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The tales of The Silmarillion were the underlying inspiration and
source of J.R.R. Tolkien's imaginative writing; he worked on the book throughout
his life, but never brought it to a final form. Long preceding in its origins
The Lord of the Rings, it is the story of the First Age of Tolkien's world, the
ancient drama to which characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, and in
which some of them, such as Elrond and Galadriel, took part.
The title Silmarillion is shortened from Quenta Silamarillion,
'The History of the Silmarils', the three great jewels created by F�anor, most gifted of the Elves, in which he imprisoned the light of the Two Trees that
illuminated Valinor, the land of the gods. When Morgoth, the first Dark Lord,
destroyed the Trees, that light lived on only in the Silmarils; and Morgoth
seized them and set them in his crown, guarded in the impenetrable fortress of
Angband in the north of Middle-earth. The Silmarillion is the history of the
rebellion of F�anor and his people against the gods, their exile in
Middle-earth, and their war, hopeless despite all the heroism of Elves and Men,
against the great Enemy.
"At times rises to the greatness of true myth."
"A creation myth of singular beauty... magnificent."
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Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable, unambitious
life, rarely travelling any further than his pantry or his cellar. But his
contentment is disturbed when the wizard, Gandalf, and a company of dwarves
arrive on his doorstep one day to whisk him away on an adventure. They have a
plot to raid the treasure hoard guarded by Smaug the Magnificent, a large and
very dangerous dragon. Bilbo is most reluctant to take part in this quest, but
he surprises even himself by his resourcefulness and his skill as a burglar!
The Hobbit became an instant success when it was first published
in 1937, and more than fifty years later Tolkien's epic tale of elves, dwarves,
trolls, goblins, myth, magic and adventure, with its reluctant hero Bilbo
Baggins, has lost none of its appeal.
"one of the most influential books of our generation"
"The English-speaking world is divided into those who have read
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and those who are going to read them"
"A finely written saga of dwarves and elves, fearsome goblins
and trolls.... an exciting epic of travel and magical adventure, all working up
to a devastating climax" "A flawless masterpiece" | |
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In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds
himself faced with an immense task, as the Ring is entrusted to his care. He
must leave his home and make a perilous journey across the realms of
Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, deep inside the territories of the Dark
Lord. There he must destroy the Ring forever and foil the Dark Lord in his evil
purpose.
Since it was first published in 1954, The Lord of the Rings has
been a book people have treasured. Steeped in unrivalled magic and
otherworldliness, its sweeping fantasy has touched the hearts of young and old
alike. Fifty million copies of its many editions have been sold around the
world, and occasional collectors' editions become prized and valuable items of
publishing.
"A story magnificently told, with every kind of colour and
movement and greatness" "The English-speaking world is divided into those who have read
The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and those who are going to read them"
NEW STATESMAN
SUNDAY TIMES
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In what was the single largest work of literary archaeology ever
undertaken, J.R.R. Tolkien's son and literary executor, Christopher Tolkien,
edited the vast collection of manuscripts and illustrations and these were
posthumously published in twelve volumes as The History of Middle-earth.
Although J.R.R. Tolkien is well-known for The Hobbit, The Lord of
the Rings and The Silmarillion, the material which laid the groundwork for what
must be the most fully realised sub-creation ever to spring from a single
imagination was begun many years before the publication of The Hobbit, and
indeed Tokien continued to work upon its completion until his death in 1973.
