Book Depository U.K Tolkien Book Haul

  Hello everyone! Last February I was able to shop online via Book Depository. I decided to try shopping there because I have seen, and read good reviews of people who bought their books there. 

I bought Tolkien's

Kullervo, The History of Middle Earth boxed set (The Book of Lost Tales I and II, The Lays of Beleriand, The Shaping of Middle-Earth, The Lost Road and Other Writings). I also bought supplemental books, like The Inklings (biographies of Lewis, Tolkien and their Friends), Tales From the Perilous Realms (this is a compilation of J.R.R. Tolkien's other works such as Roverandom, Smith of Wooton Major, Leaf by Niggle etc.). All the books comes with a free bookmark (Peppa Pig etc.)

The first 2 books arrived at my doorstep (The Inklings, and Tales from Perilous Realm), while the other remaining books, I asked my mom to get it for me at the Main Post Office which is really a hassle to get. The books are cheap here, and its free shipping. What I just don't like is the other books are not delivered at my doorstep. So I'm not sure if I will order from them again. It almost took 4 weeks for me to get all of the books that I have ordered. Over-all Book Depository purchase has been satisfactory for me. If you want to save, and you love books (a lot of titles are available) try ordering from them. 

Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' by: Corey Olsen

   After buying my Lord of the Rings themed style t-shirts from a local clothing store. I proceeded to my usual favorite place which is the bookstore! I bought Prof. Corey Olsen's book, entitled, Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien's, The Hobbit. If you don't know who Corey Olsen is. I have seen bits of his video in YouTube, and he's known for promoting the works of our beloved J.R.R. Tolkien. I also share his endeavor because as an official member of The Tolkien Society (U.K.). It is our joy to spread and promote the works of the late J.R.R. Tolkien. Aside from The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings, he has written a lot of books. Through the expertise, and dedication of his son, Sir Christopher Tolkien, all his works are now made available for all of us.

Anyway back to the book. I still haven't read The Hobbit, but I have seen the movie/s. I plan to read if after I have finished reading The Silmarillion. I bought this book as a supplement to The Hobbit. I am sure that I will also learn how to scholarly digest a book through this work of Prof. Olsen. He is also the founder of an online learning institution which is the Signum University which he founded in 2012.

From amazon.com, I got this description: "An admirable and thought provoking consideration of the underlying themes of The Hobbit. This is a fun, thoughtful, and insightful companion volume designed to bring a thorough and original new reading of this great work to a general audience."

So if you are interested in reading and buying this book. There are a lot of online book shops, and there's a local specialty bookstore wherein you can request for a special order of books not available locally. As always, Happy reading!

The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun

    Yesterday, I bought another J.R.R. Tolkien book, The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun. Previously, I already bought all of the J.R.R. Tolkien book titles in our local specialty bookstore. I had this book reserved for me. This book was available only in their other store branch. I waited for this book for around 2 days. I haven't started reading this book. I still have a lot of Tolkien books in my list to read. If you are interested in this book please read the information I got from Harper Collins UK online.

Unavailable for more than 70 years, this early but important work is published for the first time with Tolkien’s ‘Corrigan’ poems and other supporting material, including a prefatory note by Christopher Tolkien. Set In Britain’s land beyond the seas’ during the Age of Chivalry, The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun tells of a childless Breton Lord and Lady (the Aotrou’ and Itroun’ of the title) and the tragedy that befalls them when Aotrou seeks to remedy their situation with the aid of a magic potion obtained from a corrigan, or malevolent fairy. When the potion succeeds and Itroun bears twins, the corrigan returns seeking her fee, and Aotrou is forced to choose between betraying his marriage and losing his life.

Coming from the darker side of J.R.R. Tolkien’s imagination, The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun, together with the two shorter Corrigan’ poems that lead up to it and which are also included, was the outcome of a comparatively short but intense period in Tolkien's life when he was deeply engaged with Celtic, and particularly Breton, myth and legend.

Originally written in 1930 and long out of print, this early but seminal work is an important addition to the non-Middle-earth portion of his canon and should be set alongside Tolkien’s other retellings of myth and legend, The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrn, The Fall of Arthur and The Story of Kullervo. Like these works, it belongs to a small but important corpus of his ventures into real-world’ mythologies, each of which in its own way would be a formative influence on his own legendarium.

I already browsed through this book. The one that I've got is a hardbound. It has a nice sort of leaflet cover, and the spine of the book has a gold embossing title. The famous Tolkien insignia is included of course. The paper quality is really good, and the font (text size) is good, very readable. It is a sort of a poetry book. I think this is not a sort of story style novel, but it is a story told in poetry style. This is something new to me so I decided to purchase it, and this work of Tolkien deviates from his Middle-Earth works. Personally I think, this is a must-have for Tolkien followers.

The Tolkien Society

     I can say I'm a certified bibliophile (a person who collects and love books). These days I've been so fascinated with Tolkien's works. I bought a few of his books, and they are a bit pricey, but its all worth-it. I'm very proud to say, and to share with you dear readers of this blog of mine, that I'm an official member of The Tolkien Society now. I was accepted last week. Why did I join? Because, I wanted to feel how it is to be a certified Tolkienist. One of our group member in a social page (local Tolkien group), commented why did I say I'm not a certified Tolkienist. Well, like what I have written in my English fan blog. As a former member of Jane Austen Society in Australia, I joined the group because I wanted to belong to an organization or group that shares similar interest with me, and I also what to belong to a group officially and the status quo of course.

In our local Tolkien social group page, someone asked me what are the perks of being a member. I pointed out to them the society's web page. I was hesitant before, if I should go on and sign-up as a member. I'm afraid that I will not exhaust all the benefits of being a member, since I am not from the UK. Anyway, the prestige of being a member is enough for me. The membership fee is, £30. So that is equivalent to 2000 plus Philippine Pesos.

What are the perks of being a member? You can choose the student, postal or online membership. I chose the online membership because I dread to wait for the stuffs that's going to be mailed to me. Since its from the UK, its gonna take a long, long time for it to reach me. You also get Amon Hen their bi-monthly bulletin, and Mallorn their annual journal. Plus, you get online access. For online membership category, you get instant access to the society's publication. But a postal membership is also good, because you get a hard copy. If I'm not that impatient, I would have chosen the postal category. There is a "For Members" only access page in their website. Aside from that you get to join a worldwide fellowship who shares the same passion for Tolkien, and you get to promote his works too! According to their website it has 1,000 members from around the globe, in over 30 different countries. Also, you get discounts in their affiliated institutes like Mythgard Institute that offers fantasy, and Tolkien studies/courses.

So if you are interested in joining too, here is their website just click on this. -> The Tolkien Society

To those who do not know who J.R.R. Tolkien is here is his short info. about him.

Prof. J.R.R. Tolkien C.B.E. was a renowned scholar of the English language best remembered for his works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, which have become two of the most well-known, best-loved and biggest-selling books of all time. He is also a poet, and philologist.

I really admire Tolkien, because he was a brilliant story-teller, and writer. He devised his own language called Sindarin, the language spoken by immortal elves in his stories about the Middle-Earth. He also created his own insignia. The famous Tolkien symbol. If you have not read his works and have only seen the movies, I suggest you grab a copy of his books. I'm sure you will also be a fan! 

For more info. just visit The Tolkien Society page.

(Update, I just got my membership ID card and welcome letter this 23rd of March.)

Map of the Middle-Earth

 

Today, I just got my very own map of the Middle-Earth. I purchased this online, for less than a thousand bucks. This map is made of cloth. The feel is similar to silk.

Middle-Earth, is a fictional setting created by J.R.R. Tolkien. If you have seen the movie, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and have read the books, then you surely know what I'm talking about.

The term Middle-Earth was not originally from Tolkien, it comes from Middle English middel-erde. I believe that Tolkien got some inspiration from Beowulf the classic epic poem of English/Anglo-Saxon origins, that he had worked on. From the LoTR online Wikia, it says there that there are a lot of parallels between Beowulf and Tolkien's work.

There are a lots of inhabitants in the Middle-Earth. Iluvatar (origin of everything, the creator, The One) created the Ainurs, they were angelic beings who made beautiful music for Iluvatar, but one of them rebelled and his name is Melkor. I see a parallel here, the story of creation in the bible, and the fall of Lucifer. Next are those who entered the world, the Ainurs became Valars, and from the Valars came lesser spirits called the Maiar. The Maiars, worked for the Valars. For example the spouses Osse and Uinen, ruler of the seas, acted under Ulmo. I suggest you read the Silmarillion for better understanding of Tolkien's world and mythology. I had a hard time grasping it at first. So I made notes, and I also listen to the audio in YouTube. Over-all, as I read and learn of the writings of Tolkien, I am really impressed day by day of his works. I know that I should not make him an 'idol', God should always comes first. But in learning more of Tolkien, and other brilliant men like his son Christopher who continued the work of his father and because of him we have the Silmarillion, and Beren and Luthien among many others. I thank God for these men. All these came from Him anyway. 

So much so about that, going on other inhabitants of the Middle-Earth are, the Elves (my favorite is Legolas Greenleaf), they are intelligent beings created by Iluvatar alone, the first born. There are many clans of Elves, there are the dark and light elves. But the dark here doesn't mean they are evil. They would just never see the light of the 2 trees in Aman. Because, they remained in Middle Earth, dark elves are called the Avari, and the Eldar. The 2 main languages of the Elves are called Quenya and Sindarin. Physically they resemble human, but are beautiful, and they have pointed ears. They are agile and quick-footed, and are taller than men. Though they can be killed, they are immortal, they can die of grief too. 

Men are the second born of Iluvatar. They are mortal, ageing and dying quickly. Men, are less beautiful. Next are the Dwarves, who were said to be created by the Valar, Aule. They are master craftsman. Their language is known as Khudzul, a secret language for their own use. They are mortal, but live longer than men. Also, male and female dwarves are identical in their appearance. They are smaller in size too. Next, are the Hobbits or Halfling, according to Tolkien, they are offshoot of the race of men. They were generally half the size of men. They speak the Mannish tongue Westron. There are 3 kinds of hobbit, The Stoors, Fallohides, and Harfoots.

Other races were the Ents, shepherds of trees. They speak, and move. Created by Iluvatar, at the request of Yavanna. Treebird, in LoTR was the oldest Ent. Evil creatures such as Orcs and Trolls were created by Melkor also known as Morgoth. They are mockeries of the Children of Iluvatar and Elves. Other animals like the Eagles also live in the Middle-Earth. There are also giant spiders that descended from Ungoliant, also dragons are present here like Smaug. Another are Wargs, they are species of wolves allied with Orcs. In the Hobbit movie, one creature that I cannot forget was the skin-changer names Beorn, a man who could assume the form of a great black bear. I think he is the last of his kind. There are a lot more creatures in the Middle-Earth. (All the information here I got from Wikipedia and LoTR Wikia.) 

Back to my review of my Middle-Earth map. The small characters are not that very clear, but when viewed from afar, over-all, its nice to look at. It is great for a room decor, either in your own room, or in your living room. I'm sure Tolkien fans and visitors will be amazed if they saw this hanging inside your place. If you are a Tolkien fan this is another must-have. 

J.R.R. Tolkien Book Haul

  Today after work I bought a few books by Tolkien. My favorite specialty bookstore which is Fully Booked carries a few Tolkien books. The titles that I've got are, The Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien, and The Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-Earth. These books are all stories before the events in The Hobbit, and the Lord of the Rings. I decided to buy them because these titles are the only ones left. I also made a special order, "Tolkien's World from A to Z: The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth." It usually takes 2 months if you request for special order for a specific book. I'm thankful that even if I'm from Asia, I have access to these wonderful titles. I just realized my some of my favorite books, and authors come from UK. I love Jane Austen's novels, and I like the movie Harry Potter. I have also read some of the writings of Tolkien's friend,  C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia, but maybe as I got older, my taste in literature has changed. I go for a more serious read.

The books that I bought, two of them are soft-bound, and one is a hard-bound. I got a 10% discount in each of the books because, I got a Fully Booked discount card. I have saved all of my receipts, and it reached to the total amount of 15,000 Philippine Pesos. To get a Fully Booked discount card, you can simply purchase it for 700 pesos, or just do what I did, save all your receipts for the whole year until it reaches the amount of P15, 000 Philippine pesos, and then you can apply for the Fully Booked discount card.

Back to these books. I'll just include  here the summary of each of the books.

1. The Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-Earth are stories and essays that were never completed by J.R.R. Tolkien. But they are compiled and edited by his son Christopher Tolkien. This is a must-have for all LoTR fans. One reviewer of this book said that this is a very good supplement , to the Lord of the Rings.

2. The Children of Hurin - This is the first complete book of Tolkien since 1977. The story is about the evil Morgoth and his war against the elves. Since I am fascinated with the Eldar (elves), I simply cannot let this book pass me by.

3. Beren and Luthien - Anyone who is a sucker for love stories this book is for you. Even if their story is included in the Silmarillon (just a brief one). In this book you will know everything about these two. It is basically the story about Beren, a mortal man, who fell in love with an elf named Luthien. This is another must-buy for me, since its about an elf.

So that's it! If you still have not read the books that I mentioned, you can still grab a copy. The photo shown here are some of my Tolkien book collections.Not much, but I'm proud of 'em! I also have a Legolas toy from, The Hobbit, and a Lorien leaf brooch/pin. Tolkien's work is surely an adventure! Happy reading!

The Silmarillion, and The Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)

  Yes, I'm also a fan of the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, and The Hobbit. This week I went to a local specialty bookstore to get the books that I ordered, and reserved for me. Only few specialty bookstores carry The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Deluxe Pocket Boxed Set. The Hobbit is also included in this set. It is a bit expensive around P2,299 Philippine pesos. The books are publish by Houghton Mifflin. The price in British Pound is 49.95. The Silmarillon, published by Del Rey Books is cheaper since its paperback, costs around 414 Philippine Pesos. The Deluxe Pocket Boxed Set is very nice to look at. It is not bulky, and heavy to carry. It also comes with a mini-book case. The books have different hard bound colored covers.

I have seen all of the LOTR movies, and they're all amazing! My favorite character from the start is Legolas. He is portrayed in the movie as a handsome elf. He is also very skilled, and a great archer. I also have the leaf brooch that Legolas, and the group wore. The fellowship have this brooch, and it is called Leaves (leaf) of Lorien. They use it for the cloaks, for it to be fastened securely. A lot of people have asked if the brooch has a special use, or if its magic. I don't know. One thing I know if its hand-crafted or made by elves, and its a gift given to you. It sure is special!

Even if male elves rarely or maybe they don't fall in love with female mortals/humans, if ever I'll meet an elf (immortal) I will still like him. (I'm still romantic by heart ha!ha!ha). I believe that male elves are more logical, and also they know that mortals die, and the world beyond death is unknown to them, so they really don't want their daughters to fall for a mortal man. For them, it is a tragedy. There's also a romance on the side. In the movie, unforgettable stories of Tauriel and Kili (broke my heart), and Arwen and Aragorn's love story. A lot of likeable characters in the story. Top of my favorite is Gandalf. Hobbits, dwarfs, and mortals interaction made the whole story magical, and amazing of course! Before, I thought I would never like Tolkien's work, because its deep and it seems dark for me. I thought the Chronicles of Narnia would be my forever favorite story but I was wrong. By the way the movie adaptation of The Hobbit is different from the book. Legolas and Tauriel were not in Tolkien's, The Hobbit.

I also bought the Silmarillion book, because it is about the beginning.  You will know more about the world of the Middle-Earth, and the elves, dwarves, mortals, and the hobbits who share a similarity with the humans. You will know about the First-born, which are the elves, and the Followers which are the men. It also includes the story of Beren and Luthien. The book, The Silmarillion contains J.R.R. Tolkien's letter to Milton Waldman, explaining further his writings. This book was already edited by his son Christopher Tolkien. I also found out that there's another story of a female elf who fell in love with a male mortal (according to a few internet articles, Tolkien, viewed his love, courtship, and eventual marriage, similar to Luthien and Beren's relationship.) There's a separate book, entitled Beren and Luthien. (their story is included in the Silmarillion, but its only brief.) An interesting fact, in the tombstone of Tolkien and his wife, names of Luthien and Beren were engraved. Moving on, aside from the dvd's. LOTR books is also very nice to collect. So, if you're an LOTR fan, and like me who has also seen all the movies,  I say, better buy these books to see the complete picture of the story. Treat yourself! These books are my Valentine's day gift for myself. Love books, love life! Happy reading!