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Tolkien's Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages
It is a widely accepted point of view that J.R.R Tolkien was dismissive of the modern fiction of his time, and that ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ were fundamentally medieval and nostalgic in their inspiration. “Tolkien's Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages” takes this claim, coming from one of his first biographers, and reexamines it through new meticulous archival research.
This groundbreaking Catholic script by Holly Ordway reveals how Tolkien, in fact, had a fantastic imagination and understanding of both the facts and the fiction of the modern world. In contrast to the widely accepted image of Tolkien, this influential book portrays him enjoying a broad range of contemporary works, engaging with them in detail and depth— And Even naming specific titles as sources for, and influences upon his creation of Middle-earth.
This Christian book shows Tolkien admired authors such as James Joyce and Beatrix Potter, Rider Haggard and Edith Nesbit, William Morris, and Kenneth Grahame. Ordway further mentions how the forgotten works of S.R. Crockett and J.H. Shorthouse also made a significant impression on Tolkien's work.
In an effort to show Tolkien’s genius in a new light, Ordway's painstaking scholarship portrays how Tolkien's book was connected with the literature of his own time and at the same time concerned with the issues of the contemporary culture. Ordway's ground-breaking study illuminates his views on topics such as technology, women, empire, and race. For Tolkien's genius was not simply backward-looking: it was intimately connected with the literature of his own time and concerned with the issues and crises of modernity.
This groundbreaking Catholic script by Holly Ordway reveals how Tolkien, in fact, had a fantastic imagination and understanding of both the facts and the fiction of the modern world. In contrast to the widely accepted image of Tolkien, this influential book portrays him enjoying a broad range of contemporary works, engaging with them in detail and depth— And Even naming specific titles as sources for, and influences upon his creation of Middle-earth.
This Christian book shows Tolkien admired authors such as James Joyce and Beatrix Potter, Rider Haggard and Edith Nesbit, William Morris, and Kenneth Grahame. Ordway further mentions how the forgotten works of S.R. Crockett and J.H. Shorthouse also made a significant impression on Tolkien's work.
In an effort to show Tolkien’s genius in a new light, Ordway's painstaking scholarship portrays how Tolkien's book was connected with the literature of his own time and at the same time concerned with the issues of the contemporary culture. Ordway's ground-breaking study illuminates his views on topics such as technology, women, empire, and race. For Tolkien's genius was not simply backward-looking: it was intimately connected with the literature of his own time and concerned with the issues and crises of modernity.
382 pages, Hardcover
First published January 25, 2021
60 people are currently reading
762 people want to read
About the author
Holly Ordway
21 books234 followersHolly Ordway is the Cardinal Francis George Professor of Faith and Culture at the Word on Fire Institute, and Visiting Professor of Apologetics at Houston Christian University. She holds a PhD in English from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is a Subject Editor for the Journal of Inklings Studies. Her literary-critical study Tolkien’s Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages received the 2022 Mythopoeic Scholarship Award in Inklings Studies. Her book Tolkien’s Faith: A Spiritual Biography (Word on Fire Academic) is being published in time for the 50th anniversary of Tolkien’s death.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
September 25, 2023
I am woefully underread in Tolkien studies, but I feel like I've just sat in a masterclass. Ordway considers Tolkien as a person and a reader in this study of his reading life. There is a lightness to Tolkien's Modern Reading that, I think, comes from Tolkien's modern reading being his pleasure reading. He did not neglect his critical or philological skills in his pleasure reading, certainly, but he did read for fun, and this book explores his mental furniture from childhood reading through his choice of an Agatha Christie novel when he was in hospital at the end of his life (260).
In addition to being extremely well-written and important as a positive contribution to Tolkien studies, Tolkien's Modern Reading provides a helpful corrective for misunderstandings of Tolkien, nearly all of which can be traced to the dubious biography by Humphrey Carpenter. Ordway explores this at length in multiple places, but suffice it to say that she must spend a lot of time untangling and correcting Carpenter's spurious arguments, overstatements, understatements, and misstatements. I have not read Carpenter's Tolkien yet, but I am loath to do so now, especially since Ordway has just published Tolkien's Faith: A Spiritual Biography. Carpenter was authorized by the family for this project, but his first draft was rejected by the family and he had to rewrite; he acknowledged a clear bias when setting out, which he made no effort to correct; he severely mistreated several later biographical subjects; and his mistakes, intentional or not, have had an outsize effect on (mis)understandings of Tolkien. Particularly wounding to me was learning that Carpenter completely changed the tone of Tolkien's letters by his "editing" (aka removing kindly portions and preserving sentences that, out of context, seem curmudgeonly). In my lifetime, I hope, we will get a complete edition of Tolkien's letters, unstained by Carpenter'sgrubby hands.
Ordway swiftly and easily demonstrates that Tolkien did not, in fact, consider English literature to be nothing after Chaucer (287). She mines his personal library and writings to understand what he came in contact with from childhood to his death. He read widely in contemporary literature, admired Asimov, credited everyone from Beatrix Potter to Sinclair Lewis with inspiration for hobbits, and more.
Of special interest to me was the influence of William Morris on Tolkien's imagination. Ordway gives Morris a whole chapter in this book, drawing many interesting connections. Tolkien's bounding enthusiasm for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood as a model for the TCBS evidently consternated his friends, and Ordway notes that Edward Burne-Jones was an alumnus of their school.
Also of great importance is Ordway's correction of Tolkien's views on Narnia (75-81). Not only has Tolkien's response to Narnia been erroneously mythologized, Ordway explores how Tolkien's views on Narnia evolved. The most cutting (extant) comments Tolkien offered were about the Father Christmas scene in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which is really incongruous once you think about it; Brambly Hedge has significantly better worldbuilding in that regard! That quotation has been taken out of context and applied to the whole series, which Tolkien later called "deservedly very popular." He kept the complete set on his shelves and gave them to his granddaughter Joanna when she visited his house; I don't know about you, but I only give children books I like and think they will enjoy.
I am a little bit in awe, not just of the command of Tolkien that Ordway displays, but of the work she did to acquaint herself with Tolkien's reading habits. She had to become knowledgeable on H. Rider Haggard, George MacDonald, and crowds of now-forgotten writers whom Tolkien admired or disliked. She explores some inspiration by opposition in writers and texts he didn't like, and many texts about which his opinion changed over time, such as J. M. Barrie's writings about Peter Pan. If you are curious what Tolkien thought about The Wind in the Willows or Mary Norton's Borrowers or The Thirty-Nine Steps, you'll find your answers here. There is also an appendix of modern books he encountered (owned, gave away, taught, mentioned). Tolkien enjoyed The Wizard of Oz and gifted a copy; he knew Doctor Dolittle well enough to refer to a specific illustration; and he responded positively, changing something in the legendarium, in response to a fan letter from Arthur Ransome. I would not have known these and many more blessed facts if not for Ordway's research, and I am very eager to read her spiritual biography of Tolkien based on the quality of this book, in addition to my interest in the subject.
In addition to being extremely well-written and important as a positive contribution to Tolkien studies, Tolkien's Modern Reading provides a helpful corrective for misunderstandings of Tolkien, nearly all of which can be traced to the dubious biography by Humphrey Carpenter. Ordway explores this at length in multiple places, but suffice it to say that she must spend a lot of time untangling and correcting Carpenter's spurious arguments, overstatements, understatements, and misstatements. I have not read Carpenter's Tolkien yet, but I am loath to do so now, especially since Ordway has just published Tolkien's Faith: A Spiritual Biography. Carpenter was authorized by the family for this project, but his first draft was rejected by the family and he had to rewrite; he acknowledged a clear bias when setting out, which he made no effort to correct; he severely mistreated several later biographical subjects; and his mistakes, intentional or not, have had an outsize effect on (mis)understandings of Tolkien. Particularly wounding to me was learning that Carpenter completely changed the tone of Tolkien's letters by his "editing" (aka removing kindly portions and preserving sentences that, out of context, seem curmudgeonly). In my lifetime, I hope, we will get a complete edition of Tolkien's letters, unstained by Carpenter's
Ordway swiftly and easily demonstrates that Tolkien did not, in fact, consider English literature to be nothing after Chaucer (287). She mines his personal library and writings to understand what he came in contact with from childhood to his death. He read widely in contemporary literature, admired Asimov, credited everyone from Beatrix Potter to Sinclair Lewis with inspiration for hobbits, and more.
Of special interest to me was the influence of William Morris on Tolkien's imagination. Ordway gives Morris a whole chapter in this book, drawing many interesting connections. Tolkien's bounding enthusiasm for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood as a model for the TCBS evidently consternated his friends, and Ordway notes that Edward Burne-Jones was an alumnus of their school.
Also of great importance is Ordway's correction of Tolkien's views on Narnia (75-81). Not only has Tolkien's response to Narnia been erroneously mythologized, Ordway explores how Tolkien's views on Narnia evolved. The most cutting (extant) comments Tolkien offered were about the Father Christmas scene in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which is really incongruous once you think about it; Brambly Hedge has significantly better worldbuilding in that regard! That quotation has been taken out of context and applied to the whole series, which Tolkien later called "deservedly very popular." He kept the complete set on his shelves and gave them to his granddaughter Joanna when she visited his house; I don't know about you, but I only give children books I like and think they will enjoy.
I am a little bit in awe, not just of the command of Tolkien that Ordway displays, but of the work she did to acquaint herself with Tolkien's reading habits. She had to become knowledgeable on H. Rider Haggard, George MacDonald, and crowds of now-forgotten writers whom Tolkien admired or disliked. She explores some inspiration by opposition in writers and texts he didn't like, and many texts about which his opinion changed over time, such as J. M. Barrie's writings about Peter Pan. If you are curious what Tolkien thought about The Wind in the Willows or Mary Norton's Borrowers or The Thirty-Nine Steps, you'll find your answers here. There is also an appendix of modern books he encountered (owned, gave away, taught, mentioned). Tolkien enjoyed The Wizard of Oz and gifted a copy; he knew Doctor Dolittle well enough to refer to a specific illustration; and he responded positively, changing something in the legendarium, in response to a fan letter from Arthur Ransome. I would not have known these and many more blessed facts if not for Ordway's research, and I am very eager to read her spiritual biography of Tolkien based on the quality of this book, in addition to my interest in the subject.
December 29, 2020
Excellent! The choice of dedicatee is the least of this book's many outstanding qualities! Seriously, setting aside my natural inclination to think well of a book by a friend and colleague, this is a must-read for anyone and everyone with an interest in Tolkien. It corrects a major and widespread misunderstanding that he ignored all literature more modern than Chaucer, a misunderstanding I confess that I shared before reading Ordway's detailed evidence to the contrary. The sheer range of works surveyed is staggering, covering the spectrum from James Joyce to Beatrix Potter and pretty much every genre in between. It also provides a high-res portrait of Tolkien in a number of unexpected departments (technology, news, the Romans, to name just three such areas). The style blends scholarliness, accessibility, and wit in a very readable fashion. Another significant attraction is a full-colour photo gallery of modern titles and authors that Tolkien was familiar with, - this alone makes for a most engaging, intriguing browse. And the closing anecdote from Tolkien's son, Christopher, well . . . all I can say is . . . what a beautifully left-field note on which to end.
January 27, 2021
This work was simultaneously surprising and unsurprising. Ordway's chief contention is that Tolkien actually enjoyed a good deal of modern literature and was even influenced by some of it in his own writing. This conclusion is surprising because for so long we have been told, especially in the authorized biography by Humphrey Carpenter, that Tolkien disliked just about everything modern, and I admit that I was under the impression as well. However, this argument is also unsurprising. Tolkien was a brilliant man and a voracious reader. In a way, it is not surprising at all that he read widely and in a variety of different genres like most people do throughout their lives. The fact that this contention is surprising is just further evidence of how influential the myth of an anti-modern Tolkien is.
This book chronicles 148 authors and more than 200 titles that we definitively know Tolkien read through his own writing, correspondence, interviews, and other first-hand accounts. Ordway admits that he may have even read more modern works or could be assumed to have read certain books, but they do not have a place in this survey because of this high standard of proof. I appreciate this transparency and it adds to the strength of this survey.
This book proves an important point. The perception of Tolkien being anti-modern is just incorrect. He is clearly documented to have read a great deal of modern literature, enjoyed quite a bit of it (happily Agatha Christie made the list), and there are concepts in many of these modern novels that could have influenced different parts of Tolkien's own legendarium. While there is no doubt that he was primarily a linguist and a medievalist, this work adds another dimension to Tolkien's reputation that is accurate but has largely been neglected. This work is highly recommended.
This book chronicles 148 authors and more than 200 titles that we definitively know Tolkien read through his own writing, correspondence, interviews, and other first-hand accounts. Ordway admits that he may have even read more modern works or could be assumed to have read certain books, but they do not have a place in this survey because of this high standard of proof. I appreciate this transparency and it adds to the strength of this survey.
This book proves an important point. The perception of Tolkien being anti-modern is just incorrect. He is clearly documented to have read a great deal of modern literature, enjoyed quite a bit of it (happily Agatha Christie made the list), and there are concepts in many of these modern novels that could have influenced different parts of Tolkien's own legendarium. While there is no doubt that he was primarily a linguist and a medievalist, this work adds another dimension to Tolkien's reputation that is accurate but has largely been neglected. This work is highly recommended.
November 4, 2023
If you are reading this, or contemplating reading it, then chances are that you already consciously or intuitively agree with a quote by John D. Rateliff that Orway includes; that the value of source study is "the light it casts about the way Tolkien interacted with his sources, the way he re-worked material...the creative alchemy by which Tolkien transformed whatever he took from his sources into something new and distinctly Tolkienesque."
I have not delved into a ton of outside sources on Tolkien, but I found this to be enlightening. For example, I have always wondered about the use of magic in Tolkien's legendarium; there is relatively little, mostly relegated to wizards and a few objects. It was fascinating to learn that he was negatively influenced in this case while wrestling with Andrew Lang's works, who he thought included "too much" magic.
But this work was more than a simple source study. It was a pushback against the idea that Tolkien was a nostalgic stuffed shirt, who wanted nothing more than to be back living in the pre-industrial age. She carefully picked apart the official biography by Carpenter. Anyone who has adopted this view of Tolkien must wrestle with her well-documented analysis (which of course includes extensive footnotes and bibliography), all of which elicited an apology even from the esteemed Michael Ward.
There was only one comment I wish I could have talked to Tolkien about. In the section where she discussed Tolkien's reaction to James Joyce, she included his remarks on his interest in pure sound. She said, "He makes it clear that although he is interested in pure sound, the three elements of a word (letters, sound, and meaning) should 'cohere and be in a coherent relationship one to another,' even if the sound or form might, in a given context be more important than the meaning. If this coherence is lacking, the resulting randomness is, he says, 'satanic and anarchic'...". Without going into a discussion of what music is exactly (a la John Cage), this interest in pure sound without meaning could apply to music. The idea that it could be "satanic" seemed rather harsh.
This was worth reading for the scholarship alone, but the fictional prelude, fascinating anecdotes, chapter summaries, and powerful coda made it an accessible joy.
I have not delved into a ton of outside sources on Tolkien, but I found this to be enlightening. For example, I have always wondered about the use of magic in Tolkien's legendarium; there is relatively little, mostly relegated to wizards and a few objects. It was fascinating to learn that he was negatively influenced in this case while wrestling with Andrew Lang's works, who he thought included "too much" magic.
But this work was more than a simple source study. It was a pushback against the idea that Tolkien was a nostalgic stuffed shirt, who wanted nothing more than to be back living in the pre-industrial age. She carefully picked apart the official biography by Carpenter. Anyone who has adopted this view of Tolkien must wrestle with her well-documented analysis (which of course includes extensive footnotes and bibliography), all of which elicited an apology even from the esteemed Michael Ward.
There was only one comment I wish I could have talked to Tolkien about. In the section where she discussed Tolkien's reaction to James Joyce, she included his remarks on his interest in pure sound. She said, "He makes it clear that although he is interested in pure sound, the three elements of a word (letters, sound, and meaning) should 'cohere and be in a coherent relationship one to another,' even if the sound or form might, in a given context be more important than the meaning. If this coherence is lacking, the resulting randomness is, he says, 'satanic and anarchic'...". Without going into a discussion of what music is exactly (a la John Cage), this interest in pure sound without meaning could apply to music. The idea that it could be "satanic" seemed rather harsh.
This was worth reading for the scholarship alone, but the fictional prelude, fascinating anecdotes, chapter summaries, and powerful coda made it an accessible joy.
February 20, 2021
Groundbreaking and brilliant. I thought I couldn’t love the man any more than I already did but this book proved me wrong. Ordway’s clear, even-handed writing added great richness to my understanding of Tolkien’s personality and to my appreciation of his writing skills. Already fighting an impulse to start it over again from the beginning.
November 12, 2021
I think the only thing I didn't like about this book is that the title is a too narrow indicator of the content. Although, this book would be hard to concisely title.
There are a lot of lessons to learn involving this book. Beyond exploding the myth that Tolkien was stuck in the past in many ways and disdained anything modern from books to technology. That in fact, he was a very-wide read in a wide range of authors and genres. That he was no technophobe. He could enjoy authors he was diametrically opposed to philosophically. I think if there was a contest where you had to match up books and authors that Tolkien enjoyed or disproved of, most of us would lose terribly.
This book also reinforced to me the idea that you just can't snapshot people. To get an idea of them from just one period or instant of time. Tolkien was quite capable of reassessing an opinion he previously had regarding a book. So much has been made of various comments he made on other's works, including his friend C.S. Lewis, that needed more context. This book provides plenty of insight into this. It is always good to be reminded that people are complicated.
I also liked the methodology she employed in this book. She severely limits what other authors and books might have influenced Tolkien's legendarium to only those he directly mentioned or that there was proof that he knew of them. She takes a very insightful deep-dive into these influences. Tolkien enjoyed detective stories, and this book reminds me of one. For the Tolkien fan, this book is a great read. It is rather amazing how angry it makes me how Tolkien's early biographers and people up to the present have so inaccurately stereotyped the man.
There are a lot of lessons to learn involving this book. Beyond exploding the myth that Tolkien was stuck in the past in many ways and disdained anything modern from books to technology. That in fact, he was a very-wide read in a wide range of authors and genres. That he was no technophobe. He could enjoy authors he was diametrically opposed to philosophically. I think if there was a contest where you had to match up books and authors that Tolkien enjoyed or disproved of, most of us would lose terribly.
This book also reinforced to me the idea that you just can't snapshot people. To get an idea of them from just one period or instant of time. Tolkien was quite capable of reassessing an opinion he previously had regarding a book. So much has been made of various comments he made on other's works, including his friend C.S. Lewis, that needed more context. This book provides plenty of insight into this. It is always good to be reminded that people are complicated.
I also liked the methodology she employed in this book. She severely limits what other authors and books might have influenced Tolkien's legendarium to only those he directly mentioned or that there was proof that he knew of them. She takes a very insightful deep-dive into these influences. Tolkien enjoyed detective stories, and this book reminds me of one. For the Tolkien fan, this book is a great read. It is rather amazing how angry it makes me how Tolkien's early biographers and people up to the present have so inaccurately stereotyped the man.
September 4, 2021
This was SO GREAT. I mean, I knew it was going to be, but STILL.
Because Tolkien! And reading! And learning what he read, and seeing contrasts, and realizing that he read a bunch of stuff that I read, too! (He read The Borrowers!! That book is one that I listened to OVER AND OVER AND OVER when I was little, and do you know how good it feels to know that he read it, too? REALLY GOOD. And that's just one example! We also hear about the Chesterton he read! And, and, and!) Halp, I am too happy to live. Just...the atmosphere of scholarly and book nerdily research into Tolkien's life is *chef's kiss*
I have realized something. When I want to grow up, I want to be either Holly Ordway or Diana Pavlac Glyer. How do I get a job reading primary Tolkien sources and writing books and scholarly articles about them?? I feel the sudden need to research Tolkien's post-middle ages pre-1850 reading... If anyone has suggestions, I am open to hearing them. XD
But okay, also, this book made me SO ANGRY. Not because *it* was bad (just the opposite), but because it fully exposed something I had suspected for a long time--HUMPHREY CARPENTER IS A LITERAL TOE-RAG.
/rant alert/
He literally wrote a slap-stick biography of Tolkien to start, mangled the true facts, mangled his personality, and saw his job as "tarnishing" Tolkien's memory. He admitted to sneaking his way into the Tolkien family. He was an atheist, and anti-Catholic at that. He edited Tolkien's letters so that Tolkien would sound bad, and LEFT OUT PERTINENT BITS. Literally, Tolkien wrote thousands of letters, and we ONLY HAVE A BIT OVER 300 IN THE COMPENDIUM. I don't even know where the others went! Were they thrown away? I HOPE NOT. Ugh...I feel so bad for Christopher, seeing his father's legacy BASICALLY DESTROYED in many ways. Christopher Tolkien should have been his father's biographer. Do not even try to argue with me about this. Even if he was biased, it would have been better than STUPID HUMPHREY CARPENTER. If he was still alive, I would hunt him down and...perhaps do something drastic. *innocent smile*
I don't know how it is that Lewis got literally my favorite biographer of all time (Walter Hooper <3 <3 <3) who published THREE HUGE VOLUMES of his letters, and Tolkien got my least favorite biographer of all time who published one small-ish volume of his letters. IT IS LITERALLY NOT FAIR.
/end rant/
Um. So yes, I really, REALLY loved this book, especially for its uncovering of the "real" Tolkien in many ways! 4 stars!
Because Tolkien! And reading! And learning what he read, and seeing contrasts, and realizing that he read a bunch of stuff that I read, too! (He read The Borrowers!! That book is one that I listened to OVER AND OVER AND OVER when I was little, and do you know how good it feels to know that he read it, too? REALLY GOOD. And that's just one example! We also hear about the Chesterton he read! And, and, and!) Halp, I am too happy to live. Just...the atmosphere of scholarly and book nerdily research into Tolkien's life is *chef's kiss*
I have realized something. When I want to grow up, I want to be either Holly Ordway or Diana Pavlac Glyer. How do I get a job reading primary Tolkien sources and writing books and scholarly articles about them?? I feel the sudden need to research Tolkien's post-middle ages pre-1850 reading... If anyone has suggestions, I am open to hearing them. XD
But okay, also, this book made me SO ANGRY. Not because *it* was bad (just the opposite), but because it fully exposed something I had suspected for a long time--HUMPHREY CARPENTER IS A LITERAL TOE-RAG.
/rant alert/
He literally wrote a slap-stick biography of Tolkien to start, mangled the true facts, mangled his personality, and saw his job as "tarnishing" Tolkien's memory. He admitted to sneaking his way into the Tolkien family. He was an atheist, and anti-Catholic at that. He edited Tolkien's letters so that Tolkien would sound bad, and LEFT OUT PERTINENT BITS. Literally, Tolkien wrote thousands of letters, and we ONLY HAVE A BIT OVER 300 IN THE COMPENDIUM. I don't even know where the others went! Were they thrown away? I HOPE NOT. Ugh...I feel so bad for Christopher, seeing his father's legacy BASICALLY DESTROYED in many ways. Christopher Tolkien should have been his father's biographer. Do not even try to argue with me about this. Even if he was biased, it would have been better than STUPID HUMPHREY CARPENTER. If he was still alive, I would hunt him down and...perhaps do something drastic. *innocent smile*
I don't know how it is that Lewis got literally my favorite biographer of all time (Walter Hooper <3 <3 <3) who published THREE HUGE VOLUMES of his letters, and Tolkien got my least favorite biographer of all time who published one small-ish volume of his letters. IT IS LITERALLY NOT FAIR.
/end rant/
Um. So yes, I really, REALLY loved this book, especially for its uncovering of the "real" Tolkien in many ways! 4 stars!
March 22, 2021
In this well made, thoroughly researched, and clearly written book, Holly Ordway has at long last rid us of the false notion that Tolkien neither read nor liked anything written after the Middle Ages. The specific suggestions she has made that a given author influenced Tolkien in a given way will be met with approving nods as well as eyebrows cocked in disbelief. That is the way of things. There were moments I did both in quick succession, within the same paragraph. Nevertheless, Ordway has proved her overall point quite persuasively and finally. Tolkien unquestionably read modern books, enjoyed them, and was influenced by them.
Of equal or perhaps greater importance than the many positive proofs Ordway offers of Tolkien's engagement with modern books are her investigations in the book's first and last chapters into the sources of this common misunderstanding of Tolkien: it arose from a combination of the job Humphrey Carpenter did in his biography of Tolkien and Tolkien's own ways of expressing himself. One can only hope that Ordway's reassessment will lead the Tolkien Estate to authorize a new and more scholarly biography by a writer worthy of the task, someone like John Garth, whose Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth has set a high professional standard.
Of equal or perhaps greater importance than the many positive proofs Ordway offers of Tolkien's engagement with modern books are her investigations in the book's first and last chapters into the sources of this common misunderstanding of Tolkien: it arose from a combination of the job Humphrey Carpenter did in his biography of Tolkien and Tolkien's own ways of expressing himself. One can only hope that Ordway's reassessment will lead the Tolkien Estate to authorize a new and more scholarly biography by a writer worthy of the task, someone like John Garth, whose Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth has set a high professional standard.
June 21, 2025
What an accomplishment. I am in awe of this author and this book. It took me months to read it (with breaks for other books), but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wish I could meet the author and shake her hand. The breadth of research that went into this book-- is stunning. Not only is this book thoroughly researched, it is carefully cited and the footnotes added to the book significantly.
I read through a few other reviews and one said something to the extent of "this book is good if you're a Tolkien nerd"... 🙌🏻 Yes, not everyone might be interested in every single book Tolkien read, but this book is so much more than that. I loved how it gave insight into how Tolkien built the world of Middle Earth- a beautiful window into his creative process.
One other thing I loved about it was how beautifully Ordway writes. As a history major, I have read many nonfiction sources that convey material and are dry as bones. This book conveyed massive amounts of research in a way that is readable, interesting, and understandable. What Ordway has done is impressive and I'd recommend this to anyone who loves the world of Middle Earth and its curmudgeonly (or was he just English? 😅🤔) author.
I read through a few other reviews and one said something to the extent of "this book is good if you're a Tolkien nerd"... 🙌🏻 Yes, not everyone might be interested in every single book Tolkien read, but this book is so much more than that. I loved how it gave insight into how Tolkien built the world of Middle Earth- a beautiful window into his creative process.
One other thing I loved about it was how beautifully Ordway writes. As a history major, I have read many nonfiction sources that convey material and are dry as bones. This book conveyed massive amounts of research in a way that is readable, interesting, and understandable. What Ordway has done is impressive and I'd recommend this to anyone who loves the world of Middle Earth and its curmudgeonly (or was he just English? 😅🤔) author.
November 8, 2025
What a wonderful book. I feel like I know Tolkien so much better. The only problem? ... Now I have so many new books I want to read!
October 26, 2021
Shades and Definitions
After reading this book, I have a lot more reading material. Some of the works that Ordway discusses which influenced Tolkien, I have read before (such as Lewis's Space Trilogy and Rider Haggard's King Solomon's Mines). However, I have already bought a copy of Wyke-Smyth's Snergs and am looking into several other books mentioned in this as well.
Ordway does a great job dispelling false ideas (largely from Carpenter's biography) that Tolkien did not have any use for modern literature. I think that Carpenter did a fine job in some respects (his chapter Thursday Evenings in 'The Inklings' is terrific), but Carpenter clearly had some biases that wrongly colored aspects of Tolkien's character. I like his biography on Tolkien also and I found it enthralling going through Tolkien's life, but Ordway's book brings a much needed balance. Tolkien was man who lived a very long life and sometimes was given to hyperbolic statements which Carpenter often took as black-and-white. Ordway's book helps us see the shades and definitions to the character of the remarkable man that was J.R.R. Tolkien. I especially liked the account that she closed with about Christopher Tolkien's tear that fell onto his father's painting of Rivendell, and Tolkien incorporating it into the painting, making adjustments. That is a wonderful metaphor for Tolkien's life as Ordway has painted it.
After reading this book, I have a lot more reading material. Some of the works that Ordway discusses which influenced Tolkien, I have read before (such as Lewis's Space Trilogy and Rider Haggard's King Solomon's Mines). However, I have already bought a copy of Wyke-Smyth's Snergs and am looking into several other books mentioned in this as well.
Ordway does a great job dispelling false ideas (largely from Carpenter's biography) that Tolkien did not have any use for modern literature. I think that Carpenter did a fine job in some respects (his chapter Thursday Evenings in 'The Inklings' is terrific), but Carpenter clearly had some biases that wrongly colored aspects of Tolkien's character. I like his biography on Tolkien also and I found it enthralling going through Tolkien's life, but Ordway's book brings a much needed balance. Tolkien was man who lived a very long life and sometimes was given to hyperbolic statements which Carpenter often took as black-and-white. Ordway's book helps us see the shades and definitions to the character of the remarkable man that was J.R.R. Tolkien. I especially liked the account that she closed with about Christopher Tolkien's tear that fell onto his father's painting of Rivendell, and Tolkien incorporating it into the painting, making adjustments. That is a wonderful metaphor for Tolkien's life as Ordway has painted it.
September 22, 2024
Makes a very convincing case that modern literature—despite claims to the contrary—was indeed an influence upon the imagination of J. R. R. Tolkien. Some claims of influence were more tentative than others, but Ordway provided good evidence for each sample and usually qualified her conclusions accordingly. I think this book will have a lasting effect upon the stereotype of Tolkien being hopelessly tied to the past.
A two-line review to this book might be: Humphrey Carpenter was working out “daddy issues” in his influential biography of Tolkien. So read him with a grain of salt.
A two-line review to this book might be: Humphrey Carpenter was working out “daddy issues” in his influential biography of Tolkien. So read him with a grain of salt.
February 13, 2024
A phenomenal work of incredible Tolkien scholarship that delves into a largely obscure or occasionally glanced at subject: Tolkien’s literary influences. It is a book that opens up so much avenues and explores largely unknown or arcane details about the Great Mythmaker’s creative process shaped by the various books he read throughout his long life.
And this piece of scholarship only tackles the MODERN (specifically 1850s and beyond) titles he read and how they influenced him! Imagine just how many more books could be made talking about his pre-1850s reading list?
There’s so much more I want to say but I’d like to leave this review with an apt quote:
“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” —Cicero
And this piece of scholarship only tackles the MODERN (specifically 1850s and beyond) titles he read and how they influenced him! Imagine just how many more books could be made talking about his pre-1850s reading list?
There’s so much more I want to say but I’d like to leave this review with an apt quote:
“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” —Cicero
November 21, 2023
Ordway earns five stars on the basis of her scholarship and research. The writing style isn't the most engaging in itself, but the information Ordway presents is absolutely fascinating. I had no idea that Tolkien had been so badly misrepresented by a series of terrible biographers, and I am delighted to have been pointed in the right direction.
Like Lewis, Tolkien's reading was incredibly impressive. And it seems, unlike what we have been given to believe, Tolkien read incredibly widely and seriously of contemporary and (to him) modern authors. Ordway's meticulous research uncovers, through his letters, lectures, interviews, writing, and other sources, which books he read and she offers her thoughts on how those books influenced Tolkien's own works.
An excellent read for any serious Tolkien fan.
Like Lewis, Tolkien's reading was incredibly impressive. And it seems, unlike what we have been given to believe, Tolkien read incredibly widely and seriously of contemporary and (to him) modern authors. Ordway's meticulous research uncovers, through his letters, lectures, interviews, writing, and other sources, which books he read and she offers her thoughts on how those books influenced Tolkien's own works.
An excellent read for any serious Tolkien fan.
February 25, 2025
After always hearing the rumor that Tolkien hated everything, this was a really nice piece of work to set the record straight. Tolkien was an expert story-crafter and a marvelous writer who had a high expectation for his reading.
It was also nice to see some of the writers I heavily enjoy getting JRRT's stamps of approval!
It was also nice to see some of the writers I heavily enjoy getting JRRT's stamps of approval!
January 19, 2023
At times, I found the writing repetitive. However, she’s cautious and thorough, and up against decades of (apparently poor!) literary criticism of Tolkien.
The introduction dismantling Humphrey Carpenter was shocking, and makes me grateful that we have Ordway’s book.
I loved how she woke together book sales, anecdotes in letters, reasonable inferences, professional events, etc. How come I never wondered if Tolkien mentored students???
Overall enjoyable. Prepare to have many of your Tolkien assumptions upended, but in an exciting way!
The introduction dismantling Humphrey Carpenter was shocking, and makes me grateful that we have Ordway’s book.
I loved how she woke together book sales, anecdotes in letters, reasonable inferences, professional events, etc. How come I never wondered if Tolkien mentored students???
Overall enjoyable. Prepare to have many of your Tolkien assumptions upended, but in an exciting way!
August 6, 2023
[Read 06/08/23] Genuinely quite fantastic. Thoroughly dismantles Humphrey Carpenter’s largely inaccurate depiction of Tolkien as an old fart stuck in the past while going through his modern reading WITH clear evidence. While there are a few eyebrow raising claims (when aren’t there in this kind of scholarship? see Tolkien’s Lost Chaucer) this is an erudite and meticulously researched book that I wish I had gotten to sooner. Super engaging and, as someone who did focus on medieval texts in my own degree, definitely broadened my horizons regarding my own understanding of Tolkien. 4.5
January 22, 2025
This is a well researched and very detailed book. For scholarship and clear writing, I would give it a 5. But I found myself not needing or being that interested in the level of detail about the kind of reading Tolkien did. This is a really a book for Tolkien nerds, which I am in some ways, but not in others.
April 1, 2021
What do Peter Rabbit, Allan Quatermain, and George F. Babbitt have in common?
They can all claim to be literary ancestors of hobbits.
This is but one of the many surprising revelations in Holly Ordway’s Tolkien’s Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages.
Since the age of 6, I have immersed myself in Middle-earth, first through a coffee-table illustrated edition of The Hobbit and then through normal hardcovers of The Lord of the Rings. Of all the fantasy authors I read as a child—including L. Frank Baum, C. S. Lewis, and Lloyd Alexander—J. R. R. Tolkien remains my favorite.
Part of my love for Tolkien stems from his rich worldbuilding, but I hold even greater appreciation for the amount of documents he left behind, edited by his son Christopher and published in multiple books. Among these, the 12-volume The History of Middle-earth presents various—often early—drafts of stories from The Silmarillion and chapters of The Lord of the Rings, offering insights into the writing process of a fantasy master.
Tolkien’s Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages continues in this tradition. It delves into Tolkien’s writing process but through a different lens—the modern literature that influenced him.
Ordwy’s book—a must-read for fantasy writers and Tolkien fans—is divided into a prelude and 12 chapters. The prelude places the reader inside the mind of a young Tolkien as he passes the home of Henry Shorthouse, a British “one-book wonder,” on the way to morning Mass. (Tolkien was a life-long Catholic.)
In the first two chapters, Ordway explores the misconception that Tolkien was only interested in medieval literature and considered contemporary works of little value. She goes on to define “Tolkien’s modern reading" as literature published after 1850. Succeeding chapters delve into the various genres (children’s literature, adventure, science fiction, mystery, poetry) and specific modern writers the influenced Tolkien’s own work. Three authors receive their own chapters—George MacDonald (The Princess and the Goblin), William Morris (better known for his design patterns, but also the author of historical fiction that blended prose and poetry), and H. Rider Haggard (King Solomon’s Mines).
Of particular value to writers are the various ways other authors influenced Tolkien’s work. In some cases, an author served as a source of information. For example, Tolkien drew on George MacDonald's descriptions when creating the goblins and orcs of Middle-earth. Other times, Tolkien took an author’s idea, such as William Morris’s combining prose and verse, and improved upon it. And then there are the instances of influence-by-opposition, where Tolkien disliked an author’s work and turned the idea on its head in his own work. As much as he agreed with George MacDonald’s descriptions of goblins, Tolkien disapproved of his unnatural descriptions of animate trees, resulting in the creation of Middle-earth’s very arboreal ents.
This book not only enriched my understanding of J. R. R. Tolkien as a person and as a writer. It made me reflect on my own reading and the authors that have influenced me in my writing.
My only criticisms of this volume are as follows: The first concerns the placement of the photo gallery, smack in the middle of chapter 6. The placement felt odd and a bit disruptive. Also, since the photos are referenced by plate number as various points in the text, I found myself needing to flip back and forth between pages to find the references picture. I would have preferred if each plate had been placed near the page where it is mentioned. I also found the print a little small, but these are personal preferences and may not trouble other readers.
The volume includes a comprehensive list of Tolkien’s modern reading, a list of bibliographical abbreviations, end notes, a bibliography, and index.
Note: This book does address Tolkien’s religious beliefs and how he integrated them into his writing. Word on Fire is a Catholic media organization.
They can all claim to be literary ancestors of hobbits.
This is but one of the many surprising revelations in Holly Ordway’s Tolkien’s Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages.
Since the age of 6, I have immersed myself in Middle-earth, first through a coffee-table illustrated edition of The Hobbit and then through normal hardcovers of The Lord of the Rings. Of all the fantasy authors I read as a child—including L. Frank Baum, C. S. Lewis, and Lloyd Alexander—J. R. R. Tolkien remains my favorite.
Part of my love for Tolkien stems from his rich worldbuilding, but I hold even greater appreciation for the amount of documents he left behind, edited by his son Christopher and published in multiple books. Among these, the 12-volume The History of Middle-earth presents various—often early—drafts of stories from The Silmarillion and chapters of The Lord of the Rings, offering insights into the writing process of a fantasy master.
Tolkien’s Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages continues in this tradition. It delves into Tolkien’s writing process but through a different lens—the modern literature that influenced him.
Ordwy’s book—a must-read for fantasy writers and Tolkien fans—is divided into a prelude and 12 chapters. The prelude places the reader inside the mind of a young Tolkien as he passes the home of Henry Shorthouse, a British “one-book wonder,” on the way to morning Mass. (Tolkien was a life-long Catholic.)
In the first two chapters, Ordway explores the misconception that Tolkien was only interested in medieval literature and considered contemporary works of little value. She goes on to define “Tolkien’s modern reading" as literature published after 1850. Succeeding chapters delve into the various genres (children’s literature, adventure, science fiction, mystery, poetry) and specific modern writers the influenced Tolkien’s own work. Three authors receive their own chapters—George MacDonald (The Princess and the Goblin), William Morris (better known for his design patterns, but also the author of historical fiction that blended prose and poetry), and H. Rider Haggard (King Solomon’s Mines).
Of particular value to writers are the various ways other authors influenced Tolkien’s work. In some cases, an author served as a source of information. For example, Tolkien drew on George MacDonald's descriptions when creating the goblins and orcs of Middle-earth. Other times, Tolkien took an author’s idea, such as William Morris’s combining prose and verse, and improved upon it. And then there are the instances of influence-by-opposition, where Tolkien disliked an author’s work and turned the idea on its head in his own work. As much as he agreed with George MacDonald’s descriptions of goblins, Tolkien disapproved of his unnatural descriptions of animate trees, resulting in the creation of Middle-earth’s very arboreal ents.
This book not only enriched my understanding of J. R. R. Tolkien as a person and as a writer. It made me reflect on my own reading and the authors that have influenced me in my writing.
My only criticisms of this volume are as follows: The first concerns the placement of the photo gallery, smack in the middle of chapter 6. The placement felt odd and a bit disruptive. Also, since the photos are referenced by plate number as various points in the text, I found myself needing to flip back and forth between pages to find the references picture. I would have preferred if each plate had been placed near the page where it is mentioned. I also found the print a little small, but these are personal preferences and may not trouble other readers.
The volume includes a comprehensive list of Tolkien’s modern reading, a list of bibliographical abbreviations, end notes, a bibliography, and index.
Note: This book does address Tolkien’s religious beliefs and how he integrated them into his writing. Word on Fire is a Catholic media organization.
March 4, 2024
A top notch addition to the Tolkien library.
June 25, 2021
An incredibly valuable book for Christian creatives in its message that there's value in looking for the good in modern media as much as there's value in looking into the great medieval classics.
Even if one profoundly dislike an aspect of a modern work, in which Tolkien read many books and had all kinds of faults with them, it still shouldn't stop a Christian creator in at least being influenced by a work by opposition.
In in all, a great read!
Even if one profoundly dislike an aspect of a modern work, in which Tolkien read many books and had all kinds of faults with them, it still shouldn't stop a Christian creator in at least being influenced by a work by opposition.
In in all, a great read!
September 15, 2021
A careful consideration of the texts that can be proven to have been read by J.R.R. Tolkien, Ordway's Tolkien's Modern Reading, thoroughly presents her argument that Tolkien was more of a modern reader than has previously been assumed (for which she takes Humphrey Carpenter's biography to task over, as well as several other sources).
I appreciated the clarity with which Ordway approached the topic, and her delineation of what she was and was not considering as she looked at the modern reads that were on Tolkien's mental bookshelf. The table at the end of the book listing the book titles and where they were referenced was very useful and something I can see myself relying on in the future.
Occasionally there would be an end assumption that I felt was not tied strictly into the point being made about a particular piece's influence, but the proof provided in support of each individual work listed here is beyond impressive. The critical look at Tolkien biographies did feel a bit repetitive at times, which I imagine may be a reflection into why this book exists in the first place, but it was something I found easy to forgive.
I greatly enjoyed this look into some of the sources that Ordway proved existed on Tolkien's bookshelf, and I recommend this to anyone interested in Tolkien or in the influence of reading upon writing.
I appreciated the clarity with which Ordway approached the topic, and her delineation of what she was and was not considering as she looked at the modern reads that were on Tolkien's mental bookshelf. The table at the end of the book listing the book titles and where they were referenced was very useful and something I can see myself relying on in the future.
Occasionally there would be an end assumption that I felt was not tied strictly into the point being made about a particular piece's influence, but the proof provided in support of each individual work listed here is beyond impressive. The critical look at Tolkien biographies did feel a bit repetitive at times, which I imagine may be a reflection into why this book exists in the first place, but it was something I found easy to forgive.
I greatly enjoyed this look into some of the sources that Ordway proved existed on Tolkien's bookshelf, and I recommend this to anyone interested in Tolkien or in the influence of reading upon writing.
April 9, 2022
Very well researched and well written, this should be a watershed work in the appreciation of Tolkien's more modern influences. Starting from a well-argued iconoclasm against Carpenter's biography, Ordway argues convincingly for a revaluation of how Tolkien approached and was inspired by his contemporaries. A must read for any serious Tolkien scholar. Why this book is not nominated for The Tolkien Society award 2021 is a mystery!
March 15, 2021
A truly revelatory work - meticulously researched, brilliantly analyzed, and enjoyable to read! The criticism of Humphrey Carpenter's biography of Tolkien is something anyone interested in Tolkien should be aware of. The examination of modern works Tolkien read and their influences on his work is a fresh and valuable perspective on his legendarium.
September 5, 2021
I read this one in small chunks because it is extremely dense. However, it is impeccably researched (the notes, bibliography, and index are nearly 80 pages), and convincingly challenges common conceptions about Tolkien and his opinions on literature post-Chaucer. It is also a good example of how complex scholarship can be.
January 4, 2024
It can be dry at times but this is an immense work of scholarship and painstaking research. Here we see traced the “modern” influences of literature on Tolkien and his writings and we are presented with a slightly different (and convincing) picture of Tolkien than “conventional knowledge” would have you believe.
November 14, 2021
This book recasts the perceptions of Tolkien as not modern into the image of a man well-informed and much-influenced in his writing by the events of his own time. Very much worth exploring, since it rebalances the rather-tilted views of the prominent writers such as Humphrey Carpenter.
August 3, 2021
Very perceptive, very well-argued addition to Tolkien scholarship
December 19, 2021
I don't often enjoy nonfiction this much. I feel I know and love Tolkien better after reading this.
February 3, 2022
Ordway's book is a well researched and well written exposition of the influences on Tolkien's primary works.
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