Overview

The new edition of the definitive academic companion to Tolkien’s life and literature A Companion to J. R. R. Tolkien provides readers with an in-depth examination of the author’s life and works, covering Tolkien’s fiction and mythology, his academic writing, and his continuing impact on contemporary literature and culture. Presenting forty-one essays by a panel of leading scholars, the Companion analyzes prevailing themes found in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, posthumous publications such as The Silmarillion and The Fall of Arthur, lesser-known fiction and poetry, literary essays, and more. This second edition of the Companion remains the most complete and up-to-date resource of its kind, encompassing new Tolkien publications, original scholarship, The Hobbit film adaptations, and the biographical drama Tolkien. Five entirely new essays discuss the history of fantasy literature, the influence of classical mythology on Tolkien, folklore and fairytales, diversity, and Tolkien fandom. This Companion also: Explores Tolkien’s impact on art, film, music, gaming, and later generations of fantasy fiction writers Discusses themes such as mythmaking, medieval languages, nature, war, religion, and the defeat of evil Presents a detailed overview of Tolkien’s legendarium, including Middle-earth mythology and invented languages and writing systems Includes a brief chronology of Tolkien’s works and life, further reading suggestions, and end-of-chapter bibliographies A Companion to J. R. R. Tolkien, Second Edition is essential reading for anyone formally studying or teaching Tolkien in academic settings, and an invaluable resource for general readers with interest in Tolkien’s works or fans of the films wanting to discover more.

Full Product Details

Author:   Stuart D. Lee (University of Oxford)
Publisher:   John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Imprint:   Wiley-Blackwell
Edition:   2nd edition
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 4.00cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   1.077kg
ISBN:  

9781119691426

ISBN 10:   1119691427
Pages:   592
Publication Date:   31 July 2025
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix Notes on Contributors xi Editorial Practices and Abbreviations xviii Bibliography xix Abbreviations xx Brief Chronology of the Life and Works of J.R.R. Tolkien xxii Introduction to the Second Edition xxxiv Part I: Life 1 1 A Brief Biography 3 John Garth Part II: The Academic 19 2 Academic Writings 21 Thomas Honegger 3 Tolkien as Editor 34 Tom Shippey 4 Manuscripts: Use and Using 48 Stuart D. Lee Part III: The Legendarium 65 5 Myth-making, Sub-creation, and World-building 67 Carl Phelpstead 6 Middle-earth Mythology: An Overview 79 Leslie A. Donovan 7 The Silmarillion: Tolkien's Theory of Myth, Text, and Culture 93 Gergely Nagy 8 The Hobbit: A Turning Point 104 John D. Rateliff 9 The Lord of the Rings 116 John R. Holmes 10 Unfinished Tales and the History of Middle-earth: A Lifetime of Imagination 127 Elizabeth A. Whittingham 11 ""The Lost Road"" and ""The Notion Club Papers"": Myth, History, and Time-travel 140 Verlyn Flieger 12 Poetry 152 Corey Olsen 13 ""Minor"" Works 166 Maria Artamonova 14 Invented Languages and Writing Systems 177 Arden R. Smith Part IV: Context 189 15 Fantasy: An Introduction 191 Edward James 16 Classical Literature 203 Hamish Williams 17 ""On Fairy-stories"" and Folktale Research 214 Juliette Wood 18 Old English 224 Mark Atherton 19 Middle English 235 Elizabeth Solopova 20 Old Norse 247 Tom Birkett 21 Finnish: The Land and Language of Heroes 260 Leena Kahlas-Tarkka 22 Celtic: ""Celtic Things"" and ""Things Celtic"" – Identity, Language, and Mythology 271 J. S. Lyman-Thomas 23 The English Literary Tradition: Shakespeare to the Gothic 283 Nick Groom 24 Earlier Fantasy Fiction: Morris, Dunsany, and Lindsay 297 Rachel Falconer 25 The Inklings and Others: Tolkien and His Contemporaries 309 David Bratman 26 Later Fantasy Fiction: Tolkien's Legacy 324 Dimitra Fimi 27 Periodizing Tolkien: The Romantic Modern 337 Anna Vaninskaya Part V: Critical Approaches 353 28 The Critical Response to Tolkien's Fiction 355 Patrick Curry 29 Style and Intertextual Echoes 374 Allan Turner 30 The Hero's Journey 386 Anna Caughey 31 Evil 399 Christopher Garbowski 32 Nature 410 Liam Campbell 33 Religion: An Implicit Catholicism 424 Pat Pinsent 34 War 437 Janet Brennan Croft 35 Women 448 Adam Roberts 36 Difference and Otherness 460 Christopher Vaccaro 37 Art 472 Christopher Tuthill 38 Music 485 Bradford Lee Eden 39 Film Adaptations: Theatrical and Television Versions 497 Kristin Thompson 40 Games: Playable Arda 511 Péter Kristóf Makai 41 Fandom 525 Cait Coker General Bibliography 535 Index 544

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Author Information

Dr Stuart Lee is a senior member of the Faculty of English at the University of Oxford. He is a teacher and researcher in the areas of Fantasy Literature, War Poetry, Old English, and Digital Humanities. He has published extensively on all of these and most recently edited the 4-volume Critical Assessments of Major Writers: J. R. R. Tolkien for Routledge (2017), and The Keys of Middle-earth (2nd edition) with Elizabeth Solopova. He has led many major Digital Humanities research projects since 1996, most notably a series of digital crowd-sourcing initiatives across Europe, and The First World War Poetry Digital Archive. He is also the Deputy Chief Information Officer at Oxford and a joint Trustee of the Wilfred Owen Estate.

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