Displaying the top 100 results that match your query. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/rssapi.jsp?Re=3295&N=3+5205+4294908387 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1630208 The Hobbit is one of the most widely read and best-loved books of the twentieth century. In December 2012, millions will be introduced or reintroduced to J.R.R. Tolkiens classic with the arrival of the first of two film adaptations by acclaimed director Peter Jackson. Exploring J.R.R. Tolkiens The Hobbit is a fun, thoughtful, and insightful companion volume, designed to bring a thorough and original new reading of this great work to a general audience. Professor Corey Olsen (also known as the Tolkien Professor) will take readers on an in-depth journey through The Hobbit chapter by chapter, revealing the stories within the story: the dark desires of dwarves and the sublime laughter of elves, the nature of evil and its hopelessness, the mystery of divine providence and human choice, and, most of all, the revolutions within the life of Bilbo Baggins. Exploring J.R.R. Tolkiens The Hobbit is a book that will make The Hobbit come alive for readers as never before-- http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1667628 A comprehensive guide to the history, legends, languages, and peoples of Middle Earth, compiling facts, names, words, dates, and events. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1369111 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=1111503 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=584884 Even those who do not know Beowulf, the Arthurian tales, or northern European mythology come away from The Lord of the Rings with a feeling for Britains historical and literary past. Those who recognize the sources behind Tolkien - and the skill with which he combines these sources - gain far more. Perilous Realms gives this advantage to all readers and provides new discoveries, including material from obscure, little-known Celtic texts and a likely new source for the name hobbit. It is truly essential reading for Tolkien fans.--BOOK JACKET. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=754105 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=636020 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=603785 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=584890 When Tolkiens Lord of the Rings appeared in 1954, it was eagerly sought by a rapidly widening community of readers while snootily dismissed by eminent critics as juvenile escapism. For many years most literary scholars refused to take Tolkien seriously, but today they reluctantly admit that he is indeed one of the greatest of writers. Jared Lobdell contends that Tolkiens literary achievement actually constitutes a new mainstream of literary development. The future of fiction lies in fantasy, and Tolkien is part of a vital organic growth with roots in the past. Celtic revival, medieval revival, feigned history, the Edwardian adventure story - many tributaries flow into the swelling stream of Tolkienian fantasy. Professor Lobdell traces Tolkiens most important precursors and influences. Some are familiar figures: Rudyard Kipling, William Morris, Kenneth Grahame, and H. Rider Haggard. Others, such as R. S. Surtees and George MacDonald, have been neglected lately. Finally, Lobdell looks at some of the ablest heirs of the master: contemporary fantasists Ursula Le Guin, Stephen King (in the Dark Tower series), and J. K. Rowling.--BOOK JACKET. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=584889 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=504699 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=491290 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=517592 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=474764 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=495766 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=474763 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=487997 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=496945 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=500389 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=429630 Bradley J. Birzer is Assistant Professor of History at Hillsdale College.--BOOK JACKET. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=433282 The author who revealed the myths behind J.K. Rowlings creatures now tackles literatures most beloved epic fantasy, by bringing to light the legends that influenced J.R.R. Tolkien--and answering pertinent questions ranging from Why do Hobbits live in holes? to When in the world is Middle-earth? http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=620943 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=496943 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=400200 Stanton, a noted expert on science fiction and fantasy literature, has written an indispensable new guide to the characters, places, and history of Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings for readers and fans alike. New Line Cinema will release the first part of a three-part epic adaptation of The Lord of the Rings in December 2001, and the buzz has already begun. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=388107 Original essays on J.R.R. Tolkien from bestselling fantasy writers including George Martin, Orson Scott card and others. Includes art by John Howe, the worlds foremost Tolkien illustrator. Illustrations. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=433946 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=373622 Recent polls have consistently declared that J. R. R. Tolkien is the most influential author of the century and The Lord of the Rings is the book of the century. In support of these claims, Tom Shippey, a prominent medievalist and scholar of fantasy, now presents us with a fascinating companion to the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, focusing in particular on The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. The core of the book consists of three chapters that examine The Lord of the Rings as a linguistic and cultural map, as a twisted web of story, and as a response to the meaning of myth. Shippey presents a unique argument to explain the nature of evil and gives readers a compelling insight into the complicated interweaving of the many strands of the story. Other chapters examine The Hobbit, explaining the hobbits anachronistic relationship to the heroic world of Middle-earth; show the fundamental importance of The Silmarillion to Tolkiens canon; and take an illuminating look at Farmer Giles of Ham, Leaf by Niggle, and other lesser-known works in connection with Tolkiens life.--BOOK JACKET. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=332914 Following a lengthy biographical introduction, 15 essays gathered from a variety of sources delve into the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, explaining some of the themes of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, as well as exploring Tolkiens style and sources. Essays range from those praising Tolkiens ability to combine adult themes and childrens style, to those criticizing him for failing to unite common objects with universal themes. Others reject charges of racism against Tolkien or analyze his use of myth and heroism. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=93217 In the course of his travels from a cozily appointed little home in Bag-End to the dark and smoky lair of Smaug the dragon, the hobbit Bilbo Baggins comes upon not only dwarves, elves, goblins, and giant spiders but a wiser, better self. His journey, like those of the heroes in the long tradition of quest stories preceding The Hobbit, marks his passage from fearfulness to bravery, from self-indulgence to self-reliance, from ignorance to knowledge, from a kind of prolonged adolescence to responsible adulthood. William H. Greens finely crafted study places The Hobbit in the company of such quest narratives as Beowulf, The Odyssey, Don Quixote, and Tom Jones. Giving J. R. R. Tolkiens fantasy tale for children the serious scholarly attention often reserved for works intended for adults, Green shows how Tolkien adapted the structure and dramatic force of the mythic quest to a modern literary form. Underlying Tolkiens tall tale of an unlikely hero drawn into a fantastic series of adventures is a complex exploration of the nature of the human journey into maturity and of the power of myth to both elucidate and validate that journey. Tolkien shared with psychoanalyst C. G. Jung an abiding belief in the healing power of myth. Green draws on Jungs theories of archetypes - symbolic patterns of thought and behavior expressed repeatedly in dreams, stories, and picturesto illuminate the psychological implications of Tolkiens work. Especially relevant to the story of Bilbo is Jungs view of the dragon-slaying hero as a symbol of increasing consciousness and individuation - that is, the journey into maturity. Rich in literary and linguistic allusion - the result of the Oxford scholar Tolkiens encyclopedic knowledge of medieval myth and language - The Hobbit reflects its authors desire to address sophisticated themes in a form - the fantasy - derided by the literary critics of his day. Tolkien thus cloaked his love of what he called fairy-stories in a book for children, with an archetypical hero in the guise of a humble hobbit, and in the process created a masterpiece of fiction. William Green has written a well-informed and appreciative guide for the reader interested in accompanying Bilbo on his mythic quest.--BOOK JACKET. http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=175034 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=84489 http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/record.jsp?R=634097