A Companion to J.R.R. Tolkien
A Companion to J.R.R. Tolkien | |
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Editor | Stuart D. Lee |
Publisher | Wiley-Blackwell |
Released | 15 April 2014 |
Format | Hardcover; paperback |
Pages | 608 |
ISBN | 978-0470659823 |
A Companion to J.R.R. Tolkien is a scholarly book about J.R.R. Tolkien edited by Stuart D. Lee, published in 2014. It is a part of the Blackwell Companions to Literature series, which have been praised as prestigious reference works.
The book presents 36 essays, featuring a number of well-known Tolkien authors. The essays are arranged into five parts, with coverage of his life, work, dominant themes, influences, and the critical reaction to his writing.
A second edition was published in 2022, keeping up-to-date new publications, adaptations, and original scholarship. Five new essays have been added to bring in new views and insights.
From the publisher[edit | edit source]
A Companion to J.R.R. Tolkien provides readers with an in-depth examination of the author's life and works, covering Tolkien's fiction and mythology, his academic writing, and his continuing impact on contemporary literature and culture. Presenting forty-one essays by a panel of leading scholars, the Companion analyzes prevailing themes found in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, posthumous publications such as The Silmarillion and The Fall of Arthur, lesser-known fiction and poetry, literary essays, and more.
This second edition of the Companion remains the most complete and up-to-date resource of its kind, encompassing new Tolkien publications, original scholarship, The Hobbit film adaptations, and the biographical drama Tolkien. Five entirely new essays discuss the history of fantasy literature, the influence of classical mythology on Tolkien, folklore and fairytales, diversity, and Tolkien fandom. This Companion also:
- Explores Tolkien's impact on art, film, music, gaming, and later generations of fantasy fiction writers
- Discusses themes such as mythmaking, medieval languages, nature, war, religion, and the defeat of evil
- Presents a detailed overview of Tolkien's legendarium, including Middle-earth mythology and invented languages and writing systems
- Includes a brief chronology of Tolkien's works and life, further reading suggestions, and end-of-chapter bibliographies
Contents[edit | edit source]
- Acknowledgments
- Brief Chronology of the Life and Works of J.R.R. Tolkien
- Introduction to the Second Edition
- Part I: Life
- 1. A Brief Biography
- Part II: The Academic
- 2. Academic Writings
- 3. Tolkien as Editor
- 4. Manuscripts: Use and Using
- Part III: The Legendarium
- 5. Myth-making, Sub-creation, and World-building
- 6. Middle-earth Mythology: An Overview
- 7. The Silmarillion: Tolkien's Theory of Myth, Text, and Culture
- 8. The Hobbit: A Turning Point
- 9. The Lord of the Rings
- 10. Unfinished Tales and the History of Middle-earth: A Lifetime of Imagination
- 11. "The Lost Road" and "The Notion Club Papers": Myth, History, and Time-travel
- 12. Poetry
- 13. "Minor" Works
- 14. Invented Languages and Writing Systems
- Part IV: Context
- 15. Fantasy: An Introduction
- 16. Classical Literature
- 17. "On Fairy-stories" and Folktale Research
- 18. Old English
- 19. Middle English
- 20. Old Norse
- 21. Finnish: The Land and Language of Heroes
- 22. Celtic: "Celtic Things" and "Things Celtic" – Identity, Language, and Mythology
- 23. The English Literary Tradition: Shakespeare to the Gothic
- 24. Earlier Fantasy Fiction: Morris, Dunsany, and Lindsay
- 25. The Inklings and Others: Tolkien and His Contemporaries
- 26. Later Fantasy Fiction: Tolkien's Legacy
- 27. Periodizing Tolkien: The Romantic Modern
- Part V: Critical Approaches
- 28. The Critical Response to Tolkien's Fiction
- 29. Style and Intertextual Echoes
- 30. The Hero's Journey
- 31. Evil
- 32. Nature
- 33. Religion: An Implicit Catholicism
- 34. War
- 35. Women
- 36. Difference and Otherness
- 37. Art
- 38. Music
- 39. Film Adaptations: Theatrical and Television Versions
- 40. Games: Playable Arda
- 41. Fandom
- General Bibliography
- Index
Publication history and gallery[edit | edit source]
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- First edition
- Wiley-Blackwell, hardcover (2014), pp. 608. ISBN 978-0470659823
- Wiley-Blackwell, paperback (2020), ISBN 978-1119656029
- Second edition
- Wiley-Blackwell, hardcover (2022), pp. 592. ISBN 978-1119691402
External links[edit | edit source]
- A Companion to J.R.R. Tolkien on Wiley Online Library
- Book review by Andrew Higgins, Journal of Tolkien Research. vol. 2
- Book review by Jorge Luis Bueno-Alonso, Tolkien Studies. vol. 12