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Hobbits, Elves, and Wizards: Exploring the Wonders and Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the R

michael n. stanton

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Middle Earth, Gandalf, Frodo, Bilbo: The places and characters that sprang from the mind of J.R.R. Tolkien will live forever in the imaginations of millions of readers. In Hobbits, Elves, and Wizards , Michael Stanton, a scholar of science fiction and fantasy literature, offers an extraordinary encounter with The Lord of the Rings . Believing that there is no epic of contemporary literature to match The Lord of the Rings , Stanton delves critically into the richness of the story. He explores the intricacies of its dialogue and illuminates the idiosyncratic nature of it characters. He looks at places, dreams, notions of time and history. Eschewing academic jargon, Stanton provides an intriguing look at Tolkien's fantasyscape that ultimately shows how all of these parts meld into a singularly compelling work of art that lives and breathes. For those who have read and loved The Lord of the Rings , Stanton embarks on an exploration of Tolkien's genius, painting a rich and wonderful critical portrait of the world he created, a portrait that no one who truly hopes to understand Tolkien's vision will want to be without.

208 pages, Paperback

First published November 17,2001

This edition

Format
208 pages, Paperback
Published
September 14, 2002 by Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN
9781403960252
ASIN
1403960259
Language
English

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About the author

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michael n. stanton

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Michael N. Stanton was a professor emeritus of English at the University of Vermont and a scholar of J.R.R. Tolkien's works. He authored Hobbits, Elves, and Wizards and contributed numerous articles to the J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia. His work also appeared in Tolkien in New Zealand and Tolkien and the Modern Middle Ages, among other publications. In addition to his writing, Stanton delivered various papers and lectures on Tolkien and medieval literature.

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Community Reviews

Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 24 votes)
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24 reviews All reviews
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LadyGeorgie
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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There are very few better qualified to write an introductory book on J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings than Michael Stanton, a scholar who has studied and taught the trilogy for twenty-five years. He's obviously a great fan of the book (that is, he does not seem to be simply trying to cash in on the recent popularity that the movies have caused) and writes in a simple, chatty style that is easy for most non-academics to understand. For those who are more experienced in reading essays and critiques, Hobbits, Elves and Wizards may come across as either too simplistic or repetitive, and I admit that there was very little here that I hadn't already come across in more comprehensive essays on this subject.

But Stanton is well aware of this, and has no ... Read More:
http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
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samspot8r8s
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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It is not at all clear to me who the target audience for this book is. It really is an extended digest of sorts, recounting the basic plot-lines of the four book (Hobbit, LOTR 1,2 3) with some discussions along the way of themes that crop up or are particularly noteworthy. It feels too in depth for an introduction for those who are considering reading the series, but not in depth enough for those who have read it already.

One particular disappointment with the book is that it states throughout how key the design and use of language is throughout Tolkien's texts, but when the section on language arrives in this book, the author does not explore it in detail. Instead, he indicates that other authors have explored Tolkien and language very thoroughly, and defers to them.
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Kougyokuz
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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I initially had a hard time getting into the LOTR trilogy until I read this book. It broke down so much of the book and made it more accessible to me. I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to better understand the saga. (Read it in conjunction with the trilogy).
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koraszan
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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I liked myself because of the plot and the adventures that happens throughout the book.
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thewhitesea
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Zanimljiv pogled na Tolkinov svet.
Vodite raspravu sa M. N. Stantonom dok citate njegovu knjigu, jer ne verujem da cete se sloziti sa svim idejama koje on ima da iznese ovde. Upravo u tome lezi i kvalitet ove knjige. Debata je uvek dobrodosla :)
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swattso
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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It's a very good book because of the adventures and the effects
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sp4ce1
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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Great overview for the casual reader of the Lord of the Rings. Helps connect some dots in an easy-to-understand manner.
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Jak
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 17,2025
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A nice overview for someone just getting into Tolkien's world. If you've read more than the stories themselves it'll be rehashing information you already know but there are some gems of information present for those who have delved in before as well.
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