Meditations on Middle-Earth: New Writing on the Worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien by Orson Scott Card, Ursula K. Le Guin, Raymond E. Feist, Terry Pratchett, Charles de Lint, George R. R. Martin... and more: Amazon.ca: Karen Haber, Howe: Books

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If you remember where you were when you first read The Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings trilogy, then this collection of essays by some of fantasy and science fiction's most popular authors is worth a look. J.R.R. Tolkien's impact on fantastic fiction--and its writers--is explored in contributions that range from intensely personal expressions of the power and beauty of Tolkien's work to more analytical examinations of his style, language, and influences.

Standouts include Michael Swanwick's thoughtful and powerful meditation on heroism and consequences; Ursula K. Le Guin's analysis of narrative rhythm and language in the trilogy; Terri Windling's moving reflection on an escape from abuse fueled by the power of fairy tales; and Douglas A. Anderson's examination of the critical response to Tolkien's work.

This is an uneven collection, with a couple of downright clunkers, but it should appeal to Tolkien aficionados who are interested in the master's influence on those working in the field today. --Roz Genessee --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

An unapologetic tie-in with the release of the first highly anticipated Lord of the Rings film, this anthology presents appreciative essays in honor of the master of Middle-earth from such major fantasy and SF authors as Harry Turtledove, Raymond Feist, Terry Pratchett, George R.R. Martin and the late Poul Anderson. All thank Tolkien, some sardonically, for making the fantasy genre so popular. Ursula K. Le Guin discusses obvious and concealed poetry in the trilogy, while Douglas A. Anderson treats Tolkien's critics, admitting that the posthumously published writings, edited by the author's son, Christopher, are "not always easy to read," a view seconded by several other contributors. Less successful as a scholarly exercise is Orson Scott Card's "How Tolkien Means," which focuses on allegory, a mode Tolkien rejected. Most contributors celebrate the beauty of the writing in the major books, although Michael Swanwick finds them "sad with wisdom" in his essay, "A Changling Returns." Swanwick takes the lead in pointing out the importance of the humble hobbit Sam Gamgee as a character. In a dialogue between illustrators and brothers Tim and Greg Hildebrandt, Tim admits that "Tolkien was never a big supporter of illustration to accompany works of fantasy." Alas, Howe's vague and unimaginative pencil sketches only serve to support Tolkien's case. Editor Haber offers an adoring but welcome antidote to the more pompous exegeses of the "author of the century." (Nov. 23)and "Lord of the Rings Redux" (PW, Sept. 10).

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Conan, that seminal barbarian of our times, would have been right at home quaffing a horn of mead with Siegfried and Beowulf. Read the first page

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3.8 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)

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4.0 out of 5 stars An almost-perfect celebration of Tolkien, Jun 16 2004

By	Katie (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Meditations on Middle Earth (Hardcover)

Mostly good, this collection did have some serious downfalls. For the positives first, in general this was a great celebration of Tolkien's enduring effect on the fantasy field, and of his works. Most of the contributers to this wanted to share their experiances and debts to Tolkien's works, but a few seemed just as happy to grab their own fame out of this enterpriese. An essay-by-essay review in the order that they appear...

George R.R. Martin: Unfortunatly stuck with the intro, Martin discusses Tolkienesque and epic fantasy, the latter being his main style. Engaging and interesting, and much too short.

Raymond E. Fiest: So-so essay, entertaining but not overly informative or interesting.

Poul Anderson: I remember nothing of this one save that it was the only essay that I couldn't finish...and it wasn't even that long.

Michael Swanwick: My memory of this one is sketchy as well, but a wonderfully tied-together essay that was much more united than many of these, and inspiring. A new author to me, this essay impressed me with his style and appriciation and understanding of Tolkien's works.

Esther M. Friesner: Not very on-topic, but it made me laugh...different style, but good enough.

Harry Turtledove: Never did get the point he was trying to make, I don't think he did either. Rambling and random, but not boring at least.

Terry Pratchett: Pratchett was a bit condesencing (or more than a bit) in his essay, and it appeared to me that he came into the deal just to help sell the book with his popular name. No insights in this, and his lack of passion for Tolkien is apparent.

Robin Hobb: A refreshingly fluid essay, sharing her personal experiances and thoughts about the books. Loved this one, and I agreed with her on almost everything she said. Respectful of Tolkien in the way that I am...not forceful, but deeply passionate in a quiter way.

Ursula K LeGuin: Took me awhile to finish this one, but left me with a much better understanding of Tolkien's styles in prose. If you're shooting for new but not radical ideas and thoughts, this is worth the price of the book!

Diane Duane: More of a personal experiance essay, okay and entertianing enough, but not much substance.

Douglas A. Anderson: He said some things I didn't agree with, but his essay was excellent and informative, while being engaging. A nice history of Tolkien both personal and historical, nicely done.

Orson Scott Card: A bit rambling, but, though some of his ideas were questionable for me, very good. Card once again demostrates his understanding of the genre and its history and mechanics, conveying this in his usual intimate, sometimes sarcastic, fast-moving and informative fashion that I love so much.

Lisa Goldstien: Never heard of her, but a nice essay on why Tolkien was so different, important, and nessecary to our world.

Charles De Lint: I feel that he has seriously mis-interpretted certain bits of the book, seeing it as a bit too allegorical, and only grasping the points of it that he wants to understand. Poltically correct, this essay started good and went bad.

Hildebrant brothers: Can't say enough bad about them. They did this just for their own publicity, and I got very, very tired of hearing about how wonderful they were, and how perfect their interpretations were, and how much fun it is to illustrate...bleh. They are arrogant, concieted, and condecending, trying to compare themselves to Tolkien, and getting all upset over the lack of feminism in the books. Good for Tolkien, I say! I'm a woman, it doesn't bug me, and I don't need a bunch of guys looking out for my best intrests. I can do that myself! Burn this conversation, folks. It was awful.

Terri Windling: Nice conclusion to the book, inspiring and hopeful, and very touching. A bit feministic for my tastes, but a true tribute to Tolkien.

Overall, nice essays in general. If you're wondering, buy it. It's good light reading. But if you're looking for a serious academic study of Tolkien, buy Tom Shippey's "J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century" instead.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Brings out my own memories, Mar 17 2004

By	Lawrence G Coatney "Geno" (Pagosa Springs, Colorado USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book really brought back some great memories. And not really in the vein of Tolkien amazingly enough. ( I am a major FAN of Tolkien). No, I was shocked that when reading these essays I was quickly thrown back into my teenage years where I would read nothing but sci-fi/fantasy. I had almost forgotten how most of these authors had written in a basic, easy to read style that appealed to a young lad caught up in an adventurous, romantic mind set. I read these books as if I were love starved housewife needing my "Fabio on the cover" fix.
The good news is that I eventually outgrew this fixation, learning to read books that weren't written in under a month. But this book made me want to read some of their newer works, and, (gasp), reread some of them.
But seriously, this book is well worth the read. Some of the authors aren't all that great at writing non-fiction, (or even fiction for that matter), but it is nice to see them rahpsodizing about Tolkien. It is is also very nice to see John Howe's sketches scattered throughout, and his artwork on the cover was one of my favorite pictures long before I ever heard his name. He is an excellent artist, and I am so glad they used him as a conceptual designer on the LOTR' movies.
I give here a brief review of half the essays.
Karen Haber- Even though she was the editor of this book, her preface wasn't anything to write home about. Okay, I'll say it. It was DUMB.
George R.R. Martin- Martin, being stuck with the introduction, gives a short, concise read of what fantasy is and how Tolkien changed it. Well written and likable.
Michael Stanwick- I have never had the pleasure of reading Mr. Stanwick, but this gives me the desire to. He relates his experiences reading LOTR, gives a very nice piece on some of the dynamics of the characters, and talks of Tolkien's thoughts on allegory. He then finishes with a wonderfully heartwarming rendition of him reading the books to his young son, and how much more Sam's last words "Well, I'm back." meant to him then.
Esther Friesner- This essay was just plain funny. That is all I really remember. She didn't seem to have much to convey, but she did make me laugh.
Terry Pratchett- In true Brittish style, Pratchett brings real comic relief to this book. Just reading a short work as this brings to mind Monty Python, Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and his very own Discworld. This time he jumps headlong into the question" why is LOTR's still considered a cult classic, when it is the most popular book of the twentieth century?".He answers this in a way that would make Terry Gilliam or John Cleese proud to have written, showing how Mona Lisa and Pride and Prejudice fit into the equation. Bravo.
Ursula K. LeGuin- This was probably the best written of the bunch. Bypassing the "this is how I was first introduced to Tolkien's work" that pervades this book, Ursula gives a nice review of how Tolkien wrote his prose almost in a poetic metre. Taking one chapter of the fellowship, she shows how the different beats of action all corelate into a masterful work. Wish I had wrote it.
Orson Scott Card- The first page or two was alright, but after that it quickly detiorated into a study of "serious" vs. "escapist", that lost me in almost every paragraph. While making a few interesting points, it seemed mostly like he was just writing at random, and then forgot to put it into a cohesive format. All I can say is that Card should stick to writing fiction.
Hildebrandt Brothers- Before I write anything else, let me say this. I have never liked the brothers art. Sorry, but my bias will probably show in this one. Personally, I don't think that this should have been included in the book. Why not have John Howe or Alan Lee write something instead of this (rather lame) interview. Mostly they just banter back and forth about how skilled they are, talking about all their various projects, and occasionally thanking Tolkien for giving them the source material that made them famous. Pass.
Terri Windling- More so than all the others, this essay truly moved me. It recalled the wondefully romantic (in the classical sense of the word) thoughts, ideas, and feelings that I have always ascoiated with Tolkien, Indeed all fantasy in general. Interestingly enough, it wasn't the LOTR's that made her feel this way, But Tolkien's excellent lecture "On Fairy Stories", a beautiful work on the role of fantasy in the adult life. She also makes some great points about how Disney has changed the way we look at fairy tales, making them something just for children. Placing this essay at the end of the book definatly makes it feel as if they left the one of best for last.

Should you read this book? If you are a fan of tolkien, and don't mind a little light-hearted writing about him, then yes. If however you just happen to like a particular contributer, then you should probably shy away from this one.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful collection of essays, Oct 12 2002

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Meditations on Middle Earth (Hardcover)

MEDITATIONS ON MIDDLE EARTH is a collection of essays focusing on J.R.R. Tolkien's works, especially the Middle Earth saga. Some of the more renowned fantasy authors of today evaluate the series that made fantasy a household name. Surprisingly, though everyone agrees that Professor Tolkien opened up the genre to the middle class, not all of the contributors are fans of the actual novels. Insightful and entertaining, each essay is well written with the writer's particular spin. However, this anthology will be loved by those readers analyzing the various cultures in a way that cultural anthropologists would envy or by those fans who cherish Beowulf, which Tolkien felt is the forefather of the genre.

Harriet Klausner

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