J. R. R. Tolkien: Creator of Languages and Legends

by Doris Lynch

Examines the personal life and literary career of the author of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

128 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2003

Reviews

[Audrey (Loki's version) ⊬ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very well done book. As always, I loved the references for further reading at the end.
Tolkien is a huge inspiration for me. While I can't see myself ever writing books or being a professor, I do relate to Tolkien's love for words. Learning about the languages he studied really makes me want to study some of them myself.
I can't imagine a world without Middle-earth. Not even just because of my own interest, but because of the countless people who have adored Tolkien's work and found comfort and even jobs through it for decades. He absolutely should be remembered for his time as a philologist (since being an author was kind of a sidequest for him) but I think it's safe to say Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit changed the world. Thanks, professor!

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to Tolkien's brilliance with languages and mythologies, as well as how an author infuses his writing with his own experiences. I learned so much. I'll read his books with a fresh perspective. I love that he and CS Lewis were lifelong friends and both developed their fantasy worlds at close to the same time.

[Delanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Putting aside the typos and inconsistent citing, the was a nice little book.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice book that introduces Tolkien (and the events in his life that lead to his creation of languages and his famous novels) to middle grade readers.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

really well done biography of Tolkien. Just a few small typos, but otherwise solid and very interesting life/career story of Tolkien.

[Jaeger Matthias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty good, I'd say.

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very brief look at Tolkien's life.