The People's Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien

By TheOneRing.net

Book Overview

Author J.R.R. Tolkien created his mythical Middle-earth as the setting for his greatest works, The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Fantasy readers worldwide have loved both the books and the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1892975904
• ISBN13: 9781892975904
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: Cold Spring Press
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.8" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

a modest defense of this book

Well, I feel compelled to defend this book. Yes, it is a collection of writing from a highly popular fan website, written by "amateurs" (by which I assume is meant someone who is not a university professor with stacks of publications to his/her credit). The book's title is the key here, the "People's Guide", not the "Academician's Guide". I may be old-fashioned, but I really prefer holding a book in my hands to reading from a computer screen. I like to underline key passages, put tabs on pages, return often to something that caught my curiosity. As a collection, the book is a mixed bag. Some writers are better than others, some chapters are frivolous, some are humorous and some are as good as anything you're likely to find in a scholarly journal. That's what makes this book so interesting, it's the voices of all the website creators, who are the people. I put myself in the same category, Tolkien fans who are educated, literate and don't have a university appointment but do have a lot of ideas. So I admire their bravery for putting their thoughts on paper and on the Internet, for others to tear down or hold up. Also, I want to express kudos to Cold Spring Press for a very elegant attractively designed volume. The publisher obviously put more than the ordinary effort into the production of this very nice trade paperback.

For the "People," by the "People"

Virtually every fan of J.R.R. Tolkien has been to Theonering.net, the massive fan website that contains far-reaching news, rumors, info and discussions about Middle-Earth. Now the webmasters of that site have compiled essays, film reviews, much-asked questions into the "People's Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien," both for and by "the people." (Meaning the fans)After a foreword by the foremost Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey, the book launches into a series of essays by the very kind Tehanu, Anwyn, Quickbeam, Ostadan, and Turgon. They examine charges of racism and sexism, explore the relationship between Sam and Frodo, defend escapism, study the effects of 9/11 and Tolkien's world, Christianity's indirect impact on Middle-Earth ("Wake up and Smell the Dogma" being one of these), its relationship to Arthurian legend, its mythological roots, analyzing Tolkien's "Letters" book, the real hero of "Rings", nature's place in Middle-Earth, and many other ideas and concepts. And, in keeping with what's going on now, there is movie analysis. First they handle the ghastly Rankin/Bass film and mediocre Bakshi film. Then they go over the new live-action Peter Jackson trilogy, and the multiple viewpoints on the films themselves are great (Anwyn's is probably the most in-depth). Among the essays is Quickbeam's visit to New Zealand in 2000 where he checked out sets, filming, and actually met Jackson himself (as well as talented actors Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Bernard Hill and Orlando Bloom). The end of one section gives us an unusually sweet, romantic glimpse of Jackson and Fran Walsh. (Too many interviewers treat them just as coworkers, and not as a loving couple with two kids. Both sides can be seen here)That's not to say that it's all serious analysis: There is the "Merchandising Hell" chapter, full of nightmare cash-in merchandise ("lembas" nutrition bars sold at health clubs, Gollum toothpaste), gaming, a C.S. Lewis-inspired "Screwtape" letter, and the reclaiming of the word "geek." (Geek pride!) Finally there is a Q & A section handling questions like why hobbits aren't inclined to use the Ring's power, or Elf astronomy. (Not to mention the extremely cute "Yes, Elanor, there really is a Gandalf!" letter)The "People's Guide" benefits both from the authors' knowledge of Tolkien, and their knowledge of who they're talking to. The book isn't overly complicated or nitpicky, but it's far from dumbed-down. It's conversational, but instructive. Even people well-acquainted with Tolkien's work may come away with new perspectives on it, and new fans will find insights for the first time. Perhaps one of the best qualities of this book is the sense of familiarity it provides. Readers (assuming they've been to the website) will already be acquainted with the authors. You know they're not going to pull anything deranged out of their hats or show any scholarly contempt; you know they're genuine fans, not just analysts. Oh yes -- they're geeks too, th

TheOneRing.net is awesome!

This is an awesome book. I was not let down by it at all! This book provides great insight into the works of Tolkien. This is a must have for any fan of the Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, or the Silmarillion. TheOneRing. net did an awesome job putting this book together. This book is great for reference or for just sitting down and reading from cover to cover.

OneRing Rocks

I was one of the fortunate ones to obtain this book at the Los Angeles Book Fair the day of its release. And even luckier to have a signed copy!! It is an easy read for those who are Tolkien fans, but by no means scholars. And for those who want a more in-depth discussion, it's there. This book is well written, well thought, and does not condescend or speak above it's readers. It's just right!! The impressive views from the various writers provide a nice blend of perspectives; culturally and educationally. Once, I started reading it, I found myself reading "just one more article,' then one more, then one more, until I read the whole book in one sitting. And I still pick it up and reference it time and time again because it is so well done. If their is a Tolkien fan on your gift giving list this is the book to have.

Five Golden Stars to the Net of the One Ring..

A beautiful, dynamic collaberation of essays, reviews and the like, it deserves greatness. Now I can sit in my bed reading the timeless essays and writings of fellow normal LOTR fans (and abnormal *cough*), in my own bed rather than sitting at a computer. I really enjoy and recommend this book to anybody. The range of opinions in this book is amazing (ie Cliff's review of FOTR compared to Anwyn's ;)) and it gives pros and cons of the movies. Next to that, is great essays about good, evil, and whatnot, with splindid artwork, my favorite of which is the Q & A. By the way, the Q & A puts things into different perspectives that I have not previously thought of before, providing much more in depth looks then my mind could go. I recommend this book to anybody interested in Tolkien, just be warned of MAJOR spoilers if you don't want to be spoiled.