The Roots of the Mountains: A Book that Inspired J. R. R. Tolkien [Hardcover]

William Morris (Author), Michael W. Perry (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2003

J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings was influenced by this tale of a romance that unites two long-ago peoples and of the battle to defend their freedom against invading Huns.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This book is part of a series of inexpensive books intended to make better known the writings of William Morris and his influence on J. R. R. Tolkien. Books in the series include:

More to William Morris, which contains Morris' two great tales of herorism and battle, The House of the Wolfings and The Roots of the Mountains. Both books are also available separately in hardback and paperback.

On the Lines Morris' Romances, which contains Morris' two great quest romances, The Wood Beyond the World and The Well at the World's End. Both books are also available separately in hardback and paperback. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Do an Internet web search for "William Morris" and you'll find dozens of matches for this talented nineteenth English artist, poet and writer. Combining the ancient tales of northern Europe he loved so much with folk tales and writing them as a modern novel, William Morris (1834-1896) pioneered modern fantasy literature and influenced books such as J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Inkling Books (November 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587420287
• ISBN-13: 978-1587420283
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,937,997 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The bridge between medieval romance and Tolkien, April 6, 2008

By 

Matthew Schwarz (Bridgewater, nj United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Roots of the Mountains: A Book that Inspired J. R. R. Tolkien (Paperback)

William Morris wrote a number of early fantasy (a generation before Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings) that are characterized by a rich, archaic prose. His books are heavily influenced by medieval romances, and fall much closer to such than to the modern post-Tolkien fantasy (or the swords-and-sorcery genre that dominated the mid-20th century). The Roots of the Mountains takes place in an early north-European setting - reminiscent of Viking Scandinavia, or pre-Christian Britain or Germany. As the subtitle of this edition implies, this book kind of reminds one of the human parts of the Lord of the Rings (maybe a Rohan without elves, hobbits, or orcs involved) - indeed, Tolkien admitted Morris as an influence.

The language is a little difficult, although therein lies much of Morris's charm - unlike modern fantasy authors (and, worse, Sci-Fi channel programs), Morris does not use modern language and "feel" in his fantasy, but creates a medieval/fantasy atmosphere with his very choice of words (using many words that went out of fashion with Chaucer).

The story itself is an engaging adventure involving love, battle, and a more pastoral setting of people who live closer to the land than most of us do today.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Roots of Fantasy Fiction, April 6, 2008

By 

E. Kysela - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Roots of the Mountains: A Book that Inspired J. R. R. Tolkien (Paperback)

This is more for those who are interested in the history and drama of the battles a lost people than magical rings or wizardry. Morris gives fantastic descriptions of his locales and the action in this novel and the prequel (The House of the Wolfings) is vibrant with energy. The two stories are basically about the cross purposes of love and loyalty. The novel can be confusing to keep track of the characters as at various points the same character will be referred to with a different name. Overall I think it is a thrilling adventure which stands on its own, not only as a foundation stone for further creations in the medium.