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Books Related to The Keys of Middle-Earth Stuart D. Lee, Elizabeth Solopova - ISBN: 140394671X
The leaf-mould of risen memories - Rated
This book now sits in my collection of true scholarly works about J RR Tolkien. There is a group of books in which the authors make a genuine, scholarly attempt to analyze Tolkien's work and this is one of the best. It examines the "leaf-mould" of ancient languages that influenced Tolkien's invented languages and narrative tales of Middle Earth. Many other authors refer to these references but most do not have sufficient education in them to thoroughly analyze where they surface in Tolkien's work. These authors do a masterful job as far as I can tell. The book is also very well organized and written in a style that anyone can appreciate and follow. Their analysis of Tolkien's poetry in relationship to Old and Middle English is excellent and described in a such a clear and organized fashion that even someone (like me) who doesn't have any formal education in Anglo-Saxon can follow the associations. The book was clearly written for a general, Tolkien-informed audience and the authors provide sufficient introductory information that sets a context for their analysis of such arcane associations as the influence of the Old English poem Pearl to the description of Lothlorien. This work would be a wonderful method to introduce the old works to a general student audience who have all likely read Tolkien.
Unpublished material by Tolkien! - Rated
As well as taking you through some of the basics of medieval literature (Tolkien's academic background of course), what I found fascinating about this book was the material from Tolkien's unpublished lecture notes. This gives a new insight into his work as a scholar, and occasionally (as with the piece about the Rohirrim and their possible link to the Anglo-Saxons) a new insight into his thinking. It really does bridge the gap between his mythology and his studies, and as well as providing direct links between the two, you get to see the medieval texts in translation and in their original language. This is a really useful addition to my Tolkien library.
Very Accessible - Rated
I was quite sceptical about this book, but I love Tolkien’s work and I was intrigued to know more about the books and other works that influenced him. I’m not a scholar and I don’t know how this work would be received by some of the more academic audiences that perhaps it seeks to reach. I found it fascinating, and extremely accessible. However, more than that, the book’s really broadened my horizons, I’ll never be a Tolkien Scholar but this work’s made me think and at the same time given me a enormously satisfying read. Thanks.
