Description

Book Synopsis
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 scholarsProvides 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 filmsInvestigates various themes across his body of work, such as mythmaking, medieval languages, nature, war, religion, and the defeat of evilDiscusses the impact of his work on art, film, music, gaming, and subsequent generations of fantasy writers

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 7
John Garth

Part II: The Academic 25

2 Academic Writings 27
Thomas Honegger

3 Tolkien as Editor 41
Tom Shippey

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

Part III: The Legendarium 77

5 Myth-making and Sub-creation 79
Carl Phelpstead

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

7 The Silmarillion: Tolkien’s Theory of Myth, Text, and Culture 107
Gergely Nagy

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

9 The Lord of the Rings 133
John R. Holmes

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

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

12 Poetry 173
Corey Olsen

13 “Minor” Works 189
Maria Artamonova

14 Invented Languages and Writing Systems 202
Arden R. Smith

Part IV: Context 215

15 Old English 217
Mark Atherton

16 Middle English 230
Elizabeth Solopova

17 Old Norse 244
Tom Birkett

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

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

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

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

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

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

24 Modernity: Tolkien and His Contemporaries 350
Anna Vaninskaya

Part V: Critical Approaches 367

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

26 Style and Intertextual Echoes 389
Allan Turner

27 The Hero’s Journey 404
Anna Caughey

28 Evil 418
Christopher Garbowski

29 Nature 431
Liam Campbell

30 Religion: An Implicit Catholicism 446
Pat Pinsent

31 War 461
Janet Brennan Croft

32 Women 473
Adam Roberts

33 Art 487
Christopher Tuthill

34 Music 501
Bradford Lee Eden

35 Film Adaptations: Theatrical and Television Versions 514
Kristin Thompson

36 Games and Gaming: Quantasy 530
Péter Kristóf Makai

General Bibliography 545

Index 555

A Companion to J. R. R. Tolkien

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    A Paperback / softback by Stuart D. Lee

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      View other formats and editions of A Companion to J. R. R. Tolkien by Stuart D. Lee

      Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 22/04/2020
      ISBN13: 9781119656029, 978-1119656029
      ISBN10: 1119656028

      Description

      Book Synopsis
      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 scholarsProvides 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 filmsInvestigates various themes across his body of work, such as mythmaking, medieval languages, nature, war, religion, and the defeat of evilDiscusses the impact of his work on art, film, music, gaming, and subsequent generations of fantasy writers

      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 7
      John Garth

      Part II: The Academic 25

      2 Academic Writings 27
      Thomas Honegger

      3 Tolkien as Editor 41
      Tom Shippey

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

      Part III: The Legendarium 77

      5 Myth-making and Sub-creation 79
      Carl Phelpstead

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

      7 The Silmarillion: Tolkien’s Theory of Myth, Text, and Culture 107
      Gergely Nagy

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

      9 The Lord of the Rings 133
      John R. Holmes

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

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

      12 Poetry 173
      Corey Olsen

      13 “Minor” Works 189
      Maria Artamonova

      14 Invented Languages and Writing Systems 202
      Arden R. Smith

      Part IV: Context 215

      15 Old English 217
      Mark Atherton

      16 Middle English 230
      Elizabeth Solopova

      17 Old Norse 244
      Tom Birkett

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

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

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

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

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

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

      24 Modernity: Tolkien and His Contemporaries 350
      Anna Vaninskaya

      Part V: Critical Approaches 367

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

      26 Style and Intertextual Echoes 389
      Allan Turner

      27 The Hero’s Journey 404
      Anna Caughey

      28 Evil 418
      Christopher Garbowski

      29 Nature 431
      Liam Campbell

      30 Religion: An Implicit Catholicism 446
      Pat Pinsent

      31 War 461
      Janet Brennan Croft

      32 Women 473
      Adam Roberts

      33 Art 487
      Christopher Tuthill

      34 Music 501
      Bradford Lee Eden

      35 Film Adaptations: Theatrical and Television Versions 514
      Kristin Thompson

      36 Games and Gaming: Quantasy 530
      Péter Kristóf Makai

      General Bibliography 545

      Index 555

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