J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography, by Humphrey Carpenter
Published in 1977
Pages: 287
Genre: Non-fiction, biography
“It is mid-morning on a spring day in 1967.”
So begins Humphrey Carpenter’s J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography, a look at the man behind one of the most popular fantasy series ever written. What follows is an in-depth study of Tolkien’s life from his birth in South Africa to his death in his beloved English countryside. J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography gives an extraordinary amount of context that explains not only the style in which Tolkien’s stories were written, but the genesis of a brilliant man and the beliefs that shaped him.
View original post 852 more words
Great review. I read this book way back in sophomore year of high school for English class.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! It’s a great exploration of the man behind the myths.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography – Review — Perpetually Past Due Reblog | Dystopian Shuffle
I still feel very proud of the fact that Tolkien was South African born. Its one of the reasons I wanted to become a writer aswell.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Definitely an often overlooked aspect about him.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I haven’t read this, but it sounds like I need to!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s definitely a good read!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Isn’t it a great biography? I read it as a teenager, in the throes of my Tolkien obsession. I came to him via the Mabinogion, Wales’s folkloric source text. I loved him for his invention of languages and his building of cultures around those languages. The Silmarillion is a wonderful companion to The Lord of the Rings.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He was truly unique in that he built languages first, and then created cultures and stories about them after. It’s a wonderful book and I’ll have to revisit it again soon!
LikeLike
Pingback: The Lord of the Rings – Lit Lemon Books