Switzerland in Tolkien's Middle-Earth
| Switzerland in Tolkien's Middle-Earth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Author | Martin S. Monsch |
| Foreword by | John Howe |
| Publisher | Martin S. Monsch |
| Released | 29 July 2021 |
| Pages | 296 |
| ISBN | 978-3907323021 |
Switzerland in Tolkien's Middle-Earth is a self-published book from 2021 by Martin S. Monsch that attempts to reconstruct Tolkien's 1911 trip to Switzerland and speculate about possible inspirations for his later legendarium. Aditionally, it includes hiking suggestions for the reader. It was first published in German under the title Die Schweiz in Tolkiens Mittelerde, with the English version coming out shortly after. According to Monsch, who translated the book himself, the English version is an improvement over the original. [1] The book's foreword was written by John Howe.
From the publisher[edit | edit source]
In 1911, at the age of nineteen, J. R. R. Tolkien embarked on an adventurous journey through the Swiss Alps; with a heavy pack, he hiked over many high passes. More than fifty years later, he mentioned in a letter to his son Michael that this trip had deeply affected him. Bilbo's journey in The Hobbit from Rivendell to the other side of the Misty Mountains, he said, was based on his own adventures in 1911.
Tolkien himself named a few specific sources of inspiration, most explicitly the Silberhorn (Silverhorn). So I wondered: Was this perhaps only the tip of the iceberg? Following in Tolkien's footsteps, I myself set out into the spectacular mountain world with its stories, myths, and legends, in search of his sources of inspiration; and little by little, a vivid and mysterious world revealed itself to me: a world that helped shape Middle-earth.
More than 100 color images accompany the author's research and discovery journey, along with 11 hiking and 3 road trip suggestions that allow readers to recreate Tolkien's experience with all its impressions themselves in the Swiss mountains.
"This book is above all else an invitation to step into Tolkien's hiking shoes, shoulder his pack, and step back a century into a world which is as far from today as Middle-earth is from our world; a guidebook of impressions, a walking tour of the nature of imagination and the imagination of nature." - John Howe
Reviews[edit | edit source]
- Wayne Hammond and Christina Scull, Journal of Tolkien Research Vol. 14 Issue 2
- Tim Scholz, Der Flammifer von Westernis 66 (German and English summary available here)
- Todd Jensen, Beyond Bree October 2021
References
- ↑ Instagram post from 30 July 2021 by Martin S. Monsch (accessed 29 March 2023)
