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Post by hengest on Jan 16, 2022 10:22:14 GMT -5
I have this book out from the public library. My impression so far is that it is probably of interest to all serious Tolkien fans and world-builders, also of some interest to moderate Tolkien fans. To me, it looks great. I've only read the first chapter so far and will update this thread as I go. The book is largely about places, and the inspirations for places in Middle-Earth and Tolkien's other fiction. A short quote from the introduction: Between the Introduction and the first chapter there is a two-page spread that shows the famous cover illustration for The Hobbit (the road leading to the Lonely Mountain) and Tolkien's drawing of the Hill. The author makes the worthwhile and seemingly obvious (but not obvious to me until I read it) observation that the Hill is a "cosy mirror" of the Lonely Mountain and that "the road from one picture leads to the other." This is said with no fanfare and very little supportive text. The author presents this insight cleanly and in few words. To me, this is a most promising beginning. I look forward to posting on the first chapter, reading and posting on the other chapters, and hearing from you all.   |
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Post by The Semi-Retired Gamer on Jan 16, 2022 15:19:19 GMT -5
I've always been intrigued by the style of these two pieces. |
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Jan 16, 2022 21:17:00 GMT -5
I've always been intrigued by the style of these two pieces. I like these two, very Tolkienish IMO. |
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Post by hengest on Jan 19, 2022 9:59:19 GMT -5
"England to the Shire"
I'm not going to rehash every point here. But I will say that I know some of this Tolkien stuff pretty well for an amateur (there is rarely an article that tells me something big I didn't know), and here there is a lot of material that is new to me. I love the Shire and the whole of Book I when the hobbits travel through it, and this chapter gives visually and cognitively clear connections between the Shire and elements of Tolkien's life outside the LOTR, sometimes obvious ("why didn't I think of that?"), sometimes not so obvious, usually revealing.
For one thing, I had never thought of the "far green country under a swift sunrise" as inspired by England, but now I often will. Without spoiling or over-interpreting anything, this chapter changes how you think of the novel in relation to the author. For Tolkien enthusiasts, the book still promises to be quite worthwhile.
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Post by hengest on Jan 19, 2022 10:37:15 GMT -5
"Four Winds"
This chapter is more abstract, but still more than works. The idea here is the cardinal directions: North, South, East, West--and what Tolkien learned or took from each of them. The Germanic and Finnic cultures of the North, and so on. There is material here I never would have dreamed of. Not so detailed, but more than suggestive. For just one example:
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun
from The Song of Wandering Aengus by Yeats: one of several inspirations for the Two Trees of Valinor.
Another fine chapter that I will be returning to.
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Post by True Black Raven on Feb 5, 2022 16:17:13 GMT -5
"Four Winds"This chapter is more abstract, but still more than works. The idea here is the cardinal directions: North, South, East, West--and what Tolkien learned or took from each of them. The Germanic and Finnic cultures of the North, and so on. There is material here I never would have dreamed of. Not so detailed, but more than suggestive. For just one example: The silver apples of the moon, The golden apples of the sun from The Song of Wandering Aengus by Yeats: one of several inspirations for the Two Trees of Valinor. Another fine chapter that I will be returning to. Sounds like a great book, do you have more to share? Also can you post the table of contents? |
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Post by hengest on Feb 5, 2022 16:19:21 GMT -5
I have been very slow lately, I need to get back to this. I still have the book from the library. And I will try to post the TOC soon, maybe tonight. That is a good idea, thank you.
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Feb 5, 2022 20:36:15 GMT -5
I have been very slow lately, I need to get back to this. I still have the book from the library. And I will try to post the TOC soon, maybe tonight. That is a good idea, thank you. Yeah, the TOC may generate more questions too. |
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Post by hengest on Feb 7, 2022 21:44:12 GMT -5
Aaaand...the TOC, by popular request.
England to the Shire
Four Winds
The Land of Luthien
The Shore and the Sea
Roots of the Mountains
Rivers, Lakes, and Waterlands
Tree-woven Lands
Ancient Imprints
Watch and Ward
Places of War
Craft and Industry
(That's a pretty cool set of phrases!)
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Feb 7, 2022 23:45:33 GMT -5
Aaaand...the TOC, by popular request. England to the Shire Four Winds The Land of Luthien The Shore and the Sea Roots of the Mountains Rivers, Lakes, and Waterlands Tree-woven Lands Ancient Imprints Watch and Ward Places of War Craft and Industry (That's a pretty cool set of phrases!) I like "Roots of the Mountains." That is what catches my eye first. |
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Post by hengest on Feb 8, 2022 22:43:48 GMT -5
I like "Roots of the Mountains." That is what catches my eye first. Agreed, that is a good one. The chapter "Roots of the Mountains" is about real-world mountains and volcanos, especially the Alps, that served as inspiration for Tolkien's mountains. I have only skimmed the chapter so far (just now) and since I don't know much about mountains, that is not enough for me to make any special comment, but again, I will try to return to the topic... |
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Post by Vladimir, The Dark Prince on Feb 20, 2022 21:31:09 GMT -5
Enjoying reading this thread, any more comments to make?
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