Book Review: Christian Encounters J.R.R Tolkien
Katie J.R.R. Tolkien by Mark Horne is the 4th book in the Christian Encounter Series that I have read and I have to say it was by far my favorite. What I like about these books is that they are tiny – size wise and page wise and can easily be carried around in my purse.
This book was much easier for me to read than some of the others – only 10 chapters and everything flowed and told the story of Tolkien’s life with a bit of his Christian lifestyle stuck in there as well. (Though this didn’t have as much mention of his Christianity as some of the other books in the series) Other books in this series I struggled to get through, this one I found myself wanting to read all in one sitting (though unfortunately I started it a bit too late at night for that!)
It told about how some of the stories in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings mirrored what had happened in his life, how after writing The Hobbit the publisher’s wanted him to expand on it but instead he wrote The Simirilian, which was more of an “adult” book to the Hobbit’s “children’s” book. And how he did not get “celebrity status” until much later in his life.
While I have not read any of Tolkien’s books (I had to read The Hobbit for school but just couldn’t get in to it and never finished it) I have seen The Lord of the Rings movies several times, so it was interesting to find out about the author and his upbringing before writing the books.
About the Book
Christian Encounters, a series of biographies from Thomas Nelson Publishers, highlights important lives from all ages and areas of the Church. Some are familiar faces. Others are unexpected guests. But all, through their relationships, struggles, prayers, and desires, uniquely illuminate our shared experience.
J.R.R. Tolkien famously penned The Hobbit and the 3-volume novel The Lord of the Rings. Known as “the father of modern fantasy literature,” his writings have inspired many other works of fantasy and have had a lasting effect on the entire genre. In this Christian Encounters biography, learn how Tolkien’s faith was an intrinsic element of his creative imagination, one that played out in the pages of his writings and his life.