the quality of his work which has set the standard for fantasy writing, which remains unparalleled to this day. Few authors compare to Tolkien, but these in my opinion come closest. Terry Brooks, David Eddings and the duo(Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman). There are many other authors which you already know who write forgettable novels. Tolkien's works are unforgettable and I haven't read this trilogy for 5 or 6 years, when I was in 6th or 7th grade and I only read it once, and I can recall that I did not want it to end, for several days afterward I would just lay flabbergasted on my bed after school and in the morning and dream about the vivid characters and places which Tolkien had unfolded me, I can still remember the entire story after not having turned a page since the years I read it. I have read many other fantasy books and most I found to be the same predictable formula which quickly becomes boring. Sticking through with the remainder of this series you will discover for yourself how Tolkien stands apart.

Out of all the books I have read, The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien, the first book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, would have to be my favorite book in three ways. To begin with, there is a tremendous amount of action in this book. For example, Frodo, the main character, and all of his companions set out to destroy an evil ring so the evil Sauron won't get his nasty hands on it. If they don't destroy the ring, all of Middle Earth would be doomed. They must battle their way to Mount Doom to cast the ring into its flames. But, there are many enemies on their way like, Sauroman, orcs, and Ring Wraiths. Secondly, I like how Tolkien brings Middle Earth to life by describing it so deeply. For example, I like how he describes The Mines of Moria so well. Last but not least, I love the fantasy and magic in this book. For instance, Gandalf, a great wizard, has many spells and magical powers. If you do not like fantasy, you shouldn't read this book; but if you do this book is spectacular! In conclusion, if you are looking for a great book, get The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien.

It is not surprising the creator of Middle Earth, and the father of the fantasy genre, would create such an elaborate, creative collection of Christmas stories for his children. This book is a nice addition to my library, as it contains the text of the letters, as well as Tolkien's hand-drawn illustrations and North Pole post markings.

While this book does not relate to his Middle Earth universe, it is easy to recognize the origin of some of its characters. The goblin attack on Santa's cellar presages the Goblin-Elf wars in Lord of the Rings. Santa's elf-secretary Ilbereth is the obvious progenitor of the ancient elf-queen Elbereth. We even get a glimpse of elvish writing and the goblin alphabet!

If you have the chance, buy the new revised version of this book. I have the 1991 reissue edition. It is only 48 pages long, and omits the letters from 1920 - 1924 and from 1939-1942 . The new edition is one hundred pages longer and contains previously unpublished material.

This is a really lovely little book with Professor Tolkien's characteristically magical water color and ink illustrations and his sweet-natured, witty commentaries about life at the North Pole. Meet Father Christmas on his home turf and get to know his friend Great Polar Bear. Through a series of letters that Father Christmas sent to the Tolkien children we are treated to an insider's look at all the magical preparations for Christmas as well as a glimpse of what life is like for Father Christmas during the rest of the year. This book is a fun, hands on treat for the imagination with its realistic envelopes and letters that you can actually remove and read for yourself. These enchanting letters were, of course, delivered by Elf Messenger and if you are lucky perhaps you will have a copy of this book delivered to you or someone you love.

The beloved J. R. R. Tolkien, author of "Lord of the Rings", wrote and illustrated them a variety of letters to friends and relatives in honor of Christmas season which is now Christmas past. His ornate and fanciful handwritings are works of art in themselves and add to the whimsy of his handcrafted tales and fables. At this point there are four or five editions of the Father Christmas letters in print. From the miniature which weighs three ounces to this one which is a full by nine inches by twelve inches. This Houghton Mifflin revised 1999 edition is a tall book filled with full-page glossy reproductions with previously unpublished material. One young woman who was about to have her first child last year asked me about J.R.R. Tolkien's relationship with his family, in a way this is one the best ways to find out as you see the love and care that he put in to the production of these items, which he wrote only to amuse his family and not for publication. Humphery Carpenter in his 1977 authorized biography of J, R.R. In a way Tolkien's early work sort makes me think of Beatrix Potter though it looks nothing like her work, but then again they were both world builders of sorts Tolkien includes a wonder description of Tolkien not having enough money to take his children on a train ride instead taking the down to the train station to wistfully watch the trains come and go. Though I am not the worlds greatest collector I have to say it is wonderful feeling to have all of the editions to sort of play with. Lucky 157 Pages, Color Drawings