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Biographies and Memoirs
- Fantasy
- Young Adult Fiction
Title: J.R.R. Tolkien, a biography Author: Humphrey Carpenter Rating:  Very Good!
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Web Page: http://www.hmco.com/trade Reviewed by: Maurice A. Williams |
 
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J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" captured the imagination of a whole generation. "Lord of the Rings," "Harry Potter," "DragonLance," and many other stories of mythical beings, magic, even witchcraft, cause concerned parents much anxiety. You can't beat them! Your children are going to read these stories anyway. But you can join them. In other words, you can meet these authors on their own grounds within your loved ones' minds. Read a biography, preferably an autobiography. Humphrey Carpenter has written a biography of the man behind "Lord of the Rings." Carpenter paints the life of J.R.R. Tolkien, how Tolkien thinks, what inspired Tolkien to write "Lord of the Rings," and what an immense amount of effort Tolkien put into his writing. Tolkien, always intrigued with languages, and teaching at Oxford University, became a master of Gothic, Old Bulgarian, Lithuanian, Russian, Old Norse, Old Saxon, Old and Middle High German, Old English and the folklore of these languages. He even invented two languages: Quenya and Sindarin to retain what he thought were the best features of Northern European Languages. He invented both the grammar and script to accompany these languages. He wanted to capture something that resembled the oral folklore of these ancient Northern European languages before the oral folklore vanished.
Many parents worry that this kind of literature promotes a pagan, amoral mentality that will lure their children away from the values they want their children to cherish. Parents probably don't have the time or interest to read Tolkien's works. His works are very long and contain many unfamiliar details and names. A good biography, on the other hand, is easily read. Carpenter has captured the mindset of Tolkien. Tolkien had a religious conversion and helped convert his friend, C. S. Lewis from atheism. Although God is not openly worshiped in "Lord of the Rings," Carpenter argues that Tolkien's writings are the writings of a deeply religious man.
Tolkien's universe, as revealed in his earlier work, "The Simarillion," is ruled by "The One," who is Tolkien's mythological equivalent of God. Beneath "The One" is "The Valar," a group of holy ones that guard the world and are subject to "The One," very much as angels are subject to God. If you are worried about "Lord of the Ring's" influence over your loved ones, this biography is a good place to start "joining those you can't beat."
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