The QPB Companion to The Lord of the Rings

by Brandon Geist (Editor)

This handy volume is more than just a footrest to the snug club chair that is THE LORD OF THE RINGS; it is a friend who drops by to share choice gossip about one of your favorite subjects. The storied reality behind the classic fantasy - curious creator, the sword-crossing critics, the "deplorable cultus" ... will not capative Tolkien enthusiasts but amuse those who "just don't get it". The book first introduces us to the author, whom The New York Times described as "the tweedist and most persnickety of Oxford philologists; a man who said of himslef, 'I am in fact a Hobbit (in all but size).' We then hear from a host of other critics.....

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Essays, Reference, Speculative Fiction, Classics, Literature

104 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[X · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, it's hard to review a compilation; some essays were good, some were okay, and some were bad, in my opinion. One even made me wonder if the author had even read LOTR. Overall, I'm giving this two stars because the majority of the essays were not outstanding, though admittedly I am biased since I did not agree with said essays.
The one outstanding essay was the one by C.S. Lewis which fully merits five stars. He miraculously captured the entire essence of LOTR in just over three pages of gorgeous writing.
The Middle-Earth themed recipes in the back were a fun touch.

[Timothy Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a pleasure to find a popular anthology of critical essays that are not all smiles. It actually gives a balanced introduction to the critical issues surrounding The Lord of the Rings. Few books, even the greats, have united positive feedback. So the spectrum in this book is refreshing.

It is odd though that it seems somewhat too balanced. For a book that purports to be a "Companion" it is sometimes almost a detractor. I guess that's ok, but it would have been nice to see some actual analysis, perhaps that's a bit too much to expect in a book with short essays. However, the give and take between writers was fun, but out of character for a book that includes recipes and crosswords. I recommend this book for anyone who wants a little taste of the book before a re-read. Just remember, all opinions are not created equal.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slim yet valuable addition to any reader's Tolkien's collection. This book gathers the writers and critics who have come to some estimation of Tolkien's influence as a writer and cultural figure.


If the reader would like to read my full review, they can follow the link to my site White Tower Musings below:

https://jsjammersmith.wordpress.com/2...

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable book. It contain some biography of Tolkein, and some criticism (who knew there were people out there that didn't like lord of the rings) but the most fun part of the book was in the back with an LOTR themed crossword puzzle and acrostic (I will admit some cheating on the acrostic). It also contains some "Hobbit" recipes which would do any Bobby Burns dinners proud. A short enjoyable read.

[Talbot Hook · Rating 4 out of 5]

2014: I honestly just enjoy anything to do with Tolkien- anything that allows me to delve into his universe or mind.

Plus, Tolkien-based acrostic-crosswords? Who could ask for more?

2023: This really is a delightful collection of criticism, praise, and miscellany. From recipes to maps to essays, it's a smorgasbord. The essays, of course, are the real treasure: Some were written a few years after LotR was published, and the most recent came out just before the first Peter Jackson film released in December of 2001. They range from deeply personal (Le Guin) to clarion-bell-ringing (Lewis) to both-sidesing (Mooney) to excoriating (Wilson). I find Le Guin's account to be deeply moving. Very deeply moving indeed. And though I ultimately disagree with some of Wilson's criticisms, I'm not blind to the flaws of my favorite books. Honestly, his review made me laugh (somewhat at myself), so I think that's a healthy sign.

[K.J. Cartmell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of essays about Tolkien's epic fantasy, The Lord of the Rings. The essays range from affectionate to dismissive. Ursula Le Guin's is particularly touching and funny, and she has the best line: "Sam, who keeps saying 'sir' to Frodo until one begins to have mad visions of founding a Hobbit Socialist Party." I was pleased to find C.S. Lewis' essay, "The Gods Return to Earth," which contains the quote which adorned my Ballantine paperback copy of The Two Towers: "Here are beauties that pierce like swords or burn like cold iron; here is a book that will break your heart ... good beyond hope." Edmund Wilson in a 1956 essay The Nation found the series to be long winded balderdash. I was interested to note that many of the reviewers who disliked The Lord of the Rings were fond of its predecessor, The Hobbit. Most hardcore Tolkien fans would rank the older book below the younger one, I think. I certainly would. The essays are grouped by loose themes: The Author, The Critics, the "Deplorable Cultus." It may have been better simply putting the reviews in chronological order by publication date, to see the evolution of thought relating to these books. I'm not sure there's a general audience for this little volume, but I found it amusing and insightful.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a huge Tolkien fan, and have been since the late 1970s. I get how his work is not everyone's cup of tea, but I don't see how anyone can actively dislike the books or even actively hate them. But that's how Edmund Wilson felt, and other folks were less than impressed with them. Their reviews are included in this slim collection, but so are the reviews of huge admirers like me, and even some in the middle.

If you've read LOTR and The Hobbit, you can appreciate the range of reviews here—even if you don't agree with them all. If you haven't read Tolkien's magnum opera (opii? opuses?), these reviews may manage your expectations so that you're not disappointed by the reactions of people like me who love every word, and that actually might help you get more enjoyment from the journey.

I like that the editor included reproductions of the maps from the trilogy here, even though they are not really needed. I'm less certain about why he included a crossword puzzle and an acrostic, especially when most of the clues seem to have nothing to do with Tolkien's works. *shrug*

[Mallory McGuire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of essays is worth reading as a Tolkien fan. The two highlights are from LeGuin and Azimov, and a couple were stinkers but the editor included them as examples of old-guard literati not liking Tolkien so I'll allow it. The structuring that focuses on biographical critique, then literary criticism, then an analysis of the cultural phenomenon, resulted in a cohesive art history of Tolkien. The recipes at the end are also a nice touch; as an English cuisine apologist I'll be giving them a go.

[Jon Mahaffey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of an oddity I picked up at a used book store a while back. It’s comprised of essays, both about the main LOTR trilogy and Tolkien himself, discussion questions, crossword puzzles, and, my personal favorite, LOTR and Hobbit themed recipes.

[Danielle Hardy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A forgettable book. I did however enjoy C.S. Lewis', Ursula Le Guin, and Issac Asimov's pieces.

[Katee · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Picked this up at a thrift store in town on a brief excursion to escape the post election doldrums. Ironically, it has the kind of starry-eyed giddiness to it that Tolkien is quoted -- in this book -- as having disliked about his fans, particularly the American ones. It's a quick collection of essays about the trilogy's place in literary history, its public reception, and its creative legacy; some were decent (Asimov and Le Guin!), some were superficial and/or curmudgeonly, most weren't very illuminating except to give a very brief overview of the multitude of ways one can appreciate Tolkien's major works. I was honestly hoping for something a little more scholarly? Delving into place-names and inspirations from real mythology and stuff. Instead you get seventy pages of people over the decades expressing their opinions about What It All Means, plus a few random Middle-Earth--themed word puzzles, some very book-clubby sets of questions, and recipes that could have been pulled from anybody's grandmother's favorite cookbook. But the collection of maps and magnified regions was really good -- I'd say those, plus a few of the essays, make the book almost worth paying $2.64 for.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather breezy 2001 attempt to present a variety of critical reviews of several essays on The Lord of the Rings and Tolkien's influence on the second half of the 20th century. This is worth reading for the full 1954 C.S. Lewis review of the Fellowship of the Ring, the 1956 Edmund Wilson slam of a review of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the 1974 Ursula LeGuin memorial essay to Tolkien and his works. The brief Tom Shippey interview is all right, but you're much better off reading his book, "J.R.R. Tolkien: The Author of the Century."

On the other hand, there is a mish-mash of rather marginal articles, a list of discussion questions, Middle-earth maps, a couple of crosswords, and some hobbitty recipes. It's a mixed bag, and intended to be, but there are some prizes in the bag as well as some gag gifts.

[Velva · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a book of seemingly endless reviews of the LOTR Trilogy, good and bad. At this point, I have only seen the movies so I knew what they were talking about. One of the things that I came away with from this book is you either hate it or love it! I am not one to believe critics anyway...there is a 90% chance that if the review is bad, I'll see the movie or read the book. Critics tend to ignore 1 thing...it will appeal to someone.

I WILL try some of those tasty recipes at the end, though! YUM!

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

There wasn't much in here that I found interesting. I like Ursula K. LeGuin's Earthsea series and enjoyed reading about how the books influenced her but everything else felt rather bland. I don't think books of analysis on LotR is for me, a lot of them are so dry and don't say anything about the author's own feelings towards the series. I think that's why I liked LeGuin's essay the best, she put in the joy she felt from reading the books and her own desire to write.

[Ann]

Not the whole book, just the Tolkien essays.

[November Ryan]

this is a cute little book that was fun to peruse, esp for a ultrafan of tolkien like me, and esp if you like reading criticism of tolkien like i do. critics call tolkien "pedantic and overwrought"? yes! It's true! and i love him! give me tolkien's "juvenile trash" any day tbh