Tolkien (Maker of Middle-earth)

The range of J. R. R. Tolkien’s talents is remarkable. Not only was he an accomplished linguist and philologist, as well as a scholar of Anglo-Saxon and medieval literature and Norse folklore, but also a skillful illustrator and storyteller. Drawing on these talents, he created a universe which is for many readers as real as the physical world they inhabit daily.

Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth explores the huge creative endeavor behind Tolkien’s enduring popularity. Lavishly illustrated with three hundred images of his manuscripts, drawings, maps, and letters, the book traces the creative process behind his most famous literary works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion and reproduces personal photographs and private papers, many of which have never been seen before in print.

Six essays introduce the reader to the person of J. R. R. Tolkien and to main themes in his life and work, including the influence of northern languages and legends on the creation of his own legendarium; his concept of “Faërie” as an enchanted literary realm; the central importance of his invented languages in his fantasy writing; his visual imagination and its emergence in his artwork; and the encouragement he derived from his close friend C. S. Lewis and their literary group the Inklings.

The book brings together the largest collection of original Tolkien material ever assembled in a single volume. Drawing on the extensive archives of the Tolkien collections at the Bodleian Libraries, Oxford, which stretch to more than five hundred boxes, and Marquette University, Milwaukee, as well as private collections, this hugely ambitious and exquisitely produced book draws together the worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien scholarly, literary, creative, and domestic offering a rich and detailed understanding and appreciation of this extraordinary author.

This landmark publication, produced on the occasion of a major exhibition at the Bodleian Libraries in Oxford in 2018 and at the Morgan Library in New York in 2019, is set to become a standard work in the literature on J. R. R. Tolkien. 

Hardcover: 416 pages

Publisher: Bodleian Library, University of Oxford (July 15, 2018)

Language: English

Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 1.9 x 10 inches

Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds

Reviews

“Incredible . . . . A hefty book packed full of gorgeous, fascinating images.” 

(io9)

“Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth aims to demonstrate this link between the evolution of the world of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and the biography of their author. . . . The scope of his world was truly vast, and his desire to populate it impressive in itself. More to the point, the paintings are beautiful.”

(Times Literary Supplement)

“Reveals [Tolkien’s] painstaking creative process. . . . Reflect[s] a literary mind almost obsessed with perfecting each and every [detail].”

(New York Times Book Review)

“Splendid . . . . Impressive.” 

(Toronto Star)

“Extensive . . . . Fascinating.”

(Wall Street Journal)

"This is the catalogue for a magnificent exhibition on J.R.R. Tolkien's written and visual artistry currently being held at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. As is only fitting, this is a work of consummate beauty and scholarship. Whether you are a lover of Middle-earth or not, you will find much within these pages to savor.

The catalogue is magnificently illustrated throughout with Tolkien's own artwork,including some from his youth and others, like rough maps and sketches he created while writing his stories to help him better envision his landscapes, which were subsequently replaced by more polished final products. He was a notably meticulous artist, and even doodles on newspaper created while he was working on crosswords are drawn in very fine detail. Calligraphy was another of Tolkien's interests, and there are numerous examples of his fine penmanship, many in the runes and other writing systems he created for his characters. Some of this art will be familiar to his readers because it has been used to illustrate his books and in calendars and other materials, but much of it is new, and all of it has been given fresh descriptions and analyses in this catalogue. There are also plenty of photographs of Tolkien and his family and friends, some of which have already been published but all given enhanced evaluations here. Letters from and to Tolkien, including some to his wife Edith written during World War I and others from friends who were to die in battle, are also included.

The value of this impressive catalogue is greatly increased by the scholarly essays, including a biographical sketch by its primary author. The essays examine aspects of Tolkien's life, writings and artwork and were written by some of the most pre-eminent of today's Middle-earth scholars.There is a selection of letters Tolkien received from various notable readers throughout his life, including C.S. Lewis, W.H. Auden, Arthur Ransome, Terry Pratchett, Iris Murdoch, the future Queen Margrethe, and Lynda Johnson Robb (on White House stationery). And there is a selection of the fan mail Tolkien received, some written in his own runic scripts and other languages and all of it charming in the love it expresses for his writing. Perhaps the most amusing of these letters is a famous one Tolkien received from a Mr. Sam Gamgee! I remember writing him a fan letter or two back in my own childhood, but they didn't make it into this collection.

This catalogue is one to be savored and kept close at hand for long perusal. Even if you do not manage to make a trip to the Bodleian the catalogue will provide an unparalleled view of Tolkien's rich artistic vision."

- John D. Cofield

About the Author

Catherine McIlwaine is the Tolkien Archivist at the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford.