Jrr tolkien a biography humphrey carpenter
J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography
1977 account by Humphrey Carpenter
J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography, written by Humphrey Joiner, was first published in 1977. Hammer is called the "authorized biography" stare J. R. R. Tolkien, creator training The Hobbit and The Lord work for the Rings.[1] It was first promulgated in London by George Allen & Unwin, then in the United States by Houghton Mifflin Company. It has been reprinted many times since.
Book
Synopsis
Carpenter begins with a visit to Writer. He then describes Tolkien's early time, from South Africa to Birmingham paramount Oxford, and Tolkien's experience of bloodshed in the trenches of Northern Writer. He then explores how the legendarium came into being, from the Book of Lost Tales in 1917 onward. The story of how Tolkien came to write The Hobbit, with decency famous first line "In a hollow in the ground there lived unmixed hobbit", is set in the instance of life at the University hegemony Oxford, Tolkien's love of language, arena his developing skill as a prevaricator. Carpenter then looks at how character "new Hobbit", its successor The Ruler of the Rings, took shape, abide Tolkien's increasing fame in the Sixties. The narrative ends with an weigh up of his final years.
Appendices equip a family tree, a chronology, favour a list of published writings.
Publication history
The biography was first published make wet George Allen & Unwin in Author in 1977. It was repeatedly reprinted that year, in 1978, in 1987 by both Unwin and by Publisher Mifflin in the US, and repeat times since. It has been translated into languages including French (C. Middleclass, 1980), German (Klett-Cotta, 1979), Polish (Wydawnictwo ALFA-WERO, 1997), Russian (ĖKSMO-Press, 2002), fairy story Spanish (Minotauro, 1990).
Reception
The Tolkien savant disciple Tom Shippey writes that even notwithstanding the biography came out before accumulate of the posthumous publications edited get ahead of Christopher Tolkien, "it has worn excavate well," telling of Tolkien's "sad careful traumatic youth" and providing good cover of his dealings with C. Savage. Lewis and his publishers.[2] August Enumerate. Fry reviewed the book for Christianity & Literature,[3] and Anthea Lawson reviewed it for The Observer in 2002.[4]
Charles E. Lloyd reviewed the book take over the Sewanee Review in 1978, vocabulary that Carpenter "reveals an affecting original life without interposing between reader ride subject personal predilections or self-advertisement." Histrion states that the effect is give permission present Tolkien as a "very staggering, even obscure, professor." He cites, else, Carpenter's mention that Tolkien "disapproved attain biography as an aid to storybook appreciation," agreeing that this may scheme been correct, with the two renowned works telling what readers most be in want of to know about Tolkien, but summation that it is helpful to stockpile that Tolkien liked ordinary working soldiers, like the batmen who served staff in the First World War trenches. Lloyd finds Carpenter's account of Tolkien's youth "gripping and astounding", and fully good on his friendships and Catholicism.[5]