The Tolkien Companion

by J.E.A. Tyler, Kevin Reilly (Illustrator)

Between 1932 and 1953, Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, of Oxford, England, translated four volumes compiled by the renowned Hobbits Bilbo and Frodo Baggins, written during the Third Age of Middle Earth, far longer ago than the Celtic, Germanic and Icelandic manuscripts Professor Tolkien was used to deciphering. The result was
The Hobbit, and readers have never been
the same since.
        In 1954, seventeen years after The Hobbit first appeared, its sequel, The Lord of the Rings was published, and it became the centerpiece of Tolkien's work. The Ring Epic covers approximately ten thousand years, and contains a vast amount of information as well as a huge variety of words and names which Tolkien translated from the Elvish and Mannish tongues. THE TOLKIEN COMPANION is an impressive endeavor to guide one through the world of Middle Earth, compiling every fact, name, word, and date from all the works into one comprehensive and accessible volume.
        Here, in one source, is the High History of the Elven peoples. The origins of Morgoth the Enemy is clarified, as is his Fall, and the subsequent rise to power of Sauron the Great, Lord of the Rings. The heroic epic of how the Free Peoples--Elves, Men, Ents, Dwarves, and Hobbits--survived against the Peril of the Ancient World is meticulously detailed. And a guide to the various Elvish writing systems, together with explanatory maps, charts, even genealogical tables, bring the remarkable genius of Tolkien and the unforgettable world and wonder of Middle Earth to life with focus and accuracy. Presented in alphabetical order for quick and easy reference, THE TOLKIEN COMPANION is an indispensable accompaniment for anyone who embarks on the reading journey of a lifetime.

Genres: Fantasy, Reference, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Speculative Fiction, Literature, Epic Fantasy

531 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

Reviews

[Theo Logos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tolkien Companion was part of a gift set I received as a kid. I had discovered and rabidly consumed The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings in paperback edition. My enthusiasm for them was such that my mother gifted me with a hard bound set of Tolkien which included The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, as well as The Silmarillion, Humphrey Carpenter’s authorized biography of Tolkien, and this book. They became the heart of my growing library, and over 40 years later they are still with me.

The Companion isn’t the sort of book you read cover to cover. It’s a Tolkien reference book, with alphabetical entries for all the unique people, places, and things in his massive universe. I randomly opened it to M and see:
Mablung: A scout for Faramir’s Rangers of Ithilien during the War of the Ring.
Maggot: See Farmer Maggot.
And so on. Most readers of Tolkien know all the major players from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but this guide traces out every obscure name and place throughout all of Tolkien’s works then published.

The Tolkien Companion provides pleasant perusing. It also served me well over the years when I was searching for appropriate sounding names for characters or places in D&D campaigns. While I seldom take it down from its shelf anymore, noticing it there still brings a smile and a flood of happy memories.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book front to back! What a great resource. I have read the Lord of the Rings and many other works by Tolkien many times, including the History of Middle Earth series, so for me there was no real new information or insights. I do recommend this book to people who pick up the Lord of the Rings for the first time, to really use it as intended, as a reading companion. It clarifies things that can be confusing during the first read. It is really like a dictionary, so what could have improved is some extra info explaining the LOTR appendices.

[booklady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have been essential in pre-Internet days. Now just handy and delightfully browsable. As dear husband and I were listening to The Hobbit and now since we have begun The Fellowship of the Ring I keep it beside me within reach. My husband has his I-phone to look things up. I still prefer books.

It was interesting to finally learn the subtle differences and connections among Orcs, Ogres, Goblins, Uruk-hai and Trolls, varieties of the evil beings who populated Middle Earth, some being just different names for the same vile type of creature.

[Karen Witzler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to have a copy of this - lost along the way.

[Emily Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

The amount of places, people, events, and items listed in this book is amazing. Sure, I could go look up some of this stuff online, but not everything that is addressed in this companion book is easy to find on the internet. Even in this day some of the intricacies of Tolkien's world are just lightly skimmed over online. This book does not do that and is often referenced by "Hardcore" Tolkien enthusiasts because it's such a wealth of information that's hard to find all in one place.

It must have taken Tyler a very long time to compile this work, but I am very grateful he took on the painful task because it's great companion book while reading the series. When I read the works by Tolkien I have this and the Tolkien atlas by David Day out, which really immerses me in the rich world that Tolkien built. I have a deep appreciation for the man and his world building skills.

[Charity U · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book seems to be a great resource, and it’s obvious that someone put a lot of work and time into it. However, I got it hoping that it would prove a helpful companion to The Children of Hurin by Tolkien. I was disappointed to discover that it basically just had the names and locations used in Lord of the Rings and Hobbit. It, like The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth by Robert Foster, was in alphabetical order, with short (or occasionally several pages long) articles about people, places, and things from LOTR and Hobbit. Each article was written in a “Tolkienesque” way – similar to Tolkien’s way of writing. It was easy and enjoyable to read. But if you are looking for something to help with names and place in Silmarillion or Children of Hurin or another more obscure work involving Middle Earth, I would recommend the Complete Guide previously referenced. This is a good book for borrowing from a library, and a handy resource if you’re researching LOTR or Hobbit!

[David Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this reference book when I was in High School, around 1978 (I think). It's wonderful. It's extremely well written and organized. It's a fantastic introduction the imaginary world of JRR Tolkien's mythology. It provide wonderful background material that goes into great depth on a number of fascinating subject. J.E.A. Tyler is the perfect tour guide when visiting Middle-Earth.

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent resource to have while reading the Middle-Earth stories as well as the Silmarillion mythology.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Companion is meant to be a reference book for The Hobbit and LOTR. However, I read it cover to cover, and it took a long time. I loved every bit of it. One of the most enjoyable aspects of reading it was that it was published before The Silmarillion. It really is fascinating to read the suppositions of the author on what was not yet known, but what I know now. Anyway, that is completely subjective. This is a must have book for the Tolkien enthusiast/scholar.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've ever read Tolkein, and yet don't consider yourself the Middle Earth version of a "trekkie," then like me, you've probably had difficulty telling Boromir from Faramir, or Balin from Dwalin. And where exactly is Rhovanton? Where the heck did the elves go after the war? How did Smeagol become that disgusting little freak Gollum? [return]If you have ever had issues keeping any of this information together in your head while reading Tolkein, I highly advise keeping the Tolkein Companion nearby whenever you find yourself immersed in the Middle Earth books.

[Angharad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book's not one you really sit down and read. It's rather like a dictionary of Middle Earth to be used as needed. Since I'm going to start reading all of Tolkien's works soon, I suspect this will be very helpful to me.

I am disappointed it's not a study guide, which is what I assumed it was when I picked it up, but it's still a nice resource all the same.

This would be very helpful to those who have tried to read works like the Silmarillion, but get stuck on names and places. However, if you use this be warned because it does have lots of spoilers.

[Lillith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful encyclopedia of Middle Earth and gives great insight to some of the older and more obscure bits of trivia. The maps aren't the best, but the guide to Elvish writing is good. I'll be reading through this one over and over again just for pleasure.

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

I very cool dictionary/encyclopedia of the Tolkien fantasy world. Very interesting to see all the facts laid out that you might not think of in certain ways.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a book to read cover to cover, but a companion when you're reading Tolkien's book.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good dictionary covering the Tolkien world. Not for reading cover to cover as we attempted.

[Mhorg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll put it simply. The best Tolkien reference book ever written.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

An encyclopedia of Tolkien's middle earth, excellent reference source

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great resource, but it is out of date. My version, at least, was published before the Silmarilion was released, and so there are many entries with "missing" information or not present entirely.

[Stormy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting this book off the shelf again so we can figure out characters in the new series from AmazonPrime. So far, so good—liking the new production.

[dragynlady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Reference book for the Lord of the Rings fan.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indispensable for the Tolkien student!