Tolkien's Gown

Author: R. A. Gekoski
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 264

Book Description
Based on the popular BBC Radio 4 series Rare Books, Rare People, Tolkien's Gown? and Other Stories of Great Authors and Rare Books? is a feast of the tales behind some of the most iconic titles to have graced British publishing, and fascinating anecdotes about the authors who wrote them. From Grahame Greene arranging a meeting in his hotel room to sell a signed copy of ?Lolita? for #4,000 to the author of this book, Rick Gekoski, over a glass or ten of vodka. He resold the book in his hungover stat the next day to Elton John's lyricist Bernie Taupin and in later years it went on to fetch $264,000 at auction in Christies to J.D. Salinger threatening a law suit, this is a gem of a book. There are stories about Talkien, Potter Orwell, Larkin, Hemingway and more, representing a treasure trove of trivia for book fans.

Nabokov's Butterfly and Other Stories of Great Authors and Rare Books

Author: R. A. Gekoski
Publisher: Da Capo Press
ISBN: 9780786714520
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 240

Book Description
A collector of rare books shares his personal experiences with twenty important volumes and other literary items, including a signed copy of Sylvia Plath's The Colossus, a copy of Nabokov's Lolita from Graham Greene, and the sale of J. R. R. Tolkien's college gown.

Tolkien in the New Century

Author: John Wm. Houghton
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786474386
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 269

Book Description
Widely considered one of the leading experts on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, Thomas Alan Shippey has informed and enlightened a generation of Tolkien scholars and fans. In this collection, friends and colleagues honor Shippey with 15 essays that reflect their mentor's research interests, methods of literary criticism and attention to Tolkien's shorter works. In a wide-ranging consideration of Tolkien's oeuvre, the contributors explore the influence of 19th and 20th century book illustrations on Tolkien's work; utopia and fantasy in Tolkien's Middle-earth; the Silmarils, the Arkenstone, and the One Ring as thematic vehicles; the pattern of decline in Middle-earth as reflected in the diminishing power of language; Tolkien's interest in medieval genres; the heroism of secondary characters; and numerous other topics. Also included are brief memoirs by Shippey's colleagues and friends in academia and fandom and a bibliography of Shippey's work.

Flora of Middle-Earth

Author: Walter S. Judd
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190276339
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 425

Book Description
Few settings in literature are as widely known or celebrated as J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth. The natural landscape plays a major role in nearly all of Tolkien's major works, and readers have come to view the geography of this fictional universe as integral to understanding and enjoying Tolkien's works. And in laying out this continent, Tolkien paid special attention to its plant life; in total, over 160 plants are explicitly mentioned and described as a part of Middle-Earth. Nearly all of these plants are real species, and many of the fictional plants are based on scientifically grounded botanic principles. In Flora of Middle Earth: Plants of Tolkien's Legendarium, botanist Walter Judd gives a detailed species account of every plant found in Tolkien's universe, complete with the etymology of the plant's name, a discussion of its significance within Tolkien's work, a description of the plant's distribution and ecology, and an original hand-drawn illustration by artist Graham Judd in the style of a woodcut print. Among the over three-thousand vascular plants Tolkien would have seen in the British Isles, the authors show why Tolkien may have selected certain plants for inclusion in his universe over others, in terms of their botanic properties and traditional uses. The clear, comprehensive alphabetical listing of each species, along with the visual identification key of the plant drawings, adds to the reader's understanding and appreciation of the Tolkien canon.

Tolkien in the New Century

Author: John Wm. Houghton
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476614865
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 269

Tolkien’s Transformative Women: Art in Triptych

Author: Annie Brust
Publisher: Vernon Press
ISBN: 1648898564
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 281

Book Description
J.R. R. Tolkien has been revered as the father of twentieth-century fantasy; however, many initially criticized him for his handling of the textual matter as male-centric magical lands that did not feature prominent female roles or significant female characters. This book will highlight the vast community of powerful female figures that Tolkien created in his fantasy writing, stemming from the distinct and dominant female forces he created in his academic translation and poetry. These fierce women serve as a culmination of the powerful forces of women and female character that originated in Medieval, Norse, and Celtic traditions. They help to create the framework from which Tolkien shaped his female community, not merely as singular figures, as previously featured, but as a dynamic network of figures who shape Tolkien's creative art. For the first time, this discussion looks at the entire community of women, featuring previously excluded figures from his academic works and highlighting translation bias in modern manuscripts of the extant medieval works that influenced these women. It also seeks to create a comprehensive guide and detailed appendices exploring the female characters and influences throughout his writing portfolio. This book seeks to uncover the hidden voices of the past to find their rightful home in the strong female voices of the present, rewriting history to regain a sense of the past.

The Unexpected Professor

Author: John Carey
Publisher: Faber & Faber
ISBN: 057131094X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 206

Book Description
Best known for his provocative take on cultural issues in The Intellectuals and the Masses and What Good Are the Arts?, John Carey describes in this warm and funny memoir the events that formed him - an escape from the London blitz to an idyllic rural village, army service in Egypt, an open scholarship to Oxford and an academic career that saw him elected, age 40, to Oxford's oldest English Literature professorship. He frankly portrays the snobberies and rituals of 1950s Oxford, but also his inspiring meetings with writers and poets - Auden, Graves, Larkin, Heaney - and his forty-year stint as a lead book-reviewer for the Sunday Times. This is a book about the joys of reading - in effect, an informal introduction to the great works of English literature. But it is also about war and family, and how an unexpected background can give you the insight and the courage to say the unexpected thing.

Tolkien's Art

Author: Jane Chance
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 9780813190204
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 280

Book Description
An incisive reinterpretation of New Deal diplomacy.

J.R.R. Tolkien

Author: Neil Heims
Publisher: Infobase Learning
ISBN: 1438148380
Category : Reference (Philosophy) in literature
Languages : en
Pages : 179

Book Description
The revered author of the science fiction/fantasy works;The Hobbit;and;The Lord of the Rings;trilogy also had a distinguished career as a professor at Oxford University.

Study Guide to The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien

Author: Intelligent Education
Publisher: Influence Publishers
ISBN: 1645422976
Category : Study Aids
Languages : en
Pages : 134

Book Description
A comprehensive study guide offering in-depth explanation, essay, and test prep for JRR Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, the first of one of the most well-known series in the world—Lord of the Rings Trilogy. As an epic novel of the mid twentieth century, Tolkien used elements of Nordic folk, Christianity, and realism to create the Middle-earth world. Moreover, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was written in long-hand, revised, and then the whole work was rewritten backwards due to the first-time authors lack of funds and showing the author’s skill as a writer and scholar. This Bright Notes Study Guide explores the context and history of Tokien’s classic work, helping students to thoroughly explore the reasons it has stood the literary test of time. Each Bright Notes Study Guide contains: - Introductions to the Author and the Work - Character Summaries - Plot Guides - Section and Chapter Overviews - Test Essay and Study Q&As The Bright Notes Study Guide series offers an in-depth tour of more than 275 classic works of literature, exploring characters, critical commentary, historical background, plots, and themes. This set of study guides encourages readers to dig deeper in their understanding by including essay questions and answers as well as topics for further research.