Lightning from a Clear Sky: Tolkien the Triology and the Silmarillion [Hardcover]

Richard Mathews (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0893701211 | ISBN-13: 978-0893701215 | Publication Date: June 1978

A general critical examination of J.R.R. Tolkien's major works, including THE HOBBIT, THE LORD OF THE RINGS, and THE SILMARILLION.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Of the 14 chapbooks on Tolkien's work, Mathews's ranks with the best. Most of these booklets have concentrated on some one aspect, but Mathews offers runnin commentaries with broad summaries . . . . He combines discussions of organization and parallel episodes, symbolic motifs, and style . . . [and} offers occasional, very specific analyses of sentence structure and levels of diction. Recommended as a good essay for popular literature collections and undergraduate reading." -- CHOICE

From the Back Cover

When THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING first appeared in 1954, C. S. Lewis exclaimed, "It's like lightning from a clear sky!" The book was not an immediate success, nor did its author expect it to be. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) was a retiring Oxford professor who wrote his fantasies to entertain himself, his family, and his friends, and who really was not interested in bestseller status, or the fame that might result therefrom. But he underestimated the power of his own work. The publication of the first part of the Trilogy was followed by its sequels (actually parts of a single, unified whole), THE TWO TOWERS (1954) and THE RETURN OF THE KING (1955), all of which were later combined in one volume as THE LORD OF THE RINGS. The books did moderately well until issued in paperback form (1965), when they suddenly became cult items for the college youth of the Sixties, and began selling millions instead of thousands. Richard Mathews examines the entire span of Tolkien's major fiction, from his early prequel, THE HOBBIT (1937), to the posthumously published culmination of his work, THE SILMARILLION (1977), collected and edited by Christopher Tolkien from his father's papers.

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Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Borgo Pr (June 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0893701211
• ISBN-13: 978-0893701215
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,960,612 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kneel Before the Lord of the Rings!, May 17, 2000

By 

Regan Mc Mullan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lightning from a Clear Sky: Tolkien the Triology and the Silmarillion (Hardcover)

This book presents an excellent interpretation of the works of J.R.R. Tolkein. It adds an interesting prespective on his stories, as well as his life. This is a must have for any true Tolien fan! Peace.