What is the best biography of Tolkien?

The best book to start with in your quest to learn more about J.R.R. Tolkien is the authorized biography by Humphrey Carpenter. Humphrey Carpenter was given unrestricted access to all tolkien’s papers, and interviewed his friends and family.

Did Tolkien lose a child?

Family. The Tolkiens had four children: John Francis Reuel Tolkien (17 November 1917 – 22 January 2003), Michael Hilary Reuel Tolkien (22 October 1920 – 27 February 1984), Christopher John Reuel Tolkien (21 November 1924 – 16 January 2020) and Priscilla Mary Anne Reuel Tolkien (born 18 June 1929).

Who raised JRR Tolkien?

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892, in Bloemfontein, South Africa, to English parents. At the age of three his mother brought him and his younger brother, Hilary, back to England.

What is J.R.R. Tolkien’s real name?

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien/Full name
J.R.R. Tolkien, in full John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, (born January 3, 1892, Bloemfontein, South Africa—died September 2, 1973, Bournemouth, Hampshire, England), English writer and scholar who achieved fame with his children’s book The Hobbit (1937) and his richly inventive epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings (1954–55).

What is Rivendell based on?

According to The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, one of the real-life locations which inspired the creation of Rivendell was actually Lauterbrunnental in Switzerland. Tolkien had hiked the valley in 1911, and the surrounding scenery bears a striking resemblance to the description of Rivendell.

What did Tolkien do?

J.R.R. Tolkien was an English fantasy author and academic. While teaching at Oxford University, he published the popular fantasy novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The works have had a devoted international fan base and been adapted into award-winning blockbuster films.

What is JRR Tolkien best known for?

Biography of J.R.R Tolkien J R R Tolkien (1892 – 1973) English author, philologist and poet. Tolkien was best known for his fantasy creations of Middle-Earth – writing The Hobbit, and the epic trilogy ‘ The Lord of the Rings’.

Did any of the actors in Lord of the Rings meet Tolkien?

The only actor from Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of “Lord of the Rings” to have actually met JRR Tolkien is Christopher Lee. Lee was very fond of Tolkien’s books and Tolkien himself even said that Lee would have been a good choice for the role of the wizard Saruman. Once met Ava Gardner and neither knew why the other was famous.

What did Tolkien study in school?

From an early age, J.R.R. Tolkien was an excellent scholar, with an unusually specialised interest in languages. He enjoyed studying languages especially Greek, Anglo Saxon, and later at Oxford, Finnish. Although a scholar at King Edward VI school, he initially failed to win a scholarship to Oxford.

What happened to Tolkien’s brothers?

Mabel died in 1904, and the Tolkien brothers were sent to live with a relative and in boarding homes, with a Catholic priest assuming guardianship in Birmingham. Tolkien went on to get his first-class degree at Exeter College, specializing in Anglo-Saxon and Germanic languages and classic literature.