Sat 11 Feb 2006
Readings for Middle-Earth
Written by Phaedrus in Rivendell[2] Comments, Complaints, and/or Criticisms
The following books are grouped into three sections: essential writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, additional writings by Tolkien, and books about Tolkien and Middle-earth.
Essential Writings of J.R.R. Tolkien:
Additional Writings by J.R.R. Tolkien:
(Edited by Christopher Tolkien)
- Morgoth’s Ring
- The War of the Jewels
- The Tolkien Reader
- The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
- Unfinished Tales
- The Histories of Middle-earth
- The History of the Lord of the Rings
Books about Tolkien and Middle-earth:
- Following Gandalf – Matthew Dickerson
- A Road to Middle-earth – Tom Shippey
- The Philosophy of Tolkien – Peter Kreeft
- The Complete Tolkien Companion – J.E.A. Tyler
- Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings – Colin Duriez
- J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century – Tom Shippey
- The Gospel According to Tolkien – Ralph Wood
- J.R.R. Tolkien’s Sanctifying Myth – Bradley Birzer
- Tolkien’s Ordinary Virtues – Mark Eddy Smith
- The Atlas of Middle-Earth – Karen Wynn Fonstad
Namárië.
Is Morgoth’s Ring a singular J.R.R Tolkien work or is it more of a compilation by Christopher? I haven’t read it and if you have it can you let me know where it sits on a scale from the Lost Tales to the Simalrillion (the Simalrillion being closer to Canon…I guess you can say)? thanks man.
Rey:
MR is The Silmarillion in more depth. There are some complete chapters that were either written after publication or left out of the first printing. There is a wealth of information in it that I don’t think can be found elsewhere, although I have not read all that I own or all that is out there. Christopher went through all his father’s writings, notes, and fragments of writings and compiled them. Some were complete, some were not.
I’m reading Shippey’s J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century right now and it is remarkable. Shippey is not a believer but he occupies a chair formerly held by Tolkien. His insights into the language are very intriguing and make Tolkien’s genius even more apparent.