Tolkien Anomalies

Tales Before Tolkien: The Roots of Modern Fantasy, Edited and with Commentary by Douglas A. Anderson. (2005)

“A superb collection, a splendid and much-needed book. Anderson has cleared away the dross and shown us the golden roots of fantasy before it became a genre.” –Michael Moorcock, author of The Eternal Champion. Many of today’s top names in fantasy acknowledge J.R.R. Tolkien as the author whose work inspired them to create their own epics. But which writers influenced Tolkien himself? In a collection destined to become a classic in its own right, internationally recognized Tolkien expert Douglas A. Anderson, editor of The Annotated Hobbit, has gathered the fiction of the many gifted authors who sparked Tolkien’s imagination. Included are Andrew Lang’s romantic swashbuckler “The Story of Sigurd,” which features magic rings and a ferocious dragon; an excerpt from E. A. Wyke-Smith’s The Marvelous Land of Snergs, about creatures who were precursors to Tolkien’s hobbits; and a never-before-published gem by David Lindsay, author of A Voyage to Arcturus, a novel that Tolkien praised highly both as a thriller and as a work of philosophy, religion, and morality.
In stories packed with magical journeys, conflicted heroes, and terrible beasts, this extraordinary volume is one that no fan of fantasy or Tolkien should be without. These tales just might inspire a new generation of creative writers.” – Google Books.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Anthology. Softcover.

The Film Book of J. R. R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ (1978) Ballantine Books.

“Over 130 pictures from the Fantasy Films presentation of ‘The Lord of the Rings Part One, with a text based on the film script. Produced by Saul Zaentz. Directed by Ralph Bakshi.” -from the book. Got this many, many years later at Half-Price.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: ‘Film Book’. Hardback.

The Tolkien Quiz Book, by Andrew Murray (1996)

“1,200 questions on the works of J. R. R. Tolkien.” The cover is great; Gandalf and the Hobbits in front of the Doors of Durin, trying to solve the riddle of how to open them.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Trivia. Quiz Book. Softcover.

There and Back Again: An Actor’s Tale, by Sean Astin (with Joe Layden). (2004)

Astin’s experience with the films and Tolkien’s work, told by what is surely one of the most level-headed and warm members of that company of actors (he rather mirrors his character of Sam Gamgee in that respect). Its place in the Tolkien Shrine is technically honorary, but well earned.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Biography. Film. Hardback.

Final Witness, by Simon Tolkien. (2002)

The only reason I have this is because he is Tolkien’s grandson. I’ve never even tried to read this mystery.

Ranking: ?

File Code: Mystery. Hardback.

Bored of the Rings, by the Harvard Lampoon (Henry N. Beard and Douglas C. Kenney) (1969)

Reissued as ‘Not the inspiration for any epic motion picture!’ Still funny, which is more than I can say about any of the other newer parodies. I think the difference might be, beyond better writing, an element of affection; as the writers say, “All fooling aside, we consider ourselves honored to be able to make fun of such an impressive, truly masterful work of genius and imagination.” Kenney, a co-founder of the National Lampoon, also wrote on ‘Animal House’ and ‘Caddyshack’. Features a parody map of “Lower Middle Earth”.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Parody. Novel. Softcover.

The Wobbit: A Parody, by The Harvard Lampoon. (2013)

Somewhere along the way, these folks lost the path. A good parody is not just a bunch of puns and non-sequiturs and belittling something; there should be a bit of a storyline goal. Here the goal seems to be to reach the end of the book and get to the point where ‘Bored of the Rings’ begins. Or maybe I’m just not as engaged by the modern pop culture they satirize.

Ranking: Rank. Dispensable.

File Code: Parody. Softcover.

The Sellamillion, by ‘A. R. R. R. Roberts’ (Adam Roberts), (2015)

I … cannot … even … the blank stupidity …

Ranking: Not just Dispensable, but Disposable.

File Code: Twaddle Disguising as Satire. Hardback.

"Even the Dogs Get to Eat the Crumbs that Fall From the Master's Table"

J. R. R. Tolkien: Architect of Middle Earth, by Daniel Grotta-Kurska (2 copies)

“Daniel Grotta-Kurska's J. R. R. Tolkien: Architect of Middle-Earth was the first full biography of Tolkien published, but without authorization, access to Tolkien's personal papers, and with discouragement from the Tolkien Family to friends and family to provide any information (they were already in the process of producing an authorized biography). Despite all these drawbacks, the book has been described as generally well-researched, but with some glaring mistakes and false assumptions that have remained even in subsequent editions. Still, you have to love that cover illustration by the Hildebrandt's of Tolkien and a dwarf.” – Power of Babel.

Ranking: Essential

File Code: Biography. Paperback.

Understanding Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings, by William Ready (2 copies)

Originally titled “The Tolkien Relation”. “Understanding Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings is the first and the worst book here. It was actually published (in the US) during Tolkien's lifetime, but it seems that since Tolkien knew William Ready personally (if briefly) as an agent of the Marquette Library when they were in the process of buying his manuscripts, he felt disinclined to stop publication, but declined to supply any personal information, beyond "[Ready's] own memory of the few remarks I made about my personal history. These he appears to have embroidered with wholly illegitimate deductions of his own and the addition of baseless fictions." Tolkien also remarked that in the one hour long talk they had had, Ready talked mostly about himself, and this book seems mainly about Ready's personal ideas and reactions to LOTR, rather than any well-considered history or criticism. It is, however, a fascinating look at a somewhat primordial point of view of Tolkien Studies, kind of like seeing the small weasel-like beast that could evolve into man someday.” – Power of Babel. Horrifying, psychedelic cover art on both copies.

Ranking: Essential, anyway.

File Code: Literary Criticism. Paperback.

Writers for the 70’s: J. R. R. Tolkien, by Robley Evans.

“The Writers For The 70's book (the other writers considered in the series are Herman Hesse, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., and Richard Brautigan) offers a clear, non-fan assessment of the techniques and themes of Tolkien's works.” – Power of Babel.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Literary Criticism. Paperback.

The Tolkien Quiz Book, by Bart Andrews.

Has a cover by Tim Kirk, which it wouldn’t surprise me to learn had once graced a calendar. What can I say? It’s a quiz book.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Quiz Book. Fantasy. Paperback.

Tolkien Quest: Night of the Nazgul, by John David Ruemmler.

Illustrations by James Holloway and Richard Britton. One of those choose-your-own-adventure books. For Tolkien!

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Game. Paperback.

Bored of the Rings, by The Harvard Lampoon. (2 copies)

Hilarious parody, including spoofs of the map and the old Barbara Remington cover (emus!). Signet books.  “The test of a good religion is whether you can joke about it.”
- G. K. Chesterton. Got my first copy in high school.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Parody. Novel. Paperback.

Library Inventory for August 5, 2020

Knickerbocker’s History of New York, by Washington Irving. Paperback from 1965, with commensurate wear and tear. Written at the somewhat leisurely pace of Irving’s time, it’s one of the earliest American classics. Wry, satirical, affectionately mock-heroic, Irving brought many of the powers he lavished on “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” to this work. In their drinking, eating, and smoking habits, and in their phlegmatic difficulty in getting stirred up, his Dutch settlers greatly resemble Tolkien’s later Hobbits. This endears them to me. Ranking: Essential. File Code: Humor. Historical. Paperback.

The Devil and Daniel Webster and Other Stories, by Stephen Vincent Benet. Illustrated by Harold Denison. Had to have this tale in its own book. Read the story in so many places and times, from grade school on. Part of American mythology by now. An influence at least on my own book. Pretty good movie with Walter Huston, too. Ranking: Keeper. Code File: Anthology. Short Stories. Paperback.

The White Deer, by James Thurber. Illustrations by the Author. Another fantasy from the poetic cartoonist, in the same vein, if a little inferior to, “The Thirteen Clocks”. Definitely an influence on Peter S, Beagle’s “The Last Unicorn”. Ranking: Keeper. File Code: Fantasy. Paperback.

archy and mehitabel, by Don Marquis. Illustrations by George Herriman. “Vers Libre” poems and stories by the cockroach incarnation of a failed poet, chronicling the life among the animal denizens that the bug encounters. Read “archy confesses” for the poem that sticks out for me. Yet another secondhand copy, from the great years of Half and Yesterday’s Warehouse. Ranking: Probably Dispensable, but why? File Code: Poetry. Humor. Paperback.

Islandia, by Austin Tappan Wright I bought this book (published 1966) because I had heard good things about it in the fantasy society, and thought I was lucky to find it. From the bits I could manage, it seems more to me like a soap opera with fantasy trappings. I could not get into it. Still, culturally significant? Ranking: Dispensable. File Code: Fantasy? Novel. Paperback.

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, Written and Illustrated by Howard Pyle. I bought this when I wanted an edition with Pyle’s artwork, not so much to read. It was paired with a twin edition of “King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table”, which I sold when I got a hardback copy of that book. Ranking: Keeper File Code: Legend. Children’s Book.

Dune; Dune Messiah; and Children of Dune, by Frank Herbert. I first became interested in Dune when our cousin Billy loaned me a whole paper grocery bag of books. I returned them all – except for “Dune” and “The Swords Trilogy” (more on that later). I then bought the hardbacks starting with “God Emperor of Dune” and giving up at “Chapterhouse: Dune”. I’m glad I did, because the franchise continues in a decaying orbit around the original trilogy. I later sold those hardbacks. The series is plagued with unsuccessful attempts to adapt it to the screen; the fascinations of the story (especially the original book) are not fully translatable in a visible medium. Ranking: Keeper. File Code: Science Fiction. Novel. Paperbacks.

National Lampoon’s Doon, by Ellis Weiner. A grand parody of Frank Herbert’s classic “Dune”, replacing the war between great houses and the spice trade with the cut-throat restaurant business and centering on “the dessert planet” where giant wild pretzels roam through a wasteland of sugar. It loves to prick the convolutions of Herbert’s lifestyle: "Think on it! he thought on it," and "There is nothing more useless than a mystical busboy." Ranking: I love it! File Code: Parody. Humor. Novel. Paperback.