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The Lord Of The Rings: A Reader's Companion
In The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion internationally acclaimed scholars Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull examine Tolkien's masterpiece chapter by chapter, offering expert insights into its evolution, structure, and meaning. They discuss in close detail important literary and historical influences on the development of The Lord of the Rings, connections between that work and other writings by Tolkien, errors and inconsistencies, significant changes to the text during its fifty years of publication, archaic and unusual words used by Tolkien, and words and passages in his invented languages of Middle-earth. Thousands of notes, keyed to standard editions of The Lord of the Rings but universally accessible, reveal the richness and complexity of one of the most popular works of fiction in our time. In addition to their own expertise and that of other scholars and critics, Hammond and Scull frequently draw upon comments by Tolkien himself, made in letters to family, friends, and enthusiasts, in draft texts of The Lord of the Rings, and in works written in later years which amplify or illuminate characters and events in the story. Extensive reference is made also to writings by Tolkien not previously or widely published, including elaborate time-schemes, an unfinished manuscript index to The Lord of the Rings, and most notably, the important Nomenclature or guide to names in The Lord of the Rings prepared for the use of translators, long out of print and now newly transcribed and printed in its entirety. With these resources at hand, even the most seasoned reader of The Lord of the Rings will come to a greater enjoyment and appreciation of Tolkien's magnificent achievement.
894 pages, Hardcover
First published October 17, 2005
120 people are currently reading
2292 people want to read
About the author
Wayne G. Hammond
27 books48 followersWayne G. Hammond was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and raised in the suburb of Brooklyn. In 1975 he received his Bachelor of Arts degree with Honors from Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, Ohio, where he majored in English. In 1976 he received his Master of Arts in Library Science degree from the School of Library Science of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and from that year has been Assistant Librarian in the Chapin Library (rare books and manuscripts) at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He married Christina Scull in December 1994. His publications include The Graphic Art of C.B. Falls (1982), J.R.R. Tolkien: A Descriptive Bibliography (1993), and Arthur Ransome: A Bibliography (2000). He is also the co-author or co-editor with his wife of numerous works by and about J.R.R. Tolkien, and has designed a wide variety of books, exhibition catalogues, posters, and other printed materials. He has won a Clyde S. Kilby Research Grant from the Marion E. Wade Center, Wheaton College, and is a five-time winner of scholarship awards from the Mythopoeic Society.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
November 4, 2011
If you are not a giant Tolkien dork, you probably do not want this. And by "giant" I mean things like "have read the Silmarillion voluntarily more than once" and "have an opinion on the issue whether Tom Bombadil was a Maia, or Eru himself, or something else." The bulk of the book is a chapter-by-chapter (really, paragraph by paragraph) set of notes of The Lord of the Rings, explaining references, detailing the history of plot points and language used, and other stuff that's really fascinating if you pass the test above. It's best used when rereading LOTR, as (funnily enough) a companion book, to refer to as you go. It's meticulous and researchey and wonderful.
August 7, 2018
This book is for nerds.
May 18, 2013
The definitive, must-read guide to Tolkien’s epic Lord of the Rings
JRR Tolkien’s epic creation “The Lord of the Rings” is a rather complex single volume, containing such detailed underpinning and intricate otherworldly details as to make it somewhat confusing! This spectacular volume, by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull is the ultimate annotated handbook to Tolkien’s work. Both internationally acclaimed scholars examine and scrutinize in-depth Tolkien’s masterpiece, going through each chapter and offering expert insights into evolution, structure and meaning. In this thoroughly modern age the use of language in Tolkien’s work could be considered old-fashioned and confusing, together with the richness and complexity of it to be somewhat overwhelming to many readers. With this resource to hand, every reader is now able to enjoy Tolkien’s work to its full extent, with illuminating clarity and enlightening enjoyment.
Reading this book was like opening a window into the heart of a literary genius, whose lifetime of achievements (including other works as well as the cherished Lord of the Rings) continues to inspire, amaze and delight. Having read his books many times, I found it so instructive reading this ‘reader’s companion’ and only wish that I had read it sooner for it has truly heightened my appreciation for his work. Complete with a useful Index and a list of works by JRR Tolkien, this comprehensive and indispensable book is an addition which I would gladly recommend to all Tolkien enthusiasts and seasoned readers. Likewise if you are planning to read ‘The Lord of the Rings’ for the first time, I would strongly suggest purchasing this additional book so as to read in conjunction with Tolkien’s story.
Included:
*A brief history of the Lord of the Rings
*Chronologies, calendars and moons
*Maps of Middle-Earth
*The book in more detail ~ The Fellowship of the Ring, the Two Towers, The Return of the King.
*Languages, Letters and family trees
I purchased my copy from Amazon UK, at a very reasonable price.
JRR Tolkien’s epic creation “The Lord of the Rings” is a rather complex single volume, containing such detailed underpinning and intricate otherworldly details as to make it somewhat confusing! This spectacular volume, by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull is the ultimate annotated handbook to Tolkien’s work. Both internationally acclaimed scholars examine and scrutinize in-depth Tolkien’s masterpiece, going through each chapter and offering expert insights into evolution, structure and meaning. In this thoroughly modern age the use of language in Tolkien’s work could be considered old-fashioned and confusing, together with the richness and complexity of it to be somewhat overwhelming to many readers. With this resource to hand, every reader is now able to enjoy Tolkien’s work to its full extent, with illuminating clarity and enlightening enjoyment.
Reading this book was like opening a window into the heart of a literary genius, whose lifetime of achievements (including other works as well as the cherished Lord of the Rings) continues to inspire, amaze and delight. Having read his books many times, I found it so instructive reading this ‘reader’s companion’ and only wish that I had read it sooner for it has truly heightened my appreciation for his work. Complete with a useful Index and a list of works by JRR Tolkien, this comprehensive and indispensable book is an addition which I would gladly recommend to all Tolkien enthusiasts and seasoned readers. Likewise if you are planning to read ‘The Lord of the Rings’ for the first time, I would strongly suggest purchasing this additional book so as to read in conjunction with Tolkien’s story.
Included:
*A brief history of the Lord of the Rings
*Chronologies, calendars and moons
*Maps of Middle-Earth
*The book in more detail ~ The Fellowship of the Ring, the Two Towers, The Return of the King.
*Languages, Letters and family trees
I purchased my copy from Amazon UK, at a very reasonable price.
January 27, 2011
If you want to immerse yourself into the complex mythology that frames The Lord of the Rings but don't want to wade through the 12-volume History of Middle Earth, this Reader's Companion is the next best thing. The editors have done painstaking research into not just the the History volumes, but also Tolkien's private correspondences, preliminary drafts, and unpublished writings, from which they have culled the information most relevant to The Lord of the Rings, and arranged it in page-by-page, paragraph-by-paragraph annotations for easy reference. The reader's companion clarifies some of the chronology of Lord of the Rings and reveals some of the background events that Tolkien privately worked out but did not include in the book. For example, he figured out the precise movements of each of the ring-wraiths throughout the Shire during the Fellowship of the Rings, as well as the actions of Sauron in Mordor, which are unknown to the hobbits, and therefore the reader as well.
The best way to read this is side-by-side with the 50th anniversary edition of Lord of the Rings, also edited by Hammond and Schull.
The best way to read this is side-by-side with the 50th anniversary edition of Lord of the Rings, also edited by Hammond and Schull.
August 15, 2017
This is a wonderfully detailed companion, perfect for the dedicated re-reader of the Lord of the Rings. Indeed, I think those reading the story for the first time will tire quickly of the discussions of elvish and definitions of words they might pick up from context, but the reader already familiar with the tale will find much here to increase the depth and breadth of their love.
For instance, during one of my favorite scenes where the Lady Galadriel gifts the Fellowship with mighty treasures as they depart Lorien, we are reminded of her past told only in a later essay by the author. That among the Eldar she was accounted a great beauty and her hair most of all for being a rare, radiant gold, and that some said the light of the two trees was caught within it. So Feanor -the great Elven smith who captured that same light in the Simarils - begged three times for a tress of her hair, but she would give him not one strand. Yet Gimli son of Gloin, a dwarf at first unwelcome and undesirous of welcome in her realm, is too courteous to even name a gift when she calls on him to do so. When further pressed, he mentions the desire for a single strand of her hair to treasure as a keepsake. Then she sees the goodness in his heart, indeed, a lack of the covetousness which some would call the birthright of dwarves but which she knew to be possessed of old by the elf Feanor in full measure, and she gives him three strands of her crowning glory.
The wonder of the Lord of the Rings is the great weight of history that travels through the story, with crumbling statues found at every turning, their tales told in the many languages invented by the author with consistent internal use and grammar. So it is a marvel also to learn as you read the history of the writing of this novel. That Aragorn was not always a King, but the hobbits were guided from Bree by a hobbit ranger called Trotter.
Even once Aragorn was a Man of Numenor, his tale and motivations were not set in stone. This may not surprise quite as much, for most of the understanding of his motives comes from his tale in the appendix. However, I was greatly shocked to learn that Eowyn's love for him was initially intended to be returned, and that theirs would be the romance of the book. Which I think would lessen her character greatly, for it has always made sense to me that she loves Aragorn as a soldier who longs for death and glory loves a great captain upon meeting him. More than simply loving him, she wants to be him and so dons the helm of secrecy and rides off to war. It is only once she has achieved great deeds on the battlefield and the shadow passes from the East that she will turn her mind toward more romantic love, as spring coming after winter. All of this made her an important role model for me as a young reader, and it is rather amazing to thing that it could all have very easily come out differently. But that is a wonder shared by many good books.
And this is a good book, though it is of course not one that you would simply sit down and read. I alternated between reading a chapter of the novel and then that chapter's annotations in this. For me, anything else would have required too much flipping back and forth. Whatever approach may work for you, I would recommend making the attempt. For all that it occasionally gets bogged down in spotting inconsistencies with moon phases and miles, it is a lot of fun to see just how much really was written down about the long history of Middle Earth and how well connected that is with every part of the story.
For instance, during one of my favorite scenes where the Lady Galadriel gifts the Fellowship with mighty treasures as they depart Lorien, we are reminded of her past told only in a later essay by the author. That among the Eldar she was accounted a great beauty and her hair most of all for being a rare, radiant gold, and that some said the light of the two trees was caught within it. So Feanor -the great Elven smith who captured that same light in the Simarils - begged three times for a tress of her hair, but she would give him not one strand. Yet Gimli son of Gloin, a dwarf at first unwelcome and undesirous of welcome in her realm, is too courteous to even name a gift when she calls on him to do so. When further pressed, he mentions the desire for a single strand of her hair to treasure as a keepsake. Then she sees the goodness in his heart, indeed, a lack of the covetousness which some would call the birthright of dwarves but which she knew to be possessed of old by the elf Feanor in full measure, and she gives him three strands of her crowning glory.
The wonder of the Lord of the Rings is the great weight of history that travels through the story, with crumbling statues found at every turning, their tales told in the many languages invented by the author with consistent internal use and grammar. So it is a marvel also to learn as you read the history of the writing of this novel. That Aragorn was not always a King, but the hobbits were guided from Bree by a hobbit ranger called Trotter.
Even once Aragorn was a Man of Numenor, his tale and motivations were not set in stone. This may not surprise quite as much, for most of the understanding of his motives comes from his tale in the appendix. However, I was greatly shocked to learn that Eowyn's love for him was initially intended to be returned, and that theirs would be the romance of the book. Which I think would lessen her character greatly, for it has always made sense to me that she loves Aragorn as a soldier who longs for death and glory loves a great captain upon meeting him. More than simply loving him, she wants to be him and so dons the helm of secrecy and rides off to war. It is only once she has achieved great deeds on the battlefield and the shadow passes from the East that she will turn her mind toward more romantic love, as spring coming after winter. All of this made her an important role model for me as a young reader, and it is rather amazing to thing that it could all have very easily come out differently. But that is a wonder shared by many good books.
And this is a good book, though it is of course not one that you would simply sit down and read. I alternated between reading a chapter of the novel and then that chapter's annotations in this. For me, anything else would have required too much flipping back and forth. Whatever approach may work for you, I would recommend making the attempt. For all that it occasionally gets bogged down in spotting inconsistencies with moon phases and miles, it is a lot of fun to see just how much really was written down about the long history of Middle Earth and how well connected that is with every part of the story.
July 31, 2022
This is not for the casual reader, but if you're someone who wants to know more about how Tolkien came up with all his names and words/languages and what his various inspirations were; or you just want get some more information on the various places, peoples and things in LOTR; but for some crazy reason you don't want to read The Silmarillion, the twelve volumes of the Histories, The Unfinished Tales, the Letters and various other supplemental materials to get it (you lazy person 😛), this may be the way to go. It also has some tidbits I don't recall seeing anywhere else, though I can't imagine those tidbits being of particular interest to anyone but the Tolkien scholars or fanfic writers.
Now, you could also just get The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth. Though it's more sparse in information by far, it still provides you with the basics of everything you could possibly think to ask or want to know, and gives it in more digestible sizes that the casual reader may find less daunting. You could also check the free website The Encyclopedia of Arda, though I've found some entries there to be lacking in even the most basic information. (But for the love of hobbits everywhere, don't rely on Wikipedia. I once found one entry so woefully inaccurate that I created a wiki account just to correct it, lol. And then I couldn't stomach to look any further. Maybe it's gotten better since then, since this was before the days when they required proper citations.)
What's really helpful about this volume, though, is it provides information in the order you encounter it in the book, so you can follow along as you're reading, page by page or chapter by chapter. That also makes this as close to an annotation to LOTR as we're ever likely to get, since a true annotated LOTR would be a behemoth (this book being nearly 900 pages, and LOTR being over 1200 pages) that no publisher would want to tackle.
Now, you could also just get The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth. Though it's more sparse in information by far, it still provides you with the basics of everything you could possibly think to ask or want to know, and gives it in more digestible sizes that the casual reader may find less daunting. You could also check the free website The Encyclopedia of Arda, though I've found some entries there to be lacking in even the most basic information. (But for the love of hobbits everywhere, don't rely on Wikipedia. I once found one entry so woefully inaccurate that I created a wiki account just to correct it, lol. And then I couldn't stomach to look any further. Maybe it's gotten better since then, since this was before the days when they required proper citations.)
What's really helpful about this volume, though, is it provides information in the order you encounter it in the book, so you can follow along as you're reading, page by page or chapter by chapter. That also makes this as close to an annotation to LOTR as we're ever likely to get, since a true annotated LOTR would be a behemoth (this book being nearly 900 pages, and LOTR being over 1200 pages) that no publisher would want to tackle.
December 17, 2015
NB, this review contains a comparison with JD Rateliff's The History of the Hobbit.
A pedant’s feast of minutiae for the most ardent of Tolkien fans.
There are some brands of knowledge that seem utterly pointless, and for all but the most obsessive Tolkien fanatics, the information contained in these three books is of that brand. It is so detailed, so relentlessly comprehensive that it robs the subject of its magic. The level of information, for example, in The Lord of The Rings Reader’s Companion goes as far as cataloguing an instance where Tolkien contradicts himself in his letters on the date he started the Moria sequence.
Though they share the collector’s desire to pin every butterfly fact to the boards of posterity, the books are slightly different. The History of the Hobbit contains the first draft of the Hobbit, and expends most of its energy on a comparative study of it and the published work, and the development of the former to the latter. It is the more interesting, and the less portentously written. The Lord of The Rings companion does not contain the novel’s text, for obvious reasons of space. It is instead intended to be useful alongside any edition of the novel, ticking off unusual vocabulary and The Lord of The Rings’ internal referencing of Tolkien’s mythos page by page, with extra detail provided by mini-essays. It’s comprehensive, but does a book that is delivered in the dense style of academia then need to explain the words ‘raiment’ or ‘mantle’? Its discussion of Middle-earth place names and Tolkien’s linguistic playfulness are more appropriate, and you do get a feel, here and there, for Tolkien’s state of mind. But it is all rather dry, and a far better insight into Tolkien as a man is to be had from the many biographies about him.
Impressive achievements, they get points for their sheer exhaustiveness. However, they are likely to prove only exhausting to the casual reader. For the academically interested or hard-core fan only.
A pedant’s feast of minutiae for the most ardent of Tolkien fans.
There are some brands of knowledge that seem utterly pointless, and for all but the most obsessive Tolkien fanatics, the information contained in these three books is of that brand. It is so detailed, so relentlessly comprehensive that it robs the subject of its magic. The level of information, for example, in The Lord of The Rings Reader’s Companion goes as far as cataloguing an instance where Tolkien contradicts himself in his letters on the date he started the Moria sequence.
Though they share the collector’s desire to pin every butterfly fact to the boards of posterity, the books are slightly different. The History of the Hobbit contains the first draft of the Hobbit, and expends most of its energy on a comparative study of it and the published work, and the development of the former to the latter. It is the more interesting, and the less portentously written. The Lord of The Rings companion does not contain the novel’s text, for obvious reasons of space. It is instead intended to be useful alongside any edition of the novel, ticking off unusual vocabulary and The Lord of The Rings’ internal referencing of Tolkien’s mythos page by page, with extra detail provided by mini-essays. It’s comprehensive, but does a book that is delivered in the dense style of academia then need to explain the words ‘raiment’ or ‘mantle’? Its discussion of Middle-earth place names and Tolkien’s linguistic playfulness are more appropriate, and you do get a feel, here and there, for Tolkien’s state of mind. But it is all rather dry, and a far better insight into Tolkien as a man is to be had from the many biographies about him.
Impressive achievements, they get points for their sheer exhaustiveness. However, they are likely to prove only exhausting to the casual reader. For the academically interested or hard-core fan only.
September 28, 2020
Only used it for Fellowship of the Ring and half of Two Towers for now!
I'm marking this as read because it's clogging up my 'currently reading' pile - it truly is fabulous for Tolkien enthusiasts to explore Lord of the Rings to a ridiculous level of detail... I LOVE IT
I'm marking this as read because it's clogging up my 'currently reading' pile - it truly is fabulous for Tolkien enthusiasts to explore Lord of the Rings to a ridiculous level of detail... I LOVE IT
December 31, 2012
Oh, I love this stuff. More Middle-earth is always a good thing.
October 31, 2016
This is a serious masterpiece. Ha! Some other dude wrote, "If you are not a giant Tolkien dork, you probably do not want this. And by "giant" I mean things like "have read the Silmarillion voluntarily more than once" and "have an opinion on the issue whether Tom Bombadil was a Maia, or Eru himself, or something else..."
November 27, 2019
I`m a big fan of companion readers with long series. And this is the best i came across until now!
August 21, 2022
Dit boek was een echt avontuur om te lezen. Ik zou er uren over kunnen spreken, maar vat het even kort samen:
1. J.R.R. Tolkien is een echt genie! Zijn aandacht voor detail in de creatie van de wereld van Middle-Earth is ongeëvenaard en i love him for it
2. Zoveel respect en bewondering voor het werk van Wayne G. Hammond en Christina Scull! Het is echt een project om U tegen te zeggen. (Een works cited list van 17 pagina's!!)
3. En misschien toch ook wel een dankjewel aan taal en letterkunde om mij, zij het onbewust en waarschijnlijk ook onbedoeld, helemaal voor te bereiden op het begrijpen en appreciëren van Tolkien's literaire en taalkundige verwijzingen :)
1. J.R.R. Tolkien is een echt genie! Zijn aandacht voor detail in de creatie van de wereld van Middle-Earth is ongeëvenaard en i love him for it
2. Zoveel respect en bewondering voor het werk van Wayne G. Hammond en Christina Scull! Het is echt een project om U tegen te zeggen. (Een works cited list van 17 pagina's!!)
3. En misschien toch ook wel een dankjewel aan taal en letterkunde om mij, zij het onbewust en waarschijnlijk ook onbedoeld, helemaal voor te bereiden op het begrijpen en appreciëren van Tolkien's literaire en taalkundige verwijzingen :)
July 2, 2024
I bought this because it was a massive piece of lordoftheringish things.
I couldn't read all of it. 😁
I couldn't read all of it. 😁
May 29, 2023
For me, this is essential reading if you want to know every connection to Tolkien's thought process and how certain quotes, characters, locations and everything else came to be.
I can only imagine the amount of time and effort that Hammond and Scull must have put into this, and it was perfect to have alongside reading The Lord of the Rings.
The style of this book meant for me that it's something I wouldn't read cover to cover, but it very much a reference book, and something I think I'll find myself picking up from time to time.
A great addition to my Middle Earth collection.
I can only imagine the amount of time and effort that Hammond and Scull must have put into this, and it was perfect to have alongside reading The Lord of the Rings.
The style of this book meant for me that it's something I wouldn't read cover to cover, but it very much a reference book, and something I think I'll find myself picking up from time to time.
A great addition to my Middle Earth collection.
October 7, 2024
“If Tolkien had hurried Frodo and his companions into adventure . . . we would not appreciate so well the arcadia that Frodo is willing to give up for the sake of his people. . . . Proceeding at the author's deliberately casual pace, we grow to love the Shire as we never loved Bag End in The Hobbit (though we found it a desirable residence), having visited there so briefly before Bilbo was hurried away.”
What I loved most about this book was how it demonstrated that the reason Tolkien was able to write the way he did with such intricate worldbuilding, kinship lines, histories of different peoples, mythology, original languages, etc. etc. was due to his internal & spiritual consistency—he was able to expand & explore & challenge not just his individual characters but also elements of the world-building from landscape to history to language while having faith in their ultimate cohesiveness because of this: a sort of subconscious versus conscious creation.
Click here to read my full review of THE LORD OF THE RINGS A READER’S COMPANION complete with my full thoughts, further reading suggestions, & more of my favorite quotes!
★ ★ ★ ★ .5
February 27, 2020
Should it interest you, click to read my 7000+ words analysis, about Free Will and Moral Choice in LOTR
It’s a treasure trove for hardcore fans for sure. I’d even say it is mandatory if you’re the type of fan that has read The Lord of the Rings multiple times, and plan to read it again. It’s 894 pages, with 15 pages of bibliography and a 64-page index.
There's a lengthy introduction on the history of the book’s origin and publication history, notes on the chronologies, calendars and moons, and some pages on the different maps. It also includes 30 pages of notes on the nomenclature, written by J.R.R. Tolkien himself. The main part follows the text, and offers thousands of notes – some trivial and short, others long, quoting from letters or earlier drafts, and from other scholars, including Christopher Tolkien’s extensive work.
It is meticulous about different ways of spelling dwarfs/dwarves/Dwarfs/Dwarves and lots of other words, should stuff like that float your boat. There’s also an index of all the changes that were made for the 2014 60th Anniversary edition by HarperCollins, but that would be interesting for scholars only.
Anyhow: you do not need it as a casual reader, not at all, but it is a tremendous achievement in itself.
It’s a treasure trove for hardcore fans for sure. I’d even say it is mandatory if you’re the type of fan that has read The Lord of the Rings multiple times, and plan to read it again. It’s 894 pages, with 15 pages of bibliography and a 64-page index.
There's a lengthy introduction on the history of the book’s origin and publication history, notes on the chronologies, calendars and moons, and some pages on the different maps. It also includes 30 pages of notes on the nomenclature, written by J.R.R. Tolkien himself. The main part follows the text, and offers thousands of notes – some trivial and short, others long, quoting from letters or earlier drafts, and from other scholars, including Christopher Tolkien’s extensive work.
It is meticulous about different ways of spelling dwarfs/dwarves/Dwarfs/Dwarves and lots of other words, should stuff like that float your boat. There’s also an index of all the changes that were made for the 2014 60th Anniversary edition by HarperCollins, but that would be interesting for scholars only.
Anyhow: you do not need it as a casual reader, not at all, but it is a tremendous achievement in itself.
March 27, 2015
An extremely useful companion volume (1 ½ “ thick excluding boards) to set open close by on a bookrest whilst reading Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings”.
However, I’m very glad that I didn’t know of, let alone use this book, on my first two readings of Tolkien’s text; simply because I really needed that double dip depth immersion to achieve a decent understanding of the LOTR, before I could pull back and really begin the process of thinking and making connections within the whole.
The setting out of the text on the pages has been very well and clearly thought out and executed. I judge it a success because at no point did I feel that using this book adversely infringed my immersion in and simple enjoyment of reading the wonderful fictional historical story that LOTR is. I was also strangely grateful that this companion volume did not make me feel like a LOTR geek; instead it reinforced my love of language and especially of the sound of evocative (‘poetic’) and preferably spoken language. “Twilight” is a word of physical description, whereas “Nightshade” is a word I feel in my soul.
Overall this companion volume left me even more in awe of Professor Tolkien’s remarkable achievements.
However, I’m very glad that I didn’t know of, let alone use this book, on my first two readings of Tolkien’s text; simply because I really needed that double dip depth immersion to achieve a decent understanding of the LOTR, before I could pull back and really begin the process of thinking and making connections within the whole.
The setting out of the text on the pages has been very well and clearly thought out and executed. I judge it a success because at no point did I feel that using this book adversely infringed my immersion in and simple enjoyment of reading the wonderful fictional historical story that LOTR is. I was also strangely grateful that this companion volume did not make me feel like a LOTR geek; instead it reinforced my love of language and especially of the sound of evocative (‘poetic’) and preferably spoken language. “Twilight” is a word of physical description, whereas “Nightshade” is a word I feel in my soul.
Overall this companion volume left me even more in awe of Professor Tolkien’s remarkable achievements.
June 5, 2025
This book is an absolute delight if you are a massive Tolkien nerd. If that’s you, then embrace what you are, grab a copy of this book, and read it alongside a much-needed re-read of Lord of the Rings. You won’t regret it!
Most of the insights and comments that I found most striking are already noted in my reviews of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, but as you would expect from two Tolkien scholars of the stature of Hammond and Scull they have drawn all Tolkien's published works (as well as masses of unpublished papers and correspondence) to provide a comprehensive commentary on one of the best stories ever written.
Outside of the Bible, I generally don’t read commentaries alongside a text, but in this case, I’m glad I made an exception. I really can’t recommend this book highly enough, it has profoundly added to my appreciation of and thinking on Tolkien's writing.
Most of the insights and comments that I found most striking are already noted in my reviews of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, but as you would expect from two Tolkien scholars of the stature of Hammond and Scull they have drawn all Tolkien's published works (as well as masses of unpublished papers and correspondence) to provide a comprehensive commentary on one of the best stories ever written.
Outside of the Bible, I generally don’t read commentaries alongside a text, but in this case, I’m glad I made an exception. I really can’t recommend this book highly enough, it has profoundly added to my appreciation of and thinking on Tolkien's writing.
September 16, 2021
This book consists of a chronological description of the numerous printed versions of Lord of the Rings, including errors and amendments. It also contains a concise history of how Tolkien came out with the story - the timeline for building the plots, the storyline, and references from some of the letters he had corresponded with his son and the publisher about his journey with the construction of the story. His tremendous effort of work in the dust-jacket design, map illustrations, glossary index, additional materials for the Appendices is also being covered in this book.
You can choose to read the main story along with this book if only you are interested in the original idea and the names Tolkien has selected to appear in the final story. If you are not curious about the history of this book or the background of the idea, you can just ignore this book and focus on the main story.
Book Review: The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion (Hardcover) by Wayne G. Hammond.
You can choose to read the main story along with this book if only you are interested in the original idea and the names Tolkien has selected to appear in the final story. If you are not curious about the history of this book or the background of the idea, you can just ignore this book and focus on the main story.
Book Review: The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion (Hardcover) by Wayne G. Hammond.
January 9, 2020
To claim to have read this amazingly deep and well researched reference source is tantamount to listing a dictionary or a holy book as “read”. I will return to it often, as my journey through Tolkien’s world continues.
December 1, 2023
Basically a long list of annotations. There's some interesting stuff here, but I admit that my eyes glazed over more than once. Also, a few of the notes are a bit baffling. For instance, when Bilbo gives away "the last drop of the Smaug vintage" the authors take the time to point out "drop and vintage here together make a wine metaphor." As though a reader who bothers to pick up this heavy tome with extensive notes on typesetting errors and the differences between the Gregorian and Shire calendars would need to be told when a wine metaphor occurs.
March 15, 2025
Wonderful. Lots of good excerpts from letters, essays, and later works that help give context and grounding. When I reread the series in another 5-10 years this will definitely make a reappearance.
January 4, 2025
probably the most truly deeply nerdy thing I've ever read and I loved it for all its 800 plus pages
May 28, 2023
Great book
December 22, 2022
While some of the portions (particularly etymology) are dry, this reader companion does a great job of filling in some of the blanks and making the lore a little less academic. This was my third go at LOTR and the best by far because I had this companion alongside.
August 13, 2011
This is an amazing annotated resource for all students of Tolkien's Lord of The Rings. Because the work being studied is so vast the annotations themselves get an entire 976 page separate book. Important highlights in chapters and appendixes of the three volume Ring history are picked apart line by line, noted, remarked, referred and back-referred again six-ways from Sunday by an author who assuredly knows his stuff.
I would not advise using this on a first voyage out to Middle Earth. Never mind the complicated details. Enjoy the ride and go with the flow. On later readings, when one picks up the volumes again, as questions naturally begin to arise and one’s wonder expands the quest for deeper understanding of Tolkien’s Middle Earth this is the resource to keep at your elbow. This and a good map book of Middle Earth.
I would not advise using this on a first voyage out to Middle Earth. Never mind the complicated details. Enjoy the ride and go with the flow. On later readings, when one picks up the volumes again, as questions naturally begin to arise and one’s wonder expands the quest for deeper understanding of Tolkien’s Middle Earth this is the resource to keep at your elbow. This and a good map book of Middle Earth.
October 6, 2016
Even though I'm not done with this yet, I'm pretty sure my review isn't going to change.
This companion has so much information, it's too much. Much of it isn't useful. For instance, trust me and buy the 2004 edition of the lotr series, as previous versions have publishing errors. This book will explain every single one.
It explains many things nicely, but just wasn't what I was looking for.
This companion has so much information, it's too much. Much of it isn't useful. For instance, trust me and buy the 2004 edition of the lotr series, as previous versions have publishing errors. This book will explain every single one.
It explains many things nicely, but just wasn't what I was looking for.
October 7, 2019
This was my introduction to the world of Tolkien scholarship. This book is a compilation of footnotes for all three volumes of the Lord of the Rings. I had heard of how Tolkien used his knowledge and love of philology to create his world of Middle Earth. But I had no idea what depths and intricacies he weaved into his fantasy world. This has left me wanting to learn more about Tolkien scholarship.
February 4, 2020
Una lettura impegnativa ma entusiasmante.
Questo incredibile apparato di note al Signore degli anelli è una lettura imprescindibile per accostarsi con maggiore consapevolezza e senso critico non solo al volume a cui fa riferimento, ma all'intera opera tolkeniana.
Hammond e Scull sviscerano il capolavoro di Tolkien con continui riferimenti all'intera produzione dell'autore, al sua formazione filologica, al suo modus operandi, mettendo in luce aspetti che ad una semplice lettura non possono emergere. E si resta meravigliati, affascinati, incredibilmente avvinti dai retroscena, dalla costruzione ed evoluzione delle lingue elfiche, dalla nomenclatura, dalle scelte operate nello sviluppo della trama, fino a tutto ciò che l'autore elaborò per tenere in piedi questa sua enorme costruzione che è il Sda, in ogni suo più piccolo particolare.
Ovviamente è consigliata una lettura congiunta dei due volumi: personalmente ho alternato un capitolo del SdA ad un capitolo di note, e per me la scelta è stata perfetta. La mia terza rilettura è stata di conseguenza talmente arricchita che mi è sembrato di leggere il SdA per la prima volta, rivelatosi in tutta la sua grandezza e nella genialità del suo creatore.
Questo incredibile apparato di note al Signore degli anelli è una lettura imprescindibile per accostarsi con maggiore consapevolezza e senso critico non solo al volume a cui fa riferimento, ma all'intera opera tolkeniana.
Hammond e Scull sviscerano il capolavoro di Tolkien con continui riferimenti all'intera produzione dell'autore, al sua formazione filologica, al suo modus operandi, mettendo in luce aspetti che ad una semplice lettura non possono emergere. E si resta meravigliati, affascinati, incredibilmente avvinti dai retroscena, dalla costruzione ed evoluzione delle lingue elfiche, dalla nomenclatura, dalle scelte operate nello sviluppo della trama, fino a tutto ciò che l'autore elaborò per tenere in piedi questa sua enorme costruzione che è il Sda, in ogni suo più piccolo particolare.
Ovviamente è consigliata una lettura congiunta dei due volumi: personalmente ho alternato un capitolo del SdA ad un capitolo di note, e per me la scelta è stata perfetta. La mia terza rilettura è stata di conseguenza talmente arricchita che mi è sembrato di leggere il SdA per la prima volta, rivelatosi in tutta la sua grandezza e nella genialità del suo creatore.
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