Tolkien's Magic

Since he was born, J.R.R. Tolkien had a hard childhood where many terrible things happened. Living at Oxford University years later ultimately led to his friendship with C.S. Lewis. Unexpectedly bright, J.R.R. Tolkien started his life’s work, The Lord of the Rings. When Tolkien died, his books sold quicker than he could have imagined.

On January 3, 1892, a sickly baby named John Ronald Ruel Tolkien was born to Arthur and Mabel Tolkien. Growing up to be a small, pale child, Tolkien loved stories about dragons. Arthur Tolkien died of acute peritonitis in February of 1896 and young Tolkien’s mother followed in 1904, dying from diabetes. Before his mother died, Tolkien was enrolled at King Edwards School. Quickly finding a love for poetry there, he began to write at once. Also, while he was there he studied languages.

In 1926 J.R.R. Tolkien met C.S Lewis at Oxford University. Becoming friends, they both were mesmerized by Norse mythology, and they would spend many nights staying up terribly late. While they were close friends, they were both great writers. However, J.R.R. Tolkien could not stand his friend Lewis’s books simply because of the non-subtlety of the allegory and symbols.

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” Starting with these words, Tolkien brilliantly wrote The Hobbit. Happily, Tolkien wrote in a letter that in many ways he was much like a hobbit: “I am in fact a hobbit in all but size. I like gardens, trees, and unnmechanized farmlands; I smoke a pipe, and I like good plain food, but detest French cooking; I like and even dare to wear in these dull days, ornamental waistcoats. I am fond of mushrooms (out of a field), I have a very simple sense of humor (which even my appreciative critics find tiresome), I go to bed late and get up late (whenever possible). I do not travel much.” The Hobbit, which was published on September 21 of 1937, was such a big hit that it sold out by Christmas! While the book The Hobbit was still new, Tolkien decided to write a sequel. J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy, The Lord of the Rings followed many years later on October 20, 1955. J.R.R. Tolkien was later nominated Author of the Century

Although he had a rough childhood, J.R.R. Tolkien loved fairytales, which became his reason for writing myths and legends. C.S. Lewis also shared the love for stories with magic, and they were close friends because of it. Writing the brilliant trilogy The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien became famous. Author of the Century, Tolkien’s legends still survive today.