Tolkien Reading Day

Today I went out to celebrate Tolkien Reading Day. It's a day of celebrating this great author and his works. And so, when I spotted that this event was on at a local library, I thought it was about time I went to see who was giving the talk; and what it was about.

However, a few days ago, I was at the Logan North Library when I spotted the advertising about this event and called up Peter Kenny - Brisbane's biggest collector of JRR Tolkien memorabilia - and we chatted for a good half hour about just that topic; as well as collecting books. I found that Peter has a huge collection of 'The Hobbit' in a variety of languages, of merchandise, costumes and other information he's researched about the realms that JRR Tolkien created just to write 'Lord of the Rings', 'The Hobbit' and 'The Silmarillion'; as well as other books on how those books came together. 

There weren't many people at today's reading, but the few who were there knew their fair share of information about Middle Earth and some of the specifics. One girl showed up and greeted us in Elvish - a language that JRR Tolkien developed himself to use in the just the books, but people have learned and used for themselves - and she bowed to him as well; fun stuff.

Well, the talk went for over an hour on the history of how the spirit guides and the lands were created. This was very briefly explained. Then, Peter talked in-depth about how 'Lord of the Rings' was about Aragorn more and less about Frodo and him getting the ring he had to Mount Doom. Believe me, I'll be rereading that book again just to pick up on it all.
He also made note that the movies were a mess of mis-quoted lines from the books that were placed in the wrong places, into the wrong character's mouths in the movies.  

Overall, the whole talk was fascinating and was well worth my morning there. I stuck around to chat to Peter more as he asked me to stay after his talk so we could catch up about our books and collections. It was good to talk to somebody about something we both understood completely. What made it worthwhile was that he had a huge amount of knowledge and books I didn't; and I had some books he wanted to look at that he hadn't seen. So, it was good for us both. Until my next post, happy reading.

Series Reading

I've been reading other blogs lately that everyone either loves reading books in a series or they don't.  There's no middle of the road, it's a love or hate relationship.  Actually, I don't think it's that at all.  There's some series that click with people and some that don't.  

I've been loaned a trilogy of books by Peter F Hamilton.  He's a great sci-fi writer.  He's not complicated and gets right into the story.  However, his books are the size and weight of doorstops!  I found one of The Dream Trilogy series and not the other two; and one of my friends has the other two.  So, we put our heads together and thought to share.  Well!  My friend zipped through all three books and then handed them onto me.  I jumped in and only read to chapter two of book one and found it was such a mammoth read I couldn't get any further (sorry Geoff!).  But really, do books have to be so physically huge to carry the story along?

I have easily followed Raymond E Fiest's 'Magician' series along; and I stumbled upon that one by mistake while holidaying in Cairns one time.  I bought it at a second-hand store where the money went to build shelters for beaten women.  This one book led to another, and then another - then the next thing I knew I was buying the whole five of the series.  And you know?  I've still got those books in my collection to read.  I just can't part with them.

I've read 'Lord of the Ring's and 'The Hobbit' before it; however couldn't get into any other works by Tolkien, which is a pity as I do love his works.

Peter Straub and Stephen King both worked on a two-parter book together called 'The Talisman' and 'Black House'.  I bought the first one in Cairns (in the same place as I bought 'Magician') and found a copy of the next one at a garage sale to buy and keep as the libraries didn't like how slow I read at the time.  I still have these two books; and really I must read them again as the storyline is brilliant!

Even Stephen King has done a great, well-known series called 'The Dark Tower Series'.  Now, I was late in getting in on this one; but I'm there.  To start with I was given 'The Drawing of the Three' but it fell apart on me and I had to throw it out.  So, I ended up buying the first one - 'The Gunslinger' and tried reading it.  But my head wasn't really in it.  So, I kept it (as it was brand new I don't give away those books; especially when I want to read them) and was given 'Wizard and Glass' by my brother; which I also kept (and is the fourth book).  Eventually, Mum bought me 'Song of Susannah' and I found 'The Wind Through the Keyhole' (the latter was bought on Thursday this week).  So, I'm slowly getting the whole series together.  I only need three more books and I'm set to read them at my leisure.  The one mistake I've made with reading a series is reading them back to back; as they get a little too much.  So, I'll read one, then read something in between, then read the next one.

So, what is your favourite series to read?  Be it from childhood or from now?  Please do leave a comment and let us know.  Until my next post, happy reading!

Roverandom by JRR Tolkien

This wonderful and charming book by the Grandfather of fantasy is a story about a dog that had been turned into a toy by a wizard and then sent by a 'sand-sorcerer' to the moon and under the sea.  This is what's written on the inside flap of the book I own.

I have tried to read this wonderful hard cover edition I own on my bookshelves; however it being a children's novel, I found it hard to get into it.  Tolkien's words are still rich and full of description and wonderfully colourful for a child's imagination to grow within and around.  And I've found on Bookfound.com that this particular copy - with a dustcover that is still intact and in very good condition - is worth between $40 and $55 Australian.  There is a little wear where it's been bumped around along the top and bottom; but that's to be expected.

Tolkien's books can be very collectable now the films have been made.  If you're looking for something that is worth something, keep an eye on what year it's published and make sure you try for publications that work around the year Tolkien passed away (1973).

The Father Christmas Letters by JRR Tolkien

When JRR Tolkien's children were young, and they wrote letters to Father Christmas, he thought to play a game with them and have Father Christmas write them back. This began when they were very young and Tolkien continued this over some years until they became too old do to it; until the fantasy wore off. However, the letters from both parties were kept as what was written in them had begun to shape into a story for the children to follow. Tolkien had included drawings and detailed descriptions of Father Christmas with his Reindeer and where he lived during the year. This is a very special book to have in any collection of a Tolkien fan; particularly if you have the hardcover green book (which is sadly out of print now). However, I've been able to find 5 copies on bookfound.com with prices ranging between $31.00 and $300.00 all in fine condition. But all is not lost! You can acquire a miniature 3-book lot of this book in its own case wrapped in plastic (which I received a few years ago; and I've kept it in its wrappings to keep it in good shape).

I'm a very big fan of JRR Tolkien and have been collecting his work over the last decade or so. In coming posts, I will review a few books that have been hard to find or were a limited print run so you know what to look out for in case you wish to take up the thrilling - and rather addictive - hobby of hunting for rare and out of print books.

JRR Tolkien (1892-1973) was a major scholar of the English language, specialising in Old and Middle English. Twice Professor of Anglo-Saxon (Old English) at the University of Oxford, he also wrote a number of stories, including most famously The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954-1955), which are set in a pre-historic era in an invented version of the world which he called by the Middle English name of Middle-earth. This was peopled by Men (and women), Elves, Dwarves, Trolls, Orcs (or Goblins) and of course Hobbits. He has regularly been condemned by the Eng. Lit. establishment, with honourable exceptions, but loved by literally millions of readers worldwide.