Mythmaker: The Life of J.R.R. Tolkien, Creator of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings

by Anne E. Neimark

J. R. R. Tolkien was far more than a fantasy book writer. His lifelong fascination with medieval texts and languages gave him a unique vision and endless inspiration for his tales. His broad interests made possible his creation of faery worlds and entire races of beings, as well as the languages, cultures, and characters that make his books as engaging today as they were fifty years ago. This clear and thoroughly researched biography of the creator of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings recalls the mystery of Tolkien’s imaginary worlds.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Childrens

144 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 1996

Reviews

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing look into the life of one of my favorite authors, this biography is both easy to read and fascinating. It took me just under an hour to read, being only about 130 pages long. Totally acceptable for any age, it was put on hold at the library first by my thirteen year old sister who wanted to read it for a research paper she is writing about J. R. R. Tolkien.
I think I can say with a clear conscience that it was the easiest to read (style-wise), and most fun biography I have ever read. I finished it with a greater understanding of J. R. R. Tolkien, his family, and how his books came to be so well loved. Every author's journey is different, every author's journey is both difficult and rewarding...and Tolkien was a true author. His stories continue to be loved even today, and it's no wonder when you read a biography like this and realize how much work went into them.
If you consider yourself a Lord of the Rings or Hobbit nerd, consider adding this to your TBR list. It's definitely worth a read. :)

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ronald would set out on a quest: this time to discover “what hobbits were like.” The answers he found would bring him a fame he had never sought.
Refreshing biography of Tolkien. Focuses on the essentials of his life—both experiential and literary, without reference to the theories or criticism of others. Don’t waste your time on turgid academic tomes; Neimark delivers the goods.
He knew other scholars might laugh at his “fairy-tale fantasies,” but he saw them as something more—as a reason for his invented languages and a means of modernizing myths so they could give strength, comfort, and even hope in a frequently harsh and dangerous world.
Suitable for young adult readers, but enjoyable by all readers. Readable yet comprehensive. Emphasizes the roots of Tolkien’s created world deep in his real world.
Yet Ronald Tolkien wanted us to know that even while the fires of Mordor burn darkly, even when tomorrow may seem unsure, we can use our imaginations, courage, and strength to seek the splendor in life.

[Skybo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of squeal with delight moments (Ronald used to steal mushrooms as a kid? Ha ha!) but I'm not sure what the intended audience is. I enjoyed it because I've read the Hobbit and LOTR several times and know a little about the Silmarillion, but this book is clearly aimed at kids too young to read any of these. Maybe they're taking for granted that they've seen the movies?

[Jenny Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our family loved reading this book together. We learned so many interesting things about Tolkien’s own journey through life and how his own trials and adventures impacted the world of Middle Earth and the characters that he created. This is a junior biography yet enjoyable for all ages.

[Morning Glory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and obviously well-researched, for younger readers. The fact Tolkien spent time at old folks’ homes and left money for them is so wholesome!!!

[Shadow Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this! I never knew Tolkien was bitten by a tarantula, and I also did not know how he came up with the different characters. I absolutely loved The Lord of the Rings, so hearing my mom read about Tolkien, peaked my interest.

I recommend this for Tolkien lovers.

[Casey Vaughan · Rating 3 out of 5]

For young adults who have found themselves pulled into the fantastical world of Middle Earth and following the plight of the Hobbits, Myth Maker is the biographical young adult novel to take their connection to the text from their imaginations to the real world. This novel gives interesting insight into the life of J. R. R. Tolkien and shows the reader how he came to create magical, timeless novels himself.
As a reader, I felt like this novel was engaging and encouraged me to want to read Tolkien’s novels. The structure of this biography is succinct and contains plenty of interesting details, so it held my attention and I was able to read it quite quickly. Learning about the life of such an acclaimed author also seemed to humanize Tolkien in many ways, and reminded me that great pieces of art, whether literary, visual, or musical, are created by normal human beings who just happen to have extraordinary vision or talent.
As a teacher, I think this novel would be a great tool to spark students, especially younger grade levels or reluctant readers (due to the brevity and lower reading level of the novel), to want to read the novels of J. R. R. Tolkien. It makes the author’s life accessible and appealing to the reader, and I think it would promote interest in writing among the students as well. If Tolkien could go from being just a normal boy trying to get the best grades possible and a scholarship to a world renowned author, then surely any student could go from being a struggling writer to a confident one.
For its best application, I feel that sections of this text deemed most exciting or fitting for the curriculum could be introduced in a classroom setting to supplement another text. However, the entire biographical novel is certainly worth reading and is very informative about the life of a man who contributed so much to the world of literature.

[Missy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography of the life of one of the most well known myth-makers and scholars of our age, and one of my favorite authors and worldbuilders, is interesting and well written. The author weaves in events from his life that are clues and influences on his writing, and the information places the mythology in a historical context of our time that is incredibly fascinating.

I found this incredibly interesting as a fan and an adult myself, and would be interested to know how it would be for a child to read it, as much of the content itself connected with my own experience at a higher level. I think it is one of those types of books that can meet you where you are at, and the fairy tale/mythology aspect would speak more to kids while I was really interested in the historical and scholarly aspects of Tolkien's life. itself connected with my own experience at a higher level.

I think it is one of those types of books that can meet you where you are at, and the fairy tale/mythology aspect would speak more to kids while I was really interested in the historical and scholarly aspects of Tolkein's life.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband said I would enjoy this Juvenile book from the Library and he was right! There are only a few children capable to read the following book with their parent to get the full benefit. I would suggest reading it ahead of time to see if you want to read that chapter as there are some hard subjects. Also it is a book worth discussion after each Chapter. It is written by Anne E. Neimark and it is called MythMaker the life of J.R. R. Tolkien. A lot packed into about 125 pages.

If you do not have children ready for this book it is also a good adult read may leave you hungry to read more about his life.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so fascinating reading about Tolkien's life and seeing how that contributed to his writing of his amazing stories. I think I would enjoy sitting down for a cup of coffee (or tea) with him. Wonderful book!

[Jacob Cruzan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book about the life of J. R. R. Tolkien and how he wrote the Lord of Rings story. This is a quick read and very informative.

[Lady reading under the Willow · Rating 4 out of 5]

"By December 1947, ten and a half years after starting The Lord of the Rings, Ronald completed a massive first draft. He was fifty-five years old. He continued to revise the manuscript until late 1949, refining the idea that evil can be an unknowing instrument for good."
-Anne E. Neimark, Mythmaker: The Life of J.R.R. Tolkien

The idea that evil can be an unknowing instrument for good--this is a concept I've really been delving into lately as I wrestle with the doctrine of God's sovereignty in a world so full of tragedy. My latest reading of The Lord of the Rings struck me soundly with this truth that Providence works good from all things. God uses sin sinlessly to accomplish His will, and everything, EVERYTHING has a purpose towards achieving something great and good. Tolkien's beautiful masterpiece demonstrates this strongly and parallels real life in ways I hadn't noticed until recently.

This biography is fascinating, accessible, and compassionate. I feel like the best audience for it would be middle/high schoolers that have already read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings as well as adults who are appreciative of Tolkien and his writings.

I really like this part of Mythmaker:
"Ronald wept as he finished the book. He had lived on Middle-Earth so long, he didn't know how to leave it. Nor did he know if he had created an unwieldy monster or a readable tale. The Hobbit still sold briskly, bringing royalty checks and praise from readers, but the mythology of The Lord of the Rings might prove too dense. With his bulky manuscript wrapped in paper, he penned a note to Stanley Unwin: 'It is written,' he said of the book, 'in my life-blood, such as that is, thick or thin; and I can no other.'"

It brings tears to my eyes to know that he wept at the end of writing LotR, just as generations of us have done upon reading it. I wonder if Tolkien ever really knew how loved his story is and how expertly he touches our souls through it.

[Michelle Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great, fun, and easy to read biography about one of my favorite authors! I enjoyed reading it with my kids and learning and re-learning facts about Tolkien and his life. I find his story fascinating and inspiring. I love how the importance of his faith, friendship, love of his wife and love of nature and words live in his stories and led to his creation of a new mythology in Middle Earth.
This biography is written for a youth audience and reads easily at times like a storybook while providing still providing key facts in an interesting and educational manner. I would recommend it for those wanting to learn more about Tolkien, who aren't ready to invest the time in reading some of the well done but longer biographies written for adults.

[Emily Siler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this book was written for a juvenile audience, I very much enjoyed it. It’s fun and full of interesting personal facts about J.R.R. Tolkien. I grew up reading and watching The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings so this book was definitely on my TBR. I loved reading about his childhood, his educational experience, and how he fell in love with his wife. I felt like a little kid at a candy store when the chapters finally reached his first steps into Middle Earth. It definitely made my heart happy to read how dedicated Tolkien was to creating a fantasy world that could be beneficial to ours.

[Delie Dell Chua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bio of tolkien. He started his early childhood in africa with his family, it was a lovable well to do family. Then, his father’s death, he, his mom and siblings were in england when his dad died, it was hard but his mom did her best to educate and provide for them soon she also succumbed to death. At age 12 tolkien and his siblings became orphans.. it was a hard life but we know he prevailed because he was able to write such a masterpiece.

I recommend you to read this if you are a tolkien fan, or someone whos going to start reading tolkien or a parent who want to introduce tolkien literature to your kids.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been a fan of the Hobbit tales since the early 70's; imagine my surprise to learn they weren't that much older than when I found them. I had thought the middle-earth stories were written in the 19th century - perhaps, even the 18th. From this biography, I learned this was exactly Tolkien's intent. If I could have asked for more, I would have wished the author tell us more about his connections to his family and friends. I was pleased to learn he and C.S. Lewis were colleagues and friends; I would have enjoyed hearing more about that relationship.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. E read this for a Reading merit badge and I thought it looked good. This is a short, broad-brush look at the life of J.R.R. Tolkein. It's well written and engaging, full of fun tidbits about the writing of LOTR and The Hobbit. For example, I never knew that the Entish habit of saying "Hoom, Hoom, Hroom" was modeled after C.S. Lewis. A great non-fiction book for young fans of Tolkein, and enjoyable for older ones too.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently I read The Hobbit to my 9yo boys. They loved it, of course. I was recommended this book as a follow up. We finished it tonight and according to one of my boys it should get 10kazillion stars. They loved hearing about Tolkeins life.

What I loved about the book is that it told a simplified story of his life without talking down to the reader. It was a rich story with great visuals. Definitely a book worthy of reading.

[Jonathan Shaheen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just in case your mom ever recommends Mythmakers to you, she’s probably referring to the book by John Hendrix, not this one. I didn’t really understand this book. It felt like a biography for children, but I don’t know any kids out here reading biographies. Especially not this one as it crammed Tolkien’s life into barely 100 pages with no time for drama, tension, or much of anything interesting. Definitely a good SparkNotes of Tolkien’s life, but not much else.

[Eyelandgirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very short biography of Tolkien written for young audiences, I nevertheless enjoyed learning more about the creator of The Hobbit and LOTR. I'd like to have learned more about his friendship (and exchange of ideas?) with C.S.Lewis (of Narnia fame). Like many brilliant creative people he seemed a little obsessed, but the fact that his family life didn't falter shows he likely found a balance many other greats fail to.

[Nancy Pickard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am deep in the Lord of the Rings books and Tolkien lore. Getting little tidbits about Tolkien's life and his journey to write the LOTR books has been a fun ride. Little details like where he got the name Tom Bombadill, why he included a huge spider, and how WWI and WWII inspired his writing adds so much to the experience of reading the LOTR books. Great biography aimed at middle grade readers, but appropriate for all ages.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short biography was perfect for my current interest (mini-obsession) with Tolkien as I'm listening to the audio book versions of "The Lord of the Rings."

Written for about a middle-school level, the overview of Tolkien's life, including his extensive time writing "The Hobbit" and LOTR, really gave a nice flavor for his biography.

[delie dell chua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is jrr tolkien?

I recommend this book to young readers and adults who are fans of lotr or plans to read lotr.

This biography tells of tolkien’s childhood, his journey from a penniless orphon to becoming an oxford student, then a professor, a famous writer, a father and a grandfather.

It was a good and exciting read especially the part where he is trying to write LOTR.

[EdieReads7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy, quick read about one of my favorite authors. I only knocked off a star because it was too short! But perfect for the casual reader who doesn’t want to fully immerse themselves. I felt like I wanted so much more from this, but it was presented in such an engaging way that I can’t fault Neimark much for that.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief, engaging Tolkein bio. I read through in a few days and then handed it off to my 9yo who is also reading The Hobbit this summer. At the sentence/paragraph level, it's well within her reading ability, but this may be her first attempt at biography that's longer than a picture book or a very slim reader, so we'll see if it holds her interest for ~100 pages.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Tolkien's books and found this biography displayed with them in my library. It's a brief and lovely biography that shows his life' journey in short bits, just fascinating enough to want to know more, to dig deeper. I enjoyed it very much.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an easy to read biography for the middle school audience. The author spells out how Tolkien’s life reflects in his writing, which is wonderful for those students who are learning to analyze what they read.

[Mikel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and easy read meant to make biographies more accessible to children and teens. It was heartwarming and wonderful. I suggest starting with this book if you are not sure how deep you want wade into biographies.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of short, but I suppose that's fine for younger audiences. It did teach/remind me of things I wasn't that familiar with in terms of Tolkien's early life. And I also learned a couple character ideas were suggested by his kids.

[Aaron Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written history that reads like a novel of the famous author. It was wonderful to picture Tolkien as a person as he grew up, learned to read and write, experienced loss of loved ones, began his family and his career, and began writing "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings."