The People's Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien [Paperback]

TheOneRing.Net (Author), Erica Challis (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 20, 2003

Author J.R.R. Tolkien created his mythical Middle-earth as the setting for his greatest works, "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit". Fantasy readers worldwide have loved both the books and the intricate magical world they inhabit. Director Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy has created an even greater awareness and curiosity about Tolkien's creation. This guide to J.R.R. Tolkien is an exploration of Tolkien's world from the writers of the Tolkien fan website, TheOneRing.net. The volume includes new articles as well as familiar favourites from the website. The essays are grouped around themes such as defending fantasy literature from the accusation of triviality; why people become Tolkien "fans"; whether Tolkien's notions of Good, Evil and Free Will are relevant to a changing world; the inspiration fans draw from his work; and the ideas from which Tolkien himself drew inspiration, both in his life and in his love of ancient literature and European myths. The volume also looks at the impact of the wildly popular cinematic version and answers the most common questions asked about Middle-earth.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

All contributors are part of TheONeRing.net staff, the leading Tolkien fan website in the world. The editor of this book, Erica Challis, is a featured columnist on TheOneRing.net. She hails from New Zealand

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Cold Spring Press (May 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892975904
• ISBN-13: 978-1892975904
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,390,752 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For the "People," by the "People", July 17, 2003

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The People's Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien (Paperback)

Virtually every fan of J.R.R. Tolkien has been to Theonering.net, the massive fan website that contains far-reaching news, rumors, info and discussions about Middle-Earth. Now the webmasters of that site have compiled essays, film reviews, much-asked questions into the "People's Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien," both for and by "the people." (Meaning the fans)

After a foreword by the foremost Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey, the book launches into a series of essays by the very kind Tehanu, Anwyn, Quickbeam, Ostadan, and Turgon. They examine charges of racism and sexism, explore the relationship between Sam and Frodo, defend escapism, study the effects of 9/11 and Tolkien's world, Christianity's indirect impact on Middle-Earth ("Wake up and Smell the Dogma" being one of these), its relationship to Arthurian legend, its mythological roots, analyzing Tolkien's "Letters" book, the real hero of "Rings", nature's place in Middle-Earth, and many other ideas and concepts.

And, in keeping with what's going on now, there is movie analysis. First they handle the ghastly Rankin/Bass film and mediocre Bakshi film. Then they go over the new live-action Peter Jackson trilogy, and the multiple viewpoints on the films themselves are great (Anwyn's is probably the most in-depth). Among the essays is Quickbeam's visit to New Zealand in 2000 where he checked out sets, filming, and actually met Jackson himself (as well as talented actors Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Bernard Hill and Orlando Bloom). The end of one section gives us an unusually sweet, romantic glimpse of Jackson and Fran Walsh. (Too many interviewers treat them just as coworkers, and not as a loving couple with two kids. Both sides can be seen here)

That's not to say that it's all serious analysis: There is the "Merchandising Hell" chapter, full of nightmare cash-in merchandise ("lembas" nutrition bars sold at health clubs, Gollum toothpaste), gaming, a C.S. Lewis-inspired "Screwtape" letter, and the reclaiming of the word "geek." (Geek pride!) Finally there is a Q&A section handling questions like why hobbits aren't inclined to use the Ring's power, or Elf astronomy. (Not to mention the extremely cute "Yes, Elanor, there really is a Gandalf!" letter)

The "People's Guide" benefits both from the authors' knowledge of Tolkien, and their knowledge of who they're talking to. The book isn't overly complicated or nitpicky, but it's far from dumbed-down. It's conversational, but instructive. Even people well-acquainted with Tolkien's work may come away with new perspectives on it, and new fans will find insights for the first time.

Perhaps one of the best qualities of this book is the sense of familiarity it provides. Readers (assuming they've been to the website) will already be acquainted with the authors. You know they're not going to pull anything deranged out of their hats or show any scholarly contempt; you know they're genuine fans, not just analysts. Oh yes -- they're geeks too, the best kind of fan. ("Are we not geeks?")

Whether you have been a fan for years, or watched the new movies and were hooked, this is a must-read. If you buy one nonfiction Tolkien book this year, this should probably be the one.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Golden Stars to the Net of the One Ring.., May 17, 2003

By 

"lanceskoggle" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The People's Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien (Paperback)

A beautiful, dynamic collaberation of essays, reviews and the like, it deserves greatness. Now I can sit in my bed reading the timeless essays and writings of fellow normal LOTR fans (and abnormal *cough*), in my own bed rather than sitting at a computer. I really enjoy and recommend this book to anybody. The range of opinions in this book is amazing (ie Cliff's review of FOTR compared to Anwyn's ;)) and it gives pros and cons of the movies. Next to that, is great essays about good, evil, and whatnot, with splindid artwork, my favorite of which is the Q&A. By the way, the Q&A puts things into different perspectives that I have not previously thought of before, providing much more in depth looks then my mind could go. I recommend this book to anybody interested in Tolkien, just be warned of MAJOR spoilers if you don't want to be spoiled.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable for What It Is, July 20, 2004

By 

M. Long - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The People's Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien (Paperback)

I found this book to be fairly enjoyable with some thought provoking ideas. I would not recommend it as the first book to read about Tolkien's works (such as Shippey or Humphrey), but as an adjunct to primary sources. Others have compared it to Harvey's Origins of Tolkien's Middle-Earth for Dummies, but I found that strewn with errors which detracted from the experience. Not so with this book. I did enjoy some of the writers over others, but the mix of ideas kept me reading.