JRR Tolkien – A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter

As a lifelong fan of JRR Tolkien, an author to whom I owe an immense debt for inspiration, it's kinda scandalous that I've not delved into his history up until quite recently. The 2019 biopic can, in my opinion, only loosely nod at Tolkien's earlier years and does not in the least do any justice to the man and his immense literary output. When I encountered JRR Tolkien – A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter on Audible, I popped it onto my wishlist and eventually got around to giving it a listen.

Narrator Roger May does a sterling job bringing the words to life, and I was surprised by how quickly I ate my way through the book. It of course helps that I find the subject matter absolutely fascinating, but the production quality is excellent, which most certainly adds value to the overall experience.

Put simply, Tolkien had an incredibly intense, focused intellect – words really were his jam, if we excuse my dreadful abuse of idiom. He was also very much a product of his time, something that we who live in a more liberal society should keep in mind. Tolkien's milieu was mostly divided along strict gender roles – and he was very much a man's man in terms of where he sought his friendships. Yet by equal measure, he adored his wife Edith – in a way I feel that saw her placed upon a pedestal. Humphrey does touch upon the tensions that occasionally arose between Tolkien and Edith – the man really did inhabit two worlds.

It's my opinion this gender-based segregation was a product of the then educational institutions in a largely patriarchal society, which was further reinforced by Tolkien's experiences fighting in the trenches during WW1. This life-and-death camaraderie between men is echoed quite clearly in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It is what it is – cultural artefact of an era.

What Humphrey further unpacks is Tolkien's fascination with languages, which infuses everything from his academic work all the way to his ambitious fiction writing. Whether it's digging into the old Germanic languages upon which English has its foundations laid to the creation of imaginary languages in Middle-Earth, it's clear that this was a topic that engaged his imagination – and mine, too! I've often heard complaints that Tolkien's writing is too slow, too detailed, too boring, but for those with the patience and the love of the sound of words, each paragraph is a carefully crafted work of literary art. And this is a hill I'm prepared to die on.

In short, if you're looking for an introduction into the Prof's life and writing, and are curious about how works like The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings went from hand-written manuscript to final product, that went on to spawn a popular multi-media fandom, then this is a good place to start. We even get to see the kindling and cooling of his friendship with another literary luminary – CS Lewis.

I can't help but wonder how things would have been different for the fantasy genre if Tolkien had more time (or the wherewithal) to expand on the other stories that exist as mere synopses in The Silmarillion. Although he is not the first to write fantasy, he most certainly ushered the genre into popularity, and many authors who followed in his wake were most certainly heavily inspired by his Middle-Earth.

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, by JRR Tolkien, read by Andy Serkis

My first encounter with JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit came when I was around six years old, and my mum picked up a paperback copy from which she read parts of to me. I do admit I was probably a little too young to appreciate this, back then, but I did go on to reading the book on my own when I was about 11 or 12. Which is also when I plunged headlong into The Lord of the Rings and knew from that moment that I wanted to be a fantasy writer. 

I'm always somewhat baffled when people complain that The Hobbit is boring, but hey, there's no accounting for people's taste. But what I will say to those of you who didn't quite gel with the reading, do give the audiobook narrated by Andy Serkis a try. It's my firm belief that some fiction only truly comes alive as the spoken word, and in this case, The Hobbit is a prime example.

Tolkien is a master of the third person omniscient, so often interrupts the main flow to give a little of his own opinion – and sometimes the references to things from his own time, like football, can be a bit jarring. This is especially the case considering that the conventions of present day fiction favour a limited first- or third-person point of view. So I'm guessing the 'narrator voice' of the author might be off-putting to some readers (though I do believe that they don't quite know how to articulate this, judging by the reviews out there – worth a laugh and an eye-roll if you're trawling to see the one-star reviews for The Hobbit.)

But Andy Serkis as a narrator of this book surpasses himself. His minute details in characterisation, for everyone from Bilbo and Gandalf, to Smaug, and of course the Gollum we all know and love, are an absolute delight. This is the unabridged version of the book, so we're looking at plus minus 10 hours of entertainment, and I'm beginning to wonder if Peter Jackson shouldn't have just stuck to the plot instead of his mangling of the film adaption of the book. Because yes, there is enough content for three movies here, if you look hard enough. 

This is most certainly one of my audiobook highlights of the year, and I cannot recommend it enough. Serkis is an absolute treasure and he has without a doubt done justice to JRR Tolkien's legacy with his reading.

Ten of the Best – Top Reads for 2015

I’m a bit late with my “best of” reading list for 2015, but hey, it’s better late than never. Sadly I don’t get as much time to read as I used to before I went freelance, but then some things can’t be helped. What you’ll get here is a mix of books that are both old and new, because I’m a firm believer that we *do* need talk about older titles. So, here, in alphabetical order, are my top ten reads for the year, accompanied by extracts from my reviews, many of which appeared in the Pretoria News and on my blog.

Allegiance by Beth Bernobich hit all the marks for me with a well-defined, diverse cast. This the third of her River of Souls fantasy trilogy filled with intrigue, magic and adventure. More than that I won't say. Ilse and Raul are most certainly unforgettable, and if you're looking for a richly textured, gradually unfolding saga, then this is the sort of tale that harks back to the classics.

Not only am I drawn to her writing because of her solid worldbuilding, but also because she has created a society where there is less division between the roles played by men and women, and also a fluidity of sexuality. Women are soldiers, they can take on positions of power, and it doesn’t matter who you love. What else I adored was the fact that Bernobich breaks away from the Eurocentricism still prevalent in contemporary fantasy, to gift us with a saga that is distinctly Eastern in flavour without being heavy handed. – an extract from my review.

Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen is another story that gave me the shivers. Cat has been one of my guiding lights and her writing is lush, nuanced and immersive. In Beastkeeper she retells "Beauty and the Beast", but from the point of Sarah, a lonely child whose parents have separated. She is sent to live with her remote grandmother, and discovers that her family harbours many secrets.

As always, Hellisen seems to effortlessly touch on the universality of fairy tales to delve even deeper and bring up underlying themes. One one level, this is a children’s quest to break a curse. On another, it’s a parable of how twisted love has soured to hate and indifference, and how one young person can find it in herself to step outside the trap of a destructive cycle. This is a dark, painful and elegant tale, made all the more beautiful, because Hellisen weaves with mystery and doesn’t hand over all the answers on a plate.

Blood Song by Anthony Ryan is book one of his Raven's Shadow trilogy, and has been one of my new discoveries in fantasy, and I've been gushing like a complete fangrrrl to anyone who's been within earshot. Anthony is an example of where self-publishing can lead to greater things, and this is coming-of-age story turns into a military fantasy that rubs shoulders with a fair amount of adventure and derring-do.

Ryan is relentless in what he has his characters endure, and the results are hardly convenient or tidy (as one can expect in an authentic setting). Expect bloodshed, violence and much death. Vaelin is a complex character whose actions aren’t always kind, but he is consistent in his logic, and I couldn’t help but admire him, even if I did not always agree with his decisions.

Dragon Age: The World of Thedas Volume 1 by David Gaider, Ben Gelinas, Mike Laidlaw and Dave Marshall (editor) was oh so worth the effort of giving my money to BioWare (as I seem to be wont to do of late). I'm a huge fan of the game, not only because it's what I term as a fantasy RPG for Generation X, but because hells, the lore. So. Much. Lore. I'm a lore junkie. Also, this is just a really, really pretty book. And I'm unashamedly a fangrrrl.

I've yet to write a full review, but if you're a collector of stuff to fulfil your inner geekness, this lovely hardcover book is what you need. The illustrations are beautiful and many of those little snippets of tomes and manuscripts that you encounter in-game are replicated here, along with other fascinating bits about the different nations, their people and its history.

Radiance by Grace Draven was one of those rare situations where Amazon made a recommendation that actually hit the mark – she's pegged as being somewhere along the lines of Jacqueline Carey and Storm Constantine (which is the equivalent of catnip for me). This is dark fantasy with a romantic spin, where we have a day/night type relationship. Two young people, Brishen (of the Kai people) and Ildiko (human) have an arranged marriage to solidify the political relations between their people. They weren't supposed to fall in love too... But they did. I eagerly await book two of the Wraith Kings.

This book is sweet, but it’s not without its claws. The non-human race portrayed in this book (the Kai) are not cuddly, and their actions are quite bloody at times. They also make a lovely shift from vampires, elves or angels (I’d peg them as somewhat toothy, predatorial elves that don’t like going out during the day.) The human Ildiko may be soft and gentle on the outside but she has nerves of steel, and adapts quickly to her new people. By the end of the book, she’s a force to be reckoned with – while retaining her feminine qualities.

Sirkus Boere by Sonja Loots is one of two Afrikaans books I read during 2015. Yes, I know I'm terrible that I hardly if ever read anything written in my mother tongue but then again, there's a dearth of fantasy fiction in Afrikaans. Sirkus Boere was set reading for my varsity module, but I enjoyed it anyway because Sonja's writing is oh so clever and the topic (the Anglo-Boer War) fascinates me.

There are plenty of subtexts here. Mainly we deal with four main characters who're each trying to deal with the trauma of what they've lost during the war. Three of them get dragged off to be performers in a spectacle arranged by a circus showman. There's plenty of discussion about racism, colonialism, and how one overcomes the past. Do you embrace it? Walk away from it? Allow it to eat you up and paralyse you? What stories do you tell about your past?

The Children of Húrin by JRR Tolkien is one of those must-reads that has been languishing on my TBR pile for too long – until 2015, that is. In his usual fine, style, Tolkien takes the template for an ancient European myth and recasts it within Middle-earth. I am completely unashamedly a huge Tolkien fan. I am also aware that his writing is not perfect. But he's been part of my journey as reader and author since I was first able to read. Allow me this indulgence.

PS, if you’re emotionally correct and easily upset by bad stuff that happens to good people, go read about unicorns pooping rainbows. This book will make you very, very angry and you’ll probably ask for it to be banned from your library.

The Diving by Helen Walne is another of those books that doesn't full within my usual purview, but because it's my policy to read outside of my chosen genres from time to time, and because this one really hit me in all the feels, it deserves its spot here. I've been somewhat of a huge Helen Walne fan for years, and really enjoy her weekly columns in the Cape Argus. I also had fangrrrl moments whenever I bumped into her in the corridors of Independent Newspapers while I was still employed there. I mean, really – I had to stop myself from tripping over my tongue and telling her in a rush of words how fabulous I think she is.

Helen’s observations are poignant and heartfelt – and she evokes her environment and the people who populate it with great vividness. In places, her signature humour is evident, tempered by her sorrow but redolent with incredible depth of feeling. This is not an easy book to read, because you know from the start what you’re in for, but as a personal account of those struggling in the aftermath of a suicide, it is rich in love despite the pain. And yes, the all-important letting go.

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison is a standalone fantasy (which is good news for those of you who're positively exhausted by all the trilogies and series out there). When a friend whose opinion I respect and whose good taste in literature I trust implicitly told me in no uncertain terms that I would enjoy this book, I went and bought it. I wasn't disappointed. Yes, it's a slow-moving courtly intrigue kinda tale, but I loved Maia's wide-eyed horror as he learns how to become an emperor immensely. Oh, yes, and elves and goblins. That is all.

This is not a fast-moving novel by any measure. Katherine Addison’s prose is detailed and textured, and at times the array of names for people and places is bewildering (and possibly intentionally so, to create a sense of disorientation that Maia might feel at his situation). Yet the story is compelling, down to the last chapter, to be savoured for the rich world building and the slow weave of power play. The Goblin Emperor’s awarding of the 2015 Locus Award for “Best Fantasy Novel” is well deserved.

Whispers of the World that Was by ES Wynn is a Wraeththu Mythos novel. Fans of dark fantasy and who've had their brush with Storm Constantine's worlds will not be disappointed. ES Wynn is a gifted author whose style reminds me a lot of Steve-and-Ghost era Poppy Z Brite. Oh, and don't read this book while you're hungry either.

While those who’ve read the Chronicles and Histories will certainly get some of the more obscure canon references in Whispers of the World that Was, this knowledge is not a prerequisite, primarily because Tyse himself is largely ignorant of what it entails to be Wraeththu. All in all, this is a satisfying read, and a worthy addition to an established fantasy mythos that deviates from standard visions involving dragons, mages and elves.

While I welcome queries from authors and publishers seeking reviews (and I take pride in the fact that I will accept requests from self-published authors and small presses) my reading time at present is severely curtailed due to me having gone full time as a freelance designer and editor. I currently have a huge backlog and will therefore be incredibly picky about which books I accept. Please *do* read my review policy. Potential editing clients are also welcome to email me at nerinedorman@gmail.com – I am happy to provide a five-page sample, and offer a range of services, including proofing, manuscript assessment and developmental edits.