The definitive Tolkien companion -- an indispensable guide to The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and more, from the author of The Road to Middle-earth.

This "highly erudite celebration and exploration of Tolkien's works [is] enormous fun," declared the Houston Chronicle, and Tom Shippey, a prominent medievalist and scholar of fantasy, "deepens your understanding" without "making you forget your initial, purely instinctive response to Middle-earth and hobbits."

In a clear and accessible style, Shippey offers a new approach to Tolkien, to fantasy, and to the importance of language in literature. He breaks down The Lord of the Rings as a linguistic feast for the senses and as a response to the human instinct for myth. Elsewhere, he examines The Hobbit's counterintuitive relationship to the heroic world of Middle-earth; demonstrates the significance of The Silmarillion to Tolkien's canon; and takes an illuminating look at lesser-known works in connection with Tolkien's life. Furthermore, he ties all these strands together in a continuing tradition that traces its roots back through Grimms' Fairy Tales to Beowulf.

"Shippey's commentary is the best so far in elucidating Tolkien's lovely myth," wrote Harper's Magazine. J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century is "a triumph" (Chicago Sun-Times) that not only gives readers a deeper understanding of Tolkien and his work, but also serves as an entertaining introduction to some of the most influential novels ever written.

• We started tracking this book on September 30, 2015.
• This book was $9.49 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 222 times in the past 3,413 days.
• The current price of this book is $2.99 last checked 2 hours ago.
• This book is at its lowest price in the past year.
• The lowest price to date was $1.20 last reached on June 28, 2018.
• This book has been $1.20 one time since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was $17.99 last reached on November 5, 2017.
• This book has been $17.99 one time since we started tracking it.

• Literature & Fiction

• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 411 Pages
• File Size: 1,769 KB