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A review by luthien_tinuviel
The Nature of Middle-earth by Carl F. Hostetter, J.R.R. Tolkien
challenging
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
I was so excited when this book was first announced and it did not disappoint. On the whole I loved learning more about Tolkien’s writing and found it really informative. There is a wealth of information in this book, but I particularly enjoyed the sections on the ageing of the elves and chronology of the first age, the descriptions of characters, mind-pictures, elvish reincarnation, the lives of the Numenoreans and the lands and creatures of Numenor.
Some bits were a bit difficult to get through, for example, the sections that were primarily about language, I personally found a bit boring. It also took a while to wrap my head around some of the maths in the first part but once I did it made me appreciate how much thought and detail Tolkien put into things. I find it so impressive how immersed in his own created world he was, which makes it so much more immersive for the readers.
Some bits were a bit difficult to get through, for example, the sections that were primarily about language, I personally found a bit boring. It also took a while to wrap my head around some of the maths in the first part but once I did it made me appreciate how much thought and detail Tolkien put into things. I find it so impressive how immersed in his own created world he was, which makes it so much more immersive for the readers.