J.R.R. Tolkien by George Hernandez

A brief write up on J.R.R. Tolkien, one of my favorite authors.

The sign of JRR Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973), was a brilliant philologist who taught at Oxford University from 1925 to 1959, but is best known for authoring The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, my most favorite set of books. These books are set in Middle Earth: a detailed imaginary place and time with runes, men, magic, and all sorts of odd creatures.

Some people say that since our lives are so short, a person should read different books instead of re-reading books. That's true, but on the other hand a good read is a good read. I first read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy in high school. Although I am not a Middle Earth fanatic, I've read it at least once every two years. I find that the series is best read in the chill of autumn.

Why do I like the Middle Earth books? There are several reasons and I shall try to list a few of them here:

The geography, the entities, the languages, the histories, the cultures, and the mythology are entirely fictional. Tolkien creates this world with great detail, and make great use of his talents as comparative linguist.
There are a lot of journeys made and the books bring me along. I feel the weather, the gray and the rain, the long passage of time and of miles, the hunger and despair. I share in the green and the sun, the swiftness of moments and of smiles, the meals and the mirth.
The book is a linguistic book. The different fictional languages and names used are rich and intriguing. The text makes use of different English words that seem to come from another time. The tone and writing style changes with different characters and different situations.
I like the sense of friendship between the characters, the respect. I like the sense of antagonism between foes. I like the contrast between the mundane and they mythical. I like the transitions and leaps from just human to heroic.

I hope the movies based on the trilogy do well, but they should in no way diminish the brightness of the books.

The best thing about the movie version is that more people will read the books.
The worst thing about the movie version is that the movie may spoil the mental imagery I have created by reading the book. For this reason, I intend to re-read the books two or three times before the movies come out.
The movies, directed by Peter Jackson, are scheduled for release on three successive Christmases: 2001, 2002, and 2003.

J.R.R. Tolkien

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