J.R.R. Tolkien: Master of Fantasy: Difference between revisions

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|author=[[David R. Collins]]
|author=[[David R. Collins]]
|publisher=Lerner Publishing Group
|publisher=Lerner Publishing Group
|date=[[1993]]
|date=[[1992]]
|format=Paperback
|format=Paperback
|pages=112
|pages=112

Revision as of 13:34, 20 September 2014

J.R.R. Tolkien: Master of Fantasy
AuthorDavid R. Collins
PublisherLerner Publishing Group
Released1992
FormatPaperback
Pages112
ISBN9780822596189

J.R.R. Tolkien: Master of Fantasy, written by David R. Collins with illustrations by William Heagy, is a biographical book about J.R.R. Tolkien.

Editorial review

This book has such an appealing jacket that readers are likely to pick it up immediately. Unfortunately, the text is not as meritorious, as it focuses on the least interesting aspects of Tolkien's life. The first six chapters deal with his early life. Readers are given a detailed account of the family's many moves, his schoolwork, and other minutia that are neither interesting nor useful. The result is a narrative that is often plodding and mundane. Compounding these problems are the incredibly dull black-and-white photographs and drawings. A picture of Tolkien does not appear until half way through the book, accompanied by the words, 'later in life'. Most of the photographs are of schools he attended or views of cities in which he lived. The low point is the inclusion of the floor plan of one of the schools. However, the book is aimed at younger Tolkein fans, and they may find the final three chapters and epilogue, which deal directly with the man as writer and storyteller, the best part. Other biographies, such as Carpenter's Tolkien Houghton, 1977; o.p., are beyond the scope of many young readers." [1]

References