Untangling Tolkien: A Chronology and Commentary for The Lord of the Rings

Author - Michael W. Perry ... [Goo?] [Posters]

This Paperback Book item from Inkling Books was reviewed on 12-Oct-2008.

Search ISBN:1587420198 offer from Abebooks or used books from Alibris. Untangling Tolkien: A Chronology and Commentary for The Lord of the Rings Reference Book. Classifications : Reference Books & Reading Literature & Fiction Subjects Books General Criticism & Theory History & Criticism Literature & Fiction Subjects Books General British World Literature Literature & Fiction S . Click the following link to view the cover of Untangling Tolkien: A Chronology and Commentary for The Lord of the Rings.

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1) Paperback Book Untangling Tolkien: A Chronology and Commentary for The Lord of the Rings by Inkling Books. Perry has done a wonderful job in untangling the very intricate tale woven by J.R.R. Tolkien. Of particular help are the copious margin notes which reference exactly where Perry is drawing the information contained within that section of his book. The commentary made by the author is a welcomed pause for reflection on the events that are taking place and keep the book from being a mere listing of dates and events. I teach a course on J.R.R. Tolkien and have found Untangling Tolkien a valuable resource, since it covers the entire history of Middle-earth: what comes before The Hobbit and what takes place after The Lord of The Rings. Bravo Mr. Perry, I look forward to reading your other books.¤

2) Paperback Book Untangling Tolkien: A Chronology and Commentary for The Lord of the Rings by Inkling Books. An amazing accomplishment by a dedicated Tolkien fan.

That is how I´d sum up the book Untanging Tolkien. Michael Perry has first unraveled all Tolkien´s "dates" -- which can be extrapolated from phases of the moon -- and then knit them together again in a cohesive outline, presented in much greater detail than Tolkien´s own timeline (found buried in Appendix A of LOTR). By incorporating information from other Tolkien writings, the author of Untangling Tolkien collates additional facts about all the characters and the circumstances surrounding the War of the Ring, folding them all into this detailed chronology. He includes material that sheds light on possible parallels between Tolkien´s work and events that were contemporary, and he provides original commentary that suggests some additional motivations for Tolkien´s characters. Sidebars offer references to every source for the information presented and for each conclusion the author has drawn.

I found the format, with quick-reference bulleted lists and clearly delineated sections and subheadings, well-organized and easy to use.

NOTE: I read the third printing that was published in May 2004. Apparently the author has corrected many of the errors that David Bratman objected to (below). You won´t find a better overview or a more throrough treatment of time and dates in LOTR than Perry provides in this book.
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3) Paperback Book Untangling Tolkien: A Chronology and Commentary for The Lord of the Rings by Inkling Books. This book is layed out as a chronological record of the events covered by Tolkein´s masterpiece with prefaces that explain the calender system created by Tolkein and its conversion to our more mundane (and possibly inferior) system. The type is clear, and margin citations clear and present for every entry. It´s primary utility, at which it succeeds admirably, is as a kind of radiograph of Tolkein´s work that reveals its astonishing complexity more clearly and allows one to admire, and more importantly, explore the book itself more quickly, easily, and deeply.

The book also contains copious notes inline with the chronology. These vary from informative to tangential, but at worst do not detract from the book´s primary function. Mr. Perry is perhaps foremost as Lewis scholar, and so C.S. Lewis, a close acquaintance and friend of Tolkein, makes a number of appearances. Also making appearances in the notes are William Shakespeare and Winston Churchill.

All in all, a unique book which will save anyone who wants to do an in depth study of LotR a lot of time.¤

4) Paperback Book Untangling Tolkien: A Chronology and Commentary for The Lord of the Rings by Inkling Books. Superb, exhaustive chronology of Tolkien´s Lord of the Rings saga. Perry does a superior job in untangling a number of thorny chronological issues in Tolkien´s narrative, and he employs some fine literary detective work in reconstructing what events are happening across Middle Earth on any given date. Especially admirable is his reconstruction of how much moonlight there was during each day of Frodo and Sam´s journey into Mordor.

In addition to chronology, Perry supplies a lot of background information about Tolkien´s themes and sources, as well as biographical tidbits about Tolkien. For example, there are fascinating discussions of Tolkien´s views of technology, freedom, and totalitarianism. Perry also discusses Tolkien´s stance toward the misuse of Germanic myths by the Nazis.

This is a great resource for Tolkien-lovers everywhere.¤

5) Paperback Book Untangling Tolkien: A Chronology and Commentary for The Lord of the Rings by Inkling Books. A year-by-year, later day-by-day, chronicle of the war against Sauron from the founding of the Shire to the glorious conclusion seems at the outset like a good idea. Perry calls LOTR´s Appendix B, the Tale of Years, "far from complete" but it covers the whole period: what he means is that it´s not detailed enough for him. Appendix B won´t tell you which day Sam cooked coney for Frodo; Perry will.

But alas, the book does not stop there. The entries are written as bullet lists like a PowerPoint presentation, and many add pointless little flowcharts such as two-generation family trees. They reduce Tolkien´s magnificently complex subcreation into a giant mass of undifferentiated trivia. And each yearly or daily entry comes with its commentary, whether directly relevant, side points, broader considerations, or dogmatic essays in applicability. The unrelieved banality and inappropriateness of these must be read to be believed; as also the author´s clumsy, grammatically inept style, and his smug superiority to the characters. (He frequently criticizes the good guys´ "blunders," all of them more complex than he implies.)

There´s actually some good chronological analysis and speculation hiding in here. But how can someone who knows his Tolkien that well say that the wizards were Valar, or that Rohan gave Isengard to Saruman (it wasn´t theirs to give, and Saruman was made its warden, not a freeholder), that Boromir and Faramir had a sibling rivalry (Tolkien specifically says not), or suggest that Galadriel should have sent daily eagles to check up on the Fellowship?

These are not isolated examples: the bloopers and misconceived ideas go on and on. The whole book is like that: it has the soul of a PowerPoint presentation. I can´t recommend it on any terms.¤

6) Paperback Book Untangling Tolkien: A Chronology and Commentary for The Lord of the Rings by Inkling Books. Here is the book that Tolkien fans have needed for half a century--a detailed, book-length chronology of J. R. R. Tolkien´s complex tale. Whether you are a serious Tolkien fan or simply someone who enjoys reading the story over and over again, this is the book for you. It´s the first totally new reference for The Lord of the Rings since the 1970s.

Beginning over 1400 years before the major events in Tolkien´s epic, it describes, year-by-year, the amazing and imaginative background history that Tolkien created for his masterpiece. Then for the main narrative, it becomes a day-by-day reference, describing what each character does on that day and all the places where those events are described in Tolkien´s writings. You can find out, for instance, what Merry and Pippin are doing as Sam perpares rabbit stew on the morning of March 7.

Probe deeper into Tolkien. See why someone as serious as Gandalf was interested in fun-loving Hobbits. Discover an exciting new plot, based on Tolkien´s notes, that begins when Aragorn captures Gollum. Follow along as the Black Riders and Gandalf race for the Shire. Decide for yourself whether Sauron and the Ring have any ties to Hitler and Stalin. Explore what Tolkien believed about nature and technology.

A few facts illustrate how helpful this chronology is. Most of narrative is a deliberately confusing sea of next days and third days that leave readers as confused as the tale´s main characters.The middle 60 percent of The Lord of the Rings gives the current date only once. In the narrative as a whole, the date is given only 23 times, or once for every 43 pages, and most of those come when the plot is moving slowly. That´s why those who want to dig deeper and understand better what Tolkien was saying will find this book a must-have.¤

Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 9-Nov-2008, 15874201989781587420191, 960-760-981-981-BCB-ZAB-8

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