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

From Tolkien Gateway
The name J.R.R. Tolkien refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see J.R.R. Tolkien (disambiguation).
J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century
J.R.R. Tolkien - Author of the Century.jpg
AuthorTom Shippey
PublisherLondon: HarperCollinsPublishers
Released[September] 2000
FormatHardcover (22.5 × 14.5 cm)
Pagesxxxv, 347
ISBN0-261-10400-4

J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century is a scholarly study of J.R.R. Tolkien and his work by Professor Tom Shippey. The book was also published in an American edition: Boston: Houghton Mifflin, [March] 2001. ISBN 0-618-12764-X (hbk).[1]

From the publisher[edit | edit source]

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, Tom Shippey, the prominent medievalist and scholar of fantasy, 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 consists of three chapters that examine The Lord of the Rings as a linguistic and cultural map, as a twisted web of story, and as a response to the meaning of myth. Shippey presents a unique argument to explain the nature of evil and gives readers a compelling insight into the complicated interweaving of many strands as the narrative moves between characters and into the remarkable skill behind the construction of such a rich and complex story. Other chapters examine The Hobbit, explaining the hobbits' anachronistic relationship to the heroic world of Middle-earth; the fundamental importance of The Silmarillion to Tolkien's canon; and an illuminating look at Farmer Giles of Ham, Leaf by Niggle, and other lesser-known works in connection to Tolkien's life.

With a clear and accessible style, Shippey offers a new approach to Tolkien, to fantasy, and to the importance of language in literature. He demonstrates how The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion form part of a live and continuing tradition of storytelling that can trace its roots back through Grimms' Fairy Tales to Beowulf. J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century not only gives readers a deeper understanding of Tolkien and his work, but also serves as a learned and entertaining introduction to some of the finest and most influential works of fantasy ever written.

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