A Companion to J. R. R. Tolkien

by Stuart D. Lee (Editor)

Overview

This is a complete resource for scholars and students of Tolkien, as well as avid fans, with coverage of his life, work, dominant themes, influences, and the critical reaction to his writing.

• An in-depth examination of Tolkien’s entire work by a cadre of top scholars
• Provides up-to-date discussion and analysis of Tolkien’s scholarly and literary works, including his latest posthumous book, The Fall of Arthur, as well as addressing contemporary adaptations, including the new Hobbit films
• Investigates various themes across his body of work, such as mythmaking, medieval languages, nature, war, religion, and the defeat of evil
• Discusses the impact of his work on art, film, music, gaming, and subsequent generations of fantasy writers

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781118517482
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	04/02/2014
Series:	Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture , #189
Sold by:	JOHN WILEY & SONS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	608
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Stuart D. Lee is a member of the English Faculty at the University of Oxford. He is the University's Reader in E-learning and Digital Libraries, a member of Merton College, and Deputy CIO at the University's IT Services. He has studied medieval literature and the works of Tolkien for over 30 years. His research focuses on the impact of medieval literature on modern culture, and he lectures in Old English, Tolkien, and the Poetry of the First World War. He is co-author of Key Concepts in Medieval Literature (2006) and The Keys of Middle-earth: Discovering Medieval Literature through the Fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien (2005).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Notes on Contributors xiii

Editorial Practices and Abbreviations xix

Brief Chronology of the Life and Works of J. R. R. Tolkien xxii

Introduction 1

Part I Life 5

1 A Brief Biography John Garth 7

Part II The Academic 25

2 Academic Writings Thomas Honegger 27

3 Tolkien as Editor Tom Shippey 41

4 Manuscripts: Use, and Using Stuart D. Lee 56

Part III The Legendarium 77

5 Myth-making and Sub-creation Carl Phelpstead 79

6 Middle-earth Mythology: An Overview Leslie A. Donovan 92

7 The Silmarillian: Tolkien's Theory of Myth, Text, and Culture Gergely Nagy 107

8 The Hobbit: A Turning Point John D. Rateliff 119

9 The Lord of the Rings John R. Holmes 133

10 Unfinished Tales and the History of Middle-earth: A Lifetime of Imagination Elizabeth A. Whittingham 146

11 "The Lost Road" and "The Notion Club Papers": Myth, History, and Time-travel Verlyn Flieger 161

12 Poetry Corey Olsen 173

13 "Minor" Works Maria Artamonova 189

14 Invented Languages and Writing Systems Arden R. Smith 202

Part IV Context

15 Old English Mark Atherton 217

16 Middle English Elizabeth Solopova 230

17 Old Norse Tom Birkett 244

18 Finnish: The Land and Language of Heroes Leena Kahlas-Tarkka 259

19 Celtic: "Celtic Things" and "Things Celtic" - Identity, Language, and Mythology J. S. Lyman-Thomas 272

20 The English Literary Tradition: Shakespeare to the Gothic Nick Groom 286

31 Earlier Fantasy Fiction: Morris, Dunsany, and Lindsay Rachel Falconer 303

22 The Inklings and Others: Tolkien and His Contemporaries David Bratman 317

23 Later Fantasy Fiction: Tolkien's Legacy Dimitra Fimi 335

24 Modernity: Tolkien and His Contemporaries Anna Vaninskaya 350

Part V Critical Approaches 367

25 The Critical Response to Tolkien's Fiction Patrick Curry 369

26 Style and Intertextual Echoes Allan Turner 389

27 The Hero's Journey Anna Caughey 404

28 Evil Christopher Garbowski 418

29 Nature Liam Campbell 431

30 Religion: An Implicit Catholicism Pat Pinsent 446

31 War Janet Brennan Croft 461

32 Women Adam Roberts 473

33 Art Christopher Tuthill 487

34 Music Bradford Lee Eden 501

35 Film Adaptations: Theatrical and Television Versions Kristin Thompson 514

36 Games and Gaming: Quantasy Peter Kristóf Makai 530

General Bibliography 545

Index 555