J.R.R. Tolkien: The Man Who Created the Lord of the Rings (Scholastic Biography) (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Michael Coren offers a thought-provoking and entertaining story of the fascinating life of J.R.R. Tolkien. Readers will learn about the author¹s childhood in South Africa, his youth and adulthood in Great Britain, his experience in World War 1, and his professorship at Oxford University, where Tolkien had thought he had reached the pinnacle of his career. Little did he know that was just the beginning, for it was there that Tolkien began to write THE HOBBIT, the story that started it all.

About the Author

Michael Coren is a columnist, author, and broadcaster. He is the host of "Michael Coren Live" on CTS TV, the host of "The Michael Coren Show" on CFRB 1010, and has a weekly syndicated newspaper column published by the Sun Media Group. He is also the author of 10 books, including biographies of H. G. Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, and C. S. Lewis. He lives in Burlington, ON. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks; 1st THUS edition (December 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439342503
• ISBN-13: 978-0439342506
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,618,344 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Juvenile, but not in a good way, February 21, 2002

By	David Bratman (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Already in hardcover and recently released in softcover, this is a juvenile biography of Tolkien: it's intended for children, and written down for children. The cozy, smarmy tone and false sense of intimacy (leading Coren into many errors, though not as many as Michael White's =Life and Work of J.R.R. Tolkien=) make this book painful reading. Like all other juvenile biographies of Tolkien, or of C.S. Lewis (another subject Coren has essayed), this is entirely outclassed by adult offerings. Any child capable of appreciating =LotR= enough to desire a biography of the author can handle Humphrey Carpenter's classic book, and should.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good intro, February 27, 2003

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"Who was J.R.R. Tolkien?" With the release of the astounding movie trilogy, a lot of people are suddenly flocking into the "Lord of the Rings" fandom, people who previously would have paid no attention to a classic fantasy or its author. If you don't know much about Tolkien, then this book is a good introduction to his life.

After an introduction where Coren talks about the popularity of the book (and how much critics hate that it IS popular), Coren introduces us to Tolkien in his youth. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in a turmoil-filled time, was orphaned as a boy, fought in World War I, and married and had four children. And, of course, he produced books -- the fantasy classic "The Hobbit" and the darker, more epic "Lord of the Rings," "Roverandum," a few other little tales, and the Bible-like "Silmarillion."

Coren does a good job with the book. Not a great job, but a good job. His tone is usually pretty conversational, but occasionally he gets a little too heated or gushy or cutesy. This book doesn't contain any new interpretations or information; it's pretty basic, he tells us what Tolkien did, where, and sometimes why. There are plenty of crisp black and white photographs of Tolkien, his buddy C.S. "Jack" Lewis, Tolkien's homes, his guardian Father Morgan, book covers, parts of Oxford such as Merton College, and even a few wide shots of all of Oxford.

Normally this book would earn four stars, but there are some basic errors in describing people and events in "Lord of the Rings." This is pardonable in the author -- everyone makes booboos -- but an editor should have caught those little items; that's what editors are for. It gives the book a rather rushed feel.

If you already know about J.R.R. Tolkien, his life and his works, then you won't get anything new from this book. But if you're a new fan, or never learned much about Tolkien himself, then this can be considered a good introduction to the basics.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Tolkien biography!, January 30, 2002

By	Lawrence J. King "the chronologist" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Michael Coren's biography of Tolkien is excellent.

It is primarily aimed at a school-age audience (it's a Scholastic book, and the cover says "age 11 and up"). But readers of any age who want a short biography of Tolkien will agree that this is a great book.

This book mostly focuses on Tolkien the man -- his upbringing, his family life, his religious beliefs, his friendship with C.S. Lewis, and his children. But it also discusses his work, especially "Lord of the Rings".

If you haven't read "Lord of the Rings", you should do that first! Otherwise Coren's book may give some secrets away....