There and Back Again: J R R Tolkien and the Origins of The Hobbit

Mark Atherton

ISBN 10: 178076927X / ISBN 13: 9781780769271

Published by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2014

About this Item

For decades, hobbits and the other fantastical creatures of Middle-earth have captured the imaginations of a fiercely loyal tribe of J R R Tolkien readers, all enhanced by the immense success of Peter Jackson's films: first 'The Lord of the Rings', and now his new 'The Hobbit'. This book explores the chief influences on J R R Tolkien's work. Num Pages: 320 pages, 46 integrated bw. BIC Classification: DSBH; DSK. Category: (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly; (UU) Undergraduate. Dimension: 137 x 218 x 21. Weight in Grams: 348. . 2014. Paperback. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Seller Inventory # V9781780769271

Bibliographic Details

• Title: There and Back Again: J R R Tolkien and the Origins of The Hobbit
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Publication Date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 178076927X
• ISBN 13: 9781780769271
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

'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 Lothlorien 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.

About the Author

Mark Atherton is Senior Lecturer in English Language and Literature at Regent's Park College, University of Oxford, UK. He is the author of The Making of England (2017) and Complete Old English (2019).