Fiction

J R R Tolkien Books

Quite possibly the greatest fiction writer of all time, J R R Tolkien’s works have been given more honors than we could possibly list. Suffice it to say, his amazing tales of fantasy are rooted in Catholicism, individual liberty and a love of nature.

Unlike his good friend CS Lewis’ Narnia series, Tolkien’s works aren’t allegorical. They’re far more subtle.

Born John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, he was the eldest son of a banker. By the time he was 12 both his parents had died but not before his mother converted to Catholicism, a faith he fervently practiced through his life.

He served his country during World War I though not before completing his studies. He was admittedly reluctant. That experience did inspire his depiction of Mordor.

A professor of English, he was an avid writer, poet and philologist. His love of language is both obvious and central to his works, having not just created new worlds in his mind and books, but the entire language, history and cultures for the different peoples of Middle-earth. His writings are heavily inspired by his studies in Germanic, Celtic, Finnish and Greek language and mythology. He also specifically studied and drew inspiration from Old English literature such as Beowulf.