Supplementary literature - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Estelyn Telcontar · 08-05-2002, 09:00 AM

Buying English books is one of the things I am looking forward to doing on my trip to London this month. I am planning to purchase HoME (I already have the basics, Hobbit/LotR/Sil/UT). I also have Carpenter's biography, Shippey's Author of the Century and Foster's Guide to M-E. I'd like to ask the experts which additional supplementary books they would recommend me to get - I'm sure there's much out there that is unnecessary or not well done enough to merit spending the money on it. Suggestions?

[ August 27, 2002: Message edited by: Estelyn Telcontar ]

***Mister Underhill*** · 08-05-2002, 09:02 AM

Karen Wynn Fonstad's Atlas of Middle-Earth is fun and detailed, if not always strictly accurate (or so I'm told).

Child of the 7th Age · 08-05-2002, 10:11 AM

The one other I would recommend that is still in print is J.R. Tolkien, Artist and Illustrator, by Wayne G.Hammond and Christina Scull, copyright 1995 by Houghton Mifflin. It's available in paper with a sticker price of $25. Hammond gives us over 200 reproductions by Tolkien, most of them illustrative of hobbit and LotR and the legends. My favorite picture is Halls of Manwe (Taniquetil). I actually have a reproduction of this from the Bodleian framed and hanging in my living room!

sharon, the 7th age hobbit

Estelyn Telcontar · 08-13-2002, 01:58 PM

Thanks for those suggestions for a start! How about Carpenter's book on the Inklings? Is it worth buying?

littlemanpoet · 08-13-2002, 02:33 PM

I think Carpenter's Inklings biography is very worthwhile reading. It may slay a few too many friendly dragons along the way (I speak of Dyson in particular), but all in all a good read.

**lindil** · 08-14-2002, 07:22 AM

The New Tolkien Companion [relatively rare] but much closer in spirit to the tales than Fosters Complete Guide.

Awesome cover art of gandalf and the Dwarves. THAT is how I picture M-E.

The real gem not included in HoME is the 'Osanwe-Kenta " wherein is described the nature and limitations of how the Valar,Eldar and to a lesser degree Men communicate mind ot mind. Only available [ leghallly] from www.elvish.org in their jornal Vinyar Tengwar. Only 2 bucks [ US]but well worth whatever postage you may spend.

[ August 14, 2002: Message edited by: lindil ]

mark12_30 · 08-14-2002, 07:47 AM

I ordered that essay on Osanwe-Kenta what seems like months ago (?), and I sure wish they'd get busy and ship it.

Are HoME 9 (Sauron Defeated), 10, 11, 12 available anywhere in paperback? Amazon has the hardcovers for $21 ea, but that means I have to budget for them and be patient. I'm already being "patient" about the O/K journal, I want HoME 9-12 NOW....

Watch it show up tomorrow, and I'll have to eat my words.

Legolas · 08-14-2002, 08:51 AM

Get Tolkien's Letters

davem · 08-15-2002, 09:28 AM

i'd suggest Patrick Curry's 'Defending Middle Earth' which is a good companion to Shippey's book.
If you've got the cash, a couple of very good books are 'Tolkien's Legendarium' & JRR Tolkien & his Literary Resonances'.

Child of the 7th Age · 08-15-2002, 09:43 AM

Davem -- Can you tell me anything about JRRT and his Literary Resonances? I've heard good things about it. (Shippey recomends it, for example.) But I haven't found a copy anywhere. I believe it's one of the Greenwood Press titles, which means it requires a fair amount of shekels to purchase. I already have the Legendarium, which I found quite interesting, although the linguistic stuff was heavy going.

sharon, the 7th age hobbit

The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 08-15-2002, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Are HoME 9 (Sauron Defeated), 10, 11, 12 available anywhere in paperback?

I don't know about elsewhere, but in Great Britain the entirety of the Histories has just been reprinted in paperback form. Presumably if there isn't a US reprint yet there will be fairly soon.

davem · 08-15-2002, 10:42 AM

JRR Tolkien & his Lierary Resonances is from the same publisher & has contributions by most of the same people. Tom Shippey has a piece in it. its as the title implies - basically showing how Tolkien was influenced by various trends in literature from earlier periods - I've made it sound boring now, haven't I? [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
Its definitely worth reading, but I'd get it from the library before you decide whether to buy. There's a good review on Amazon.

Estelyn Telcontar · 08-27-2002, 04:03 AM

I'm back from London with a stack of books - 30 in all, 20 of them by or about Tolkien!! I would like to suggest that we use this thread to discuss and review supplementary Tolkien books and have changed the title to that end.

Here are the new books I got:
HoME - all 12 plus the index
Monsters and Critics - Tolkien
Tales from the Perilous Realm (includes Leaf by Niggle, Smith of Wootton Major, Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Farmer Giles of Ham)
Letters - Carpenter
Inklings - Carpenter
Road to Middle-Earth - Shippey
Tolkien, A Celebration - Joseph Pearce
Defending Middle-Earth - Patrick Curry

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions; unfortunately, I could get no information on the Legendarium or on the Literary Resources book.

Bêthberry · 08-27-2002, 08:06 AM

Since you have already returned from your book-buying expedition to London, Estelyn, this suggestion is perhaps late, but nonetheless I think it really valuable to know Tolkien's essay "On Fairy Tales", which I don't see listed in this thread. (I am humbled and in great awe of that essay, which to my mind is one of the most perceptive analyses of fantasy I have ever seen, far surpassing most of the clever, jargon-ladden critical stuff produced by current lit crit.)

Also, "The Homecoming of Beorhtrnoth" is Tolkien's 'ending' for the Old English poem The Battle of Maldon; it has a bit of discussion on heroic and chivalric issues which relates to LOTR.

Bethberry

[ August 27, 2002: Message edited by: Bethberry ]

Estelyn Telcontar · 08-27-2002, 08:56 AM

Thanks, Bethberry, I do have both of those in 'Tree and Leaf'.

08-05-2002, 09:00 AM	#1
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	Supplementary literature Buying English books is one of the things I am looking forward to doing on my trip to London this month. I am planning to purchase HoME (I already have the basics, Hobbit/LotR/Sil/UT). I also have Carpenter's biography, Shippey's Author of the Century and Foster's Guide to M-E. I'd like to ask the experts which additional supplementary books they would recommend me to get - I'm sure there's much out there that is unnecessary or not well done enough to merit spending the money on it. Suggestions? [ August 27, 2002: Message edited by: Estelyn Telcontar ] __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

08-05-2002, 10:11 AM	#3
Child of the 7th Age Spirit of the Lonely Star Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 5,133	The one other I would recommend that is still in print is J.R. Tolkien, Artist and Illustrator, by Wayne G.Hammond and Christina Scull, copyright 1995 by Houghton Mifflin. It's available in paper with a sticker price of $25. Hammond gives us over 200 reproductions by Tolkien, most of them illustrative of hobbit and LotR and the legends. My favorite picture is Halls of Manwe (Taniquetil). I actually have a reproduction of this from the Bodleian framed and hanging in my living room! sharon, the 7th age hobbit __________________ Multitasking women are never too busy to vote.

08-13-2002, 01:58 PM	#4
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	Thanks for those suggestions for a start! How about Carpenter's book on the Inklings? Is it worth buying? __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

08-14-2002, 07:22 AM	#6
lindil Seeker of the Straight Path Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: a hidden fastness in Big Valley nor cal Posts: 1,680	The New Tolkien Companion [relatively rare] but much closer in spirit to the tales than Fosters Complete Guide. Awesome cover art of gandalf and the Dwarves. THAT is how I picture M-E. The real gem not included in HoME is the 'Osanwe-Kenta " wherein is described the nature and limitations of how the Valar,Eldar and to a lesser degree Men communicate mind ot mind. Only available [ leghallly] from www.elvish.org in their jornal Vinyar Tengwar. Only 2 bucks [ US]but well worth whatever postage you may spend. [ August 14, 2002: Message edited by: lindil ] __________________ The dwindling Men of the West would often sit up late into the night exchanging lore & wisdom such as they still possessed that they should not fall back into the mean estate of those who never knew or indeed rebelled against the Light.

08-14-2002, 07:47 AM	#7
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	I ordered that essay on Osanwe-Kenta what seems like months ago (?), and I sure wish they'd get busy and ship it. Are HoME 9 (Sauron Defeated), 10, 11, 12 available anywhere in paperback? Amazon has the hardcovers for $21 ea, but that means I have to budget for them and be patient. I'm already being "patient" about the O/K journal, I want HoME 9-12 NOW.... Watch it show up tomorrow, and I'll have to eat my words. __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.

08-05-2002, 09:02 AM	#2
*Mister Underhill* Dread Horseman Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Behind you! Posts: 2,743	Karen Wynn Fonstad's Atlas of Middle-Earth is fun and detailed, if not always strictly accurate (or so I'm told).

08-13-2002, 02:33 PM	#5
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	I think Carpenter's Inklings biography is very worthwhile reading. It may slay a few too many friendly dragons along the way (I speak of Dyson in particular), but all in all a good read.

08-14-2002, 08:51 AM	#8
Legolas A Northern Soul Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Valinor Posts: 1,847	Get Tolkien's Letters __________________ ...take counsel with thyself, and remember who and what thou art.

08-15-2002, 09:28 AM	#9
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	i'd suggest Patrick Curry's 'Defending Middle Earth' which is a good companion to Shippey's book. If you've got the cash, a couple of very good books are 'Tolkien's Legendarium' & JRR Tolkien & his Literary Resonances'. __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."

08-15-2002, 09:43 AM	#10
Child of the 7th Age Spirit of the Lonely Star Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 5,133	Davem -- Can you tell me anything about JRRT and his Literary Resonances? I've heard good things about it. (Shippey recomends it, for example.) But I haven't found a copy anywhere. I believe it's one of the Greenwood Press titles, which means it requires a fair amount of shekels to purchase. I already have the Legendarium, which I found quite interesting, although the linguistic stuff was heavy going. sharon, the 7th age hobbit __________________ Multitasking women are never too busy to vote.

08-15-2002, 10:42 AM	#12
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	JRR Tolkien & his Lierary Resonances is from the same publisher & has contributions by most of the same people. Tom Shippey has a piece in it. its as the title implies - basically showing how Tolkien was influenced by various trends in literature from earlier periods - I've made it sound boring now, haven't I? [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] Its definitely worth reading, but I'd get it from the library before you decide whether to buy. There's a good review on Amazon. __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."

08-27-2002, 04:03 AM	#13
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	I'm back from London with a stack of books - 30 in all, 20 of them by or about Tolkien!! I would like to suggest that we use this thread to discuss and review supplementary Tolkien books and have changed the title to that end. Here are the new books I got: HoME - all 12 plus the index Monsters and Critics - Tolkien Tales from the Perilous Realm (includes Leaf by Niggle, Smith of Wootton Major, Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Farmer Giles of Ham) Letters - Carpenter Inklings - Carpenter Road to Middle-Earth - Shippey Tolkien, A Celebration - Joseph Pearce Defending Middle-Earth - Patrick Curry Thanks to everyone for the suggestions; unfortunately, I could get no information on the Legendarium or on the Literary Resources book. __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

08-27-2002, 08:06 AM	#14
Bêthberry Cryptic Aura Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 5,997	Since you have already returned from your book-buying expedition to London, Estelyn, this suggestion is perhaps late, but nonetheless I think it really valuable to know Tolkien's essay "On Fairy Tales", which I don't see listed in this thread. (I am humbled and in great awe of that essay, which to my mind is one of the most perceptive analyses of fantasy I have ever seen, far surpassing most of the clever, jargon-ladden critical stuff produced by current lit crit.) Also, "The Homecoming of Beorhtrnoth" is Tolkien's 'ending' for the Old English poem The Battle of Maldon; it has a bit of discussion on heroic and chivalric issues which relates to LOTR. Bethberry [ August 27, 2002: Message edited by: Bethberry ] __________________ I’ll sing his roots off. I’ll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away.

08-27-2002, 08:56 AM	#15
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	Thanks, Bethberry, I do have both of those in 'Tree and Leaf'. __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'