Upon its release, it was lambasted as an overly serious, complex slog that missed the appeal of his two previous books. The Silmarillion was conceived as the origin story of Middle-earth, and in many ways represents Tolkien’s most potent and complex work of fiction. His son, Christopher, would edit and publish it posthumously in 1977. That book wouldn’t be published until after Tolkien’s death. His third book, though ambitious, didn’t interest his publishers, who wanted more successful adventure stories. His publishers were already over-encumbered by the 1200 page draft of his second book which they were forced to break into three and sell separately (against Tolkien’s wishes). They became some of the most popular fiction of the 20th century and launched the high fantasy genre into international acclaim.Īs successful as these books were, Tolkien’s wish at the time was to pair these adventures with another book he’d been working on since first conceiving Middle-earth. Those stories were epic adventures and runaway successes. They’re introduced to wizards, dwarves, elves, dragons, and all manners of evil that wish to conquer the free peoples of this world. Through both of these adventures, readers are treated to epic adventures through the world of Middle-earth.
This would be followed by the subsequent mega-success of his legendary Lord of the Rings trilogy in 1954. Tolkien was thrust onto the international stage as one of the most successful writers of his age. When The Hobbit was published in 1936, J.R.R. Positive Content: Themes of valor, justice, love, and goodness Review A Brief History of Tolkien’s Published Works Violence: Themes of warfare, conflict, death, destruction, and physical mutation Spiritual Content: Religiously influenced themes of evil, corruption, and greed as well as love, courage, and sacrifice In releasing these incomplete and convoluted works, he gifted the world a treasure trove of knowledge and a deeper understanding of his father’s artistic vision. Tolkien, The Monsters and the Critics, The History of Middle-earth, The Fall of Arthur, The Lost Road, translations of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Beowulf, and an entire library of ancillary lore novels covering every detail of Middle-earth’s history and development. He would spend over fifty years assembling and editing drafts of his father’s unfinished works: The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, The Letters of J.R.R. Following Tolkien’s death, though, his son Christopher Tolkien took the massive undertaking of sorting through his father’s estate. Both books sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide and created acclaim and success for the burgeoning fantasy genre. Tolkien’s two most popular works: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Little introduction is necessary for J.R.R.
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