More Information & Critical Reviews
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on 3rd January 1892. After serving in the First World War, he became best known for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, selling 150 million copies in more than 40 languages worldwide. Awarded the CBE and an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Oxford University, he died in 1973 at the age of 81.
Christopher Tolkien, born on 21st November 1924, is the third son of J.R.R. Tolkien. Appointed by J.R.R. Tolkien to be his literary executor, he has devoted himself to the publication of his father’s unpublished writings, notably The Silmarillion and The History of Middle-earth. He lives in France with his wife Baillie.
‘Deserves to eclipse all his other posthumous writings, and stand as a worthy memorial to the imagination of Tolkien.’ The Times
‘I hope that its universality and power will grant it a place in English mythology” Independent on Sunday
‘The darkest of all Tolkien’s tales. Alan Lee’s illustrations complement the writing splendidly” Times Literary Supplement
‘For those in search of a soulful, seamless read the rehabilitation of this sober tale will be gratefully received!a worthy addition to one of the most cherished mythologies in English literature.’ The Observer
‘Christopher Tolkien has brought together his father’s text as well as he can. It has a strange atmosphere all of its own.’ The Guardian
‘The final episode, in which an incestuous passion and a battle with a great dragon enfold each other, has a power quite unlike anything else. When Hurin is released from captivity, and makes his way to his children’s graves to meet, one last time his wife, the result is a coda more moving than I’d have thought Tolkien capable of creating.’ The Daily Telegraph
‘The language is authentically Tolkien. Its aim is to tell a good story, and it does so. It is well crafted: Christopher Tolkien has skilfully pieced the fragments together.’ The Economist
‘It is dry, mad, humourless, hard-going and completely brilliant. My ten-year-old read it in a day and a half and has not shut up about it since. Tolkien is always dismissed as a conservative, but what’s striking about this book is how modern it seems. It comes with lavish and lovely artwork by Alan Lee.’ The Independent
‘A masterpiece! An extraordinary book. As in The Silmarillion you feel yourself in the presence of a personal genius.’ A.N. Wilson, The Telegraph
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