Review: J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography
J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have only read J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and have obviously seen the films. The books are amazing in many ways and being able to read about the man behind them was a privilege. What’s interesting is the amount into the time, effort and the challenges that Tolkien had with LoTR over the 16 years it took from writing to publication.
Yet this book is far from being focused just on the LoTR. It provides a background of Tolkien’s life from birth to death, his natural ability with languages, his family, the war, Oxford and being appointed professor at the age of 32 among many other accomplishments.
This book is a very easy read and uncovers the intriguing life of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Three Key Takeaways from the book:
1. Good friends with C.S. Lewis
2. Lord of the Rings took 16 years from writing to publication
3. J.R.R Tolkien was known to most people as Ronald
