The Road to Middle-earth: Revised and Expanded Edition (Paperback)

by Tom Shippey (Author) "'This is not a work that many adults will read right through more than once.'..." (more)
Key Phrases: Christopher Tolkien, Sir Gawain, Lost Road (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Shippey is a rarity, a scholar well schooled in critical analysis whose writing is beautifully clear." -- Review

Review

"Professor Shippey's commentary is the best so far in elucidating Tolkien's lovely myth." Harper's Magazine

"Shippey is a rarity, a scholar well schooled in critical analysis whose writing is beautifully clear." Minneapolis Star-Tribune

"[Tolkien] deserves his full do, and Shippey's appreciative assessment of his unique achievement provides it in full and satisfying measure." Philadelphia Inquirer

See all Editorial Reviews

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Product Details Paperback: 416 pages Publisher: Mariner Books; Rev Exp Su edition (June 24, 2003) Language: English ISBN-10: 0618257608 ISBN-13: 978-0618257607 Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #147,819 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) Popular in these categories: (What's this?) #16 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > History & Criticism #56 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > History & Criticism

Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
'This is not a work that many adults will read right through more than once.' Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Christopher Tolkien, Sir Gawain, Lost Road, Old Norse, Tom Bombadil, Unfinished Tales, Farmer Giles, The Fellowship of the Ring, Lost Tales, Middle English, Ancrene Wisse, Notion Club, Sir Orfeo, Jacob Grimm, King Lear, Bag End, Dark Tower, Sam Gamgee, The Return of the King, The Two Towers, Bilbo Baggins, Minas Tirith, Common Speech, King Arthur, Prancing Pony

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 100 books:

• J.R.R. Tolkien Boxed Set (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings) by J.R.R. Tolkien on 130 pages
• The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien on 127 pages
• Lord of the Rings (Spanish Edition) by J. R. R. Tolkien on 127 pages
• The Lost Road and Other Writings (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 5) by J.R.R. Tolkien on 15 pages
• The Lord of the Rings (Vol 1) by J.R.R. Tolkien on 13 pages

See all 100 books this book cites

 

18 books cite this book:

• J.R.R. Tolkien and His Literary Resonances: Views of Middle-earth (Contributions to the Study of Science Fiction and Fantasy) by George Clark on 10 pages
• Tolkien's Art: A Mythology for England by Jane Chance on 9 pages
• Understanding The Lord of the Rings: The Best of Tolkien Criticism by Rose A Zimbardo on 6 pages
• Tolkien's Legendarium: Essays on The History of Middle-earth (Contributions to the Study of Science Fiction and Fantasy) by Verlyn Flieger on 6 pages
• The Battle for Middle-earth: Tolkien's Divine Design in "The Lord of the Rings" by Fleming Rutledge in Front Matter, page 50, and page 143

See all 18 books citing this book

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Books on Related Topics (learn more)

The Lord of the Rings by Christina Scull

Discusses:

• elvish air
• Christopher Tolkien
• Tom Bombadil

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Discusses:

• fourteenth share
• Christopher Tolkien
• Bag End

The Lord of the Rings by Christina Scull Discusses: elvish air Christopher Tolkien Tom Bombadil The Annotated Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Discusses: fourteenth share Christopher Tolkien Bag End Loading...

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews 5 star:  (10) 4 star:  (2) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.8 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 43 of 43 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars The single best critical study on Tolkien, December 20, 2003 By  David Bratman (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Shippey's "J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century" places Tolkien in the context of his time. "The Road to Middle-earth" has the more scholastically challenging job of placing Tolkien in the context of his tradition. As that tradition is primarily philological and philosophical, these are his subjects. He tells us what Tolkien meant the words and names in his stories to mean; he tells us how Tolkien used modern language to convey modern and ancient styles and philosophies in contrast; he tells us how the Ring mediates two mutually exclusive concepts of evil; he explains Tolkien's complex narrative strategies; he dresses down critics who misunderstand Tolkien and blame him for not fitting into their concepts of literature; and he does all this with such a blistering display of erudition and general intelligence that the reader sits back amazed. The book is discursive, and the opening theoretical chapters may seem heavy going, but have patience: they provide necessary context. Shippey has Tolkien's measure in full throughout. He explains what was important to Tolkien, what Tolkien thought he was doing, and - no less vitally - why it is necessary to understand this if one is not to bash Tolkien in annoyance for not accomplishing something totally different. If you read Shippey, will you necessarily understand Tolkien? No. But if you don't read Shippey, and if you also don't have his insight and knowledge, you will not fully understand Tolkien. 47 of 52 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars A solid introduction to Tolkien literary analysis, March 15, 2001 By  Michael Martinez (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews This review is from: The Road to Middle-Earth (Paperback) I only have one complaint about The Road to Middle-earth and that is that Shippey doesn't concede an inch to Tolkien's non-Anglo-Saxon influences. The only real flaw in the book is the fact that the reader can easily be led to believe that everything Tolkien put into The Lord of the Rings was drawn from something in Anglo-Saxon history or legend. As long as people keep an open mind, however, The Road to Middle-earth sheds light on some of the most obscure details and references in Tolkien's work. Shippey admits in the foreword he may be stepping across the line, since Tolkien himself warned the author against reading too much into anything. But the ride is fun and in Shippey's whirlwind fashion the reader is treated to a torrent of near-mystical adulation for one of the 20th century's greatest authors. The writing is straight-forward and well within the reach of most readers. One of the pitfalls of literary scholarship which Shippey avoids is an overdependence upon jargon. He knows his audience wants to read more about Middle-earth and less about what fancy words critics are most apt to use. And despite Shippey's own tendency to accuse Tolkien of deception, he pounces with delightful vengeance and righteous anger upon many a critic who has sought to lay low the immensity of Tolkien's creation. One needn't agree with everything Shippey writes in order to appreciate the passion he has for Middle-earth, or the intense loyalty the writer feels toward Tolkien himself. Of all the Tolkien commentators who have ever dared put pen to paper, T. A. Shippey is most probably the best qualified (after Christopher Tolkien) to say anything at all concerning how Tolkien may have viewed his creation, or what Tolkien might have intended to say between the lines. 13 of 13 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Don't let the word "philology" deter you, May 29, 2004 By  Frank H. Straus (Springfield, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    This review is from: The Road to Middle-Earth (Paperback) This book is quite simply superb in every conceiveable respect. It is written by a scholar who understands and respects Tolkien's own scholarly passion for philology, the science and stories of the evolution of words and language. This is very different from the humanistic field of literary criticism, and Shippey explains at some length what a philologist can and cannot do. The close reader will end Shippey's book with a wistful feeling that some very wrong turns have been made in academia over the past one hundred years, and one of the reasons for Tolkien's greatness in his time was quite simply his refusal to accept or acknowledge that these wrong turns had been made. At bottom, a scholar of literature is, or at least ought to be, someone who loves words. We will always have a few of these people among us, and Tolkien's and Shippey's works remind us that no overgrown pathway is ever truly lost.		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Time travel into the ancient human mind Shippey walks the reader through Tolkien's lifelong fascination with and love and study of language, which is the golden thread of Tolkien's depiction of humankind through the... Read more Published 23 months ago by Daniel J. Smitherman 5.0 out of 5 stars A fine book about a great writer Tom Shippey is a profound student of Tolkien with a deep love of middle-earth and a deep understanding of it and its origins. Unlike so many academics, he is a fine writer. Read more Published on July 4, 2004 by Susan Norton 5.0 out of 5 stars A very informative Study Tom Shippey has an intimate knowledge of the mind and creative processes of the late Professor J.R.R. Read more Published on January 19, 2004 by CSH 5.0 out of 5 stars One of the foundations in Tolkein research Road To Middle-Earth appears for the first time in paperwork in a revised, expanded edition and is considered one of the foundations in Tolkein research. Read more Published on September 15, 2003 by Midwest Book Review 5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Background to Tolkien's Works Tom Shippey's book focuses on the creative process leading to LOTR and the Silmarillion and draws from all of Tolkien's other works as well as a variety of other appropriate works... Read more Published on January 5, 2003 by Tom Upshaw 5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece This is one of the best books I know. Far superior to The History of Middle-Earth (which, though superbly informative, can get very dry, and makes one wonder how many real-world... Read more Published on October 25, 2000 by Adam S. Hofri 5.0 out of 5 stars Ecellent commentary on Tolkien I am quick to spot errors in Tolkien commentaries. Here I found few. The book is penetrating, insightful, entertaining and informative. Read more Published on September 6, 1999 4.0 out of 5 stars Analysis of Tolkien's work from a philological perspective While most literary criticism about Tolkien focuses on the plots of the stories, this book follows Tolkien's own explanation by looking at the words that inspired Tolkien... Read more Published on April 18, 1999 5.0 out of 5 stars Must-read for those who would understand Tolkien's fantasy Although it has been almost a year since I read this book, I can't stop thinking about what I found within its pages. Read more Published on December 28, 1997 by [e-mail] Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books; Rev Exp Su edition (June 24, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618257608
• ISBN-13: 978-0618257607
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #147,819 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #16 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy > History & Criticism
  #56 in	Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > History & Criticism

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The single best critical study on Tolkien, December 20, 2003

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

Shippey's "J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century" places Tolkien in the context of his time. "The Road to Middle-earth" has the more scholastically challenging job of placing Tolkien in the context of his tradition. As that tradition is primarily philological and philosophical, these are his subjects. He tells us what Tolkien meant the words and names in his stories to mean; he tells us how Tolkien used modern language to convey modern and ancient styles and philosophies in contrast; he tells us how the Ring mediates two mutually exclusive concepts of evil; he explains Tolkien's complex narrative strategies; he dresses down critics who misunderstand Tolkien and blame him for not fitting into their concepts of literature; and he does all this with such a blistering display of erudition and general intelligence that the reader sits back amazed.

The book is discursive, and the opening theoretical chapters may seem heavy going, but have patience: they provide necessary context. Shippey has Tolkien's measure in full throughout. He explains what was important to Tolkien, what Tolkien thought he was doing, and - no less vitally - why it is necessary to understand this if one is not to bash Tolkien in annoyance for not accomplishing something totally different.

If you read Shippey, will you necessarily understand Tolkien? No. But if you don't read Shippey, and if you also don't have his insight and knowledge, you will not fully understand Tolkien.

47 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid introduction to Tolkien literary analysis, March 15, 2001

By	Michael Martinez (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Road to Middle-Earth (Paperback)

I only have one complaint about The Road to Middle-earth and that is that Shippey doesn't concede an inch to Tolkien's non-Anglo-Saxon influences. The only real flaw in the book is the fact that the reader can easily be led to believe that everything Tolkien put into The Lord of the Rings was drawn from something in Anglo-Saxon history or legend.

As long as people keep an open mind, however, The Road to Middle-earth sheds light on some of the most obscure details and references in Tolkien's work. Shippey admits in the foreword he may be stepping across the line, since Tolkien himself warned the author against reading too much into anything. But the ride is fun and in Shippey's whirlwind fashion the reader is treated to a torrent of near-mystical adulation for one of the 20th century's greatest authors.

The writing is straight-forward and well within the reach of most readers. One of the pitfalls of literary scholarship which Shippey avoids is an overdependence upon jargon. He knows his audience wants to read more about Middle-earth and less about what fancy words critics are most apt to use.

And despite Shippey's own tendency to accuse Tolkien of deception, he pounces with delightful vengeance and righteous anger upon many a critic who has sought to lay low the immensity of Tolkien's creation. One needn't agree with everything Shippey writes in order to appreciate the passion he has for Middle-earth, or the intense loyalty the writer feels toward Tolkien himself.

Of all the Tolkien commentators who have ever dared put pen to paper, T. A. Shippey is most probably the best qualified (after Christopher Tolkien) to say anything at all concerning how Tolkien may have viewed his creation, or what Tolkien might have intended to say between the lines.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't let the word "philology" deter you, May 29, 2004

By	Frank H. Straus (Springfield, IL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Road to Middle-Earth (Paperback)

This book is quite simply superb in every conceiveable respect. It is written by a scholar who understands and respects Tolkien's own scholarly passion for philology, the science and stories of the evolution of words and language. This is very different from the humanistic field of literary criticism, and Shippey explains at some length what a philologist can and cannot do. The close reader will end Shippey's book with a wistful feeling that some very wrong turns have been made in academia over the past one hundred years, and one of the reasons for Tolkien's greatness in his time was quite simply his refusal to accept or acknowledge that these wrong turns had been made. At bottom, a scholar of literature is, or at least ought to be, someone who loves words. We will always have a few of these people among us, and Tolkien's and Shippey's works remind us that no overgrown pathway is ever truly lost.