J. R. R. Tolkien: Criticism

 

The Inklings, by Humphrey Carpenter. (1979)

“A group of writers whose literary fantasies still fire the imagination of all those who seek a truth beyond reality. C. S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and their friends.” I read this in libraries (college and public) years before I found this second-hand copy. Carpenter had, of course, written the official biography of Tolkien in 1977, so he had well established chops and a fund of research information at hand. He traces the lives of the writers before they met, what brought them together, their influences on each other, and their subsequent history and impact on literature. A good introduction to the less famous Inklings, like Barfield, Dyson, and Havard. Carpenter went on to write several other books about different writers’ movements. Photos. Dedicated to ‘the late Major W. H. Lewis (“Warnie”).’

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Biography. Literary History. Hardback.

The Inklings Handbook, by Colin Duriez and David Porter.

“The Oxford Inklings was an informal group of literary friends who met weekly to talk about ideas and pieces they were writing and enjoy a good evening of "the cut and parry of prolonged, fierce and masculine argument." This comprehensive guide to the lives, thoughts, and writings of C.S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Owen Barfield provides an introduction to the Inklings and a second A-Z section that contains many biographical articles, as well as entries on the group's publications, themes, and theology.” – Amazon. Includes a chronology of reported Inkling meetings and is handy for cross-referencing their opinions on things like ‘Allegory’ and so on. (2001)

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Reference. Literary History. Hardback.

Master of Middle-Earth: The Fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, by Paul H. Kocher. (1972)

“A couple of weeks ago my brother took me book hunting at one of our favorite Half-Price Books to cheer me up, and I ran across a copy of the 1972 first hardback printing, featuring a rather famous picture of Tolkien by Lord Snowdon on the cover. Inside the cover was not only a dedication and a bookplate ("Xmas-1972") but a clipping of a contemporary review. Reading it I was struck for the first time with the realization that the book was written and reviewed when Tolkien was still alive. I was holding a book that had the earmarks of belonging to a great Tolkien fan who was enjoying his work while the Professor was still alive. My brother very kindly bought it for me and I brought it home. After the excitement of quickly renewing my acquaintance with the book, I began to wonder what could have made anyone part with such a good work; whether they had run out of room, or grown bored with it, or thought it was no longer relevant in the expanded wake of Tolkien studies, or simply needed some money. And then of course a very obvious reason struck me: it had been thirty-eight years since, plenty of time for the Chiefest of Calamities to befall anyone, and the only good reason I can think of to pry the book from a dedicated fan's hands. So whoever and wherever "Becky" is (and I feel even more fellowship with her, as we have the same old book-plate) I hope she can rest easy knowing the "Master" is in the hands of another dedicated reader, who knows how to value and care for a good book.” – Power of Babel, 2010.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Literary Criticism. Fantasy. Hardback.

The Road to Middle-Earth, by Tom (T. A.) Shippey. (1982,2003)

“The other day my brother asked me (after looking at several of the past day's posts) what I thought the best critical book on Tolkien and his work was. The answer I came up with was The Road to Middle-Earth. Tom Shippey is not only a philologist who was taught at and taught in many of the same schools and colleges that Tolkien did, he met Tolkien several times and corresponded with him over his insights into his work. He has availed himself of and considered the insights of the best scholars in the field and has (most importantly to me) revised and corrected himself over the years. I think this proves that he's more interested in the truth than in his own ideas.” – Power of Babel. I read this book in hardback (I’m remembering the old Seguin Public Library) and yearned for a copy for years; it is simply to be rated at the top. This edition is the third he released and is revised and expanded.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Literary History. Criticism. Softcover.

Hobbits, Elves, and Wizards: Exploring the Wonders and Worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, by Michael N. Stanton (2001)

“Michael N. Stanton has been teaching English literature at the University of Vermont since 1971 and teaches Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings every year. He has written on science fiction and fantasy literature as well as on Dickens and Melville.” - About the Author. One of those books that proliferated in the wake of the Jackson movies, an adequate recapitulation of material with which I was already familiar. But I am always on the lookout for any new nugget of fact.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Literary Study. Hardback.

Defending Middle-Earth: Tolkien Myth and Modernity, by Patrick Curry. (1997)

The picture of a hippie playing a flute in a tree probably tells you all you need to know about this book. “Defending Middle-earth argues, in part, that the appeal for fans goes far deeper than just quests and magic rings and hobbits. In fact, through this epic, Tolkien found a way to provide something close to spirit in a secular age. This book focuses on three main aspects of Tolkien’s fiction: the social and political structure of Middle-earth and how the varying cultures within it find common cause in the face of a shared threat; the nature and ecology of Middle-earth and how what we think of as the natural world joins the battle against mindless, mechanized destruction; and the spirituality and ethics of Middle-earth—for which the author provides a particularly insightful and resonant examination.” – Amazon. In particular, Curry argues for a liberal, ecological, socialist reading of Middle-Earth, over-emphasizing some and ignoring other elements in Tolkien. Not entirely without insight, but lacking balance.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Literary and Political Criticism. Hardback.

Understanding ‘The Lord of the Rings’: The Best of Tolkien Criticism, Edited by Rose Zimbardo and Neil D. Isaacs. (2004)

“Understanding The Lord of the Rings: The Best of Tolkien Criticism is the definitive collection of essays on Tolkien's masterpiece. The essays span fifty years of critical reaction, from the first publication of The Fellowship of the Ring through the release of Peter Jackson's film trilogy, which inspired a new generation of readers to discover the classic work and prior generations to rediscover its power and beauty. Fans and scholars alike will appreciate these important, insightful, and timely pieces. Fourteen of the fifteen have been previously published but are gathered here for the first time. The final essay in the volume, "The Road Back to Middle-earth" by Tom Shippey, was commissioned especially for this collection. Shippey examines how Peter Jackson translated the text into film drama, shaping the story to fit the understanding of a modern audience without compromising its deep philosophical core.” – Amazon.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Essays. Criticism. Hardback.

England and Always: Tolkien’s World of the Rings, by Jared Lobdell. (1981)

This book focuses on three different aspects of Tolkien: as a philologist, as a Catholic, and as an Englishman. The English part is given special emphasis, the ‘good haunting’, as Lewis put it, of an ideal Englishness, Albion versus Britain. This ideal touches and leads to the outskirts of Heaven, like Niggle’s Parrish in Tolkien’s tale. A book of criticism lyrical in itself, by a scholar of unusual insight.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Literary Criticism. Softcover.

Tolkien and the Critics, Edited by Neil D. Isaacs and Rose Zimbardo. (1968, this printing 1976)

“Essays on J. R. R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’.” Cover by Rainey Bennett. I first read this book in the high school library, so it comes pretty early in my ‘Tolkien scholarship’. I got this copy many tears later. The title is, of course, a play on Tolkien’s own ‘The Monster and the Critics’. “The fifteen essays in this volume include previously published critiques along with several original treatments, having the single purpose of serious criticism - to render judgement on a work of art (Tolkien's Lord of the Rings).” – Amazon. It is “aimed at the serious student of literature, not at the Tolkien fan” – Isaacs.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Essays. Criticism. Softcover.

Tolkien’s World, by Randel Helms. (1974)

Another book I read in high school; I got this copy years later. “This searching study of J. R. R. Tolkien's works was written before his death. In it, the author breaks new ground, relating Tolkien's scholarly works to his great imaginative creations and presenting the famous lecture on Beowulf as the forerunner of his fiction in its insistence on the worth of heroes and monsters. Tolkien's World is sure to arouse interest, enthusiasm, and perhaps controversy among scholars and all those who admire Tolkien's work.” – Amazon. I suppose this refers to Helm’s Freudian reading of the works, a fashion in criticism that has rather faded from the scene since.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Literary Criticism. Softcover.

Splintered Light: Logos and Language in Tolkien’s World, Revised Edition (Original 1983; Revised 2002); A Question of Time: J. R. R. Tolkien’s Road to Faerie (1997); Interrupted Music: The Making of Tolkien’s Mythology (2005), by Verlyn Flieger.

“Verlyn Flieger (born 1933) is an author, editor, and professor in the Department of English at the University of Maryland at College Park. She teaches courses in comparative mythology, medieval literature and the works of J. R. R. Tolkien. She has written numerous books and papers on Tolkien and is well known as a Tolkien scholar.” – Wikipedia.

‘Splintered Light’: “J.R.R. Tolkien is perhaps best known for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but it is in The Silmarillion that the true depth of Tolkien's Middle-earth can be understood. The Silmarillion was written before, during, and after Tolkien wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. A collection of stories, it provides information alluded to in Tolkien's better known works and, in doing so, turns The Lord of the Rings into much more than a sequel to The Hobbit, making it instead a continuation of the mythology of Middle-earth. Verlyn Flieger's expanded and updated edition of Splintered Light, a classic study of Tolkien's fiction first published in 1983, examines The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings in light of Owen Barfield's linguistic theory of the fragmentation of meaning. Flieger demonstrates Tolkien's use of Barfield's concept throughout the fiction, showing how his central image of primary light splintered and refracted acts as a metaphor for the languages, peoples, and history of Middle-earth.” – from the publisher.

‘A Question of Time’: “Tolkien's concern with time—past and present, real and "faerie"—captures the wonder and peril of travel into other worlds, other times, other modes of consciousness. Reading his work, we "fall wide asleep" into a dream more real than ordinary waking experience and emerge with a new perception of the waking world. Flieger explores Tolkien's use of dream as time-travel in his unfinished stories "The Lost Road" and "The Notion Club Papers" as well as in The Lord of the Rings and his shorter fiction and poetry. Analyzing Tolkien's treatment of time and time-travel, Flieger shows that he was not just a myth-maker and writer of escapist fantasy but a man whose relationship to his own century was troubled and critical. He achieved in his fiction a double perspective of time that enabled him to see in the mirror of the past the clouded reflection of the present.” -from the publisher.

‘Interrupted Music’: “In Interrupted Music Flieger attempts to illuminate the structure of Tolkien's work, allowing the reader to appreciate its broad, overarching design and its careful, painstaking construction. In addition, Flieger reviews attempts at myth-making in the history of English literature by Spenser, Milton, and Blake as well as by Joyce and Yeats. She reflects on the important differences between Tolkien and his predecessors and even more between Tolkien and his contemporaries.” – from the publisher.

While I have dipped and dabbed into each of these, I must admit that I have not given them all the attention they so obviously deserve. I don’t know why that is; perhaps my concentration is not what it used to be.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Literary Criticism. Fantasy. Softcovers.

Tolkien’s Shorter Works: Essays of the Jena Conference 2007, Edited by Margaret Hiley and Frank Weinreich. (2008)

“Tolkien’s Middle-earth and its legendarium have drawn extensive scholarly attention. But there is more to Tolkien than the history and legends of Middle-earth, and there has hitherto been a certain lack of academic criticism focused primarily on his shorter fictional works Farmer Giles of Ham, Smith of Wootton Major, Roverandom and his poetry. Although scholarly evaluations of these works exist, they often deal with the shorter texts more as an afterthought, as footnotes to the ‘major’ texts rather than as demanding attention in their own right. This dearth of studies suggests that it is time for a closer look at Tolkien’s 'Shorter Works'. The current volume collects the findings of a joint conference of Walking Tree Publishers and the German Tolkien Society at the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany in 2007. Various interesting aspects, details and connections are unearthed which are likely to broaden not simply the understanding of Tolkien’s Shorter Works, but also of the author’s overall fictional work as well as the man and author J.R.R. Tolkien himself.” – from the publisher.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Essays. Fantasy Literature. Softcover.

Roots and Branches: Selected Papers on Tolkien, by Tom Shippey. (2007)

“Roots and Branches: Selected Papers on Tolkien is the eleventh book of Walking Tree's Cormarë Series. Unlike most other volumes, it is not a collection of essays, but all work by Tom Shippey. Professor Tom Shippey is best known for his books The Road to Middle-earth and J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century. Yet they are not the only contributions of his to Tolkien studies. Over the years, he has written and lectured widely on Tolkien-related topics. Unfortunately, many of his essays, though still topical, are no longer available. The current volume unites for the first time a selection of his older essays together with some new, as yet unpublished articles.” -from the publisher.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Essays. Literary Criticism. Softcover.

There and Back Again: J. R. R. Tolkien and the Origins of ‘The Hobbit’, by Mark Atherton. (2012, This Reprint 2013)

Endorsed by Brian Sibley, and illustrated by photos, old Ian Miller art, and some of the sketchiest fan art I’ve ever seen anyone dare to put in a book this professional. “'Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.' The prophetic words of Galadriel, addressed to Frodo as he prepared to travel from Lothlórien to Mordor to destroy the One Ring, are just as pertinent to J.R.R. Tolkien's own fiction. For decades, hobbits and the other fantastical creatures of Middle-earth have captured the imaginations of a fiercely loyal tribe of readers, all enhanced by the immense success of Peter Jackson's films: first The Lord of the Rings, and now his new The Hobbit. But for all Tolkien's global fame and the familiarity of modern culture with Gandalf, Bilbo, Frodo and Sam, the sources of the great mythmaker's own myth-making have been neglected. Mark Atherton here explores the chief influences on Tolkien's work: his boyhood in the West Midlands; the landscapes and seascapes which shaped his mythologies; his experiences in World War I; his interest in Scandinavian myth; his friendships, especially with the other Oxford-based Inklings; and the relevance of his themes, especially ecological themes, to the present-day. There and Back Again offers a unique guide to the varied inspirations behind Tolkien's life and work, and sheds new light on how a legend is born.” – from the publisher.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Biography. Literary History. Hardback.

Meditations on Middle-Earth, Edited by Karen Haber, Illustrated by John Howe. (2001)

“An unapologetic tie-in with the release of the first highly anticipated Lord of the Rings film, this anthology presents appreciative essays in honor of the master of Middle-earth from such major fantasy and SF authors as Harry Turtledove, Raymond Feist, Terry Pratchett, George R.R. Martin and the late Poul Anderson. All thank Tolkien, some sardonically, for making the fantasy genre so popular. Ursula K. Le Guin discusses obvious and concealed poetry in the trilogy, while Douglas A. Anderson treats Tolkien's critics, admitting that the posthumously published writings, edited by the author's son, Christopher, are "not always easy to read," a view seconded by several other contributors. Less successful as a scholarly exercise is Orson Scott Card's "How Tolkien Means," which focuses on allegory, a mode Tolkien rejected. Most contributors celebrate the beauty of the writing in the major books, although Michael Swanwick finds them "sad with wisdom" in his essay, "A Changeling Returns." Swanwick takes the lead in pointing out the importance of the humble hobbit Sam Gamgee as a character. In a dialogue between illustrators and brothers Tim and Greg Hildebrandt, Tim admits that "Tolkien was never a big supporter of illustration to accompany works of fantasy." Alas, Howe's vague and unimaginative pencil sketches only serve to support Tolkien's case. Editor Haber offers an adoring but welcome antidote to the more pompous exegeses of the "author of the century." - Tolkien Gateway.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Essays. Fantasy. Hardback.

J. R. R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’: Modern Critical Interpretations, Edited and with an Introduction by Harold Bloom. (2000)

Bloom, that old academic monster, considers what he calls the “aesthetic limitations” of Tolkien’s work the first crack out of the box, before going on to essays by Hugh T. Keenan, Burton Raffel, Randall Helms, Humphrey Carpenter, Jared Lobdell, Rose Zimbardo, and other names in the scholarium. An ex-library book that was bought through Amazon in 2009.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Essays. Literary Criticism. Hardback.

The World of the Rings, by Jared Lobdell. (2004)

A revised Edition of “England and Always”. “Language, Religion, and Adventure in Tolkien.” Includes as an Appendix a short story, a fable of sorts, by Lobdell.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Literary Criticism. Softcover.

The Rise of Tolkienian Fantasy, by Jared Lobdell. (2005)

Dedication “To C. S. L.[ewis]”. “When J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings appeared in 1954, it was hailed by readers but dismissed by critics as juvenile escapism. For many years both critics and professors of literature refused to take Tolkien seriously, yet today they reluctantly admit that he was indeed a great writer. Jared Lobdell claims that the literary achievement of Tolkien in fact represents a new mainstream of literary development. The future of fiction lies in fantasy, he argues, and Tolkien is part of a vital organic growth with roots in the past. Professor Lobdell surveys the predecessors of and influences on Tolkien, from Rudyard Kipling to William Morris and Kenneth Grahame. He explores the web of elements: Celtic revival, medieval revival, and "feigned history", that make up Tolkienian fantasy. And he looks closely at the heirs of the master, modern fantasists Ursula Le Guin, Stephen King (for the Dark Tower series), and J. K. Rowling.” – Google Books.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Literary Criticism. Fantasy. Softcover.

Tolkien in the Land of Heroes, by Anne C. Petty.

“This book explores why Tolkien's books continue to resonate with each new generation of readers and what that fact reveals about us. Tolkien's fiction is infused with the elemental themes that drive humanity itself. Abuse of power, blinding evil, unconditional love, redemption through sacrifice, endurance in the face of impossible adversity - it's all there as if taken from the latest news release. Readers who immerse themselves in the characters' storylines want to know, "What do these lives mean in terms of universal values?" The answers reside in the great themes that flow through Tolkien's great masterpiece of fantasy literature. Experiencing the world of Middle-earth, with its bittersweet tales of loss and reunion, sorrows and joys, elevates the spirit and gives us new perspective on our own human condition. The larger issues of Tolkien's fantasy remain our issues, today and forever.” – Amazon.

Ranking: Keeper.

File Code: Literary Criticism. Softcover.

J. R. R. Tolkien: Going Medieval

Fourteenth Century Verse and Prose, Edited by Kenneth Sisam. (1921, This Reprint 1982)

With “A Middle English Vocabulary by J. R. R. Tolkien”, which explains its inclusion here. My textbook for Dr. Laird’s class in college, I was particularly surprised and pleased to find Tolkien there to greet me. I was also surprised to find Dr. Laird was a relation of Mr. Laird from high school, and thus my own (distant) relation as well. In some ways that class was the highlight of my ‘college career’; it was all downhill after that.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Textbook. Middle English. Softcover.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl, and Sir Orfeo: Three Tales from the Middle Ages translated by J. R. R. Tolkien. (1978).

Cover art by Pauline Baynes. I think that “Middle Ages” on the cover was a somewhat crafty move to invoke “Middle-Earth” to the unwary. I remember taking this book to a meeting with a girl in college who wanted me to tutor her in 14^th Century Verse and Prose. I found it a fascinating book, with its version of “Worms, and wood-trolls, and ogres” in ‘Gawain’ or the fairy kingdom in ‘Orfeo’. I even enjoyed browsing its glossary of archaic terms.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Poems. English Literature. Softcover.

The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun, by J. R. R. Tolkien, Edited by Christopher Tolkien. (2009)

“The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun was the last posthumous publication by J. R. R. T., and one with a very wide publishing release (indeed, I remember seeing copies for sale at Wal-Mart). I think it was thought that, in the wake of the popularity of The Lord of the Rings films, anything by Tolkien would sell like hot cakes. But I imagine casual fans of LOTR coming to this long verse re-telling of an ancient Norse saga were in an analogous situation to Queen Victoria in the old apocryphal anecdote. The monarch, having expressed appreciation of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures Through the Looking-Glass and the desire to have a copy of his next work, received in due time a volume on abstract algorithms from the mathematics professor. S&G, while a good work of its kind, did not have the wide-spread popularity that was being banked upon, and perhaps has led to the more reined in release for The Fall of Arthur.” – Power of Babel. “A book containing two narrative poems and related texts composed by J. R. R. Tolkien. The two poems that make up most of the book were probably written during the 1930s, and were inspired by the legend of Sigurd and the fall of the Niflungs in Norse mythology. Both poems are in a form of alliterative verse inspired by the traditional verse of the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century. Christopher Tolkien has added copious notes and commentary on his father's work.” – Wikipedia.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Norse Saga. Retelling. Hardback.

The Fall of Arthur, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Edited by Christopher Tolkien. (2013)

“I eagerly went to my local bookstore on its day of publication to get a copy of The Fall of Arthur, the latest posthumous offering from the pen of J. R. R. Tolkien. To my surprise and chagrin, I was told that the store did not have it in stock and indeed was not scheduled to receive any copies. I was obliged to special-order it and wait another seven days before I could finally lay eyes on the one and only work by England's master fantasist on the Matter of Britain, the legends of King Arthur. At the time I was privately angry and a little disgusted: a unique work from a great author was, I felt, being slighted. So, what do we have in The Fall of Arthur? The poem itself consists of 954 lines of alliterative verse, divided into five cantos, and occupies only forty pages of this 233-page book. The rest of the volume is fleshed out once again by Christopher Tolkien, the professor's scholarly son, and includes a Foreword (introducing and placing the poem in its personal historical context), Notes on the Text (identifying persons and old words occurring in the poem itself), a chapter explaining the poem in relation to Arthurian Tradition, a chapter explaining the poem in relation to Tolkien's own developing ideas about his mythology, and a chapter on how the poem changed through several drafts (only the last version is presented in the book). Finally, there is an appendix explaining Old English Verse, the tradition in which Tolkien was working, relying on stressed alliterative words within the poetic line rather than rhyme. This all sounds rather dry and drasty, except that it isn't. The real meat on this bone is Tolkien's own voice in the verse, and when it starts rolling out it swells and falls, thunders and sighs like the waves breaking on a stony beach. In the beginning of the poem, Arthur (on the advice of Mordred) leads a punitive army eastward to stem the repeated Saxon invasions and raids on Britain. Here is the vaunt of Gawain in the face of what seems to be a vast army of wraiths and darkness:

"--Clear went his voice
in the rocks ringing above roaring wind
and rolling thunder: 'Ride, forth to war,
ye hosts of ruin, hate proclaiming!
Foes we fear not, nor fell shadows
of the dark mountains demon-haunted!
Hear now ye hills and hoar forest,
ye awful thrones of olden gods
huge and hopeless, hear and tremble!
From the West comes war that no wind daunteth,
might and purpose that no mist stayeth;
lord of legions, light in darkness,
east rides Arthur!' "

In this defiance of the dark we hear once more the authentic Tolkien note. The Fall of Arthur is woven around five main characters: Arthur, who strives to maintain his kingdom and the remains of the Christian Roman world; Mordred, whose lust for power and for Guinever will make him ally with any invader or outlaw; Lancelot, whose affair with the queen has divided and weakened Arthur's court; Guinever ("as fair and fell as fay-woman/ in the world walking for the woe of men") who cares for nothing as long as she gets what she wants, and Gawain, Arthur's chief knight after Lancelot, restored here to his original British position as the paragon of loyal knighthood. The plot of the poem (as it stands) can be very plainly summed up. Arthur and Gawaine leave for the East on their mission. They hear that back home Mordred has taken over and caused Guinever to flee, Arthur turns homeward and considers asking Lancelot for help, but Gawain counsels against it, doubting his loyalty. Lancelot wonders if he should come to their aid, but his debate keeps him from leaving in a timely manner. Arthur's forces come once more to Britain and notice woeful changes in the land. And it is here that Tolkien left his work. It is of course in relationship to the poem that all of the ensuing scholarship derives its interest: when, how, and why Tolkien wrote it, the tradition in which he wrote and how he selected and changed things from the tradition, how it affected his own 'legendarium.' In the end we are left with a beautiful, tantalizing fragment, another 'what if' of literature, and, as Christopher Tolkien phrased it, "one of the most grievous of [Tolkien's] abandonments." – Power of Babel.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Poetry. Hardback.

Beowulf: A Translation and a Commentary (together with Sellic Spell), by J. R. R. Tolkien. Edited by Christopher Tolkien. (2014)

“It is the long-awaited version of the premier Anglo-Saxon epic by a great scholar of philology best known to the world as one of the greatest Fantasy authors of modern times. As such it may be asked: at whom is this edition aimed? The English scholar, or the fan of speculative fiction, or is it just the enthusiastic reader who wants to tuck into a good version of Beowulf? The answer, I think, is none of these in particular. The person this book will appeal to most is someone with a great interest in Tolkien himself, and the history of his thought and creative processes. Christopher Tolkien, in his Preface, says as much: "The present work should best be regarded as a 'memorial volume, a 'portrait' (as it were) of the scholar in his time, in words of his own, hitherto unpublished." The book itself consists of a prose translation by Tolkien and commentary on the text extracted from a series of lectures; included is Sellic Spell, his imaginative reconstruction of the folk tale that Tolkien suspected lay behind the epic, and a couple of short(-ish) ballad re-tellings of the Beowulf story. For the Tolkien enthusiast and scholar a hearty banquet, for the casual peruser a hard garden in which to find the way. Perhaps the most interesting (and by far the longest) section is the Commentary on elements of the poem itself. It is fascinating to watch Tolkien unpick and unpack the meanings of Anglo-Saxon words and phrases, revealing the implications and thoughts behind such terms as 'wyrd' or 'the whale-road,' of Grendel's relation to Cain and the giants of old, of the glimpses at life lived in another age revealed in simple metaphors like trouble 'denying men the ale-benches,' i.e., the simple pleasures of a stable life. Reading these notes, in the Professor's unmistakable voice, can give you the feeling of actually attending one of his lectures on one of those famous occasions when he turned the classroom into a mead hall. It would not surprise me if scholars of Beowulf would be mining this volume in years to come for insights and inspirations. The icing on top of this rich cake and the part most immediately accessible to the casual reader is Sellic Spell ("Marvellous Tale"), the Beowulf story recast into what Tolkien imagined could be its original fairy-tale mode, followed by the two ballads. It would be easy to imagine the Spell extracted, illustrated by Pauline Baynes, and sold on its own as a children's book. Here we read Tolkien's Anglo-Saxon scholarship, love of fairy stories, and vigorous narrative skills once more combining to bring a "lost tale" to life, and the ballads Beowulf and Grendel and Beowulf and the Monsters are respectable contributions to the growing body of Tolkien's poetry (always underrated, in my opinion). Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary is a significant addition to the corpus of Tolkien's work, and a beautiful book to boot, illustrated with three pictures from the author's own hand. As a source of insight into his creation of Middle-Earth it is at the same time peripheral and profound: the occasional reference to his own epic work is only to be found in Christopher's editing hand. But Beowulf and all the traditions behind it were a deep element in the "leaf-mould" of Tolkien's mind, and here you can sniff and handle the soil from which Arda sprang.” – Power of Babel, 2014.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Literary History. Hardback.

The Story of Kullervo, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Edited by Verlyn Flieger. (2015)

“Kullervo, son of Kalervo, is perhaps the darkest and most tragic of all J.R.R. Tolkien’s characters. “Hapless Kullervo,” as Tolkien called him, is a luckless orphan boy with supernatural powers and a tragic destiny. Brought up in the homestead of the dark magician Untamo, who killed his father, kidnapped his mother, and tried three times to kill him when he was still a boy, Kullervo is alone save for the love of his twin sister, Wanōna, and the magical powers of the black dog Musti, who guards him. When Kullervo is sold into slavery he swears revenge on the magician, but he will learn that even at the point of vengeance there is no escape from the cruelest of fates. Tolkien himself said that The Story of Kullervo was “the germ of my attempt to write legends of my own,” and was “a major matter in the legends of the First Age.” Tolkien’s Kullervo is the clear ancestor of Túrin Turambar, the tragic incestuous hero of The Silmarillion. Published with the author’s drafts, notes, and lecture essays on its source work, the Kalevala, The Story of Kullervo is a foundation stone in the structure of Tolkien’s invented world.” – Amazon.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Kalevala. Retelling. Hardback.

The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Edited by Verlyn Flieger. With a Note on the Text by Christopher Tolkien. (2016)

“Together with The Corrigan Poems”. I’d been wanting to read this work since I read about it (in the 70’s!) in ‘Master of Middle-Earth’. “Unavailable for more than 70 years, this early but important work is published for the first time with Tolkien’s ‘Corrigan’ poems and other supporting material. Set ‘In Britain’s land beyond the seas’ during the Age of Chivalry, The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun tells of a childless Breton Lord and Lady (the ‘Aotrou’ and ‘Itroun’ of the title) and the tragedy that befalls them when Aotrou seeks to remedy their situation with the aid of a magic potion obtained from a corrigan, or malevolent fairy. When the potion succeeds and Itroun bears twins, the corrigan returns seeking her fee, and Aotrou is forced to choose between betraying his marriage and losing his life. Coming from the darker side of J.R.R. Tolkien’s imagination, The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun, together with the two shorter ‘Corrigan’ poems that lead up to it and which are also included, was the outcome of a comparatively short but intense period in Tolkien's life when he was deeply engaged with Celtic, and particularly Breton, myth and legend. Originally written in 1930 and long out of print, this early but seminal work is an important addition to the non-Middle-earth portion of his canon and … belongs to a small but important corpus of his ventures into ‘real-world’ mythologies, each of which in its own way would be a formative influence on his own legendarium.” – Amazon.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Poetry. Critical Edition. Hardback.

The Tolkien Fan’s Medieval Reader, by ‘Turgon’ (David E. Smith) (2008)

“Turgon (co-author of The People's Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien) and one of the founding members and main contributors of the Internet's most popular Tolkien fan website - theoneing.net - presents modern prose renderings of some of the essential works of medieval literature that were inspirations to Tolkien. These prose versions introduce to Tolkien's wide readership the works of medieval literature that were his greatest professional interests. For those daunted by the alliterative verse-form of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, even in Tolkien's own translation, here is the essential narrative of the poem to be read in readable, updated prose. It can thus be used as steppingstone in approaching Tolkien's excellent translation, where the artistry of the verse will be more quickly appreciated when the story is already familiar. Other major works included are Beowulf, the Edda of Snorri Sturleson, and the Saga of the Volsungs from the Kalevala. These versions should not be seen as scholarly translations, but as popular renderings to enrich any Tolkien fan's appreciation of Middle-earth, and as an accessible entry into the fascinating world of medieval literature. "This volume serves a very useful purpose for Tolkien's devoted readers: collecting together in one place readable versions of the essential medieval works that shaped Tolkien's literary interests and in turn influenced significantly the creation of his invented world of Middle-earth." – Amazon.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Anthology. Medieval. Softcover.

J. R. R. Tolkien: More Editions of Primary Works

Tree and Leaf (including the poem Mythopoeia), by J. R. R. Tolkien. With an Introduction by Christopher Tolkien.

This edition 1989. Contains a revised version of “On Fairy Stories” and “Leaf by Niggle”, as well as the complete “Mythopoeia” which before had only been partially quoted. Before I could get a copy, I made Xeroxes of the poem so I could have one.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy and Literature. Hardback.

Bilbo’s Last Song (At the Grey Havens), by J. R. R. Tolkien. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes.

This edition 2002. Tolkien bequeathed this poem and the copyright to the poem to his secretary, Joy Hill, who had it released as a poster soon after Tolkien passed away. When Hill herself died in 1991, she left the copyright to the Anglican Order of the Holy Paraclete. In the 1990 edition “The couplets are printed on the verso pages, each with a unique illuminated first letter and with a unique painting of a reposing Bilbo beneath.” – Wikipedia. This version – my version - “is broadly similar to Unwin Hyman's and Houghton Mifflin's earlier version, allocating each of Tolkien's couplets its own two-page spread and including most of Baynes's 1990 artwork. However, it omits all but one of Baynes's pictures of Bilbo at rest, and it switches her arcing trees from recto pages to verso to frame Tolkien's couplets rather than her roundels.” – Ibid. The pictures on each page illustrate Bilbo’s decision and trip to the Grey Havens in a big picture on top, and underneath a smaller picture illustrating Bilbo’s adventures in ‘The Hobbit’.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Poem. Illustrated. Hardback.

Mr. Bliss, by J. R. R. Tolkien. (1983)

“Mr. Bliss is a children's picture book by J. R. R. Tolkien, published posthumously in book form in 1982 [in the UK; 1983 in the US]. One of Tolkien's least-known short works, it tells the story of Mr. Bliss and his first ride in his new motor-car. Many adventures follow: encounters with bears, angry neighbours, irate shopkeepers, and assorted collisions. The story was inspired by Tolkien's own vehicular mishaps with his first car, purchased in 1932. The bears were based on toy bears owned by Tolkien's sons. Tolkien was both author and illustrator of the book. His narrative binds the story and illustrations tightly together, as the text often comments directly on the pictures. Mr. Bliss wasn't published during Tolkien's lifetime. He submitted it to his publishers as a balm to readers who were hungry for more from Tolkien after the success of The Hobbit. The ink and coloured pencil illustrations would have made production costs prohibitively expensive. Tolkien agreed to redraw the pictures in a simpler style, but then found he didn't have time to do it. The book was published in 1982, with Tolkien's difficult-to-read handwritten story and illustrations on one page, and a typeset transcription on the facing page. Tolkien used two names from Mr. Bliss for hobbits in The Lord of the Rings: Gaffer Gamgee and Boffin.” – Wikipedia.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Children’s Book. Hardback.

Finn and Hengest: The Fragment and the Episode, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Edited by Alan Bliss. (American Edition 1983)

“Finn and Hengest is a study by J. R. R. Tolkien, edited by Alan Bliss and published posthumously in book form in 1982. Finn and Hengest are two Anglo-Saxon heroes appearing in the Old English epic poem Beowulf and in the fragment of "The Fight at Finnsburg". Hengest has sometimes been identified with the Jutish king of Kent. He and his brother Horsa (the names meaning "stallion" and "horse") were the legendary leaders of the first Anglo-Saxon immigrants to Britain as mercenaries in the 5th century. The book is based on an edited series of lectures Tolkien made before and after World War II. In his lectures, Tolkien argued that the Hengest of "The Fight at Finnsburg" and Beowulf was a historical rather than a legendary figure and that these works record episodes from an orally composed and transmitted history of the Hengest named in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. This view has gained acceptance from a number of medieval historians and Anglo-Saxon scholars both since Tolkien's initial lectures and since the publication of this posthumous collection.” – Wikipedia.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Literary History. Anglo-Saxon. Hardback.

The Children of Hurin, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Edited by Christopher Tolkien. With Illustrations by Alan Lee. (2007)

“The Children of Húrin is an epic fantasy novel which forms the completion of a tale by J. R. R. Tolkien. He wrote the original version of the story in the late 1910s, revised it several times later, but did not complete it before his death in 1973. His son, Christopher Tolkien, edited the manuscripts to form a consistent narrative, and published it in 2007 as an independent work. The book contains 33 illustrations by Alan Lee, eight of which are full-page and in colour. The story is one of three "great tales" set in the First Age of Tolkien's Middle-earth, the other two being Beren and Lúthien and The Fall of Gondolin.” – Wikipedia.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Hardback.

Beren and Luthien, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Edited by Christopher Tolkien. With Illustrations by Alan Lee. (2017)

“The story [of Beren and Luthien] was published in 2017 as a standalone book edited by Christopher Tolkien under the title Beren and Lúthien. The story is one of three within The Silmarillion that Tolkien believed warranted their own long-form narratives, the other two being The Children of Húrin and The Fall of Gondolin. The book is illustrated by Alan Lee and edited by Christopher Tolkien, and it features different versions of the story, showing the development of the tale over time. It is painstakingly restored from Tolkien's manuscripts and presented for the first time as a continuous and standalone story. The intent of the book is to extract a single narrative out of the ever-evolving materials that make up "The Tale of Beren and Lúthien". It does not contain every version or edit to the story, but those Christopher Tolkien believed would offer the most clarity and minimal explanation.” – Wikipedia. “I have at long last got a copy of the most recent Tolkien book, "Beren and Luthien," and, as I imagined I would, gulped it down in one swallow. It contains, as Christopher Tolkien himself admits, "not a single page of original or unpublished work," always excepting his own thorough and scholarly editorial work and comments. So why buy and read such a book? There are several good reasons. For one thing, it draws together all the materials from one of the three great tales of the 'Legendarium,' around which "The Silmarillion" itself could be said to have coalesced. If one does not wish to go hunting and pecking through the twelve massive volumes of "The History of Middle Earth," the three volumes of "The Lord of the Rings," or indeed quotes from "The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien," here you may find the numerous versions gathered together for your convenience, and in chronological order of composition, no less; all "set out fair and square." Another would be the inimitable illustrations of Alan Lee, whose work with the producers of the "The Lord of the Rings" films has cemented him in the position of THE illustrator of Tolkien's world. With ten new color pictures (including the cover) and numerous pencil sketches, he fills in more of the visuals of Middle Earth, including alternate visions from "The Book of Lost Tales," where we see Sauron in his original form of Thu, a monstrous black cat.” – Power of Babel.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Literary History. Hardback.

The Fall of Gondolin, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Edited by Christopher Tolkien. With Illustrations by Alan Lee.

“THE FALL OF GONDOLIN, by J. R. R. Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien, concludes what might be considered the Great Tales Trilogy, begun with THE CHILDREN OF HURIN and continued in BEREN AND LUTHIEN, in which the three most engaging strands of narrative from the Middle Earth 'Legendarium' are followed and developed, from their earliest conceptions to their last and latest forms. This book, as the others before it, incorporates the artwork of Alan Lee, a name that has come to be associated by an entire generation with the Tolkien brand, in eight color plates and fifteen pencil sketches. A fold-out map of Beleriand is included, the part of Middle Earth where the story takes place, and which has been drowned for many centuries by the time the events of THE LORD OF THE RINGS take place. It is, altogether, a lovely and lovingly made book. THE FALL OF GONDOLIN gathers scattered material mostly already published throughout the monumental twelve volumes of THE HISTORY OF MIDDLE EARTH into one convenient location. This allows the development of this Great Tale to be examined more minutely and the workings of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic mind and methods, his hopes and dreams, to be laid bare. Someone who has had the time and leisure to follow these threads for nearly forty years, and has had access to every volume in the ever-growing mythos, may think there is nothing new to be found, but such a person would be wrong. The ever-maturing insights of Christopher Tolkien into his father's work, the scholarly labor he brings into classifying and clarifying the different layers of composition, the guardianship and identification he has come to have with that work, has reached its ultimate expression in this book. And at ninety-four (thirteen years older than his father ever lived) Christopher states that this is 'indubitably' the last volume of his father's 'Legendarium' he will ever edit. It is the end of an age. Whatever follows after this must be at best third-hand accounts and analyses, and more or less faithful 'retellings' and retailings from the authentic material. The story of THE FALL OF GONDOLIN, both of the tale itself and the real-life account of its development, tells of a high achievement that 'founders'. The story follows the fate of the hidden Elvish realm and city of Gondolin, which has been preserved in hidden secrecy from the malice of the Dark Lord, Morgoth. The time of its fate draws near, however, and the great Vala of the sea, Ulmo, who still pities the Elves in their exile, sends the man Tuor to warn the Elven King Turgon of approaching doom. The downfall of the city, the workings out of hope and treachery and fear and fidelity, and an epic battle and defense, are the substance of the narrative. The story's finest flower and embellishment in its last version ends at the poignant point where the questing Tuor pierces the encircling mountains and gets a vision of the white city of Gondolin from afar off. There Tolkien drops the tale, perhaps too tired and in poor hopes of ever getting his stories of the First Age published, perhaps despairing that he could ever raise his powers again high enough to match the visions of his youth. It remains, as Gimli says in THE RETURN OF THE KING of the works of men, a 'might-have-been'. But it is a glimpse, a far-off dream, that can still stir the heart. And so Christopher Tolkien lays down his steward's rod. I must confess that, after what was the obvious necessity of having a version of THE SILMARILLION edited together, I had some doubts about his releases of Tolkien's unpublished works, fearing a mere 'cash grab'. But the years of his scholarly application and the wary preservation of his father's legacy, even in the face of enormous sums of money to be had, has led me to be ashamed of my original fears. If J. R. R. Tolkien has been Earendil, a star rising with hope unlooked-for in the firmament of literature, Christopher Tolkien has been his son Elrond, preserving lore and wisdom into another age. I believe I have said it before: when we enjoy these posthumously published works of Tolkien, we are not merely reading the work of one great man; we find the work of two.” – Power of Babel.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Literary History. Hardback.

Tolkien On Fairy-stories, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Expanded edition, with commentary and notes. Edited by Verlyn Flieger and Douglas Anderson. (2008)

What it says on the label. “"On Fairy-Stories" is an essay by J. R. R. Tolkien which discusses the fairy-story as a literary form. It was initially written (and entitled simply "Fairy Stories") for presentation by Tolkien as the Andrew Lang lecture at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, on 8 March 1939. In the lecture, Tolkien chose to focus on Andrew Lang’s work as a folklorist and collector of fairy tales. He disagreed with Lang's broad inclusion in his Fairy Books collection (1889–1910), of traveller's tales, beast fables, and other types of stories. Tolkien held a narrower perspective, viewing fairy stories as those that took place in Faerie, an enchanted realm, with or without fairies as characters. He disagreed with both Max Müller and Andrew Lang in their respective theories of the development of fairy stories, which he viewed as the natural development of the interaction of human imagination and human language. The essay is significant because it contains Tolkien's explanation of his philosophy on fantasy and thoughts on mythopoiesis. Moreover, the essay is an early analysis of speculative fiction by one of the most important authors in the genre.” – Wikipedia. We’ll hear more of Flieger and Anderson later.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Essay. Fantasy. Hardback.

Roverandom, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Edited by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond. Illustrations by the Author. (1998)

“Roverandom is a novella by J. R. R. Tolkien, originally told in 1925, about the adventures of a young dog, Rover. In the story, an irritable wizard turns Rover into a toy, and Rover goes to the Moon and under the sea in order to find the wizard again to turn him back into a normal-sized dog. The author wrote Roverandom for his son Michael to amuse him upon the loss of his favourite toy, a little leaden dog which he lost on a beach of grey shingle stones the same size and colour as the toy. The work is in tone a children's story, but contains many allusions and references in the manner of Farmer Giles of Ham. It was submitted for publication in 1937 after the success of The Hobbit, but was not published for over sixty years, finally being released in 1998. the tale's brief glimpse of the Shadowy Seas and Elvenhome links it to Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium.” – Wikipedia.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Children’s Book. Hardback.

Farmer Giles of Ham (Embellished by Pauline Baynes), Smith of Wootton Major (Illustrated by Pauline Baynes), and The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (Illustrated by Pauline Baynes), by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Bought around 1979, I believe (the date inside each, at least, says 1978), at Hastings. These are the storybooks, plain and simple (no scholarly apparatus) in stand-alone editions, and the size makes the illustration clearer and more enjoyable than ever.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Children’s Books. Hardback.

Farmer Giles of Ham: 50^th Anniversary Edition, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Edited by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond.

Includes all of Pauline Baynes’s illustrations, with her new drawing of a map of the Little Kingdom; the previously unpublished original version of the tale; and Tolkien’s sketch for an unpublished sequel that was never written. Notes and annotations by Scull and Hammond. (1999)

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Literary History. Hardback.

Smith of Wootton Major, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Edited by Verlyn Flieger. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes.

A small, chunky book, evidently born of the same impulse as the 50^th Anniversary ‘Farmer Giles’ with extra picture from Baynes, Tolkien’s notes and early drafts, and much history and scholarly apparatus. An inside look at the complicated background of this seemingly simple little story. (2005)

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Literary Scholarship. Hardback.

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Edited by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond. Illustrated by Pauline Baynes.

Has new Baynes illustrations including her re-drawing for ‘The Hoard’, the history of the publication, and the original versions of poems that had been rewritten to make them more ‘Middle-Earthy’. Much history and insight into this “little book for the young’uns”. Includes the Bombadil poem “Once Upon a Time”. (2014)

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Literary Scholarship. Hardback.

The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Illustrated by Alan Lee. (1997)

“Commemorates the 60^th Anniversary of The Hobbit.” Over 60 watercolor and pencil illustrations by Lee. Lee went on to be one of the primary concept artists for the LOTR movies.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Hardback.

The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Illustrated by Alan Lee.

Illustrations copyright 1991, but I got this copy much later, secondhand, and can’t pin down the printing. Has a ribbon. Cover slightly damaged. Fifty color illustrations.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Hardback.

The Silmarillion, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Illustrated by Ted Nasmith. (1998)

20 full-page illustrations in color, including the back and front cover. Nasmith is particularly good at pictures in large scale; he has that epic scope.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel Hardback.

The Hobbit: 50^th Anniversary Edition, by J. R. R. Tolkien.

The other slip-cased ‘leather’ edition was the Green Hobbit; this is the Gold Hobbit. “The Hobbit (50th Anniversary edition) is an edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit published in 1987, featuring a new Foreword by Christopher Tolkien. Included in the Foreword are reminiscences by Christopher of his father, and reproductions of two pages from the manuscript of The Hobbit, together with six further illustrations and several extracts from letters written by J.R.R. Tolkien.” – Tolkien Gateway.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Hardback. Anniversary Edition.

The Lord of the Rings: 50^th Anniversary Edition, by J. R. R. Tolkien. (2004)

The Black Lord of the Rings. “Fully corrected, all new text setting; color insert showing leaves from the Book of Mazarbul; deluxe leather binding with two-color foil stamping; gilded edges, ribbon bookmark; Two foldout two-color maps.” I haven’t even taken it out of its protective plastic sheath.

Ranking: Essential.

File Code: Fantasy. Novel. Hardback. Anniversary Edition.