J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography [Paperback]

Humphrey Carpenter (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 28, 1988

One day while grading papers, J.R.R. Tolkien inexplicably wrote "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit" in the margin - thereby setting out on the path that would bring him fame, fortune, and the devotion of millions. A veteran of the Battle of the Somme, he was a close friend of C. S. Lewis and an editor of the OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY before becoming the Merton Professor of English at Oxford.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Excellent." (Newsweek )

About the Author

Humphrey Carpenter, the author of THE BRIDESHEAD GENERATION and THE INKLINGS, among other books, was given unrestricted access to all of Tolkien's papers for his biography of Tolkien, J.R.R. TOLKIEN: A BIOGRAPHY.

Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (October 28, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395486769
• ISBN-13: 978-0395486764
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,036,521 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive biography of a man who hated biographies!, September 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography (Paperback)

Humphrey Carpenter has, in this book, (as well as in The Inklings, and The Letters of JRR Tolkien), presented a balanced and endearing vision of one of the most popular and beloved authors of the 20th century. Informative without being boring, detailed without being sentimental, this book is far superior to the later biography by Daniel Grotta.

One thing which cannot be escaped is Carpenter's understanding of Tolkien's Catholicism -- expressed in both his writing, and his large part in the conversion of CS Lewis. Without this understanding, much of the "heart" of Tolkien's writing is missed.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fair enough, March 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography (Paperback)

First, I'd like to point out (referring to another review) that Middle-Earth really is a Christian world, wherever the small details come from. We can't observe Tolkien's work without adapting to the fact that he was a Christian, and not just in the purely formal sense of the word. Tolkien's texts were always about the everlasting battle of good vs. evil; that is not a Christian invention, but in modern Western literature the connection is easily made.

Well then, about the biography. I think Carpenter did respectable work describing Tolkien's character and way of life. No one could possibly tell us what in the first place made him devote decades for an imaginary world, or where did his ideas come from, but Carpenter casts some light on those matters too: basically what Tolkien did was a scientific process, and his concern for the smallest details is what made Middle-Earth so perfect a creation - simply no faults, no contradictions. Luckily Tolkien also had the gift of storytelling, since that is something you cannot learn. Since I've loved Tolkien's work for years and years, this biography is an essential pack of information. (And I wouldn't have ever heard of The New Shadow without Carpenter, so thanks for that one...)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I liked it, April 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography (Paperback)

I liked this book very much, of course, I like Tolkien and I like history. It's a little slow -- but then, it's a biography. I read the first chapter and was shocked to find Tolkien not the Elf or Hobbit I was expecting but rather a interesting man who was a little . . . weird. A good read, it told a LOT about his life and charature and Christianity.