The Real J.R.R. Tolkien: The Man Who Created Middle-Earth

by Jesse Xander

The Real JRR Tolkien: The Man Who Created Middle Earth is a comprehensive biography of the linguist and writer; taking the reader from his formative years of home-schooling, through the spires of Oxford, to his romance with his wife-to-be on the brink of war, and onwards into his phenomenal academic success and his creation of the seminal high fantasy world of Middle Earth. "The Real JRR Tolkien" delves into his influences, places, friendships, triumphs and tragedies, with particular emphasis on how his remarkable life and loves forged the worlds of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Using contemporary sources and comprehensive research, "The Real JRR Tolkien" offers a unique insight into the life and times of one of Britain's greatest authors, from cradle to grave to legacy.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Biography Memoir

176 pages, Hardcover

Published May 11, 2021

Reviews

[Bonnie DeMoss · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a detailed and meticulously researched look at the life of J.R.R. Tolkien, from his difficult childhood to his marriage, children, and Oxford career. Every facet of Tolkien's life is compared to his writings and how different characters mirror his life experiences.

I enjoyed the description of Tolkien's friendship with C.S. Lewis. I had known they were friends, but did not know that Tolkien was instrumental in Lewis's conversion to Christianity. I was also fascinated by the descriptions of Tolkien's relationship with his wife, Edith.

My only criticism would be that the author attempted towards the end of the book to apply 21st century politics to analysis of Tolkien's works and even Tolkien himself, and I disagreed with the results of that attempt. I dislike any attempt to analyze early to mid 20th century novels and novelists politically and make assumptions using 21st Century perceptions.

I received a advance copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary.

[Amanda Hupe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, Jesse Xander, NetGalley, and White Owl Publishers for the opportunity to read this book!

I am getting ready to tackle the Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien so I figured I would read a few biographies of Tolkien to get into the head of the man who created Middle-Earth. I finished Humphrey Carpenter’s biography last week. This week I read The Real JRR Tolkien: The Man Who Created Middle-Earth by Jesse Xander. This book begins with Tolkien’s parents, Tolkien’s beginnings and history, all the way to his death. Xander goes through every major moment of Tolkien’s life and compares it to moments of Tolkien’s works. It has always been a wonder how one man created a world, multiple races with their own languages. He gathers information on his scholarly work and those he loved the most throughout his life to try to understand this fascinating man.

“I desired dragons with a profound desire…”

JRR TOLKIEN
There is no doubt that Xander did so much research. The book is merely 136 pages but tries to dissect Tolkien’s entire life. Unfortunately, this is not enough time. There could be volumes of Tolkien’s life and it would barely scratch the surface. I love how he utilizes his letters and journals to really get to know Tolkien. I find reading Tolkien’s letters a comfort. It gives a realistic portrait of Tolkien. However, Xander’s portrait feels unrealistic. Yes, he has the facts and quotes. But every single fact is compared to Tolkien’s works. He is consumed with trying to find parallels with every moment in Tolkien’s life. While a few examples were fascinating. It did slow the pace of the biography down. When I read Humphrey Carpenter’s biography, I was glued to each page. But Carpenter had also had the opportunity to get to know Tolkien and his biography was authorized by the Tolkien Estate.

Another issue I had is the title of this biography. It is presumptuous to say the “real” Tolkien–especially when the book does not offer anything new that hasn’t already been written in another biography or online. I do really love his passion for Tolkien and his works, I can definitely relate! But…it is just the same information. While I love the topic, the book fell a little short for me. I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars!

[Andreas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Does the world need yet another Tolkien biography?

There is already the excellent and ancient 1977 “J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography”, and the newer 2012 “J. R. R. Tolkien: The Making of a Legend” by Colin Duriez. Other biographies focus on special topics, like two excellent books by John Garth: “Tolkien at Exeter College” from 2014, and the better known “Tolkien and the Great War” from 2002. Adding to that a huge number of articles in publications by several Tolkien societies and in the academia (just search at researchgate).

Enter the author, Jesse Xander, an unknown face in the area of Tolkien research, obviously a huge fan of Tolkien’s work, and a studied biological anthropologist. A first-time biographer who wants to add valuable insights from the point of view of an anthropologist. Like taking a fresh, new look at gender and racism topics and class it to the context of British first half of the 20th century.

That seems to be Xander’s mission. He brought forward his view by interpreting the females in the work mostly derived from Tolkien’s mother and his wife. Adding to that the implicit racism with Dwarves taking the roles of Jews in Middle-Earth. Both topics are highly disputable, and the author failed by providing only one view to the discussion, just like an essay would do.

Here is the most important error with this book: it is just too short and shies away everywhere where it could provide valid insights, because the author is just too lazy to bring own material or dig deeper than just scratching on the surface. Nearly all of his citations are based on Carpenter’s and Duriez’s former biographies plus the Tolkien Letters. I can’t see where he added additional, new contributions to the field.

Rewriting and shortening two existing biographies could be fun, but the author failed utterly in that regard. The outcome is a dry course through Tolkien’s life, failing to link to his works at essential milestones. Can you rely on a Tolkien biography which mentions The Inklings only once?

If Carpenter’s biography is too old, Duriez’s 230 pages still too long, and you see this very short and totally new book in the shelves, then do yourself a favor and just read through the wikipedia entry. Because the world needs a new view on the famous author, but not this one.

1.5 stars rounded up.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

thanks to netgalley and the publishers for a free copy in return for an open and honest review..

This autobiographical account of Tolkien's life packs a lot in even though its not a long book but it is detailed and keeps the reader informed and interested throughout and adds greatly to the books already written by Tolkien

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this biography! It was incredibly thorough for such a short book. I am a big fan of The Lord of the Rings and have read most of Tolkien's works. I also thought that I knew a lot about his life already; he was a linguist like me, so I always admired him (yes, I am one of those fans who's spent hours studying Sindarin and Quenyan). But I learned a lot about Tolkien's childhood and personal life. This was obviously written by a fan of Tolkien's works, which makes a big difference in my opinion. It was simultaneously respectful towards Tolkien and his creations while also taking a not-often seen view of some of Tolkien's less-desirable qualities, such as possible antisemitism and racism. I also really appreciated the details about his wife Edith and friendships with other writers and academics. A great book that I highly recommend, if a little dense at times. It read more like a dissertation than a biography, which is the reason for 4 instead of 5 stars.

[Teresa Grabs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic biography of J.R.R. Tolkien that did not shy away from the darker side of Tolkien's personality. This short read is recommended for any Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit fan who wants to know more about Middle Earth's creator.

Thank you NetGalley and Pen & Sword for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

[Rosie Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Real J.R.R. Tolkien is a biography of the life and works of the man who created Middle Earth. I have yet to read The Lord Of The Rings series; having only read The Hobbit and now that I know more about Tolkien and what may or may not have influenced the world of Middle Earth I am intrigued to read the books.

I was very interested in Tolkien’s background knowledge of ancient languages and dialects and how this evolved through his time in academia. I also liked how the author linked events and experiences with details from Tolkien’s writing.

There are a few black and white photographs to break up the writing, they were just enough to leave me with some images in my mind of the author. I expect that diehard Tolkien fans already know most of the details from this book, but if you are like me and know the author’s name and very little else, then this book may be useful to read.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this biography that was very informative and included so many elements of J.R.R. Tolkien’s life. While at times the allusions to his work went over my head as I am only a light fan of the epic trilogy, I enjoyed learning about his family and life. I thought it was a skilled expose that was rather unbiased and included some of the unsavory parts of his personality as well as the more honorable parts which was refreshing.

[Susan Wachtel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Biased Eisegeses of JRR Tolkien’s Work


Since I loved JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy books and movie adaptations I was excited to read a new biography The Real JRR Tolkien – The Man Who Created Middle Earth by Jesse Xander. This author’s work is new to me but I was eager to learn more about the life of JRR Tolkien.

At first, I found the details of Tolkien’s life interesting. He lived in a different day and age and in many respects, he and his brother Hilary had a hard life, in part, because they were orphaned when they were quite young. Because of family dynamics and strong beliefs, the boys were not raised by family but were handed over to others to raise. The author details a lot about their youth and JRR’s adulthood and how his experiences and the people he knew were reflected in Tolkien’s writings.

Sounds good and much of the reading was fascinating. Then I started seeing things in the book that were off. Something I’ve never seen in a biography before is an author essentially apologizing for things in the subject’s life or religion or work that they felt might cause an offense to today’s readers. Xander saw fit to read into Tolkien’s writing and assume bigotry, oppression, and criticism about his Catholic faith.

Instead of exegeting Tolkien’s work, Jesse Xander eisegeses or reads into his work and assigns motives based on today’s political and moral environment. He attributes to Tolkien prejudice, racism, misogyny, xenophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, neglect of his wife, and an imbalance of power in their marriage.

It seems as though Xander failed to understand and appreciate JRR Tolkien in the time and era that he grew up and he lived in. He is judging him by today’s standard of “moral superiority”. In a way, Xander seems to have an appreciation for Tolkien and has a lot of knowledge about his work. In other respects, it’s like he has a love-hate relationship with Tolkien. He spends most of the book talking about Tolkien’s life and at other times tearing him down and attributing ugly motives to him.

Because of Xander’s eisegeses of Tolkien’s life and apologies for it (instead of simply telling about his life) I find suspect his interpretation because it was biased or influenced by his imposing today’s standards on this man who lived in a different day and age.

Because of the flawed way Jesse Xander wrote this biography, The Real JRR Tolkien, I would not recommend it. If he had been upfront and said he was writing a criticism of JRR Tolkien’s life that would have been more honest and upfront and given readers a more accurate way to decide if they want to read his book.

I would like to thank Pen & Sword Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of The Real JRR Tolkien. I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

[Helen - Great Reads & Tea Leaves · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Over the twelve years Tolkien dedicated to writing The Lord of the Rings, so many influences came and went, and although revisions were made, the whole remained largely intact.’

Being a huge fan of Tolkien’s work, I had never really delved into much about the man himself. For a short book, it sure packed a punch in terms of detail and research. It was so enlightening to learn about the man who created such iconic works as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

‘There is much about The Lord of the Rings which speaks to the truly gargantuan task Tolkien imposed on himself in discovering this part of his world’s history. Not only the sweeping explorations of danger, grief and hope, but also in the minutiae. At one point he did a series of rewrites to make sure he had accurately charted the phases of the moon for the whole journey.’

This book covers from his birth until his death with some of the key influences in his life and ultimately his writing. The author is obviously a fan of Tolkien and that was evident through the passionate prose. At times, however, it read more like an academic essay as opposed to a biography and this made some sections rather heavy going. Still, I learnt a great deal about his life and I acknowledge the author’s unbiased approach in delivering details that would appear unseenly eg. Tolkien’s probable racist views.

‘Tolkien not only wrote imperfect characters, but he wrote from their imperfect perspective, reflecting the complexities of both our world and theirs.’

If you are a fan of Middle Earth and wish to learn more about the man behind the words then you cannot go past Jesse Xander’s book. It is sure to provide fresh insights into the places, people and events that shaped the man that made the legend.

‘Middle-Earth … what a spectacular legacy to leave. Not just a book, or a series of books, but a whole world, which has delighted people in the decades.’








This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

[Malena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ostrzeżeniem przed nieczytaniem tego gniota powinien być dla mnie wstęp: "osoba autorska", "zauważyłom", "odkryłom" etc. Nader często bywa, że powodem wydania takowej książki jest właśnie tylko to, że mamy do czynienia nie z autorem/autorką, ale właśnie z osobą autorską, osobą z kręgu lgbt coś tam, coś tam. I nic poza tym. Tak jest i w tym wypadku. Biografia J.R.R. Tolkiena streszczona z innych biografii, napisana ręką dziecka, zinterpretowana umysłem dziecka. Nie wiem, ile osoba autorska ma lat, ale podejrzewam, że jeszcze tkwi w początkowych klasach szkoły podstawowej. I do prymusów się nie zalicza. I nie wiem, czy to ma być jakiś wic wydawniczy, czy wydawca chciał zrobić przyjemność swojemu dziecku czy innemu bliskiemu sobie małoletniemu. Ale to, że wydawnictwo polskie po zapoznaniu się z treścią zdecydowało się to przetłumaczyć i wydrukować każe mi podejrzewać, że z inteligencją ludzi w nim pracujących najlepiej nie jest. Cóż... Mogę tylko ubolewać.

Serio? Duże uszy, nos i zarost u krasnoludów to wyraz antysemityzmu Tolkiena, zaś podział na czarnych i białych bohaterów jego rasizmu? Bo tak się w y d a j e jakiejś tam osobie autorskiej, która ma nawet problem z określeniem własnej płci... I wnioski te podawane są w sposób, jakby osoba autorska doszła do nich pogłębioną analizą naukową, a poza tym wykazała się wielką odwagą, by owe niewygodne dla miłośników Tolkiena "prawdy" ujawnić. Oczywiście bez wtrętów na temat: homoseksualizmu (Turing od Enigmy i jego chemiczna kastracja - sic!!!), a także osób lgbt coś tam i ich interpretacji męskich przyjaźni w Śródziemiu się nie obyło. No i jeszcze o molestowaniu nieletnich, wprawdzie nie wiemy, kto kogo, ale wzmianka musi być. Litości!

Wysrałom - jak zapewne powiedziałaby osoba autorska. No, wysrałoś, odpowiem ja, a twe wysrywy niewarte nawet funta kłaków. Tyle dobrego, że to krótkie, bo więcej stron i złamałabym świętą zasadę doczytywania do końca tego, co zaczęłam. A jeszcze lepszego, że wypożyczyłam z biblioteki.

Ocena: 0/5

[Grace Mal · Rating 1 out of 5]

This biography was full of a lot of the author's projections. He related every little detail to Lord of the Rings and then forced his modern ideas onto the life of Tolkien. At one point, he claimed that the dwarves were antisemitic stereotypes and provided....stereotypes to justify his claim. There was no hard evidence besides the fact that dwarves have large noses and love jewels (which...in mythology...is how they have been traditionally portrayed). This was basically one author taking the moral high ground over a man who authored one of the most iconic pieces of literature in the modernist era. A man who was brilliant. Did he have ideas that we would disagree with? Yes. But, I'm afraid that that was the norm in the 1950s. Not to justify everything that Tolkien did with that claim; however, it was normal to have your wife at home to take care of the kids and keep the house in order. That wasn't Tolkien's internalized misogyny.
I don't know. This book just felt like someone who thought they knew it all because they were left-leaning. The one main take away I have from this book is that Tolkien suffered so much from being orphaned, to the loss of friends to illness and war, to the shell-shock he endured, to the forbidden love he had with Edith. Yet, he persevered. AND wrote one of the most powerful pieces of hope filled fiction in the 20th century. I am proud to be a Tolkien fan because of those things. Project what you want, but you can't steal my enjoyment and love of Lord of the Rings.

[sylkaczyta · Rating 4 out of 5]

J.R.R Tolkiena nie trzeba przedstawiać, myślę że każdy o nim słyszał. Wielki twórca, jego książki wydane były na całym świecie. Był i jest inspiracją dla wielu autorów.
Jakie było jego życie?

W biografiach osób nieżyjących często autorzy posuwają się do oceny ich życia i wysuwają niepotrzebne wnioski. Tutaj autor tego nie robi i dlatego myślę że jest to naprawdę fajna biografia.
Poznajemy jego życie bardzo dokładnie, dzieciństwo, lata nastoletnie i dorosłość.Jego wielką miłość i ich trudne początki. Lata spędzone na uczelni i wojnie.
Autor przedstawia nam wszystko, nie ubarwiając niczego, poznajemy prawdziwego Tolkiena z jego słabościami, poglądami i kontrowersjami.

Polecam!!!

[Rowena Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, while this book had potential, it felt a little too academic at times. More of an essay than a biography, and while I am very interested in Tolkien and his life beyond the books that are so well known, it was still a struggle for me to finish this one. Still, there was a lot of interesting information in this one, and I believe that many people will enjoy it, especially if they are looking for a deeper look at Tolkien's life.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and Two Towers are books I have loved and read or listened to many times. The Real J.R.R. Tolkien by Jesse Xander was a great way to learn about Tolkien's life through a modern lens. This is the first book about Tolkien's life that I have read, and I found it fascinating, and learned a lot from the insights about how events, people, and places influenced him and his writing. I could not put the book down. I especially found Tolkien's experiences in WWI and the loss of several dear friends tragic, and now better understand the mood of the battles in the tales. I always wondered why so few women appear in Tolkien's books, so learning about his close friendships with other creative men and the biases of the era in which he lived was revealing. I recommend this to any Tolkien enthusiast.

[Traci Rhoades · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good look at Tolkien's childhood and what occurrences and places might have influenced his middle earth and the characters therein.

It was my first Tolkien biography so I learned quite a bit.

[phoenix_of_culture · Rating 4 out of 5]

to była naprawdę w porządku książka, a samą historię Tolkiena osoba autorska przedstawia w bardzo ciekawy i przystępny sposób

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent study of both Tolkien's life and his work with a critical eye. Extremely well-written.

[Lisa Konet · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who is a huge fan of the Hobbit and Lord of the Ring trilogy books and movies and Samurian, I had to request and the read this! This is more than a biography of JRR Tolkien, it is also about his innermost thinking about the worlds in these books. I hope he would have been proud of the movie adaptations because Peter Jackson tried to hold true the books as much as possible.

This is a must read for any fan of his books regardless of you liked in them I was unable to put this down because of all the above reasons. I highly recommend this to bring magic and fantasy back in to the reading of these books. I liked this so much, I am getting a hard copy at publishing.

Thank you to the Pen & Sword White Owl for granting my wish and giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review. As well as Netgalley for having this biography of JRR Tolkein by Jesse Xander, who is also an obsessed fan of his work. I really appreciate this!

Available: 2/2/21

[Athina (booknotes_athina) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book by Netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

You can read the full review also on my blog Book Notes by Athina

Reading author biographies is one of the things I like to do and especially if they are about an author I like. That is the case with this book. Jesse Xander has done an incredible research about J.R.R. Tolkien and that shows in his writing.
I learned many things about Tolkien regarding his family and career that shaped him and his work. I liked that the author didn't show us only the good things in Tolkien's life but also the darker part of it. That way we learned more about his personality and his relationship with his wife and his friends.

Highly recommend it to any Tolkien and Middle - Earth fan.

[Wiktoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skrótowe podsumowanie biografii Tolkiena. Kiedyś czytałam oficjalną biografię brytyjskiego pisarza, ale było to dawno temu, więc powyższa książka posłużyła jako szybka powtórka i "bryk" z Tolkiena. Niektóre tematy poruszone są bardzo skrótowo, np. wieloletniemu przyjacielowi Tolkiena C.S. Lewisowi poświęcono ledwie kilka zdań. Niestety trudno powiedzieć coś pozytywnego o tej publikacji. Książka w miarę dobrze się czyta, kiedy porusza tematy stricte biograficzne (mnie szczególnie zaciekawiły informacje dotyczące Edith, żony Tolkiena; najlepiej czytało mi się rozdziały dotyczące początków ich związku), ale pojawiające się od czasu do czasu "analizy literackie" są dosyć naiwne i zupełnie nietrafione, przedstawione w nich wnioski nie mają żadnego pokrycia w dziełach Tolkiena. Nie wiem, czy to kwestia niezbyt udanego tłumaczenia, ale większość zdań dziwnie się czyta, są dosyć toporne i nie brzmią naturalnie.

[Books, Brews & Booze]

Author Jesse Xander wrote an interesting biography of J.R.R. Tolkien. Those moments when he likens Tolkien’s life to his books aren’t on the surface level or obvious - they’re in depth but easy to understand, so I love that.

I appreciate how Xander doesn’t shy away from difficult topics of machismo, racism and prejudice. Xander makes a point of saying that biographies can often gloss over the faults of a person, but this one will not, in the interest of showing the subject as a whole.

Incoming spoiler: Stop reading if you don’t want to know. Also, contains a trigger warning as well.

This is why I was thrown off by the appendix at the end of the book. The book ends just as I’d expect a biography to end -- with the passing of the person, some paragraphs on their legacy, etc.

Trigger warning: sexual abuse of minors

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Then, the appendix, about sexual abuse alleged against an unnamed friend of Tolkien’s, by Tolkien’s oldest child, John. Then about how John Tolkien, who became a priest, was accused of sexual abuse against minors.

I’m not confused by the addition of the content in the book. I’m confused as to why the book ended on it. I wonder why it wasn’t incorporated into the main text of the book, like the commentary on prejudice was. The beginning of the appendix starts with “A Note on Chapter 11.” Why not just include it in chapter 11? To put it at the end of the book disrupted the flow and seemed disjointed. The author states they wanted to place “a warning here,” since the topic carries a huge amount of trauma for many. Perhaps they wanted to separate it out so they could write the trigger warning and keep it separate from the rest of the book.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, with the exception of the placement of the content in the appendix. I appreciate the way the author shares analysis on Tolkien’s childhood and experiences, and how that may have filtered into his character creation and writing. Even when the topics may not have painted Tolkien in a favorable light, Xander treated the topic and the people in a respectful way.

I would recommend this book to Tolkien fans. I would mention the appendix beforehand, so it’s addition at the end is not a shock.

Four stars. The list of books and articles used to research the book is a nice bonus, for anyone who wants to read more on Tolkien and the research done for the book.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read "The Real J.R.R. Tolkien: The Man Who Created Middle-Earth."

[Misa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Who does not want to know who was behind the most popular books/movies of fantasy? J.R.R. Tolkien was the man who made a lot of kids, teenagers and adults dream about living in a Hobbit hole, fight the orcs, fell in love with the beauty of the elves or just follow Gandalf for any adventures he might suggest. I'm one of those people who watch the trilogy every year, who follows geeks who talk about Middle earth on Youtube, who speaks and make jokes using the movies' dialogues "You shall not pass!". I have watched most of the documentaries made about the life of Tolkien and his works, even with his son Christopher speaking about his father and so on. Also, I've started Carpenter's biography but not finished it yet. I've just bought Beren and Luthien book that I'm eager to read. I just love Tolkien's works either in fantasy or in philology because he IS a great linguist. He created the greatest escapism world for us, a world of magic, friendship, courage and evil. He had the best recipe and the result was phenomenal.

When I've found this book on Netgalley, you can't imagine my joy. I loved it and unlike Carpenter's bio, this book was short but so full of details that are what I really want to know about my favorite author. I loved that the author through his writing got back to the books and showed us how this event or that event in Tolkien's life was used in his books, that made it more interesting and less dull.

After reading this book, I feel that I know more about Tolkien's character and personality. His relation with his wife Edith, the loss of so many people in his life, people that he loved and were taken from him made him who he was as a writer. Also the author did a wonderful job when he underlined how women are portrayed in Tolkien's books in their presence or absence. Also, his pointing out Tolkien's neglect or lack of interest in other or different ethnie might made him look as a racist.
But what shocked me was the last note that I had no idea about! It wasn't pleasant to read such a thing at the end of a book that you are happy and enjoying while finishing it, then you read something like that. Big Nope!

All in all, I enjoyed this book and I like it. I loved the author's writing style and I thank him for this great job.

[Earnest M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jesse Xander's "The Real J.R.R. Tolkien" is unfortunately the latest of the disappointing attempts at a biography of the late scholar-author-- worse still is that it promises more than it delivers. Despite the author's clear passion for Tolkien and his works, the book is plagued with shortcomings that undermine its credibility. One of the glaring issues is, near the end of the work, Xander's clumsy attempt at political analyses into Tolkien's early to mid-20th-century works. This not only feels out of place for those familiar with Tolkien, but also comes off as a desperate effort to make the content relevant to contemporary readers. The intrusive application of modern political lenses detracts from the essence of Tolkien's era, resulting in a jarring and ultimately unsuccessful narrative element. It functions rather as the smearing of a political spread across Tolkien, robbing him and his work of their uniqueness, and ultimately, their authenticity. It only exacerbates the issue when observing the title itself, claiming to reveal the "real" J.R.R. Tolkien. It is misleading and presumptuous to promise this from an individual who is clearly not experienced in the field of biographical non-fiction. Despite Xander's admittedly extensive research, the biography fails to offer any groundbreaking insights into Tolkien's life, highlighting the issue with Tolkien biographies post-Carpenter: the lack of any true additions to the conversations of Tolkien's life. Instead, it relies heavily on existing sources, leaving readers with a sense of déjà vu rather than a genuine exploration into the depths of Tolkien's character.

Furthermore, the book's criticism of Tolkien's potential flaws, such as accusations of antisemitism and racism, comes across as biased and lacking in nuance on the part of Xander. Xander's analytical attempts seem driven by a need to impose contemporary moral standards on a man who lived in a different cultural and historical context.

Ultimately, "The Real J.R.R. Tolkien" falls short of its promises, delivering a sub-par biography that fails to provide a fresh perspective on its well-wrote subject. Jesse Xander's attempts at relevance and critique result in a misguided narrative that does a disservice to the complexity of J.R.R. Tolkien's life and works, and for this reason, I fail to give it a score greater than two stars.

[Hannah | Katarama Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Real J. R. R. Tolkien: The Man Who Created Middle Earth by Jesse Xander is a comprehensive biography, offering unique insight into Tolkien’s life and legacy. While this book was obviously very well-researched and Xander’s love for Tolkien’s work is quite obvious, I’m sad to say I didn’t love this book.

I’m just going to be honest: it bored me. It isn’t so much the contents of the book as much as it is the writing style. The book itself is relatively short - 136 pages - but it doesn’t skimp on detail and the pacing is a bit slow. To pack so much information into so few pages made it almost taxing to read, and I found myself skimming early on so I could just get to the point. Many chapters were structured in similar or the exact same ways -- especially the beginning chapters -- and most of the time it felt as though I was reading an essay rather than the life story of one of the most interesting and influential writers of the 20th century.

Skimming aside, one thing I really did enjoy was the comparison between Tolkien’s fictional world and his reality and how the latter might have influenced the former, particularly in his formative years. While most biographies tend to talk more about Tolkien himself and merely gloss over his work, this book weaves the two together and it really is quite interesting.

While this biography didn’t really tell me much about Tolkien or his life that I didn’t already know, I would recommend it for those who are new to his work and are interested in learning more about the man who made modern fantasy what it is today.

Thank you to White Owl and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for review! This book releases on April 28, 2021.

[mysilicielka · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Tolkien. Człowiek, który stworzył Śródziemie" to biografia, którą czyta się z wielkim zainteresowaniem. Jest lekka i przyjemna w odbiorze, opisuje życie wielkiego pisarza, które było jednocześnie proste i niezwykłe, niczym powieści, które tworzył. Nigdy nie czytałam innych książek o Tolkienie, więc nie mam jak porównać tej pozycji do starszych tytułów. Na pewno cechuje ją duża przystępność. Jesse Xander często powołuje się na innych badaczy, więc dzięki bibliografii czytelnicy, którzy chcieliby rozszerzyć już zdobytą wiedzę, mogą sprawdzić również inne źródła.

Osoba autorska stara się przedstawić fakty z życiorysu Tolkiena jak najbardziej obiektywnie i z szacunkiem. Wiele wydarzeń z życia pisarza Jesse Xander łączy z jego późniejszą twórczością. Tak jak spoglądanie na dwie wieże z okna za czasów szkolnych mogło mieć faktyczny wpływ na drugą część "Władcy Pierścieni", tak porównywanie wykluczenia z kręgu rodzinnego jego matki i wytykanie palcami Bilba przez jego pobratymców w "Hobbicie" wydaje mi się już trochę naciągane. Raz się z przedstawionymi tezami zgadzałam, a raz nie. Z pewnością było to ciekawe doświadczenie poczytać o możliwych interpretacjach i zależnościach przedstawionych z punktu widzenia osoby zajmującej się antropologią.

Polecam książkę fanom pisarza. Znajomość dzieł Tolkiena z pewnością będzie pomocna podczas lektury. Nie wiem, jak z osobami, które życiorys pisarza już poznały w inny sposób, ale nie sądzę, żeby dowiedziały się czegoś nowego. Mnie czytało się bardzo dobrze. O inskrypcji na grobie Tolkiena niby wiedziałam wcześniej, a jednak przy tym fragmencie łza i tak poleciała...

Egzemplarz do recenzji otrzymałam od wydawnictwa.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Real J.R.R. Tolkien
The Man Who Created Middle-Earth
by Jesse Xander
Pen & Sword
White Owl
Biographies & Memoirs | History | Nonfiction (Adult)
Pub Date 28 Feb 2021


I am reviewing a copy of The Real J.R.R Tolkien through Pen &Sword/White Owl and Netgalley:


The Real J.R.R Tolkien The Man Who Created Middle Earth is a comprehensive biography of the linguist and writer that takes the reader from J.R.R Tolkien’s formative years of Homeschooling through the spires of Oxford, as well as the romance with his wife to be along with life on brink of war, and onwards into his phenomenal academic success and his creation of the seminal high fantasy world of Middle Earth.




This biography delves into the influences of J.R.R Tolkien, from the places he visited as well as lived friendships, triumphs and tragedies, with particular emphasis on how his remarkable life and loves forged the worlds of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.


The Real J.R.R Tolkien uses contemporary sources and comprehensive research, to offer a unique insight into the life and times of one of Britain's greatest authors, from cradle to grave to legacy.



I give The Real J.R.R Tolkien five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

[Phillip Kang · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Real JRR Tolkien by Jesse Xander is a readable account of the famous author's life and works. The reader is given fascinating insights into Tolkien as a husband, father, linguist, Oxford don, and illustrious author of epic fantasy tales.

Tolkien’s famous works such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are given extensive coverage by the author primarily to show how Tolkien’s life experiences are reflected in these epic tales. But these frequent digressions into Tolkien's imagined worlds of the hobbits and Middle Earth marred my enjoyment of the book considerably. Struggling to read these parts wore me out - even to the point of giving up - as I couldn't make any sense of them. I guess the author presupposes that the reader must have read The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings, which in truth I haven't though I've watched the movies.

I was given a review copy (ebook) by the publisher through NetGalley and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lost_weasley_girl]

Nie czytałam nigdy wcześniej żadnej biografii, więc ciężko mi ocenić tę książkę. Opisuje ona życie Tolkiena od momentu narodzin, aż do śmierci, pokazując nam jaki wpływ pewne wydarzenia mogły mieć na jego dzieła. Lubię Śródziemie, choć oprócz "Hobbita" nie przeczytałam chyba żadnej z książek Tolkiena. Znam oczywiście filmy oparte o jego twórczość, więc koniec końców niewiele było momentów w tej biografii, gdzie nie wiedziałam o co chodzi.

Osoba autorska bardziej skupia się na samym Tolkienie niż jego dorobku, nie pomija jego wad i krzywdzących zachowań. Oczywiście niektóre kwestie na zawsze pozostaną tajemnicą i w takich miejscach Xander przedstawia różne spekulacje, ale nie próbuje przekonać czytelnika do konkretnej opinii, co wykazuje dużą obiektywność osoby autorskiej. Ciekawym z kolei wydało mi się, że częściej wspominani są przyjaciele niż rodzina Tolkiena.

Tę pozycje polecam przede wszystkim fanom autora "Władcy Pierścieni", ale jeśli chcecie po prostu przeczytać biografię interesującego człowieka, żyjącego w Anglii na przełomie XVIII i XIX wieku, nie powinniście mieć większych trudności z jej odbiorem. Na samym końcu książki znajduje się kilka fotografii Tolkiena oraz miejsc z nim związanych, co ładnie uzupełnia lekturę.

Dziękujemy za współpracę @wydawnictwoznakpl

[Julia Anuszewska · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wiele ciekawych informacji z życia Tolkiena, zwłaszcza interesujące były dla mnie poszukiwania inspiracji do twórczości w życiu prywatnym autora.
Mimo to książka jest dosyć niespójna, późniejsze lata życia pisarza, te, w których powstały jego najważniejsze dzieła, potraktowane są po macoszemu, zarysowane pobieżnie. Zbagatelizowany został wątek teologiczny, a przecież doktryna katolicka jest kluczem do rozumienia filozofii Tolkiena zawartej we wszystkich jego książkach. Interesujący jest wątek przejścia rodziny Tolkienów na katolicyzm i wiążące się z tym nieprzyjemności w środowisku anglikańskim, jednak myśl ta urywa się, gdy dochodzimy do lat intensywnej twórczości Ronalda. Kluczowym minusem tej pozycji wydaje mi się niewystarczająca długość i pobieżność, oraz pewne celowe odczytywanie osoby Tolkiena przez pryzmat poglądów autora (o czym jest mowa nawet we wstępie).
Język niewygórowany, ale nie razi, czyta się płynnie i szybko.