The Rough Guide to The Lord of the Rings: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Middle Earth

From Publishers Weekly
Small enough to fit in a back pocket, this guide to all things Middle-earth has enough material on the Tolkien saga to keep anyone reading for days. The editors make no assumptions about how much readers know of The Lord of the Rings; they explain exactly why the trilogy is so popular and plainly delineate its plot, characters, themes and meanings. Yet this isn't a cursory, quickie guide. Chapters explore, among other subjects, Tolkien's life and times; the making of the blockbuster movies based on the books; the culture, geography and language of Middle-earth (where the trilogy takes place); and how institutions from Greenpeace to Russian politics have been influenced by the trilogy. Sidebars add a quirky aspect to the text, sharing, for example, a list of directors' cameos to look out for in the films, a round-up of writers whose work has been influenced by The Lord of the Rings, and an overview of Tolkien's religious background. Photos. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


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This new Rough Guide to The Lord Of The Rings is a key to everything Middle-earth: a must read for Tolkien enthusiasts and a revelation for audiences of the motion picture trilogy. Features include: The origins - The story of JRR Tolkien and how that story led him to create the finest fantasy novel of the last century; The books - A critical, informed guide to Tolkien's work, the mythology which inspired him and a look at how the book has influenced Terry Pratchett, Marc Bolan and George Lucas; The motion picture trilogy - An in-depth look at the making of the films, the crucial casting decisions, on-set trivia, the books journey through Hollywood development hell and the thoughts of director Peter Jackson and star Christopher Lee; The characters - Your definitive guide to the populace of Middle-earth. And a guide to the intricacies of Elvish; The context - How Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings inspired computer games, Russian politics, environmental campaigners and even progressive rock.


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