A Companion to J. R. R. Tolkien

A Companion to J.R.R. Tolkien is a complete resource for scholars and students of one of the twentieth century’s most successful and influential authors. It provides an in–depth examination of Tolkien’s entire work by a cadre of top scholars. The essays introduce and analyze his life and works, from The Hobbit , The Lord of the Rings , and The Silmarillion to his lesser–known fiction and academic publications. They also explore the role of various themes and influences across his body of work, such as mythmaking, medieval languages, nature, war, religion, and the defeat of evil. The contributors situate Tolkien’s writing within the context of other literary periods and genres and analyze his influence on subsequent generations of fantasy writers.  They also discuss the impact of his work on art, film, music, and gaming, from his lifetime to the present. Up–to–date and comprehensive, this survey of Tolkien studies reflects the continuing influence of his work on the literature and society of today.

Acknowledgments xi Notes on Contributors xiii Editorial Practices and Abbreviations xiv Brief Chronology of the Life and Works of J. R. R. Tolkien xxii Introduction 1 Part I: Life 5 1 A Brief Biography 7 John Garth Part II: The Academic 25 2 Academic Writings 27 Thomas Honegger 3 Tolkien as Editor 41 Tom Shippey 4 Manuscripts: Use, and Using 56 Stuart D. Lee Part III: The Legendarium 77 5 Myth–making and Sub–creation 79 Carl Phelpstead 6 Middle–earth Mythology: An Overview 92 Leslie A. Donovan 7 The Silmarillion: Tolkien’s Theory of Myth, Text, and Culture 107 Gergely Nagy 8 The Hobbit: A Turning Point 119 John D. Rateliff 9 The Lord of the Rings 133 John R. Holmes 10 Unfinished Tales and the History of Middle–earth: A Lifetime of Imagination 146 Elizabeth A. Whittingham 11 “The Lost Road” and “The Notion Club Papers”: Myth, History, and Time–travel 161 Verlyn Flieger 12 Poetry 173 Corey Olsen 13 “Minor” Works 189 Maria Artamonova 14 Invented Languages and Writing Systems 202 Arden R. Smith Part IV: Context 215 15 Old English 217 Mark Atherton 16 Middle English 230 Elizabeth Solopova 17 Old Norse 244 Tom Birkett 18 Finnish: The Land and Language of Heroes 259 Leena Kahlas–Tarkka 19 Celtic: “Celtic Things” and “Things Celtic” – Identity, Language, and Mythology 272 J. S. Lyman–Thomas 20 The English Literary Tradition: Shakespeare to the Gothic 286 Nick Groom 21 Earlier Fantasy Fiction: Morris, Dunsany, and Lindsay 303 Rachel Falconer 22 The Inklings and Others: Tolkien and His Contemporaries 317 David Bratman 23 Later Fantasy Fiction: Tolkien’s Legacy 335 Dimitra Fimi 24 Modernity: Tolkien and His Contemporaries 350 Anna Vaninskaya Part V: Critical Approaches 367 25 The Critical Response to Tolkien’s Fiction 369 Patrick Curry 26 Style and Intertextual Echoes 389 Allan Turner 27 The Hero’s Journey 404 Anna Caughey 28 Evil 418 Christopher Garbowski 29 Nature 431 Liam Campbell 30 Religion: An Implicit Catholicism 446 Pat Pinsent 31 War 461 Janet Brennan Croft 32 Women 473 Adam Roberts 33 Art 487 Christopher Tuthill 34 Music 501 Bradford Lee Eden 35 Film Adaptations: Theatrical and Television Versions 514 Kristin Thompson 36 Games and Gaming: Quantasy 530 Péter Kristóf Makai General Bibliography 545 Index 555

Stuart D. Lee is a member of the English Faculty at the University of Oxford. He is the University’s Reader in E–learning and Digital Libraries, a member of Merton College, and Deputy CIO at the University’s IT Services. He has studied medieval literature and the works of Tolkien for over 30 years. His research focuses on the impact of medieval literature on modern culture, and he lectures in Old English, Tolkien, and the Poetry of the First World War. He is co–author of Key Concepts in Medieval Literatur e (2006) and The Keys of Middle–earth: Discovering Medieval Literature through the Fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien (2005).