Tolkien: A Biography

Synopsis

Drawing on many sources, including friends, children and grandchildren, writings both published and unpublished by Professor Tolkien, Carpenter gives a detailed picture of the life of J. R. R. Tolkien, distinguished scholar and author most widely known for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. He describes his childhood in South Africa, the years at King Edward's school in Birmingham, his meeting and romance with his future wife, Edith Bratt, his undergraduate years at Oxford, and experiences in World War I. In subsequent chapters, Carpenter describes Tolkien's work on the New English dictionary, his brief tenure at Leeds University and return to Oxford as Professor of Anglo-Saxon and later of English Language and Literature until his retirement in 1959. The author discusses his collaborations with various colleagues on academic works and his writing of many imaginative stories for his children and his own amusement, including The Hobbit. Carpenter describes Tolkien's close friendship with C. S. Lewis and the circumstances that later lead to its waning. He relates the lengthy history of the writing of The Lord of the rings and its complicated publishing history. Finally, he discusses the success of the book and how it affected Tolkien's life. The book ends with a chronology of events, a complete list of the published works of Tolkien up to 1977, a simplified genealogical chart and an index.

Copyright:

1977

Book Details

Book Quality:

Excellent

Book Size:

328 Pages

ISBN-13:

9780345272560

Publisher:

N/A

Date of Addition:

02/27/07

Copyrighted By:

George Allen & Unwin (Publishers) Ltd.

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

Literature and Fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy, Language Arts

Submitted By:

Carrie Karnos

Proofread By:

Evan Reese

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.