Guest Author - Nicola Jane Soen

One cannot discus English greats of fiction without mentioning the literary genius of J.R.R.Tolkien. Tolkien has possibly influenced the English fiction culture in away never rivalled by any other author. Indeed nobody else in the world has yet come up with such literacy genius. Tolkien invented an entire language to go with his books. It is more like artwork than just writing.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in 1892 to Arthur Reuel Tolkien and his wife Mabel. Originally married in Africa; Mabel returned with her young sons John Ronald Reuel and Hilary Arthur Reuel (born 1894). She had not liked Africa and was please to come home. Arthur was meant to follow, but sadly died of Rheumatic fever in 1896.

By 12 years old Ronald lost his mother as well to diabetes. One major thing she had left her sons with, which led to the estrangement of the family was Catholicism. The boys were eventually taken and brought up by Father Francis, a catholic priest.

Tolkien showed literary promise from a young age. He studied at Exeter College Oxford, having already mastered languages such as Latin, Greek and Finnish. However a problem arose at the house where Tolkien and his brother boarded. A young lady called Edith Bratt, who was 19 to his 16. When Father Francis found out about the budding relationship he forbade Tolkien to see her until he was at least 21. Tolkien loved Edith but was obedient to Father Francis. However he married Edith on 22 March 1916.

Already well known for his work Tolkien scribbled bits of Lord of The Rings on paper, mainly The Silmarillion and The lost tales, the story of the rings really started for him in his study when he wrote the immortal words, ‘In a hole in the ground lived a Hobbit.’ Often he would tell his children the stories at bedtime, and in later years the children tried remember the order in which he told them. Some of the order was different.

The Trilogy about the rings and the Hobbit were amazing success stories, even though the publishers did not think so. The Rings trilogy passed in to legend and has been given iconic status all over the world. This hopefully, is what Tolkien would have wanted. He was not really into fame for himself, but immortality and legend for his book, given his love of ancient legends and myths is well deserved. Tolkien died in 1973.

The order of the main books of the Lord of the Rings Series are:
The Silmarillion
The Hobbit
Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
Return of the King

To learn more please visit:
www.tolkiensociety.org
www.tolkienlibrary.com
www.tolkienlibrary.com/dmiller/dmiller.htm