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Hither Shore Band 9 versammelt die Vorträge des DTG Tolkien-Seminars von 2012 sowie weitere Essays und Rezensionen aktueller Veröffentlichungen aus der internationalen Tolkien-Forschung.
A fascinating look at the fantasy and philosophy of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien. The two men were friends and fellow professors at Oxford, renowned Christian thinkers who both "found it necessary to create for the purposes of their fiction other worlds not utopias or dystopias, but different worlds." "The great importance of [Lewis and Tolkien] is that they have succeeded in restating certain traditional values in a way that they make an imaginative appeal to a very wide audience, young and old, traditionalist and non-traditionalist." — Richard Purtill, Author, J.R.R. Tolkien: Myth, Morality, and Religion
"[This book] is a fascinating look at the fantasy and philosophy of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. The two men were friends and fellow professors at Oxford, renowned Christian thinkers who both 'found it necessary to create for the purposes of their fiction other worlds—not utopias or dystopias, but different worlds.'" --
Tolkien is one of our most beloved fantasy writers. Such was the power of his imagination that much has been written on his invented world, languages, and myth. This book is an invitation to tread the paths of Tolkien's realm, exploring three regions of his work: language, myth, and imagination. We will be looking for a path leading to a summit from where we can view Tolkien's whole realm. Yannick Imbert argues that we can gain such a view only if we understand Tolkien's philosophical theology, his Thomism. To attain this vantage point and better understand the genius of his Middle Earth, readers journey with Tolkien through his academic, personal, and theological milieu, which together formed his Thomistic imagination.
J.R.R. TOLKIEN: POCKET GUIDE A new guide to the life and work of J.R.R. Tolkien, the premier British fantasy author of the 20th century, and his great works: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. This guide is clearly written for the general reader, offering an all-round introduction to this hugely popular writer. The book is full of illuminating facts and details about Tolkien and his works. The text has been revised for this edition. EXTRACT FROM THE INTRODUCTION Philip Toynbee declared, in 1961, that Tolkien's 'childish books had passed into a merciful oblivion', a wonderful statement, just a tad inaccurate. In 1997, The Lord of the Rings was voted the top book of the 20th century by readers in a British bookstore's poll (Waterstone's). 104 out of 105 stores and 25,000 readers put The Lord of the Rings at the top (1984 was second). Around 100 million copies of The Lord of the Rings had been sold by the end of the twentieth century, and 60 million copies of The Hobbit, with sales of around 3 million per year of the two books combined. Readers just love reading Tolkien's books. It's that simple. You can't force people to buy books or go see movies; there's isn't a magic formula (or ruling ring) to hypnotize readers and consumers (if there was, it'd be worth billions). And the Tolkien phenomenon began with readers. Back in 1937, 1954 and 1955, the publishers Allen & Unwin did their bit, of course, with reviews, blurbs, advertizing and so on, promoting The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, as did the critics, but it was readers who first started the phenomenon that has become truly global. Tolkien's influence on literature has been considerable, too, and not just in the realm of fantasy, sci-fi, fairy tales and related genres. As fantasy author Terry Brooks said, Tolkien 'was the premier fantasy writer of the last century, and all of us writing today owe him a huge debt.' No other writer W.H. Auden reckoned had 'created an imaginary world and a history in such detail'. Colin Wilson agreed that only a few writers have concocted a total universe, and that Tolkien's was very impressive. Tolkien's mythological writings may be the 'largest body of invented mythology in the history of literature', according to David Day. Invented, that is, by one person. It's also 'certainly the most complex and detailed invented world in all literature'. Jeremy Robinson has written many critical studies, including Steven Spielberg, Arthur Rimbaud, Jean-Luc Godar, and The Sacred Cinema of Andrei Tarkovsky, plus literary monographs on: Samuel Beckett; Thomas Hardy; Andre Gide; Robert Graves; and Lawrence Durrell. Includes bibliography, illustrations, appendices and notes. ISBN 9781861714763. 272 pages. www.crmoon.com"
*Includes a biography of Tolkien that explains which real-life experiences inspired his most famous stories and characters. *Includes pictures of Tolkien and important people and places in his life. *Includes characters spotlights on the books' main characters, including Bilbo, Frodo, Gandalf, Aragorn and other important characters. *Explains the origins of Middle Earth, its creatures, and its magic. *Comprehensively covers the plot and themes of each book. "Nothing has astonished me more (and I think my publishers) than the welcome given to The Lord of the Rings. But it is, of course, a constant source of consolation and pleasure to me. And, I may say, a piece of singular good fortune, much envied by some of my contemporaries. Wonderful people still buy the book, and to a man 'retired' that is both grateful and comforting." - J.R.R. Tolkien For more than half a century, the name J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) has been synonymous with epic fantasy. Known across the world for his classic The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Tolkien both revived interest in fantasy literature and set the standard for the genre. Today he is widely acknowledged as the "Father" of modern fantasy and its most famous author. While Tolkien made Middle Earth famous and vice-versa, Tolkien's works were influenced by a lifetime of Tolkien's own personal experiences. His tales concern creatures of myth, yet the plot lines and characters are human at heart. Tolkien drew his inspiration from war, nature, history, love, and language, and through the lens of fantasy he examined bravery, loyalty and friendship. That essential "humanness" at the core of his writing, whether it was displayed by a man, hobbit, or even a tree, struck a chord with readers that continues to resonate today. "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." So starts one of Western literature's most epic journeys, The Hobbit, a fantasy novel that has delighted adults and children alike since it was published in 1937. Ostensibly, The Hobbit is an adventurous tale about hobbit Bilbo Baggins, who leaves the cozy comforts of his home to try to win a share of a treasure guarded by a dragon named Smaug. The novel follows Bilbo and an assorted cast of magical characters and creatures, including dwarves, the wizard Gandolf, giants, goblins, and the mysterious Gollum. Tolkien brings so many different characters to life and keeps the plot moving at a fast enough pace that readers of all kinds have been easily engrossed reading the novel over the last 75 years. The popularity of The Hobbit made Tolkien's publisher and audience want a follow-up involving his Middle Earth and hobbit creations. To say Tolkien eventually outdid himself in response would be a drastic understatement. What followed was the most famous trilogy of the fantasy genre, The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien drew upon his background and spent over a decade fashioning the history of his world and the characters, including some of the old (Gandalf and Bilbo) and a lot of the new (Frodo, Aragorn, Sam). Though Tolkien's epic fantasy was published more than 50 years ago, it remains a stalwart piece of writing today. More than 150 million copies have been sold in more than 30 languages, and the trilogy is among the top-selling novels of all time. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings is the perfect resource for understanding Tolkien's classic books. In addition to exploring Tolkien's life and experiences, this guide explains the background of each book, including its characters and plot, its major themes, and its influential and enduring legacy.
Tolkien is one of our most beloved fantasy writers. Such was the power of his imagination that much has been written on his invented world, languages, and myth. This book is an invitation to tread the paths of Tolkien’s realm, exploring three regions of his work: language, myth, and imagination. We will be looking for a path leading to a summit from where we can view Tolkien’s whole realm. Yannick Imbert argues that we can gain such a view only if we understand Tolkien’s philosophical theology, his Thomism. To attain this vantage point and better understand the genius of his Middle Earth, readers journey with Tolkien through his academic, personal, and theological milieu, which together formed his Thomistic imagination.
A collection of twenty-two classic fantasy tales notes their connection to Tolkien's early works and includes such pieces as George Macdonald's "The Golden Key," Andrew Lang's "The Story of Sigurd," and E. A. Wyke-Smith's "The Marvelous Land of Snergs." Reprint.
