4.0
Tolkien in the Twenty-First Century
ByPublisher Description
An original and thought-provoking reassessment of J. R. R. Tolkien’s world, revealing how his visionary creation of Middle-Earth is more relevant now than ever before.
What is it about Middle-Earth and its inhabitants that has captured the imagination of millions of people around the world? And why does Tolkien's visionary creation continue to fascinate and inspire us eighty-five years after its first publication? Beginning with Tolkien's earliest influence—and drawing on key moments from his life, Tolkien in the Twenty-First Century is an engaging and vibrant reinterpretation of the beloved author's work. Not only does it trace the genesis and inspiration for the original books, but the narrative also explores the later film and literary adaptations that have cemented his reputation as a cultural phenomenon. Delving deep into topics such as friendship, failure, the environment, diversity, and Tolkien's place in a post-Covid age, Nick Groom takes us on an unexpected journey through Tolkien's world, revealing how it is more relevant now than perhaps Tolkien himself ever envisioned.
What is it about Middle-Earth and its inhabitants that has captured the imagination of millions of people around the world? And why does Tolkien's visionary creation continue to fascinate and inspire us eighty-five years after its first publication? Beginning with Tolkien's earliest influence—and drawing on key moments from his life, Tolkien in the Twenty-First Century is an engaging and vibrant reinterpretation of the beloved author's work. Not only does it trace the genesis and inspiration for the original books, but the narrative also explores the later film and literary adaptations that have cemented his reputation as a cultural phenomenon. Delving deep into topics such as friendship, failure, the environment, diversity, and Tolkien's place in a post-Covid age, Nick Groom takes us on an unexpected journey through Tolkien's world, revealing how it is more relevant now than perhaps Tolkien himself ever envisioned.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesTolkien in the Twenty-First Century Reviews
4.0
luxinbooks
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Megan Betcher
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Will Osman
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Michael M. Y.
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“We'll all remember of course that The Hobbit begins with Gandalf at the doorstep of Bag End, chiding an increasingly *confusticated* Bilbo Baggins for greeting him with an innocuous "good morning." The wizard plays dumb, facetiously considering the possible meanings of the perfunctory greeting: “Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?”
Though I certainly feel no pique toward Nick Groom, nor wish to be playfully obtuse, I was nevertheless reminded of Gandalf's first exchange with Bilbo as I began this book and considered its title: Tolkien in the Twenty-First Century. Is this a book about the relevance of Tolkien's Middle-Earth today? A analysis of the Middle-Earth texts through modern lenses/perspectives? A survey of how the literary world of Middle-Earth has been adapted and reimagined in the 21st century? As it turns out, this book is an attempt at all of these things, and a rather good one at that. Groom possesses deep knowledge of Tolkien's work, considering it as seriously and rigorously as any literary text. Accordingly, the major strength of this work is his analysis of the Middle-Earth texts through contemporary critical lenses. Groom illuminates the myriad ways in which the Middle-Earth Tolkien has constructed is a truly weird and bewildering place, and not at all because of its dragons and magic rings and wizards and Ents and hobbits and sundry other elements of staid, (neo)medieval fantasy. Middle-Earth's true, enduring magic and mystery reside in its ideological and moral confusion, its fractured, shifting, unreliable perspectives, its linguistic invention and games of language, its loose ends (e.g. Tom Bombadil)--all modern, if not post-modern, features and devices.
Where this book falters is in its bloated content and confusing organization (or lack of it). The beginning momentum is halted by an overlong exposition of Tolkien's biography, most of which does not prove relevant to the particular project of this book, and which is better covered in plenty of other books. The organization from there is frankly a mess, with little coherence between or within chapters, and with many arguments abruptly aborted with insufficient development, only to quickly transition into a new idea. In the end, I found myself tolerating and forgiving this weird flow because of the continually illuminating and intriguing insights and depth that Groom's analysis brought to my rekindled interest in Tolkien's work.
In short, this is a very worthwhile read for any true fan of Tolkien.”
Tristan
Created about 2 years agoShare
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“Engaging, thoughtful, insightful, and overall a delight to read. Some structuring decisions left me a little confused, but I would recommend to anyone interested in learning more about Tolkien, his works, and the impact these have had on our contemporary media culture.”
About Nick Groom
Nick Groom is currently Professor of Literature in English at the University of Macau, having previously held positions at the universities of Chicago, Stanford, and Exeter, where he holds an Honorary Professorship. His is the author of The Vampire: A New History (Yale University Press) among other books published in Britain.
Other books by Nick Groom
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