Road To Middle-Earth

The definitive guide to the origin of J.R.R. Tolkiens books from The Hobbit to The History of Middle-earth series -- includes unpublished Tolkien extracts and poetry. The Road to Middle-Earth is a fascinating and accessible exploration of J.R.R.Tolkiens creativity and the sources of his inspiration. Tom Shippey shows in detail how Tolkiens professional background led him to write The Hobbit and how he created a work of timeless charm for millions of readers. He discusses the contribution of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales to Tolkiens great myth-cycle showing how Tolkiens more complex works can be read enjoyably and seriously by readers of his earlier books and goes on to examine the remarkable 12-volume History of Middle-earth by Tolkiens son and literary heir Christopher Tolkien
which traces the creative and technical processes through which Middle-earth evolved. The core of the book however concentrates on The Lord of the Rings as a linguistic and cultural map as a twisted web of a story and as a response to the inner meaning of myth and poetry. By following the routes of Tolkiens own obsessions -- the poetry of languages and myth -- The Road to Middle-earth shows how Beowulf The Lord of the Rings Grimms Fairy Tales the Elder Edda and many other works form part of a live and continuing tradition of literature. It takes issue with many basic premises of orthodox criticism and offers a new approach to Tolkien to fantasy and to the importance of language in literature. This new edition is revised and expanded and includes a previously unpublished lengthy analysis of
Peter Jacksons film adaptations and their effect on Tolkiens work.