Tolkien, la biografia definitiva

Raymond Edwards' Tolkien is a great biography of one of the 20th c's most popular authors, JRR Tolkien. Written in 2014 (so about when the last of Peter Jackson's LOTR-based films was being released), it does a good job of covering the somewhat eventless life that Tolkien led while creating his lege Leggi tutto

I usually approach the reading of Tolkien biographies with some caution. This particular one got on my radar by a good Facebook mention by the legendary Tolkien scholar David Doughan whose work I very much admire and respect. So I thought if David likes the book it is worth a read. I am very glad I

An eloquent and engagingly written account of Tolkien's academic works which explores the possible influences throughout his life on his literature and studies. The author has created an intricate and engaging web of Tolkien's influences, interests, struggles and achievements, focusing on his deep l Leggi tutto

Dopo avere per pura coincidenza recuperato le lettere di Tolkien qualche mese fa, era arrivato il momento giusto di leggere anche questa biografia. Si tratta di un lavoro decisamente completo (anche se, sospetto, non del tutto imparziale) e, sebbene fossi già a conoscenza di molti fatti (sia grazie Leggi tutto

I ended up enjoying this book immensely, but it is a slightly frustrating read. Edwards has a distinctive, insightful and quite entertainingly waspish voice, and a lot of interesting things to say about not just Tolkien and his legendarium but also about broader topics such as education, friendship

Edwards' book is a riveting read and the first notable comprehensive study of Tolkien's life since Humphrey Carpenter's authorized biography. Whereas the pioneer Carpenter was tasked with painting a concise portrait of Tolkien the man, Edwards takes a more detailled and critical view and engages wit Leggi tutto

Very thorough, scholarly account of Tolkien's life and work. Lots of detail especially about his writing, both academic and fiction. Rather conservative in tone, for example his remarks on the Battle of the Somme as a worthwhile if costly offensive. Very interesting appendix on Tolkien's Christian f Leggi tutto

Very dry and academic; lots of analysis of literature and philology and the work Tolkien tried to finish. Discussion of the Inklings and Tolkien's friendship with C. S. Lewis. Intricate evaluations of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, the unfinished Silmarillion, and other tales.

Hard to believe this is the first true biography of Tolkien since Humphrey Carpenter’s sparse book. Of course, that’s because the man was an academic who led a relatively quiet life (despite going across two Word Wars). But the man was his work.