Rings, Kings, and Evil Things

A fantasy come true: Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings comes to film

by Michael Rogers-originally published LJ 10/1/2001 -- Library Journal, 12/07/2001

The buzz over director Peter Jackson’s feature film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings (LOTR) trilogy hit a fever pitch in 2000 when the simply stunning early footage was previewed via the modern wizardry of the Internet, leaving fans gawking at their PCs. To give an idea of how wildly this film has been anticipated, that teaser trailer was downloaded 1.7 million times—the first day! The film of The Fellowship of the Ring—the first leg of the LOTR trilogy—does not open in theaters until December 19, but fans have their fingers and furry little toes crossed that it will do the book justice. Tolkien’s volumes have enjoyed continued popularity, and most libraries sport copies of The Hobbit and the LOTR trilogy, but the Oxford don wrote numerous volumes himself—this list is not all-inclusive—and is the subject of many others. The film no doubt will spark a huge interest in all things Tolkien, so stock up early.

Farmer Giles of Ham: 50th Anniversary Edition.
Houghton. 1999. 127p. illus. ISBN 0-618-00936-1. $17.
This 1949 work is set in England of long ago, when giants and dragons roamed free. None of those beasts is a match for the wits of Farmer Giles and his magic sword.

The Fellowship of the Ring.
ISBN 0-618-15398-5. $22; pap. ISBN 0-618-12903-0. $12.
The Two Towers.
ISBN 0-618-15399-3. $22; pap. ISBN 0-618-12908-1. $12.
The Return of the King.
ISBN 0-618-15400-0. $22; pap. ISBN 0-618-12911-1. $12.
ea. vol: Houghton. 2001.
New Line Cinema will be releasing "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy in three separate installments, and Houghton Mifflin—Tolkien’s U.S. publisher since the release of The Hobbit in 1938—will be re-releasing each volume of the trilogy separately and in a boxed set (ISBN 0-618-15397-7. $22; pap. ISBN 0-618-15396-9. $12).

The Hobbit.
Houghton. 320p. 1938. ISBN 0-395-07122-4. $16; pap. 1999. ISBN 0-618-002219. $12.
First published in the U.K. in 1937, this is the volume that introduced the world to hobbits, Middle-earth, Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the wizard, and the Ring of power. A new edition, formatted for younger readers, was released in August and features cover art by Peter Sís (ISBN 0-618-16221-6. $18; pap. ISBN 0-618-15082-X. $10).

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Houghton. 2000. 502p. index. ISBN 0-618-05699-8. pap. $15.
The old fellow’s letters to friends, family, and fans offer insight into his life and writings. Fun but not essential.

The Lord of the Rings.
Houghton. 2001. 1168p. maps. index. ISBN 0-618-12901-4. $38; pap. ISBN 0-618-12902-2. $20.
The official movie tie-in volume with cover art of a Nazgûl perched upon its black steed offers the complete story in a single volume, as the author intended.

The Return of the Shadow.
497p. ISBN 0-618-08357-X. pap. $14.
The Treason of Isengard.
504p. ISBN 0-618-08358-8. pap. $14.
The War of the Ring.
476p. ISBN 0-618-08539-6. pap. $14.
The End of the Third Age.
159p. ISBN 0-618-08356-1. pap. $12.
ea. vol: Mariner: Houghton. (The History of The Lord of the Rings).
Collectively, these volumes are marketed as "The History of The Lord of the Rings" and tell alternate stories of the siege of Middle-earth and Sauron’s defeat.

The Silmarillion. 2d ed.
Houghton. 2001. 365p. ed. by Christopher Tolkien. maps. ISBN 0-618-13504-9. $28; pap. ISBN 0-618-12698-8. $14.
The action of this volume predates even the above History titles as it relates the creation of Middle-earth, its beings and the coming of evil. Tolkien’s Paradise Lost.

Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth.
Houghton. 2001. 472p. index. maps. ISBN 0-618-15404-3. $26; pap. ISBN 0-618-15404-1. $16.
As the title indicates, this is a collection of odds and ends from different ages of Middle-earth ranging from the First Age until Sauron’s defeat. For diehards only.

Carpenter, Humphrey. J.R.R. Tolkien:A Biography.
Houghton. 2000. 288p. illus. maps. index. ISBN 0-618-05702-1. pap. $14.
Carpenter’s 1977 biography offers a broad look at the Oxford don, who lived a relatively quiet life. This also details his close friendship with C.S Lewis.

Fisher, Jude. The Fellowship of the Ring Visual Companion.
Houghton. Nov. 2001. 72p. illus. ISBN 0-618-15401-9. $19.95.
Houghton will publish a Visual Companion volume for each of Jackson’s film installments. This offers a heavily illustrated introduction to the characters and the story.

Fonstad, Karen Wynn. The Atlas of Middle-earth. rev. ed.
Mariner: Houghton. 2001. 210p. maps. index. ISBN 0-618-12699-6. pap. $24.
Tolkien loved maps and geography played a great importance in his books. In the paperback revision of a hardcover that is out of print, cartographer Fonstad here details that aspect of these stories.

Hammond, Wayne G. & Christina Scull. J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist & Illustrator.
Houghton. 2000. 208p. illus. index. ISBN 0-618-08361-8. pap. $25.
Along with maps, Tolkien self-illustrated many of his works, and a large portion of his artwork is included in this volume with comment by the authors.

Hildebrandt, Gregory, Jr. Greg and Tim Hidelbrandt: The Tolkien Years.
Watson-Guptil. 2001 132p. illus. ISBN 0-8230-5124-2. pap. $24.95.
Artists interpretations of Middle-earth are legion, but those by the brothers Hidebrandt are among the best. This collects their complete gallery (197 paintings) of Tolkien art. This book will make LOTR fans reach nirvana.

Sibley, Brian. The Lord of the Rings: The Official Movie Guide.
Houghton. Nov. 2001. 120p. illus. ISBN 0-618-15402-7. $24.95; pap. ISBN 0-618-15403-5. $14.95.
A behind-the-scenes look at bringing the book to the screen that is chock-full of pics from the flick. If the film is as big as predicted (think Star Wars big!), you might want to buy a few copies of this and the Visual Companion volume.

On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a hobbit. Though New Line Cinema has created an official movie site (www.lordoftherings.net/), the best web page hands down is theonering.net, which offers daily updates of anything and everything Tolkien. For diehards wanting a replica of Sauron’s Ring, there’s www.badalijewelry.com/tolkien.htm offering Tolkien-inspired jewelry. Houghton Mifflin, publisher of the books, also has a Tolkien page at www.lordofthe-ringstrilogy.com.