Customer Reviews

J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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...)

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.

Many of us know Tolkien only for his works of fantasy fiction. We may imagine him as a mystical Gandalf walking around 20th Century England. At first I was a little disappointed to find that this was not so. He was in fact, a normal man that I might have met, given the chance. He could be you or me, yet he had, within himself, a vision of something no one could have seen on the outside. I was impressed with the way Carpenter presented the Tolkien that his friends and family knew. I don't believe that anyone could understand what was really behind the mind of the creator of Lord of The Rings, any more than we can understand any other person's most precious and intimate creations.

I got this book for class and recently just finished it. It was fantastic. I didn't know about Tolkien's life outside of the Lord of the Rings and this book really shows his passion for his works. Also, the writing style of the author (Carpenter) made the book an easy read. Thanks!

This book kept my attention unlike any other biography has ever done. It made me smile, it made me cry, but best of all, Humphrey Carpenter manages to do all this without immortalizing Tolkien, but by telling the plain truth.

carpenter tries hard and covers all the bases, but the book gives us very little idea what exactly made tolkien tick and what he was trying to say with lord of the rings. a disappointment

Carpenter tries hard and covers all the bases, but the book gives us very little idea what exactly made Tolkien tick and what he was trying to say with Lord of the Rings, especially the powerful concluding chapters. This was a disappointment

The book is very interesting, but just because it deals with the life of an extremely interesting person, not because of its quality, insight or information.

I am specialy angry with one comment that the author did: he says that the Tolkien world is essentially a Christian world. This is absolutely false!!! Can't you see, Mr. Carpenter, that the world set up by Tolkien is based on Nordic pre-christian religions???!!! The source for all his mythology and characterization are germanic and anglo-saxon sources (Beowulf, Sagas, etc) Tolkien has more to do with a heroic Saga-like world than with a humble Christian one.