The best books if you want to go on an adventure in the world of Tolkien criticism

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been reading Tolkien since I was seven years old, mumblety-mumble years in the distant past, but it wasn’t till much later that I got serious about reading critical works on Tolkien, and then turned to writing about him, myself. Twenty years ago, I published my first book on Tolkien. Since then, I’ve edited a number of essay collections, published many papers, consulted on the Hobbit movies, amassed a respectable personal library, and edited Mythlore, one of the major journals in the field of Tolkien studies, since 2006. My love of Tolkien has led me on many adventures and to deep and abiding friendships around the world! 


I wrote...

War and the Works of J.R.R. Tolkien

By Janet Brennan Croft,

Book cover of War and the Works of J.R.R. Tolkien

What is my book about?

When I was working on this book in the early 2000s, as the shadow of war was waxing darker and stronger every day, I found comfort in Tolkien’s depiction of courage, grace, and clear-eyed determination in the face of great evil. But I wanted to know why The Lord of the Rings suddenly seemed to speak to me so clearly about war.

What could I learn from Tolkien, a peaceful man but a soldier and a father of soldiers, that could help me face and understand war in my own time? I do not think there is a definitive answer to this question. Like Tolkien’s hobbits, we all learn more from the quest than the destination, and we all find our own individual answers. 

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Tolkien's Theology of Beauty: Majesty, Splendor, and Transcendence in Middle-earth

Janet Brennan Croft Why did I love this book?

I am fascinated by the contradictions of Tolkien’s women and by the tension between Christian and pagan in his writing.

This book is particularly valuable for its explication of Tolkien’s integration of Marian and Valkyrie imagery, resulting in female characters of transcendental beauty and heroism. And the writing is absorbing and informative.

Book cover of There Would Always Be a Fairy Tale: Essays on Tolkien's Middle-earth

Janet Brennan Croft Why did I love this book?

Verlyn Flieger is the doyenne of Tolkien criticism, and this collection sees her at her best.

I’ve often found that her brilliance lies in pointing out what’s been hiding in plain sight–and once you have seen it, your view is forever changed. “But What Did He Really Mean?” and “Politically Incorrect Tolkien” are my favorites, but there are many gems here worth excavating.

By Verlyn Flieger,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked There Would Always Be a Fairy Tale as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Devoted to Tolkien, the teller of tales and co-creator of the myths they brush against, these essays focus on his lifelong interest in and engagement with fairy stories, the special world that he called faerie, a world they both create and inhabit, and with the elements that make that world the special place it is. They cover a range of subjects, from The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings and their place within the legendarium he called the Silmarillion to shorter works like "The Story of Kullervo" and "Smith of Wootton Major."

From the pen of eminent Tolkien scholar…


Book cover of Tolkien, Enchantment, and Loss: Steps on the Developmental Journey

Janet Brennan Croft Why did I love this book?

I find many attempts to psychoanalyze authors disrespectful and poorly thought out, but this is an exception. It offers a unique perspective on the interrelationship between Tolkien’s life and art.

It is well-argued, convincing, and beautifully written. It gets deeply into the WHY of Tolkien’s art without being invasive or overly speculative.

Book cover of Flora of Middle-Earth: Plants of J.R.R. Tolkien's Legendarium

Janet Brennan Croft Why did I love this book?

If you are anything like me, one of the reasons you keep coming back to Middle-earth is the landscape. This is the field guide I want to take on my next trip!

This is a very thoroughly researched compendium of information and folklore about real-world plants in Tolkien’s world—and about his invented plants as well. It's nicely illustrated, too!

By Walter S. Judd, Graham A. Judd,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Flora of Middle-Earth as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The book considers the importance of plants in Tolkien's conception of Middle-earth. It develops the theme that Middle-earth is our own world - and will awaken the reader to the connection between the plants of Tolkien's legendarium and those growing in our gardens and local natural areas of the Northern Hemisphere. It also demonstrates the connection between the various plant communities of Middle-earth and the elven and human cultures that occupy them, including those environments degraded by warfare, industrialization or pollution.

The heart of the book is an alphabetical listing, arranged by common names, of all of the plants mentioned…


Book cover of The Mirror Crack'd: Fear and Horror in JRR Tolkien's Major Works

Janet Brennan Croft Why did I love this book?

I love a good, solid, chewy book of critical essays around a specific theme—I know, it’s a specialized taste. This is a good one.

Yes, I’d love to tramp peacefully around Middle-earth with the field guide I reviewed above, but there are horrors there as well, and this collection gives Tolkien’s dragons, wolves, spiders, and other monsters their due.

By Lynn Forest-Hill (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Mirror Crack'd as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Fear and horror are an inextricable part of Tolkien's great mythology and his use of medieval sources for his evocations of fear and horror contribute to the distinctive tone of his work. This collection of essays shows how his masterly narrative techniques transform his sources, both familiar and unfamiliar, so that hitherto benign characters, objects and landscapes, as well as his famous monstrous creations, engage with deeply rooted human fears. The essays, by an international group of scholars, confirm Tolkien's worldwide reputation. They highlight the depiction of the fear associated with marginalised characters; explore the moral implications of light and…


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God on a Budget: and other stories in dialogue

By J.M. Unrue,

Book cover of God on a Budget: and other stories in dialogue

J.M. Unrue Author Of The Festival of Sin: and other tales of fantasy

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an old guy. I say this with a bit of cheek and a certain amount of incongruity. All the books on my list are old. That’s one area of continuity. Another, and I’ll probably stop at two, is that they all deal with ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances—those curveballs of life we flail at with an unfamiliar bat; the getting stuck on the Interstate behind a semi and some geezer in a golf cap hogging the passing lane in a Buick Le Sabre. No one makes it through this life unscathed. How we cope does more to define us than a thousand smiles when things are rosy. Thus endeth the lesson.

J.M.'s book list on showing that somebody has it worse than you do

What is my book about?

Nine Stories Told Completely in Dialogue is a unique collection of narratives, each unfolding entirely through conversations between its characters. The book opens with "God on a Budget," a tale of a man's surreal nighttime visitation that offers a blend of the mundane and the mystical. In "Doctor in the House," readers are plunged into the emotionally charged moment when an oncologist delivers a life-altering diagnosis to a patient. The collection then shifts to "Prisoner 8086," a story about the unlikely friendship that blossoms between a prison volunteer and a habitual offender, exploring themes of redemption and human connection.

The heart of the book continues with "The Reunion," a touching narrative about high school sweethearts reuniting, stirring up poignant memories and unspoken feelings. "The Therapy Session" adds a lighter touch, presenting a serio-comic exchange between a therapist and a challenging patient. In "The Fishing Trip," a father imparts crucial life lessons to his daughter during an eventful outing, leading to unexpected consequences. "Mortality" offers a deeply personal moment as a mother shares a cherished, secret story from her past with her son.

The collection then takes a romantic turn in "The Singles Cruise," where two individuals find connection amidst shared stories on a cruise for singles. Finally, "Jesus and Buddha in the Garden of Eden" provides a satirical, thought-provoking encounter in the afterlife between two spiritual figures. The book concludes with "The Breakup," a nuanced portrayal of a young couple's separation, told from both perspectives, encapsulating the complexities of relationships and the human experience.

God on a Budget: and other stories in dialogue

By J.M. Unrue,

What is this book about?

Nine Stories Told Completely in Dialogue is a unique collection of narratives, each unfolding entirely through conversations between its characters. The book opens with "God on a Budget," a tale of a man's surreal nighttime visitation that offers a blend of the mundane and the mystical. In "Doctor in the House," readers are plunged into the emotionally charged moment when an oncologist delivers a life-altering diagnosis to a patient. The collection then shifts to "Prisoner 8086," a story about the unlikely friendship that blossoms between a prison volunteer and a habitual offender, exploring themes of redemption and human connection.

The…


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