J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography
J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography is a biography book by Humphrey Carpenter. It is the official, authorized biography of J.R.R. Tolkien. First published in 1977, It has been reprinted many times since.
The Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey writes that even though the biography came out before most of the posthumous publications edited by Christopher Tolkien, "it has worn very well", telling of Tolkien's "sad and traumatic youth", and providing good coverage of his dealings with C. S. Lewis and his publishers.
The book contains a large number of previously unpublished extracts from letters, poems, and other writings by Tolkien, along with a reproduction of a manuscript page from The Lord of the Rings.
Contents
- I. A visit
- II. 1892-1916: Early years
- Bloemfontein
- Birmingham
- 'Private lang.' - and Edith
- 'T.C., B.S., etc'
- Oxford
- Reunion
- War
- The breaking of the fellowship
- IV. 1925-1949 (i): 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit'
- Oxford life
- Photographs observed
- 'He had been inside language'
- Jack
- Northmoor Road
- The storyteller
- V. 1925-1949 (ii): The Third Age
- Enter Mr Baggins
- 'The new Hobbit'
- VI. 1949-1966: Success
- Slamming the gates
- A big risk
- Cash or kudos
- VIII. The Tree
- Appendix
- A. Simplified genealogical table
- B. Chronology of events
- C. The published writings of J. R. R. Tolkien
- D. Sources and acknowledgments
Publication history and gallery
UK editions
- George Allen and Unwin hardcover (1977), pp. 304. ISBN 0049280376
- Unwin Paperbacks paperback (1978), ISBN 0049280392
- Unwin Paperbacks paperback (1987), ISBN 0049280708
- HarperCollins paperback (1995), ISBN 0261102451
- 1995 paperback edition, 2nd impression (1998)
- HarperCollins paperback (2002), ISBN 0007132840
- HarperCollins paperback (2016), ISBN 0008207771
- HarperCollins hardcover in slipcase (2026), ISBN 0008805296
Rejection of the first draft
In a BBC interview with Martin Wainwright in 2003, Carpenter confirmed that Christopher Tolkien rejected the first draft of the biography believing it to be a very boring to read. Carpenter assumed that this was due to the number of letters quoted.
Referencias
1. Esta ficha se ha importado inicialmente de TolkienGateway.net el día 26/05/2026.
