Tolkien on Fairy-Stories [Hardcover]

Verlyn Flieger (Editor), Douglas A. Anderson (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2008

A new expanded edition of Tolkien's most famous, and most important essay, which defined his conception of fantasy as a literary form, and which led to the writing of The Lord of the Rings. Accompanied by a critical study of the history and writing of the text. J.R.R. Tolkien's "On Fairy-stories" is his most-studied and most-quoted essay, an exemplary personal statement of his views on the role of imagination in literature, and an intellectual tour de force vital for understanding Tolkien's achievement in the writing of The Lord of the Rings. "On Fairy-stories" comprises about 18,000 words. What is little-known is that when Tolkien expanded the essay in 1943, he wrote many more pages of his views that were originally condensed into or cut from the published version. An estimate is difficult, but these unpublished passages perhaps amount to half again as much writing as the essay itself. These passages contain important elaborations of his views on other writers, and their publication represents a significant addition to Tolkien studies. Included in this new critical study of the work are: / An introductory essay setting the stage for Tolkien's 1939 lecture (the origin of the essay) and placing it within a historical context. / A history of the writing of 'On Fairy-stories', beginning with coverage of the original lecture as delivered, and continuing through to first publication in 1947. / The essay proper as published in corrected form in Tree and Leaf (1964). / Commentary on the allusions in the text, and notes about the revisions Tolkien made to the text as published in Tree and Leaf. / Important material not included in the essay as published, with commentary by the editors. Contained within "On Fairy-stories" are the roots of the tree of tales that bore such glittering fruit in Tolkien's published and unpublished work. Here, at last, Flieger and Anderson reveal through literary archaeology the extraordinary genesis of this seminal work and discuss, in their engaging commentary, how what Tolkien discovered during the writing of the essay would shape his writing for the rest of his life.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Verlyn Flieger and Douglas A. Anderson are both well-known Tolkien scholars, co-founders (with Michael Drout) of Tolkien Studies. Flieger's most recent books include Interrupted Music: The Making of Tolkien's Mythology (2005) and the Extended Edition of Smith of Wootton Major (HarperCollins UK, 2005). Anderson's most recent books include The Annotated Hobbit (HarperCollins UK, 2003) and the anthology Tales before Tolkien: The Roots of Modern Fantasy (Ballantine US, 2003; mass market edition 2005).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins (July 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007244665
• ISBN-13: 978-0007244669
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #491,100 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Insights Into The Mind Of The Master, November 14, 2008

By 

John D. Cofield - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tolkien on Fairy-Stories (Hardcover)

Its most unfortunate that Tolkien's US publishers have not yet published this fascinating volume, for few works have provided his readers with as much insight into his beliefs and insights into the world of Faery.

In 1939 JRR Tolkien was invited to take part in a series of lectures designed to honor Andrew Lang. Tolkien chose to speak on Fairy Stories. His lecture explored the nature of fantasy and of what was, and more importantly was not, essential to the Art and Literature of Faery.

The heart of this work is the lecture itself, extensively annotated with fascinating notes. The lecture has been published in The Tolkien Reader and in Tales From The Perilous Realm, but this is the definitive, corrected version. The editors have also provided us with much material that Tolkien considered and then rewrote or rejected completely. Faithful Tolkien readers will find much that echoes and amplifies themes in his published works. Thus it is an essential addition to their libraries.