J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century

Tom Shippey.

ISBN 10: 0618257594 / ISBN 13: 9780618257591

Published by Houghton Mifflin/Boston, New York, 2001

About this Item

328+ pp. Book/dust jacket condition: Fine/na (paperback). 1st Ed., 1st Printing/First Edition, First Printing. All orders are processed and shipped from MI or WI, USA.

Seller Inventory # 007283

Bibliographic Details

• Title: J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin/Boston, New York
• Publication Date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0618257594
• ISBN 13: 9780618257591
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Printing: 1st Printing
• Condition: Fine

About this title

Synopsis

Recent polls have consistently declared that J.R.R. Tolkien is "the most influential author of the century," and The Lord of the Rings is "the book of the century." In support of these claims, the prominent medievalist and scholar of fantasy Professor Tom Shippey now presents us with a fascinating companion to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, focusing in particular on The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.
The core of the book examines The Lord of the Rings as a linguistic and cultural map and as a response to the meaning of myth. It presents a unique argument to explain the nature of evil and also gives the reader a compelling insight into the unparalleled level of skill necessary to construct such a rich and complex story. Shippey also examines The Hobbit, explaining the hobbits' anachronistic relationship to the heroic world of Middle-earth, and shows the fundamental importance of The Silmarillion to the canon of Tolkien's work. He offers as well an illuminating look at other, lesser-known works in their connection to Tolkien's life.

About the Author

Tom Shippey taught at Oxford University at the same time as J.R.R. Tolkien and with the same syllabus, which gives him an intimate familiarity with the works that fueled Tolkien's imagination. He subsequently held the chair of English language and medieval literature at Leeds University that Tolkien had previously held.