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J.R.R Tolkien

J.R.R Tolkien. Father of the Modern High Fantasy Genre. Childhood & Youth. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, on January 3 rd , 1892 His father died in 1896 and his mother moved him and his brother, Hilary, to the West Midlands of England

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J.R.R Tolkien

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  1. J.R.R Tolkien Father of the Modern High Fantasy Genre

  2. Childhood & Youth • John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, on January 3rd, 1892 • His father died in 1896 and his mother moved him and his brother, Hilary, to the West Midlands of England • He was sent to school in Birmingham at King Edward’s School • His mother converted to Roman Catholicism and Tolkien remained a devout Catholic his whole life • His mother died from diabetes in1904 • Tolkien and his brother were left in the care of Father Francis Morgan

  3. Childhood & Youth • He was very gifted in languages and by the age of 12 had already mastered Latin, Greek, Gothic and Finnish • He made up his own languages for fun • He met and fell in love with a woman named Edith Bratt but was forbidden by Father Morgan to see her until he was 21 • He went to Exeter College, oxford in 1911 and obtained degrees in “Honor Moderations” and later “English Language and Literature” • Edith Bratt converted to Catholicism and they picked up their relationship where it left off

  4. War & Academia • When war broke out, Tolkien returned to Oxford instead of joining up right away • He finished his first language, “Qenya” which was similar to Finnish • Tolkien enlisted as a second lieutenant • Before he left for France, he and Edith married in the Warwick countryside in March of 1916 • He came down with “trench-fever” and was sent back to England after 4 months • In 1917, he was promoted to lieutenant

  5. War & Academia • In 1918, he was appointed to Assistant Lexicographer for the preparation of the “Oxford English Dictionary” • In 1920, he became an Associate Professor in English Language at the University of Leeds • He continued to work on, The Book of Lost Tales • In 1925, Tolkien secured Rawlinson and Bosworth Professorship of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford

  6. The Reuel/Tolkien Family • In 1917, Tolkien’s 1st son, John Francis Reuel was born • Edith gave birth to 2 more sons, Michael Hilary Reuel in 1920, and Christopher Reuel in 1924 • In 1929, Tolkien’s only daughter, Priscilla, was born • His son John entered the priesthood, while his sons Michael and Christopher joined the Royal Air Force and later became professors and Priscilla became a social worker

  7. Professor Tolkien & The Inklings • In 1945, Tolkien got the Merton Professorship of English Language and Literature, which he kept until his retirement in 1959 • Tolkien founded a group of friends called, “The Inklings” • C.S. Lewis was among the members of The Inklings and Tolkien is credited with Lewis’ return to Christianity • The Inklings met regularly for conversation, drinking and readings of their works-in-progress

  8. The Storyteller • One day when grading his student’s exams, he found a blank page with only the phrase, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit”. • The Hobbit was published in 1937 and was an immediate success • He presented Quenta Silmarillion to his publisher but they requested a sequel to The Hobbit instead • This developed into The Lord of the Rings

  9. The Cult • In 1965, LOTR was printed in a pirated paperback version and alerted millions of Americans to its existence • By1968, LOTR had become the bible for “Alternative Society” • Tolkien was flattered but disapproved of his work and LSD being experienced at the same time • Fans came to stand outside of his house and called him at 3AM to ask him trivia questions about LOTR • Due to Tolkien’s success, the genre of fantasy literature had been revived and inspired

  10. Other Works • Scholarly Essays • The Monsters & the Critics • The Adventures of Tom Bombadil • Translations: • Ancrene Wisse • Sir Gawain • Sir Orfeo • The Pearl • The Legendarium • Imram • Farmer Giles of Ham • Leaf by NIggle • Smith of Wootton Major • The Silmarillion • Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-Earth • The Book of Lost Tales • History of Middle-Earth • The Peoples of Middle-earth

  11. Retirement • Tolkien retired in 1959 • Edith and Tolkien moved to Bournemouth • Edith died on November 22, 1971 • Tolkien returned to Oxford and moved into rooms provided by Merton College • Tolkien died on September 2, 1973 • He and Edith are buried together in a single grave in the Catholic section of Wolvercote cemetery in the suburbs of Oxford

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