The life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien
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John Ronald Reuel Tolkien: one of the most fabulous names in the entire history of literature, art, imagination and dreams. It is the name of a scholar, a teacher, a linguist and a writer. Tolkien's life was made of many hard and/or sad events, yet he left us a rare and precious legacy. This lens will give you links to sites and books about the man, his work and much more. With one click you could have the whole geography of Middle-earth or a dictionary of Sindarin ready for you to explore! So, make yourself comfortable, grab a favorite drink, and enjoy the journey.
Serious or fun but all of them interesting: online resources on Tolkien.
- Online biography
- You'll find many online bios on Tolkien, this one isn't too long or too short either and gives clues as to the influence some of his personal life's experiences would have on his work.
- Interview of Tolkien
- A 1971 interview of JRR Tolkien, on his work and how it came to be.
- FAQ on Tolkien and his work
- If you never read the books or feel you have a somewhat limited knowledge of Tolkien's work in general, why don't you have a look here.
- The Tolkien Society
- One of what I'll call the 'official Tolkien Sites'. Lots of info, links, news, and a shopping section the Tolkien Society Trading, to buy everything from books to tee-shirts.
- Taruithorn, the Oxford Tolkien Society
- In case you had lost sight of the fact that JRR Tolkien also was an Oxford teacher.
- Official international Tolkien library
- "One library to rule them all." Tolkien's books in every available languages. Includes books on Tolkien and LOTR merchandises as well.
- Official site by Harper Collins
- This site includes biography, some of Tolkien's own artwork, interviews, and video and audio files.
- Tolkien timeline
- To have a better view on his works in general, as a writer but also as a scholar, during his lifetime.
- The Home of Tolkien online
- Quite possibly the best source for Tolkien related news of all kind. Huge gallery of pictures, messageboard.
- The Elvish Linguistic Fellowship
- Website of an international organisation devoted to the scholarly study of the languages created by JRR Tolkien.
- Mellonath Daeron
- It is the language guild of Forodrim, a long established organisation describing itself as follows: "Forodrim shall fairy-tale and myth shelter, preserve and create anew." Focuses on Quenya and Sindarin.
- Tolkien's Oxford
- A photographic tour of landmarks in Tolkien's life in Oxford, including the pub where the Inklings (the literary group Tolkien and CS Lewis belonged to) used to meet, or his grave with the special engraving.
- Tolkien's Birmingham
- Pictures of places in Birmingham, where Tolkien lived for several years before going to Oxford, where one can almost 'see' the Shire, that is, the places that inspired its author when he created them.
- Tolkien's Birmingham postcards
- If you wish to keep some of those pictures in a special place, this is where you'll find delicate black and white and some color postcards of Tolkien's Birmingham. (you can also click on the JRR Tolkien link at the bottom of the page, for extra infos and a picture of a real-life 'Gamgee'... rings a bell?)
The official Tolkien Estate site.
- The Official Website of the JRR Tolkien Estate
- I can't beat the introduction of the site itself: 'We are working hard for the launch of the complete website later this year, but in the meantime we thought it would be nice to get something online to present our aims for the website, and answer at least a few questions among the many we receive on the subject of the recently published The Children of Húrin.'
There's an long FAQ section already, and yes, info on the latest book you all want to know about.
The latest.
Everybody talked about it: "The first complete book by J.R.R. Tolkien in three decades-since the publication of The Silmarillion in 1977-The Children of Húrin reunites fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, dragons and Dwarves, Eagles and Orcs. Presented for the first time as a complete, standalone story, this stirring narrative will appeal to casual fans and expert readers alike, returning them to the rich landscape and characters unique to Tolkien."If you are a true Tolkienite, then you already know who Hurin is, but we've only had a short tale of him and a little more on his children. Now we have the full tragic story...
On amazon.com you'll find a review by Adam Tolkien, a look inside the book and an interview of Alan Lee!
The essential books, in chronological order.
Paperback versions, so you can gradually build your own Tolkien library without maxing out that card!
The 'chronology' I'm refering to here is that of Middle-Earth, not of publication dates.
So, how do you like The Children of Hurin? Or Tolkien's work in general?
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Actiongames
Oct 7, 2011 @ 2:39 am | delete
- Its so hard to read, he writes like a english professor (giggle giggle). No I love his work, Fantasy gained so much from this man. What a nice lens
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lostinfiction
Aug 10, 2009 @ 3:38 pm | delete
- this is an incredibly impressive bank of info! i'd even go so far as to call it a compendium :) Just posted a bit on my lens too, about a historial fantasy fiction author (Guy Gavriel Kay) who worked on The Silmarillion. Thought it might be of interest to Tolkien fans. Have a look: http://www.squidoo.com/author_influences
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Ellisiva
Apr 13, 2009 @ 8:24 am | delete
- so excellent that i cant find the place to say i favourite it..darn it!
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Feb 17, 2009 @ 3:32 pm | delete
- Just a quick hello from a fellow JRR Tolkien fan and thanks for the great lens of resources. Some of the links i`m familiar with but quite a few there i`ll check out and explore.
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Tinw
Feb 5, 2009 @ 4:06 am | delete
- Excellent list of resources, and well done!
One item for you to consider. You have an "introduction to Elvish" link to the infamous Grey Company website. Grelvish, invented by a group of gamers, is a travesty of Tolkien's carefully-designed languages -- it borrows a few words of Quenya, a few words of Sindarin, runs them through a blender, adds a huge chunk of made-up words and grammar, and then *pretends* it's something to do with Tolkien's Elvish.
Occasionally we hear of unhappy folks who have gotten Grelvish tattoos and are later upset to learn it is utter gibberish to anyone who's studied Tolkien's work. Allow me to suggest two respected courses/websites on Sindarin Elvish as an alternative: Parma Tyelpelassiva's Sindarin Course by Thorsten Renk, or Realelvish.net's Sindarin Textbook.
~ In service,
Tinw, Elf-friend
"Camen fíreb, guren edhellen."
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Special editions.
Illustrated, boxed, annoted... they all have special features to offer!
Rare editions for serious collectors.
Just type 'Tolkien' in the Quick Search space and see what's there.
- Jonkers Rare Books
- First editions of the highlights of 19th & 20th century literature, children's fiction and fine illustrated books.
A little Tolkien for Christmas.
About the books.
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The lost lore of Middle-Earth and beyond.
I'll show you boxed set and compiled volumes for the History of Middle-Earth, because there are 12 of them. But if you're hooked and on a small budget, just tackle them one at a time and in paperback formats. The content is the same.
Books on Tolkien and his work.
A Tolkien interview.
News from the International Tolkien Library.
Guides and maps to find your way, elvish grammar to communicate and one last good book for the road.
Art by or inspired by Tolkien.
A little Trivia.
I just think it's beautiful.
Fan art found on theonering.com's.
Most characters are those of the movie adaptation, though the last ones are not.
Name of character followed by name of the artist. Do not hesitate to click for a larger view.
From the books to the silver screen.
The DVDs, in simple or extended versions, of the popular adaption by Peter Jackson of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Images and music to set an elvish or a "Hobbitish" mood...
A song by Enya, 'Pilgrim', for a tribute to Samwise the Brave.
Other lenses to explore.
Tolkien related news from the New York Times
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