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Author: Humphrey Carpenter
Genre: Biography
Length: 287 pages
Published: 1977
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Brief Synopsis: (Taken from Goodreads) One day while grading
papers, J.R.R. Tolkien inexplicably wrote "In a hole in the ground there
lived a hobbit" in the margin - thereby setting out on the path that
would bring him fame, fortune, and the devotion of millions. A veteran
of the Battle of the Somme, he was a close friend of C. S. Lewis and an
editor of the OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY before becoming the Merton
Professor of English at Oxford.
My Review:
I give this book a 4 out of 5.
This is a great biography of one of my favorite authors. Not much can be said, except that I found it extremely interesting and I now feel like I have a much better handle on who J.R.R. Tolkien was. I loved the way Mr. Carpenter would describe a typical day in Tolkien's world, as it helped me to really understand how he worked.
The only reason this is being given a 4 instead of a 5 is that there were several instances where I grew bored with what was being talked about or grew a little confused as to what was happening. These confusing/boring parts were mostly chapters where he talked about philology in more depth or had a lot of letters to and from Tolkien and his friends. Otherwise this is a great book to learn more about one of the greatest fantasy authors (at least in my opinion) ever.
J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography is not currently available for purchase but here is the page for it on Amazon.
Have you read J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography? If so, leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!
Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.
Please note: I was not compensated in any way for this review. It is strictly my opinion.
Hmm, I might have to read this one, love Tolkien's writing it would be interesting to see inside his head a little :)
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