Book Review "J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography"

Humphrey Carpenter's biography on J.R.R. Tolkien has proven to be a delightful look into the life and career of a remarkable man. I was pretty familiar with his friend "Jack" (C.S. Lewis) but I had never read anything about Tolkien before. If you appreciate the great literature that he produced, then you will certainly like this biography.

Carpenter excels in really 2 areas: 1. Putting Tolkien in his proper context. I appreciate writers who give you a proper understanding of what kind of culture a person belongs to. He gives Tolkien the benefit of the doubt in many areas. There is nothing worse than a condescending biographer who can't stand the fact that their subject isn't up on the latest social and philosophical leanings of that particular writer. Feminist literary critics are notorious for doing this. 2. Details, details, details. It is obvious that Carpenter did his homework on Tolkien. He had remarkable access into much of Tolkiens personal writings and developed good relationships with his surviving family members. This really comes through as you read it. A proper amount of details without burdening you with unnecessary details is what good biographies are all about.

Did Tolkien find true grace in his religious life? The biography doesn't exactly give one that impression. It is always a sad story to see someone so religious and devout and yet never come to that point in their life where they say, "Grace, grace, grace...I am His child by His grace!" If someone has seen evidence of this in any of his writings (0r others) then I would appreciate a quote or a link. Nevertheless, a good read.

Four Stars (out of five)