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The Tolkien Companion [Hardcover]

J.E.A. Tyler (Author)
3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)


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Book Description

September 5, 2000
Between 1932 and 1953, Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, of Oxford, England, translated four volumes compiled by the renowned Hobbits Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, written during the Third Age of Middle Earth, far longer ago than the Celtic, Germanic and Icelandic manuscripts Professor Tolkien was used to deciphering. The result was
The Hobbit, and readers have never been
the same since.
        In 1954, seventeen years after The Hobbit first appeared, its sequel, The Lord of the Rings was published, and it became the centerpiece of Tolkien's work. The Ring Epic covers approximately ten thousand years, and contains a vast amount of information as well as a huge variety of words and names which Tolkien translated from the Elvish and Mannish tongues. THE TOLKIEN COMPANION is an impressive endeavor to guide one through the world of Middle Earth, compiling every fact, name, word, and date from all the works into one comprehensive and accessible volume.
        Here, in one source, is the High History of the Elven peoples. The origins of Morgoth the Enemy is clarified, as is his Fall, and the subsequent rise to power of Sauron the Great, Lord of the Rings. The heroic epic of how the Free Peoples--Elves, Men, Ents, Dwarves, and Hobbits--survived against the Peril of the Ancient World is meticulously detailed. And a guide to the various Elvish writing systems, together with explanatory maps, charts, even genealogical tables, bring the remarkable genius of Tolkien and the unforgettable world and wonder of Middle Earth to life with focus and accuracy. Presented in alphabetical order for quick and easy reference, THE TOLKIEN COMPANION is an indispensable accompaniment for anyone who embarks on the reading journey of a lifetime.


Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Between 1932 and 1953, Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, of Oxford, England, translated four volumes compiled by the renowned Hobbits Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, written during the Third Age of Middle Earth, far longer ago than the Celtic, Germanic and Icelandic manuscripts Professor Tolkien was used to deciphering. The result was
The Hobbit, and readers have never been
the same since.
        In 1954, seventeen years after The Hobbit first appeared, its sequel, The Lord of the Rings was published, and it became the centerpiece of Tolkien's work. The Ring Epic covers approximately ten thousand years, and contains a vast amount of information as well as a huge variety of words and names which Tolkien translated from the Elvish and Mannish tongues. THE TOLKIEN COMPANION is an impressive endeavor to guide one through the world of Middle Earth, compiling every fact, name, word, and date from all the works into one comprehensive and accessible volume.
        Here, in one source, is the High History of the Elven peoples. The origins of Morgoth the Enemy is clarified, as is his Fall, and the subsequent rise to power of Sauron the Great, Lord of the Rings. The heroic epic of how the Free Peoples--Elves, Men, Ents, Dwarves, and Hobbits--survived against the Peril of the Ancient World is meticulously detailed. And a guide to the various Elvish writing systems, together with explanatory maps, charts, even genealogical tables, bring the remarkable genius of Tolkien and the unforgettable world and wonder of Middle Earth to life with focus and accuracy. Presented in alphabetical order for quick and easy reference, THE TOLKIEN COMPANION is an indispensable accompaniment for anyone who embarks on the reading journey of a lifetime.

About the Author

J. E. A. Tyler is an author and journalist specializing in music, historical biography, and archaeology and anthropology.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 544 pages
  • Publisher: Gramercy (September 5, 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0517146487
  • ISBN-13: 978-0517146484
  • Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,737,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.1 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

112 of 117 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars J.E.A. Tyler is one of the worst Tolkien commentators of all, December 14, 2000
This review is from: The Tolkien Companion (Hardcover)
There are three names Tolkien experts will immediately tell you to avoid: Ruth Noel, David Day, and J.E.A. Tyler. Tyler's original Tolkien Companion was filled with so many errors of fact and blatant wild guesses he had to quickly rewrite almost the entire work after The Silmarillion was published.

Good Tolkien analysts don't reinvent Middle-earth the way Tyler, Noel, and Day are wont to do. Although his style may be pleasant to read his research is highly suspect and he will probably never recover from the embarrassment his original Companion caused him. Fans who want to know more about Middle-earth AS J.R.R. TOLKIEN ENVISIONED IT should stick to the Tolkien books.

Critical analyses which have been well-regarded (if not universally agreed with) come from more traditional commentators such as Carl Hostetter, Verlyn Fleiger, T.A. Shippey, Paul Kocher, Wayne Hammond, and Douglas Anderson. These are well-respected scholars and researchers who may have their own priorities but nonetheless treat Tolkien and his world with greater respect than many others.

Although it doesn't cover anything published after The Silmarillion, Robert Foster's The Complete Guide to Middle-earth remains one of the all-time best Tolkien references. You can find books by all these authors are still in print and available here on Amazon.

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14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent resource, May 23, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: The Tolkien Companion (Hardcover)
.... There have been two editions of this book released, the first before the Silmarillion had seen publication. This first edition did in fact contain some guess work (something "Tolkien Experts" know all about), but Mr. Tyler's book offers a more comprehensive list of entries (and better written ones) than Robert Foster's "Guide to Middle Earth". They are both valuable resources if you want a clearer visualization of Middle Earth.
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25 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars What and where is the Tower of Pearl?................, November 12, 1998
This review is from: The Tolkien Companion (Hardcover)
and who is the sleeper in it? I originally checked this book out of the library with the intention of finding this out from it. Well, I didn't. In fact, in all the Tolkien books I have read, I have only come across one reference to it, and this, I think(I am not traipsing upstairs to my bookcase right this minute)was in Lost Tales 1(maybe 2). I think the Tower was on an island in the Shadowy Seas, and at the time of the Last Battle, the Sleeper in it will awake. However, is the Sleeper Ainu?, Maia?, Eldar?, Human???, how did the Tower get there in the first place, and what purpose did it serve? This is my only qualm with this book, but I cannot fault it any more than other Tolkien books, because no others elaborate on this subject either! Now, I am done nit-picking! This book was excellent in both the breadth and depth of its scope. Both the casual reader and the serious Tolkien lover will appreciate Mr. Tyler's fine research on this subject. It is as complete, if not more, in its listings than Mr. Foster's Guide, and on topics that require a second, deeper look, Mr. Tyler gives us more information, period, and does not hesitate to throw in some minor philosophizing that allows the mind to take what was simple and look at it in a more complex light. Also, Mr. Tyler includes some references to early European history that allow a creative mind to link past and present tales together in a way that shows how unique an author/chronicler Tolkien really was. The topics are clearly explained, cross-indexed, and the usual obscure but interesting information is there(the names of all twelve of Barahir's companions in Dorthonion, etc.). This book is well worth its price new but just as good used or on long loan from the library. Mr. Foster's Guide is an excellent and marvelously complete pocket reference, but to start philosophical discussions or to have as a desk reference, this volume will definitely add in positive ways to your collection.
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