jjares reviewed J. R. R. Tolkien: A Life from Beginning to End (Biographies of British Authors) on + 3278 more book reviews
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien singlehandedly created the epic mythology genre. J R R's father, Arthur died when he was a toddler; Arthur's two sons were born in South Africa. His mother moved both boys to England, and they struggled. J R R always loved languages, adventure stories, and fairytales. The boy's mother, Mabel, became interested in Catholicism. When she converted, her Methodist family stopped providing financial help.
Mabel was soon diagnosed with diabetes, sank into a diabetic coma, and died. Father Francis from the Oratory looked out for the boys and helped them find a residence with their Aunt Beatrice Suffield. However, the boys spent most of their time with Father Francis and the Oratory.
Tolkien's real strength was his understanding of linguistics. He loved the history of words. By adolescence, he used Spanish as the basis of his new language -- Naffarin. J R R soon became fluent in Latin, Greek, and Gothic (or Old English). Tolkien earned a scholarship to Oxford. Although he had fallen in love with a fellow orphan, Edith Bratt, Father Francis forbade them from communicating until Tolkien turned 21. Edith was an accomplished pianist. When J R R could finally communicate with Edith, he found out she was engaged to another.
World War I interfered with life in England, and J R R was relieved that he could stay at Oxford and train in codes and message transmissions. After he graduated, he married Edith just before he was sent to the front. However, he got trench fever and spent the rest of the war and additional years in the hospital because of his health issues.
Eventually, Tolkien began teaching at Oxford. While there, he struck up a lifelong friendship with C S Lewis. Lewis wrote THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. Both men were more interested in fantasy and were each other's first readers and critics. Science fiction was in its infancy, and Tolkien started writing time travel stories, while Lewis began space travel tales.
It took Tolkien seventeen years to complete THE LORD OF THE RINGS, while Lewis spent seven years on the seven-part NARNIA. This book goes into an explanation of Tolkien's books and their worldwide acclaim. His books have been translated into most modern languages and have never been out of print. The author states that Tolkien's works were models that the HARRY POTTER and GAME OF THRONES books followed.
I've been curious about Tolkien for years, and this brief story satisfied my interest in the man and his works. The book showed where Tolkien gleaned his thoughts about the Middle-earth and his war of good and evil in his books. A very satisfying read.
Mabel was soon diagnosed with diabetes, sank into a diabetic coma, and died. Father Francis from the Oratory looked out for the boys and helped them find a residence with their Aunt Beatrice Suffield. However, the boys spent most of their time with Father Francis and the Oratory.
Tolkien's real strength was his understanding of linguistics. He loved the history of words. By adolescence, he used Spanish as the basis of his new language -- Naffarin. J R R soon became fluent in Latin, Greek, and Gothic (or Old English). Tolkien earned a scholarship to Oxford. Although he had fallen in love with a fellow orphan, Edith Bratt, Father Francis forbade them from communicating until Tolkien turned 21. Edith was an accomplished pianist. When J R R could finally communicate with Edith, he found out she was engaged to another.
World War I interfered with life in England, and J R R was relieved that he could stay at Oxford and train in codes and message transmissions. After he graduated, he married Edith just before he was sent to the front. However, he got trench fever and spent the rest of the war and additional years in the hospital because of his health issues.
Eventually, Tolkien began teaching at Oxford. While there, he struck up a lifelong friendship with C S Lewis. Lewis wrote THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. Both men were more interested in fantasy and were each other's first readers and critics. Science fiction was in its infancy, and Tolkien started writing time travel stories, while Lewis began space travel tales.
It took Tolkien seventeen years to complete THE LORD OF THE RINGS, while Lewis spent seven years on the seven-part NARNIA. This book goes into an explanation of Tolkien's books and their worldwide acclaim. His books have been translated into most modern languages and have never been out of print. The author states that Tolkien's works were models that the HARRY POTTER and GAME OF THRONES books followed.
I've been curious about Tolkien for years, and this brief story satisfied my interest in the man and his works. The book showed where Tolkien gleaned his thoughts about the Middle-earth and his war of good and evil in his books. A very satisfying read.
