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Carpenter chronicles Tolkien's early life with a special sensitivity; after losing both parents, Tolkien and his brother Hilary were taken from their idyllic life in the English countryside to a poverty-ridden existence in dark and sooty Birmingham. There were bright points, however. A social and cheerful lad, Tolkien enjoyed rugby and was proud of his gift for languages. It was also at this time that he met Edith Bratt, who would later become his wife. Academic life--both as a student and professor--is where this biography shines. Friendship with other men played a huge part in Tolkien's life, and Carpenter deftly reveals the importance these relationships--his complex friendship with C.S. Lewis, membership in the Inklings and the T.C.B.S.--had on the development of his writing.
The only criticism one can make about this book is that Carpenter tends to gloss over Tolkien's contributions to comparative philology. True, there is a chapter devoted to Tolkien's academic pursuits, but it tends to skim too lightly over the surface for this reviewer's tastes. Philology is a terribly methodical science, and the author clearly did not want to alienate readers who were primarily interested in Tolkien as a storyteller. Still, it would be nice to understand why Tolkien was held in such high esteem by his fellow academics. As it stands, Tolkien comes off as a slightly eccentric etymologist.
Fans who want to delve even deeper into Tolkien's life should pick up a copy of Carpenter's The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. --P.M. Atterberry
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Book Description Softcover. Condition: new. Reprint. The authorized biography of the creator of Middleearth In the decades since his death in September 1973 millions have read THE HOBBIT THE LORD OF THE RINGS and THE SILMARILLION and become fascinated about the very private man behind the books Born in South Africa in January 1892 John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was orphaned in childhood and brought up in nearpoverty He served in the first World War surviving the Battle of the Somme where he lost many of the closest friends hed ever had After the war he returned to the academic life achieving high repute as a scholar and university teacher eventually becoming Merton Professor of English at Oxford where he was a close friend of CS Lewis and the other writers known as The InklingsThen suddenly his life changed dramatically One day while grading essay papers he found himself writing In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit and worldwide renown awaited himHumphrey Carpenter was given unrestricted access to all Tolkiens papers and interviewed his friends and family From these sources he follows the long and painful process of creation that produced THE LORD OF THE RINGS and THE SILMARILLION and offers a wealth of information about the life and work of the twentieth centurys most cherished author. Seller Inventory # DADAX0618057021
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