Rating: 
Summary: A great companion through the trilogy
Review: The title of the review is "A great companion to the trilogy" ... (this book is loyal as a Sam, but wise as a Gandalf) because it literally inspired me to finish the books. Additionally, this guide illuminated the layers of genius engraved deeply in Tolkien's masterpiece. An ardent fan couldn't have written a more elaborate and lavishing criticism, one that borders scholarly depths but which remains entertaining to read as well. I even read an interesting theory of Tolkien's view of good and evil which sent me reeling into the artifice of a contrastual Boethius & Machiavelli comparison. Tasty!So why did I give it only four stars? Well I suppose that it was the mood of the entire book... the author's to blame for the relentless defence of Tolkien versus the literati... one that I couldn't care less about. Why do I need to know that Tolkien isn't as bad as some intellectual circles claim? Well anyway, except for that little irritation, ... not bad, not bad...
Rating:
Summary: A great companion through the trilogy
Review: The title of the review is "A great companion to the trilogy" ... (this book is loyal as a Sam, but wise as a Gandalf) because it literally inspired me to finish the books. Additionally, this guide illuminated the layers of genius engraved deeply in Tolkien's masterpiece. An ardent fan couldn't have written a more elaborate and lavishing criticism, one that borders scholarly depths but which remains entertaining to read as well. I even read an interesting theory of Tolkien's view of good and evil which sent me reeling into the artifice of a contrastual Boethius & Machiavelli comparison. Tasty! So why did I give it only four stars? Well I suppose that it was the mood of the entire book... the author's to blame for the relentless defence of Tolkien versus the literati... one that I couldn't care less about. Why do I need to know that Tolkien isn't as bad as some intellectual circles claim? Well anyway, except for that little irritation, ... not bad, not bad...
Rating: 
Summary: Deepens your appreciation of the _Lord of the Rings_
Review: This book analyzes many of Tolkein's works, but focuses the majority of its attention on the _Lord of the Rings_ and its two companion works: _the Hobbit_ and _the Silmarillion_. Popular polls taken at the end of the 20th century frequently place the _Lord of the Rings_ (LotR) at the top as the number one best book of the century. Many book critics look in horror at such a ranking. Shippey's book is in large part a rebuttal of this dismissal of Tolkein's work by most of the 'literary establishment'. Shippey argues that LotR is quite worthy of the honor as best work of the century. This book is academic in nature and vocabulary, but it is also fun to read. As a Tolkein fan I found the book to be quite enlightening. Shippey delves DEEP in to the text, finding many treasures that I had not yet observed. I found it true, as one endorsement on the book jacket says, that Shippey "deepens your understanding of the work without making you forget your initial, purely instinctive response to Middle-Earth." Professor Shippey, whose academic field is the same as that of Professor Tolkein himself, mines the philological earth and finds the likely background sources of numerous middle-earth creations, such as: Beorn, orcs, Rohan, etc. He also explores Tolkein's plot development strategy. One passage that I particularly liked was Shippey's description of how Tolkein used "interlacement" (the interweaving of different story lines) to convey an important thematic message of the work: that it's never wise to give up trying, no matter how bad the circumstances may appear. The examples he describes are very illustrative; for example: Aragorn's self-doubts as he pursues (in vain he fears) the orcs who had taken Pippin and Merry. I found several other sections to be thought-provoking as well: "wraithing"; "luck & courage"; and "eucatastrophe". If there is one disappointment I had in reading this book, it is that some finishing touches seem to be missing. The later chapters in the book seem less well-developed, and not as well focused within the argument of the book as a whole. Near the end of his first full chapter on LotR Shippey summarizes the development of his argument thus far. But from there on, there is no further explicit reference to his argument. To be sure most of the remaining material still implicitly contributes to the theory, but I found no satisfying conclusion explicitly made in the end of the book. In spite of that disappointment, this book significantly deepened my appreciation of the _Lord of the Rings_. I have for years considered LotR my all-time favorite book. As a result of reading Shippey's book, I understand better WHY LotR is such a great work, that it has great relevance and meaning in addition to its sheer wonder as entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: The primary criticism of these great works
Review: This book is quite simply the seminal criticism and analysis of Tolkien's major works. Shippey is Tolkien's successor at Oxford, and in a very real sense "speaks the language" (no pun intended) that Tolkien spoke. He is able to disassemble and analyze Tolkien's writings in a way that is head and shoulders above any other similar works. His linguistic and literary analysis is the best ever made and is absolutely vital to truly understanding Middle Earth and the man that made it. Add to that a brief but very profound analysis of the religious themes, imagery, and inferences that is better than anything else out there (it completely surpasses Joseph Pearce's fine book on Tolkien, all in less than 10 pages.) Plus you'll get the most insightful discussion of the Anglo Saxon and Old Norse literary traditions and characters that would become Gandalf, Frodo, and the rest of the Fellowship. If you truly love Tolkien's writing, then you simply must read this book. It is the first most important step in a real understanding of what Middle Earth is, where it is, where its characters came from, and what happened to them in ways that will really open your mind to the vastness and incredible beauty of Tolkien's world. After reading it, you'll have even less patience with the lunkheads who think LOTR is just another fantasy story. It's so, so much more than that. And if that wasn't enough, you'll learn what Beowulf's name would mean in modern English. ("Beowulf" is usually the only word in the poem not translated, in case you haven't noticed.)
Rating:
Summary: The primary criticism of these great works
Review: This book is quite simply the seminal criticism and analysis of Tolkien's major works. Shippey is Tolkien's successor at Oxford, and in a very real sense "speaks the language" (no pun intended) that Tolkien spoke. He is able to disassemble and analyze Tolkien's writings in a way that is head and shoulders above any other similar works. His linguistic and literary analysis is the best ever made and is absolutely vital to truly understanding Middle Earth and the man that made it. Add to that a brief but very profound analysis of the religious themes, imagery, and inferences that is better than anything else out there (it completely surpasses Joseph Pearce's fine book on Tolkien, all in less than 10 pages.) Plus you'll get the most insightful discussion of the Anglo Saxon and Old Norse literary traditions and characters that would become Gandalf, Frodo, and the rest of the Fellowship. If you truly love Tolkien's writing, then you simply must read this book. It is the first most important step in a real understanding of what Middle Earth is, where it is, where its characters came from, and what happened to them in ways that will really open your mind to the vastness and incredible beauty of Tolkien's world. After reading it, you'll have even less patience with the lunkheads who think LOTR is just another fantasy story. It's so, so much more than that. And if that wasn't enough, you'll learn what Beowulf's name would mean in modern English. ("Beowulf" is usually the only word in the poem not translated, in case you haven't noticed.)
Rating:
Summary: The primary criticism of these great works
Review: This book is quite simply the seminal criticism and analysis of Tolkien's major works. Shippey is Tolkien's successor at Oxford, and in a very real sense "speaks the language" (no pun intended) that Tolkien spoke. He is able to disassemble and analyze Tolkien's writings in a way that is head and shoulders above any other similar works. His linguistic and literary analysis is the best ever made and is absolutely vital to truly understanding Middle Earth and the man that made it. Add to that a brief but very profound analysis of the religious themes, imagery, and inferences that is better than anything else out there (it completely surpasses Joseph Pearce's fine book on Tolkien, all in less than 10 pages.) Plus you'll get the most insightful discussion of the Anglo Saxon and Old Norse literary traditions and characters that would become Gandalf, Frodo, and the rest of the Fellowship. If you truly love Tolkien's writing, then you simply must read this book. It is the first most important step in a real understanding of what Middle Earth is, where it is, where its characters came from, and what happened to them in ways that will really open your mind to the vastness and incredible beauty of Tolkien's world. After reading it, you'll have even less patience with the lunkheads who think LOTR is just another fantasy story. It's so, so much more than that. And if that wasn't enough, you'll learn what Beowulf's name would mean in modern English. ("Beowulf" is usually the only word in the poem not translated, in case you haven't noticed.)
Rating:
Summary: An interesting viewpoint....
Review: This book makes a lot of good points. Unfortunately this book is written from perspective of someone who LOVES Fantasy Fiction for people who LOVE Fantasy Fiction. Not that I don't love fantasy fiction but another viewpoint would have been interesting. For instnace if China Melville had written this book then we would have had something startling. But it is a good anaylsis of the Lord of the Rings and should be read by anyone who loved the series.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant insight
Review: This book takes you into the mind of J.R.R. Tolkien. How he wrote, and thought. It explains all aspects of his writings on THE LORD OF THE RINGS and THE HOBBIT. A wonderful book which makes you realize the amount of work that J.R.R.Tolkiens' put into his books and brilliance of his use of language.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating
Review: This is a fascinating and informative book. I especially enjoyed the introduction, which tries to place Tolkien in the context of 20th-century literature.. a puzzle I have been working on myself, on and off, since the 50's. I also deeply enjoyed the exploration of the Anglo-Saxon roots of the epic, and the conclusion, which tries to explain why the literati hate Tolkien's work so fiercely. One eminent critic and Tolkien-despiser is looked at closely: the critic said that a "true" artist would devote his life to his work, with no thought of critical success, and would produce work of immense artistic integrity. Well -- that describes Tolkien to a "T" -- so what gives with this critic? Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Awesome Study of Tolkien's Language Subtleties
Review: This is an amazing book! Apart from the unnecessary defense of fantasy as a serious genre, it is a fantastic work. Shippey opens up whole new areas of insight into the beauty of Tolkien's writing. He focuses on Tolkien's background as an Old English expert and how that knowledge enabled him to add subtle depth and character to LOTR's place names, character names, and dialog. His main point is that it is often the reader's (almost unconsious) recognition of their own cultural history in the language which causes so much pleasure in reading LOTR. There are many scholarly analyses of Tolkien's created languages, but I've never read such amazing insights into Tolkiens skillful use of language as a basis for making the book's characters so engrossing. I have alway's savored Tolkien's writing style, sometimes reading certain sentences over and over again, enjoying the way they flow. This books helped me to understand what is was that I love so much about them.
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