Fenomén J. R. R. Tolkien - Životopis Pána příběhů

by Colin Duriez, Martin Štefl (Translator)

Bohatá fantazie J. R. R. Tolkiena upoutala pozornost milionů čtenářů dávno před tím, než byla do kin po celém světě uvedena úspěšná filmová podoba Pána prstenů. Kdo byl ten muž, který si vysnil dokonalý jazykový systém a do detailů propracovaný svět Středozemě?Tolkien se v osobním životě musel dlouhá léta potýkat s mnoha těžkostmi: byl sirotek, byl chudý, kvůli svému poručníkovi se tři roky nesměl stýkat se svou budoucí ženou, prošel hrůzami první světové války. Tento vynikající akademik se ve volném čase přes padesát let věnoval vymýšlení jazyků, dějin, národů a místopisu Středozemě. Pro svůj svět vytvořil mytologii, kterou čerpal ze své hluboké znalosti raných severoevropských kultur.

J. R. R. Tolkien se stvořením imaginárního světa, který nepřestává uchvacovat a těšit celé generace příznivců, stal legendou. V tomto poutavém a přístupném životopise však živě vyvstává před našima očima i jeho osobnost.

J. R. R. Tolkien ovlivnil nejen celé generace autorů fantasy literatury (mezi nejznámější patří např. Terry Pratchett: Úžasná Zeměplocha, J. K. Rowlingová: Harry Potter a G. R. R. Martin: Píseň ledu a ohně), měl však i mimořádný vliv na svého celoživotního přítele a významného křesťanského autora C. S. Lewise, na jehož cestě k znovunalezení křesťanství hrál významnou roli.

Colin Duriez je autorem řady publikací o J. R. R. Tolkienovi a C. S. Lewisovi, o jejich přátelství a literární skupině Inklingů. Jeho příspěvky se objevily v několika předních referenčních dílech včetně The Tolkien Encyclopedia. Vystoupil rovněž jako komentátor na DVD s filmem Pán prstenů Petera Jacksona a v pořadu BBC The Worlds of Fantasy.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography Memoir, Christian, History, Adult

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Colin Duriez is an English writer and scholar best known for his work on the Inklings, the literary circle that included C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Owen Barfield, and Charles Williams. Born in Derbyshire in 1947, he moved to Leicester in 1983 to work as a commissioning editor for the publisher IVP. Over the years he has combined editorial work with teaching, and in 2002 he established his own business, InWriting, in Keswick, Cumbria, providing writing and editorial services as well as book acquisition for publishers.
Winner of the Clyde S. Kilby Award in 1994 for his research on the Inklings, Duriez has been praised as one of the most valuable contemporary scholars on Lewis. His numerous books explore the lives, friendships, and imaginative worlds of Lewis and Tolkien, including Bedeviled: Lewis, Tolkien, and the Shadow of Evil, The Oxford Inklings, and Tolkien and C. S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship. His work has been lauded for accessibility, scholarly insight, and fresh perspectives.
Duriez has also appeared in television documentaries such as A Quest for Meaning – Myth, Imagination & Faith in the Literature of J. R. R. Tolkien & C. S. Lewis. He lives in Wallingford, Oxfordshire.

Reviews

[Nikoleta · Rating 4 out of 5]

«Ο Τόλκιν έβλεπε τον Β' Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο, όπως και τον Πόλεμο του Δαχτυλιδιού, ως έναν πόλεμο μηχανών. Γράφοντας στον γιο του Κρίστοφερ, στη μακρινή Νότια Αφρική, του έλεγε πως εκείνος ήταν "ο πρώτος Πόλεμος των Μηχανών". Για τον πόλεμο μιλούσε και σε άλλη επιστολή του: "Προσπαθούμε να νικήσουμε τον Σάουρον με το Δαχτυλίδι. Και όπως φαίνεται, θα τα καταφέρουμε. Όμως το τίμημα είναι, και θα το καταλάβεις, πως θα αναθρέψουμε καινούριους Σάουρον, και αργά αργά θα μετατρέψουμε ανθρώπους και ξωτικά σε ορκ."»
σελ. 263

[Kyriakos Sorokkou]

Αυτή είναι η δεύτερη βιογραφία του Τόλκιν που διαβάζω.
Διάβασα και τον Γενάρη του 15 την επίσημη βιογραφία του Τόλκιν από τον Κάρπεντερ J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography



Θα πει κάποιος, ποιος ο σκοπός να διαβάσεις για τον ίδιο συγγραφέα δύο ξεχωριστές βιογραφίες.
Πρώτο: είναι ο αγαπημένος μου συγγραφέας. Όχι μόνο γιατί δημιούργησε την Μέση Γη αλλά και που δημιούργησε τόσες γλώσσες, αγαπούσε τα αγγλοσαξωνικά έπη, τις γλώσσες, τη γνώση, τους χάρτες, τα δάση, τα δέντρα, τη φύση, κάτι που είμαι κι εγώ ακριβώς το ίδιο. Ταιριάζουμε.

Δεύτερο: Ο Κάρπεντερ γνώρισε από κοντά τον Τόλκιν και η βιογραφία του γράφτηκε το 1970, ενώ του Ντουρίεζ γράφτηκε πολύ πιο πρόσφατα, το 2012.
Έτσι υπήρξαν αρκετές διαφορές σε κάποια σημεία, που πρέπει να είσαι φαν για να τις ξεχωρίσεις όμως.
Τώρα θα μου πείτε ποια από τις δύο βιογραφίες να πάρετε.
Αν είστε φαν των έργων του Τόλκιν θα πρότεινα και τις δύο αλλά και με όποια βρείτε πρώτη στο διάβα σας.


Σ' όλη μου τη ζωή διάβασα 3-4 βιογραφίες. Οι δύο είναι του Τόλκιν η άλλη είναι του Ντίκενς και η τέταρτη του Γκαρσία Μάρκες σε στυλ γκράφικ νόβελ.

Δεν έχω κάτι έξτρα να πω εκτός του εάν είστε φαν του Τόλκιν και των έργων του και δεν έχετε διαβάσει για τον δημιουργό της Μέσης Γης, κάντε το. Πάρτε όποια βιογραφία βρείτε μπροστά σας.
Αυτή είναι και πιο εύκολο να τη βρείτε, και από τις εκδόσεις κέδρος και από την ανατύπωση για την εφημερίδα το Βήμα

Βαθμολογία: 8/10

[Michael Kotsarinis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Δεν είμαι φίλος των βιογραφιών αλλά για την περίπτωση αυτή (όπως και για ελάχιστες άλλες) έκανα μια εξαίρεση. Ευτυχώς η γραφή δεν είναι κουραστική και το επίπεδο της λεπτομέρειας δεν είναι τόσο εξαντλητικό ώστε να κουράζει. Πιστεύω πως όσοι γοητεύονται από τα έργα του καθηγητή αξίζει τον κόπο να τη διαβάσουν.

[Madalena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first time I read a biography.
Here are some thoughts, taken from my blog:

-Your favorite writer probably had a an interesting and difficult life, worth writing a book about. But in the end of the day, no matter how much we idolize them, writers are normal people who experienced everyday life just like everyone else. Tolkien’s friends from school were bright and creative. His friendship with them might have inspired his Fellowship. They helped each other, and shaped each other and planned to change the world. But they were also young schoolkids who would sneak cake and tea in the library. As a girl who recently played a man in my Drama Club’s play, I was amazed to read that Tolkien played an old lady in a school play. Such a small, mundane detail, made me feel so much closer to him.
-That is not to say Tolkien was an ordinary person. Creating a world from scratch is an art that I truly admire, and he did it so thoughtfully and wholeheartedly. Talking about his work, he once said “It it written in my life-blood, such that it is, thick or thin; and I can no other.” Giving oneself to such a creation is so beautiful it feels heartbreaking. I absolutely loved the idea that Tolkien did not “invent” the hobbits and Middle Earth, but, rather “discovered” them. Not to mention the creation of languages. My encounter with Linguistics was brief, as I forsook it in favor of Literature courses as soon as I was able, but I cannot help being in awe. I cannot begin to understand what kind of creativity, and fundamental understanding of human expression is required to make this work. It is really mind-blowing.
-Seeing the ways Tolkien tumbled between his careers as an academic and as a writer of Fantasy was interesting, encouraging and also slightly unsettling to read about. I also aspire to both these careers, so it was wonderful to see that one of the writers I admire the most was able to do both. Of course, this requires huge commitment, and I could see, throughout the biography, that he probably struggled with this sometimes, publishing fewer academic articles than expected or writing Lord of the Rings and Silmarillion frantically during holiday time. But he made it. Reading about the difficulties he faced on the way reminded me that today is a good time to be alive for those interested in Fantasy. Back then, many people would frown at the thought of a respectable university professor writing Fantasy novels, as these were thought to be suitable only for children. Fantasy might still be quite misunderstood in some academic contexts, but the two vocations do not feel mutually exclusive or contradictory anymore. Fantasy is enjoyed by more adults than ever before, and it is even a subject to be examined academically. For this, I am grateful and I don’t think it would have been possible without Tolkien.

[Ann Olivia Radicioni! · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think I would rather be poisoned than read about JRR Tolkien’s life again 💯

[Spirou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Αγαπώ πολύ τις βιογραφίες και η συγκεκριμένη αποδείχθηκε εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρουσα! Δείτε το video-review εδώ.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the saying goes, “Rome was not built in a day.” Wars were fought and won, infrastructure was built and fortified, and the culture of the ancient West flourished as a result. Similarly, the Middle-Earth of Tolkien’s imagination did not spring up ex nihilo from his imagination but is the culmination of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien’s life work. Various elements of Middle Earth had their genesis in his life experience and academic pursuits of Tolkien. In Tolkien: The Making of a Legend, noted expert on Tolkien and the Inklings, Colin Duriez, tells the story of Tolkien’s life and the events which shaped him as an author.


J.R.R. Tolkein: The Making of a Legend by Colin Duriez
Tolkien’s life story found its way into his fiction. A tarantula bite in childhood may have provided the background fpr Ungoliant or Shelob (13) . Places that were special to Tolkien provided the basis for important locations (i.e. the Shire, the two towers, the Ivy Bush all have their origin in actual locations). The love Tolkien had for his wife Edith provided the inspiration for the story of Luthien and Beren (one of the central legends of Middle Earth). His experience of warfare in World War I made him critical of the way technology was destroying modern life(a major theme in the LotR trilogy). But Tolkien’s literary vision was also enriched by his friendships and academic pursuits.

In his schooldays he and a group of literary friends formed a ‘Tea Club, later known as the TCBS (Tea Club Barrovian Society). They dreamed of later literary achievements (though several members did not survive the First World War). As an academic at Oxford, Tolkien formed the ‘Coal Biters’ a group which gathered weekly to translate and read Norse Mythology. Later, the Inkling(with C.S. Lewis and others) would meet Tuesday mornings at the Eagle and Child. The members of that group listened to, discussed and critiqued early drafts of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The friendship with Lewis was mutually beneficial and while it cooled somewhat in later years, Tolkein and Lewis continued to support one another throughout their life. Tokien’s relationship with Lewis and other writers provided him the relational support he needed and helped him hone his craft as an author.

And of course Tolkien’s own genius grew up with keen interest in and talent for language. His skill at languages enabled him to create several Elvin languages. His work on the OED (after his military service) would prove to give him the proper training to create the world of Middle Earth and in later years, his academic writings mostly served to enrich his fiction.

This is an interesting biography and paints a compelling vision of its subject. Druiez shares the effect Tolkien’s reading of Beowulf had for his students. This, coupled with Tolkien’s belief in the power of story, makes me appreciate Tolkien’s fiction all the more. As one who has enjoyed Tolkien’s books (and Peter Jackson’s adaptations) I do not hesitate to recommend this book. It is a readable account of a much beloved author.

Thank you to Kregel Publications for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for this review.

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Δυστυχώς η βιογραφία του Τόλκιν μου φάνηκε ως επί το πλείστον αδιάφορη, χωρίς φυσικά να σημαίνει ότι δεν είναι άνθρωπος άξιος θαυμασμού. Έβρισκα συνεχώς τον εαυτό μου να χασμουριέται και να προσπερνάει αποσπάσματα. Διαβάζεται εύκολα, αλλά πιστεύω ότι απευθύνεται σε περισσότερο φανατικούς θαυμαστές.

[Corinna Hogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25
Great little biography! What this book does, it does really well. This is in some ways a general biography, but it definitely focuses on how the different components of Tolkien’s life led to his creation of all things Middle Earth. Most things discussed in this book were seen through that filter. Most of the time I found that interesting, but it made me feel like we may have left out anything that this author did not view as directly tied to that part of his life. It looks like Duriez has several other books about Tolkien, so I’m wondering if those would help fill in some of the gaps.

This book spent a good deal of time on Tolkien’s impact on the literary landscape, which I found really fascinating. I had no idea he basically revived the entire fantasy genre. Even if you don’t love LOTR yourself, but love fantasy, you’ve gotta respect the effect he had. He not only wrote great books that showed people how fantasy was a respectable genre beyond only being written for children (although people should not disrespect children’s literature!), he wrote papers and gave lectures and generally dedicated a lot of effort to educating people on the importance of “fairy stories,” as he usually called them. I really want to read some of his essays.

This book also dedicated a lot of time to Tolkien’s passion for languages. I knew he was a big language guy, as you would have to be to invent the multiple languages he formed for LOTR alone, but it was really interesting to see just how far his love for language went.

The writing style was great, it was very enjoyable and approachable. The narration of the audiobook was also fantastic.

My only negative comment is that I just wanted MORE. From what I can tell, there aren’t really any biographies of Tolkien much longer than this, which I think is unfortunate. I would like to summon Ron Chernow to make a beast of bio for Tolkien. I just feel like we sped through certain things too quickly, especially toward the end of his life, and it gives very little detail about some key figures in Tolkien’s life. For example, I feel like we learned very little about his wife and children. They were mentioned of course, and some of their like life plot were mentioned, but we don’t get to know them at all. After he and his wife got married, she’s basically only mentioned in relation to where they live at the time. I don’t feel like I got to know who she was at all. Same thing with their children. I would love for a book like this to dig way deeper into that stuff, the who they are kind of stuff, and honestly I would love a LARGE epilogue about Christopher Tolkien’s life with the continued posthumous publications of JRR’s works, if not several chapters. Even though Tolkien was dead at that point, it feels really relevant to me.

Oh, and I had a hard time keeping track of what age Tolkien was throughout this. Duriez liked to say anything other than what age he was lol. He’d say the year, he’d reference Tolkien’s “silver wedding anniversary,” and hey I know that means something but I don’t know WHAT it means and I am driving so I can’t google it lol. Toward the end he mentioned Tolkien being in his 60s, and I realized in my brain he’d been frozen at like 35 for most of the book 😂

Of course I rambled for a long time about my very minor critiques. None of it meant the book was unenjoyable. Honestly 9/10 great time, highly recommend if you want to get a brief overview of Tolkien’s life!

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A helpful introductory biography for Tolkien. I appreciated how Duriez packs in a lot of information and doesn't talk down to the reader.

This book makes references to Carpenter's works, see:
--J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography
--The Inklings: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Their Friends

See also from Colin Duriez:
--Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship
--The Oxford Inklings: Lewis, Tolkien and their circle
--C.S. Lewis: A Biography of Friendship
--Dorothy L. Sayers: A Biography: Death, Dante and Lord Peter Wimsey

[Jeremy Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a longtime fan of Colin Duriez's biographical writing, and this biography did not disappoint. Duriez is concise, clear, and engaging. The biography is well-paced, organized, well-supported, thorough, and interesting. Duriez is winsome and admiring in tone (without being too gushy). I really appreciated this biography of J.R.R. Tolkien, especially for its crisp yet uncompromising brevity.

[The Loopy Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although, I have been a fan of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings for years, I knew very little about the author behind these magical works. More has been written about J.R.R. Tolkien than by him. He has been studied by scholars and critics for generations. Tolkien is enigmatic and complex, as is his work. For those reasons and a myriad of others, I was so pleased to be introduced to this Tolkien biography by Colin Duriez. In the forward, Doriez writes, “Though my book is not intended for scholars but for ordinary readers wishing to explore the life of Tolkien and how it relates to the stories of Middle-earth, the wisdom from those (other authors) I’ve mentioned, and many others, is a necessary background (p. 9-10).”

With even a most tertiary look into the background of Colin Duriez, it becomes quite clear that as an academic, a professor, and a writer, he has made it his life’s work to study the works of Tolkien. He appears to have read nearly every work ever written by or about Tolkien, which made it all the more remarkable that he was able to condense his intensive years of study into a book for the ordinary reader.

In J.R.R. Tolkien: The Making of a Legend, Duriez focuses on the lonely, orphaned boy who was fascinated with languages and fantasy. Though not antisocial by any means, he definitely lived an active life inside his head. In Duriez’s book, the reader also learns of the horrible losses and emotional toil that he endured as a soldier in WWI. His marriage to his first love, after years of separation, is endearing as is his love for his children. Despite his devotion to academia, he was a family man at heart. The land of Middle-Earth, as it turns out, is a land that Tolkien had invented early in his youth, and it was his love of languages and study of them (philology), that lead him to create this enchanted world. He shared the stories with his children and eventually developed a manuscript that he shared with his good friend and colleague, C.S.Lewis. Lewis said, “In reading great literature I become a thousand men and yet remain myself. Like the night sky in the Greek poem, I see with a myriad eyes, but it is still I who see. Here, as in worship, in love, in moral action, and in knowing, I transcend myself, and am never more myself than when I do (p. 54).

Lewis quickly became one of Tolkien’s biggest fans and encourages him to publish his work. Like generations of fans afterward, Lewis fell in love with the Hobbit of Middle Earth and the stories that followed. It may have been Tolkien’s love of languages that led him to write these epic novels, but for most readers, it is the characters, the fantasy, the heroism, the story itself that captures the imagination.

For an introduction to J.R.R. Tolkien, a fascinating man who lead an extraordinary life both inside and outside of his head, I highly recommend this book. If you are already a Tolkien scholar, you probably won’t gain much from this particular biography. For the average reader, however, it is perfect!

In compliance with FTC guidelines, please note that I received a free review copy from Kregel Blog Tours in return for an honest review.

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of Tolkien Duriez says, “Myth and story was embodied in language” (p. 143) and myth and story restore “a true meaning of ordinary and humble things that make up human life” (p. 176). That sums up his life and writing in my estimation. I’ve read Humphrey Carpenter’s biography which is the official biography of Tolkien and I’ve also read the Tolkien Letters. Duriez’s J. R. R. Tolkien: The Making of a Legend is as much a must read for Tolkienphiles.

I not only enjoyed refreshing my history of Tolkien’s life but I enjoyed the writing and storyline Duriez presents. He covers his life from cradle to the grave. In the biography itself I gathered some wonderful Tolkien tidbits and memorable sayings.

It’s also interesting how this biography and recent discoveries have intersected. Duriez reports,
One day Tolkien and Lewis would even plan to collaborate on a book on language, a project that never materialized. (p. 145)
Lo and behold this work has this month been uncovered. The Telegraph reports (“JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis joint work discovered”)
The beginning of a joint book by CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien has been discovered in a manuscript book in the Bodleian Library, Oxford.

An American academic called Steven Beebe, of Texas State University, San Marcos, had seen the material some years ago, but has only recently realised what it is. It is written in Lewis's hand in the same notebook that contains early drafts for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Magician's Nephew.

Lewis and Tolkien had planned their joint book, to be called Language and Human Nature, in 1944, with publication envisaged for 1950.

You should read this book but especially so if you love Tolkien--even if you’re read Carpenter’s or other biographies. You won’t be disappointed with Duriez’s J. R. R. Tolkien: The Making of a Legend. My only tiff would be Duriez teasing about the amount of information that could’ve been included surrounding the publication of The Lord of the Rings. Says Duriez, “Even his dealings with his publisher and another potential publisher could fill a small book” (p. 192). But then we get few details about the process as a whole.

Tolkien’s work on Middle-Earth is timeless because he captures the essence of our life within his faerie stories and myth. He has an uncanny ability to penetrate into the depths of the human condition and uncover truth. For instance, he says after WWII
We are attempting to conquer Sauron with the Ring. And we shall (it seems) succeed. But the penalty is, you will know, to breed new Saurons, and slowly turn Men and Elves into Orcs” (p. 191 as quoted in Letters to his son Christopher).
Tolkien was right then and he’s even more right today. You should read him and understand his life in connection with the larger corpus of his work. Duriez will help you do this.

[Amanda Stephan · Rating 4 out of 5]

They say, write what you know.
But what if you happen to write about things like Orcs, Hobbits, and Elves? Do you really know this enough to write about it? In a way, yes, JRR Tolkien did write what he knew. Or, more like it, the way he saw the world. Overcoming tremendous odds, he gave us some of the best loved stories that still thrive today.

When you read this book, you're getting an intimate peek inside a complex individual that was molded by his fair share of life, death, loss, and love. Be prepared for emotional turmoil that followed him thru his life. Cheer for him when he finds his one true love, and pity him when he ultimately sets aside that love because of the wishes of another.

Not only will you meet the man behind the Hobbit, but the story of JRR Tolkien's perseverance through hardships will inspire you when you thought your hope was gone.

JRR Tolkien had a gift. He was a romantic. I know. Many a man would shudder to be labeled a romantic, but he saw life differently than most. When the regular person would see only an ordinary tower, JRR saw not a normal tower, but a different time and place with evil and good, fighting against one another and that tower, a pinnacle that holds it all in the balance.

Conjuring stories and poems on a whim, he was an immensely gifted man. A creator not only of worlds and words, but of entire languages.

But why would he desire to write such stories as The Hobbit? To reignite a love for fairy tales to a new readership.

He has succeeded in this and his stories live on and will continue to do so for generations of romantics to come.

[Colleen Fauchelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read the Lord of the Rings. I do have a beautiful copy when I do get around to it. I do have the DVD's and went to all the movies. Peter Jackson has done an amazing job and we do have a Beautiful Country.

I don't read a lot of Non Fiction but I do enjoy real stories. Especially about Authors to find out what their lives were like is so good. There are so many Authors out there and millions of readers maybe the could do B news (E News) so we can find out about their lives.

I enjoyed this book J.R.R Tolkien was a very cleaver man. He didn't have it easy, his Father died when he was young and his mum did amazing job of bringing up her boys until she too passed away. Father Francis took over the care of the boys providing support and taking them away on holidays.

Tolkien made up languages while he was young and had a life long love of Philology - The historic study of language and culture, which includes comparing languages. This was his passion what he would end up teaching. This part of the book I found hard to understand however I still read and tried to take in what was being said.

Not long after getting married he was called to war, the first war and he lost dear friends at this time. He and his wife had 4 children and he seemed to be a good father. In fact I own another book called Letters from Father Christmas that Tolkien wrote to his children.

Tolkien was a very gifted , busy and very cleaver Man. I really enjoyed reading about his life and all that he was able to accomplish during his life time. My goal next year is to read his books the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit.

[Katrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Είχα σήμερα ρεπό και το διάβασα. Καλό βιβλίο με καλό ρυθμό αλλά κάτι μου έλειπε. Ακούμε πολύ από τα χρόνια του τολκιν όταν ήταν μικρός και πως μεγάλωσε. Αλλά μετά, τα χρόνια που έγγραψε τα σημαντικά έργα του, τα περνάμε πολύ γρήγορα. Κρίμα γιατί ήτ��ν βιβλίο με ενδιαφέρον. Μου λείπει επίσης ένα χρονολογικό μέρος με τα σημαντικά γεγονότα και βιβλία του. Αυτό έπρεπε να έχει αυτό το βιβλίο.

[Ettelwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zase jsem ti o trochu blíže Tolkiene.
I když na Carpenterům životopis to nemá, pořád se jedná o kvalitně zpracovanou knihu o jednom z nejdůležitějších autorů vůbec. Obrazová část mohla být klidně rozsáhlejší, ale postačila i v takovém měřítku. Za mě určitě ano!

[Brandon H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It gives me great pleasure, a good name. I always in writing start with a name. Give me a name and it produces a story, not the other way about normally.” - J.R.R. Tolkien

This is a good biography of J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of the uber-popular books, The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. If you don't know much about Tolkien, this is a good place to start but I must add a caveat to that - the author does give a synopsis of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. So, if you haven't read the books or seen the films, you may want to postpone reading this one until you have.

Tolkien admitted to his publisher Sir Stanley Unwin on writing the Lord of the Rings Trilogy: "It is written in my lifeblood, such as that is, thick or thin; and I can no other."

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una magnífica biografía de Tolkien que no se limita a narrar los hechos de la vida de alguien. Por el contrario, sobre sale por relacionar como cada experiencia, situación o ambiente lo llevó a escribir el Señor de los Anillos. Se centra en el camino que lo llevó a escribir uno de los mejores libros de toda la historia. Lo mejor de todo es la persona que me lo regaló.

[Dayna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A masterful biography of Tolkien. Duriez writes in a readable and interesting way. He takes you into Tolkien's life and writings in a seamless fashion. A must read for all Tolkien fans. Actually, anything written by Duriez should be a must read.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting account of Tolkien's life and the inspiration for his creations. Great reading by Simon Vance on the audio, too.

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography is short and accessible. A good place to start for those interested in Tolkien.

[Adam Balshan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars [Biography]
(W: 2.66, U: 2.63, T: 2.81)
Exact rating: 2.70

Its strength was describing Tolkien's physical environment in his various locations and domiciles.

[🌻ingrid🌻 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

An honest and intimate account on J.R.R Tolkien’s life and his work, capturing in essence the man behind the myth

This beautiful book delves back to the time long before the Peter Jackson film phenomenons of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ to when J.R.R Tolkien’s characters, imagination and creations captured the hearts of many readers. The intricately built world that he created, the people’s and languages are so spellbinding that Colin Duriez looks at the man behind his masterworks. The man who dreamt up Middle-Earth had a difficult life as an orphan; from poverty to the Great War, to love and enduring great loss. This engaging exploration is well-researched and highly readable, so as to enable one to gain an altogether better understanding and appreciation for such extraordinary achievements. Since childhood I have read (both for pleasure and study) J.R.R Tolkien’s works, from The Silmarillion to The Hobbit. This illuminating biography has added another layer of depth to my awareness on Tolkien, and so I couldn’t recommend nor praise it highly enough.

“J.R.R. Tolkien created a new form of literary legend with his histories of Middle-Earth and, as result, has himself been accorded legendary status. Colin Duriez, who is well versed in the ways of Hobbits and other denizens of Tolkien’s world, presents an engaging, intimate account of the author’s life and work and the phenomenon that both have become. At a time when writings about Tolkien far outnumber writings by him, it is good to be able to commend such a well-researched and highly readable biography that captures the essence of the man and enables us to better understand and appreciate his extraordinary achievement.”

~ Brian Sibley
Author of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (official movie guide)

Some of the elements explored within Tolkien’s life, include:
*Being separated from the woman he had fallen in love with- both by his guardian and then the First World War
*Life as a Scholar and professor of English Language
*Being a member of several groups; the Inklings with C.S Lewis and the T.C.B.S (Tea Club and Barrovian Society)
*Spending over fifty years working on the languages, history, peoples and geography of Middle-Earth.

If you are seeking to learn more about the literary genius that is J.R.R. Tolkien, his work and his life then this sincere and accurate account has to be a must-read. Complete with stunning photographs of the places that Tolkien dwelt, including Oxford and his childhood home.

[Maureen Timerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, know as J. R. R. was born on 3 January 1892, in Southern Africa. He was the first son of Arthur and Mabel, and was joined by a brother Hilary on 17 February 1894.
Both boys had a had sad beginning, loosing their Dad in 1896, and their Mom to Diabetes, there was no treatment. They became the wards of a priest, and soon lived with a woman who gave them room and board...that is it. How sad, and yet each point of his life shows the rich mind he possessed, and later shows up in bits and pieces in his writings.
Love the reference to Hobbit, that came from his travels to Interlaken in Switzerland. What a mind he had, and was able to share with the World. He had in his lifetime become friends with C. S. Lewis, a former Atheist who came to know the Lord many think because of Tolkien.
He fell in love with Edith as a child, and later pursues her as a young man. I personally enjoyed this story, and bringing this man to life in my mind. He started out with such a harsh life, but the talent of this man is legendary.
Enjoy!

I received this book from Kregel, and was not required to give a positive review.

[Paqui Oviedo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es la primera biografía que leo de J.R.R. Tolkien por lo que no tengo comparativa para decir si es mejor o peor, solo puedo juzgarla por sí misma.

Se trata de una biografía asequible, en su extensión y comprensión, aunque no muy didáctica en cuanto a la cronología.

Te da una visión de conjunto de la vida de Tolkien, desde su nacimiento en Sudáfrica hasta su muerte en Oxford, pero a la vez también numerosos datos de fechas, lugares, personas, incluso los nombres de las calles… en cada época de su vida.

También me ha gustado, especialmente, cuando cuenta momentos y anécdotas más familiares (aunque me parecen escasas, he echado de menos más).

En muchos momentos, el autor, Colin Duriez, cita la biografía de Humphrey Carpenter, al parecer el biógrafo oficial de Tolkien, que supongo que será más detallada, pues al menos es más extensa.

Esta biografía me ha resultado muy interesante para conocer más su vida personal y su desarrollo profesional, así como todo el mundo que creó entorno a sus obras literarias, cómo fue su desarrollo creativo.

Sin duda, fue un extraordinario genio de la literatura, que nos dejó un gran legado, digno de conocer y entender.

[Justin Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed reading my friend and scholar Colin Duriez’s book “J.R.R.Tolkien The Making of A Legend.”J.R.R.Tolkien is one of my literary hero’s along with C.S.Lewis. He sadly lost his mother and father at a young age, and suffered trauma from the hell of WWI. He was an incredible philologist,wrote an epic myth based off of the love had with his wife Edith Bratt Tolkien, gave the world a masterpiece work of mythical literature that took him 13 years to write, and was an incredible, intelligent, brilliant, humble writer and man of faith. J.R.R. greatly inspires me to continue to purse my passion for literature. Thanks for writing this book Colin.

[Alexander Olsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review (Swedish review below):

J. R. R. Tolkien: The Making of a Legend is a biography which shares a lot of similarities to the Humphrey Carpenter version but focuses more on what inspired Tolkien's mythological world, or at least what could have inspired him. Everything from the Battle of the Somme to parts of the English countryside and his sons and daughters' toys. As a big fan of Tolkien's work, this book was incredibly interesting and gave a better picture of his ideas and thoughts and I recommend everyone who likes Tolkien's books to give this book a try to get a better idea of what inspired the man behind The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.

4/5 stars.

Recension (English review above):

J. R. R. Tolkien: The Making of a Legend är en biografi som är väldigt likt den skriven av Humphrey Carpenter fast fokuserar mer på det som inspirerade Tolkiens mytologiska värld, eller det han kan ha tagit inspiration från. Allt från Slaget vid Somme till den engelska landsbygden och hans söner och dotters leksaker. Som ett stort fan av Tolkiens verk så var denna bok otroligt intressant och gav en bättre bild av hans idéer och tankar och jag rekommenderar alla som tycker om Tolkien böcker att ge denna bok ett försök för att få en bättre uppfattning av författaren av Bilbo: en hobbits äventyr, Sagan om Ringen och Silmarillion.

4/5 stjärnor.

[Michal Čop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Táto kniha pojednáva o živote J.R.R. Tolkiena. O jeho neľahkom detstve (sirota od dvanástich rokov), dospievaní a zakázanej láske k Edite, jeho neskoršej manželke, láske k jazykom a mytológií, zážitkom z vojen, jeho literárnej a vedeckej práci, i priateľstvách, či už s Lewisom, členmi The Inklings, alebo ešte študentského T. C. B. S..

V podstate sa dá povedať, že kniha je celkom vydareným počinom. Je primerane obsiahla i odborná. Autor pracuje s dôveryhodnými a serióznymi zdrojmi a tak môže pre záujemcov slúžiť aj ako vhodný odrazový mostík k ďalšiemu skúmaniu.

Na druhej strane, dá sa jej vytknúť, že od času kedy Tolkien vstúpi do manželstva sa na môj vkus trochu málo venuje jeho osobnému a rodinnému životu (najmä jeho vzťahu s manželkou a deťmi), a tiež to, že obdobie po vydaní Pána Prsteňov je v nej zachytené už len z rýchlika. Trochu ľúto mi bolo tiež toho, že autor sa len veľmi jemne dotkol jeho neduhov, ako napríklad výbušnej povahy. A napokon, autorovi chýba trochu viac spisovateľského talentu, kvôli čomu kniha pôsobí trochu ako nejaký referát, či bakalárka, alebo iný kompilát.

Celkovo však knihu považujem za hodnú prečítania a myslím, že každému, kto nie je práve odborníkom na Tolkienovo dielo dokáže autor sprostredkovať množstvo zaujímavých faktov zo života autora fascinujúceho sveta a príbehov zo Stredozeme.