Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Tolkien’s World



I recall when I was a teenager overhearing a couple of my classmates talking about a book called The Hobbit and a trilogy of books that followed The Hobbit known as the Middle-Earth or Tolkien Trilogy.

Intrigued I picked up a paperback edition of The Hobbit and read it in one evening.  I was enthralled.  Bilbo Baggins, a magic ring, Gollum, Hobbits-why had I not heard of this wonderful world and its inhabitants before?

Not long afterwards  I picked up the Trilogy and read the entire series in one mad reading frenzy barely taking time to eat and stretch with no sleep.  Once finished I was exhausted both physically and mentally and slept for 14 hours.

The Tolkien books have been around for decades and with each new generation more and more people become fans of the series.  The Trilogy spawned three movies and The Hobbit is being filmed at this moment with three films promised.

Insight Editions has just released a large hardbound book filled with luscious illustrations and paintings by Peter Mckinstry with text by Gareth Hanrahan. Tolkien’s World is A Guide To The People And Places Of Middle-Earth offers vital information about The Hobbit and Trilogy.

Although not an official or authorized guide to the series the book still makes for an important resource for anyone who has never read the series of for those who cherish each passage.  J.R.R. Tolkien fans are sure to want this beautifully crafted book.