Download or read book Switzerland in Tolkien s Middle Earth written by Martin S. Monsch and published by Martin S. Monsch. This book was released on 2021-07-29 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A journey in search of Middle-earth In 1911, at the age of nineteen, J. R. R. Tolkien embarked on an adventurous journey through the Swiss Alps; with a heavy pack, he hiked over many high passes. More than fifty years later, he mentioned in a letter to his son Michael that this trip had deeply affected him. Bilbo's journey in The Hobbit from Rivendell to the other side of the Misty Mountains, he said, was based on his own adventures in 1911. Tolkien himself named a few specific sources of inspiration, most explicitly the Silberhorn (Silverhorn). So I wondered: Was this perhaps only the tip of the iceberg? Following in Tolkien's footsteps, I myself set out into the spectacular mountain world with its stories, myths, and legends, in search of his sources of inspiration; and little by little, a vivid and mysterious world revealed itself to me: a world that helped shape Middle-earth. More than 100 color images accompany the author's research and discovery journey, along with 11 hiking and 3 road trip suggestions that allow readers to recreate Tolkien's experience with all its impressions themselves in the Swiss mountains. "This book is above all else an invitation to step into Tolkien's hiking shoes, shoulder his pack, and step back a century into a world which is as far from today as Middle-earth is from our world; a guidebook of impressions, a walking tour of the nature of imagination and the imagination of nature." - John Howe
Download or read book Switzerland in Tolkien s Middle Earth written by Martin Monsch and published by Martin S. Monsch. This book was released on 2021-07-29 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In J.R.R. Tolkien's footsteps, the author embarks on a breathtaking journey through the Swiss Alps in search of sources of inspiration for Middle-earth, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, illustrated with 127 color images.
Download or read book Tolkien s Switzerland written by Elizabeth Currie and published by . This book was released on 2019-09-08 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1911 a 19 year old J.R.R. Tolkien finished his schooling and had won a place at Oxford University for the coming academic year in October. He was invited to join a party of walkers who were touring Switzerland, including his brother and aunt, his brother's employers family and family friends. They spent the summer in the Bernese Oberland and the Valais in Switzerland. The experiences he had there, the places he saw, opened his mind and provided direct inspiration for his invented world of Middle earth and his major works - The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion. Those weeks in Switzerland gave him the bedrock of scenery to drawn upon to create his detailed landcapes. Switzerland was the gateway to Faerie.
Download or read book The Worlds of J R R Tolkien written by John Garth and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-06-09 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An illustrated journey into the life and imagination of one of the world's best-loved authors, Tolkien's Worlds provides a unique exploration of the relationship between the real and the fantastical and is an essential companion for anyone who wants to follow in Tolkien's footsteps.
Download or read book The Maps of Tolkien s Middle earth written by Brian Sibley and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2003 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Includes four posters depicting Tolkien's world of Middle-Earth with maps from The Hobbit, Beleriand, and Numenor, accompanied by a manual describing the signicance of geographical evolution in the author's works.
Download or read book The Road to Middle Earth written by Tom Shippey and published by HMH. This book was released on 2014-04-08 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Uniquely qualified to explicate Tolkien’s worldview,” this journey into the roots of the Lord of the Rings is a classic in its own right (Salon.com). From beloved epic fantasy classic to record-breaking cinematic success, J.R.R. Tolkien's story of four brave hobbits has enraptured the hearts and minds of generations. Now, readers can go deeper into this enchanting lore with a revised edition of Tom Shippey's classic exploration of Middle-earth. From meditations on Tolkien's inspiration to analyses of the influences of his professional background, The Road to Middle-earth takes a closer look at the novels that made Tolkien a legend. Shippey also illuminates Tolkien's more difficult works set in the same world, including The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, and the myth cycle, and examines the remarkable twelve-volume History of Middle-earth, written by J.R.R.'s son Christopher Tolkien. At once a celebration of a beloved classic and a revealing literary study, The Road to Middle-earth is required reading for fantasy fans and English literature scholars alike.
Download or read book A Middle Earth Traveller written by John Howe and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2018-10 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Let acclaimed Tolkien artist John Howe take you on an unforgettable journey across Middle-earth, from Bag End to Mordor, in this richly illustrated sketchbook fully of previously unseen artwork, anecdotes and meditations on Middle-earth.
Download or read book Flora of Middle Earth written by Walter S. Judd and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017-07-18 with total page 425 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Few settings in literature are as widely known or celebrated as J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth. The natural landscape plays a major role in nearly all of Tolkien's major works, and readers have come to view the geography of this fictional universe as integral to understanding and enjoying Tolkien's works. And in laying out this continent, Tolkien paid special attention to its plant life; in total, over 160 plants are explicitly mentioned and described as a part of Middle-Earth. Nearly all of these plants are real species, and many of the fictional plants are based on scientifically grounded botanic principles. In Flora of Middle Earth: Plants of Tolkien's Legendarium, botanist Walter Judd gives a detailed species account of every plant found in Tolkien's universe, complete with the etymology of the plant's name, a discussion of its significance within Tolkien's work, a description of the plant's distribution and ecology, and an original hand-drawn illustration by artist Graham Judd in the style of a woodcut print. Among the over three-thousand vascular plants Tolkien would have seen in the British Isles, the authors show why Tolkien may have selected certain plants for inclusion in his universe over others, in terms of their botanic properties and traditional uses. The clear, comprehensive alphabetical listing of each species, along with the visual identification key of the plant drawings, adds to the reader's understanding and appreciation of the Tolkien canon.
Download or read book Who Was J R R Tolkien written by Pam Pollack and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2015-07-21 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Best known for his epic Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien was born in British-occupied South Africa. His early life was full of action and adventure. Tolkien spent his childhood roaming the British countryside with his family and could read and write by age four. He was naturally gifted with languages and used this skill as a signals officer in World War I as well as in his fantasy writing. By creating alternate universes and inventing languages in his work he demonstrated that imaginary realms were not just for children. Fondly remembered as the “Father of High Fantasy,” Tolkien’s books have inspired blockbuster movies and legions of fans.
Download or read book J R R Tolkien written by Colin Duriez and published by Lion Books. This book was released on 2012-10-10 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Long before the successful The Lord of the Rings films, J.R.R. Tolkien's creations, imagination, and characters had captured the attention of millions of readers. But who was the man who dreamt up the intricate languages and perfectly crafted world of Middle-earth? Tolkien had a difficult life, for many years: orphaned and poor, his guardian forbad him to communicate with the woman he had fallen in love with, and he went through the horrors of the First World War. An intensely private and brilliant scholar, he spent over fifty years working on the languages, history, peoples and geography of Middle-earth, with a consistent mythology and body of legends inspired by a formidable knowledge of early northern European history and culture. J.R.R. Tolkien became a legend by creating an imaginary world that has enthralled and delighted generations. This delightful and accessible biography brings him to life. Colin Duriez has appeared as a commentator on DVDs of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings, and BBC television's The Worlds of Fantasy. He is also the author of The Inklings Handbook (with the late David Porter), J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis: The Story of Their Friendship, and Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings, and has contributed to definitive reference works, The Tolkien Encyclopedia and a number of other tomes relating to Tolkien.
Download or read book Tolkien s World written by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien and published by M J F Books. This book was released on 1998-05 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Each painting is accompanied by a page of text drawn from the work that inspired it, describing the scene the artist has chosen to illustrate.
Download or read book Middle Earth in Magic Mirror Maps Of the Wilderland in Wales Of the Shire in England written by Stephen Ponty and published by Troubador Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2014-07-28 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work is a fresh look at the Maps of the Wilderland in The Hobbit, leading to the discovery that Professor Tolkien drew the imaginary maps from the Map of Wales back to front, or in reverse. The maps of the Shire in The Lord of The Rings are drawn likewise, of England. ‘“They are on their way to visit the land of their fathers, away east beyond Mirkwood,” put in Gandalf...’ Gandalf’s talk of the ‘land of their fathers’ is, by translation of its national anthem, Professor J.R.R. Tolkien’s hidden clue to the geography of Wales, which we learn the Professor loved, including its language. The focal point of The Hobbit, the Lonely Mountain, is identified as Cadair Idris of North-West Wales. Many of the topographical features of the Mountain coincide. The volcano-mouth Lake of the Lonely Mountain so resembles Llyn Cau of Cadair Idris. The marvel is that the lake has been overlooked so long: not only by Smaug the Dragon, but also by most commentators on The Hobbit. Which reader remembers there is a lake at all? Stephen interprets many of the allusions borrowed by Tolkien in his fantastic tale, including Beorn at the Carrock, the herons of Wales at Lake Town, and dragon fire at the Withered Heath. The work is divided into nine parts, with three site groupings. His unique focus on Tolkien’s map-making methodology will make his book relevant not only to Tolkien fans worldwide, but those interested in geography too.
Download or read book Ents Elves and Eriador written by Matthew T. Dickerson and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2006-11-17 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many readers drawn into the heroic tales of J. R. R. Tolkien's imaginary world of Middle-earth have given little conscious thought to the importance of the land itself in his stories or to the vital roles played by the flora and fauna of that land. As a result, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion are rarely considered to be works of environmental literature or mentioned together with such authors as John Muir, Rachel Carson, or Aldo Leopold. Tolkien's works do not express an activist agenda; instead, his environmentalism is expressed in the form of literary fiction. Nonetheless, Tolkien's vision of nature is as passionate and has had as profound an influence on his readers as that of many contemporary environmental writers. The burgeoning field of agrarianism provides new insights into Tolkien's view of the natural world and environmental responsibility. In Ents, Elves, and Eriador, Matthew Dickerson and Jonathan Evans show how Tolkien anticipated some of the tenets of modern environmentalism in the imagined world of Middle-earth and the races with which it is peopled. The philosophical foundations that define Tolkien's environmentalism, as well as the practical outworking of these philosophies, are found throughout his work. Agrarianism is evident in the pastoral lifestyle and sustainable agriculture of the Hobbits, as they harmoniously cultivate the land for food and goods. The Elves practice aesthetic, sustainable horticulture as they shape their forest environs into an elaborate garden. To complete Tolkien's vision, the Ents of Fangorn Forest represent what Dickerson and Evans label feraculture, which seeks to preserve wilderness in its natural form. Unlike the Entwives, who are described as cultivating food in tame gardens, the Ents risk eventual extinction for their beliefs. These ecological philosophies reflect an aspect of Christian stewardship rooted in Tolkien's Catholic faith. Dickerson and Evans define it as "stewardship of the kind modeled by Gandalf," a stewardship that nurtures the land rather than exploiting its life-sustaining capacities to the point of exhaustion. Gandalfian stewardship is at odds with the forces of greed exemplified by Sauron and Saruman, who, with their lust for power, ruin the land they inhabit, serving as a dire warning of what comes to pass when stewardly care is corrupted or ignored. Dickerson and Evans examine Tolkien's major works as well as his lesser-known stories and essays, comparing his writing to that of the most important naturalists of the past century. A vital contribution to environmental literature and an essential addition to Tolkien scholarship, Ents, Elves, and Eriador offers both Tolkien fans and environmentalists an understanding of Middle-earth that has profound implications for environmental stewardship in the present and the future of our own world.
Download or read book Tolkien and the Study of His Sources written by Jason Fisher and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2011-09-07 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Source criticism--analysis of a writer's source material--has emerged as one of the most popular approaches in exploring the work of J.R.R. Tolkien. Since Tolkien drew from many disparate sources, an understanding of these sources, as well as how and why he incorporated them, can enhance readers' appreciation. This set of new essays by leading Tolkien scholars describes the theory and methodology for proper source criticism and provides practical demonstrations of the approach.
Download or read book The J R R Tolkien Companion Guide written by Christina Scull and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 1032 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Designed to be the essential reference works for all readers and students, these volumes present the most thorough analysis possible of Tolkien's work within the important context of his life. The Reader's Guide includes brief but comprehensive alphabetical entries on a wide range of topics, including a who's who of important persons, a guide to places and institutions, details concerning Tolkien's source material, information about the political and social upheavals through which the author lived, the importance of his social circle, his service as an infantryman in World War I -- even information on the critical reaction to his work and the "Tolkien cult." The Chronology details the parallel evolutions of Tolkien's works and his academic and personal life in minute detail. Spanning the entirety of his long life including nearly sixty years of active labor on his Middle-earth creations, and drawing on such contemporary sources as school records, war service files, biographies, correspondence, the letters of his close friend C. S. Lewis, and the diaries of W. H. Lewis, this book will be an invaluable resource for those who wish to gain a complete understanding of Tolkien's status as a giant of twentieth-century literature.
Download or read book Tolkien s Gedling 1914 written by Andrew H. Morton and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1914, JRR Tolkien, his life in crisis, visited his Aunt Jane's Phoenix Farm in Gedling near Nottingham. The poem he wrote there, The Voyage of Earendel the Evening Star, was the spark that ignited the whole of his later mythology. Focussing on this single event, this work sets out to discover more about Phoenix Farm, Jane Neave and the poem.
Download or read book A Sense of Tales Untold written by Peter Grybauskas and published by Kent State University Press. This book was released on 2021-11-23 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exploring the uncanny perception of depth in Tolkien's writing and world-building A Sense of Tales Untoldexamines the margins of J. R. R. Tolkien's work: the frames, edges, allusions, and borders between story and un-story and the spaces between vast ages and miniscule time periods. The untold tales that are simply implied or referenced in the text are essential to Tolkien's achievement in world-building, Peter Grybauskas argues, and counter the common but largely spurious image of Tolkien as a writer of bloated prose. Instead, A Sense of Tales Untold highlights Tolkien's restraint--his ability to check the pen to great effect. The book begins by identifying some of Tolkien's principal sources of inspiration and his contemporaries, then summarizes theories and practices of the literary impression of depth. The following chapters offer close readings of key untold tales in context, ranging from the shadowy legends at the margins of The Lord of the Rings to the nexus of tales concerning Túrin Turambar, the great tragic hero of the Elder Days. In his frequent retellings of the Túrin legend, Tolkien found a lifelong playground for experimentation with untold stories. "A story must be told or there'll be no story, yet it is the untold stories that are most moving," wrote Tolkien to his son during the composition of The Lord of the Rings, cutting straight to the heart of the tension between storytelling and world-building that animates his work. From the most straightforward form of an untold tale--an omission--to vast and tangled webs of allusions, Grybauskas highlights this tension. A Sense of Tales Untold engages with urgent questions about interpretation, adaptation, and authorial control, giving both general readers and specialists alike a fresh look at the source material of the ongoing "Tolkien phenomenon."
